John Edwards for president!

As many of you know Elizabeth Edwards' breast cancer is back. I don't know if you have seen their news conference on TV, but I thought their apperance was stunning. I was deeply shaken and I have not stopped thinking about them since that day. The strength of their love for each other is incredible. They are such a great couple that bring inspiration and goodness to all. I wish the best in everything to both of them. I sincerely hope that John and Elizabeth Edwards make it to the White House because we need their integrity, courage, honesty, compassion and vision of hope. The country would be honored to have them as president and first lady. Please show your support and send them to the White House in 08!

Below is a beautiful editorial, so sensitively written by Eugene Robinson of Washington Post. Please take a moment to read it.

It was riveting to watch John and Elizabeth Edwards tell the world that even though her cancer has returned and is now deemed incurable, the Edwards campaign for the presidency will go on. No hiatus. No break from fundraising or travel. Just "keep your head up and keep moving and be strong," the candidate said.How could they possibly go on? I think there are better questions to ask. How could they not go on? What choice did they have but to continue with the mission they have set for themselves, and how else could they do it but together, as a partnership?

To me, there seemed nothing forced about the smiles they wore as they made their announcement yesterday. Perhaps if Elizabeth Edwards had faced a less certain prognosis, we wouldn't have heard that quality in the couple's voices that sounded almost like serenity. But the fact that the breast cancer for which she was treated following the 2004 campaign is now established in the bone does not leave much room for ambiguity. Doctors say she can be treated -- perhaps for years -- but not cured. So this isn't quite the same thing as facing death -- Elizabeth Edwards has a better idea of what she'll die of than most of us, but not of when. She and her husband are facing life, perhaps quite a few years of life, but with cancer an ever-present third party, an intruder who cannot be sent away.The question, then, was not how to go about dying, but how to go on living. John Edwards noted that they had faced this question before. "We know from our previous experience that when this happens you have a choice," he said. "You can go cower in the corner and hide, or you can be tough and go out there and stand up for what you believe in."

When I've spoken with John Edwards in the past, I've been struck by how much passion he has for the issues he cares about, especially the continuing blight of poverty. Edwards grew up poor, and through his own intelligence and determination he made himself a multimillionaire trial lawyer, then a U.S. senator, then a major-party candidate for vice president.The other candidates believe in themselves and their ideas, too, of course. And the other candidates, like Edwards, have spouses who believe just as fiercely as the candidate does. It takes a partnership to win the White House. But there has always seemed to be something special about the Edwards marriage. Let me rephrase that: There has never been a scintilla of doubt about their commitment to each other, never the slightest public hint that, even for an instant, they found themselves on different pages. There must have been private doubts -- every marriage has them, and the Edwards union has withstood crises and strains that would have torn some couples apart. They have been married for 30 years. When their teenage son died in a car crash in 1996, they decided to have more children, born when Elizabeth was 48 and 50. Then there was the 2004 campaign. And then the initial cancer diagnosis, announced the day after John Kerry and Edwards conceded to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. Then radiation, chemotherapy and a clean bill of health from the oncologists -- followed by nerve-racking checkups, where they always find some little anomaly, some little shadow. Usually, it's nothing.Unless it's something. The cancer is in the bone, but there are treatments. "I will have what will be a less debilitating kind of chemotherapy . . . for the rest of my life," she said.Having shared so many triumphs and defeats, having endured innumerable rubber-chicken fundraisers, having shaken hands and kissed babies and done all the endless things a candidate and his spouse are required to do, Elizabeth and John Edwards had to make a decision. They don't know how her health will progress over the next months and years. They could spend that time nesting with their family. Or they could spend it amid the exhilarating chaos of a presidential campaign, grabbing for the brass ring they've long had in sight. Do they really have a choice?Run, John and Elizabeth, run. Enjoy the campaign, every thrilling minute. Enjoy it together.

Madness, baby!

March Madness has arguably become the biggest sporting event in the country. I love the Superbowl and the World Series, but I think March Madness is more fun. I don't think there is anything more exciting in sports than March Madness. It is a fun time of year and I look forward to it every year. I love watching every minute of it and I also spend about 15 minutes each day surfing the hoops websites. What can I say, I am a huge March Madness fan.

To give you a little history, the tournament began in 1939 when the University of Oregon beat Ohio State for the first NCAA championship. Over the years upsets and heroics have characterized the tournament. In 1957, the University of North Carolina, a prohibitive underdog, beat Wilt Chamberlain and the Kansas Jayhawks in three overtime to win the championship. In the 1960s and early 70s college basketball had its version of a dynasty. John Wooden and UCLA won 10 championships in 12 years with players like Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton. The 1979 championship matched superstars "Magic" and Larry Bird. It was in 1985 that the tournament expanded to the current 64 teams, offering a chance for smaller, less well-known schools to enter the elite field.

But that's enough history. What about this year's games? Who are you rooting for? Who do you think will win this year's tournament? Are your bracket sheets still alive? Or are you not paying much attention to the tournament? Although my predictions are not very good, I think KU will go all the way. They are looking beautiful and if they continue to play the way they have been playing, it is possible. Florida just doesn't seem as hungry.

I was sick to my stomach after watching top-seeded Ohio State beat Xavier in overtime yesterday. Buckeyes survived a major scare and edged Xavier, 78-71 . I was hoping for a major upset, but it didn't happen. I always love it when the underdog team wins, but Xavier just couldn't hold on in overtime.

Oops, gotta run, the Saluki game is about to start. It would sure be nice if SIUC could advance to sweet 16 today. Wouldn't that be beautiful?
Enjoy the Big Dance!
-D

UPDATE: Yay, the Salukis advanced to the sweet 16 with a 63-48 win over VA Tech. Sweet.

Busy weekend

As the title says, I had a swimming filled busy weekend and was able to get away for a couple of days. I spent the weekend in Columbia, MO due to my daughter’s swim meet. The last and the most important swim meet of the season (State Championship Meet) was held at Mizzou’s wonderful Aquatic Center. I picked up my daughter from school at 2pm on Friday and headed to Columbia. Traffic on 70 West was horrible. It was jammed all the way from downtown St Louis to 10 miles past St Peters. It took us almost four hours to get to Columbia. My daughter was 20 minutes late for her swim practice, which is not a big deal, but it makes me angry that I couldn’t get her to the pool on time even though I picked her up from school early.

After practice, we went to Macaroni Grill for dinner. I ordered a chicken dish that had a portabella mushroom and melted mozzarella cheese on top. It was served with spinach orzo pasta. It sounds delicious, right? Well, I was actually disappointed. It was a mediocre meal at best. I think Macaroni Grill is as overrated as a restaurant can get. I didn’t care for the atmosphere either. It was crowded and dark inside. I felt like I was eating inside a bat cave. After spending mega bucks on mega bad meal, we came back to our hotel room and hit the hay right away since we had to be at the pool at the crack of dawn.

The swim meet ran incredibly smooth due to the efforts of the organizers. They did a great job. My daughter had an okay meet. She was hoping to get personal best times, but she swam kind of flat. I think her nerves got the best of her, plus she was still worn out from the District Meet, which was held only a week prior to the state meet. But I was still very proud of her due to the fact that she qualified for a state meet at such a young age. It amazes me that she has so much power, strength and endurance for an 11 year old (shamelessly bragging!). My daughter got a big kick out of competing in the same pool that Michael Phelps did. Yeah, Phelps was in Columbia three weeks ago and broke his own world record in 200 fly at Mizzou’s pool. How awesome is that! My daughter and I actually went to Columbia to watch Phelps and other world record holders swim at MO Grand Prix Swim Meet. It was a great opportunity to see so many world-class athletes perform right in front of our eyes. We ended up getting quite a few autographs, including two from Phelps.

After a long day at the pool, we went to Shakespeare’s Pizza on Saturday evening and had a pretty good meal. This place is Columbia’s landmark restaurant and claims to have the best pizza in town. While I thought the pizza was tasty, I didn’t think it was anything special. I think I am becoming a food snob, but that’s a story for another time.

Now I am home and staring at 4 loads of laundry that is calling my name. I think it is time to get off the computer and do something productive, like housework. Fun, fun, fun.

Hope you all had a great weekend!
-D

Restaurant Review

I am really not a big fan of chinese food, but I sure do enjoy eating at P.F.Chang's. I have been there a numerous times and I have never had a bad meal. Their food is amazing. Their portions are huge, the price is decent and the servers are always friendly. This is the only chain restaurant that I feel like I am finally paying for QUALITY in a chain restaruant.

For anyone who is a vegetarian they have lots of choices like their signature dish veggie lettuce wraps. I always get their chicken lettuce wraps or veggie spring rolls for an appetizer. They are so tasty. But of course they have lots of choices for meat lovers too. I have never tried it but I heard their mongolian beef is very good. One recommendation is Mu Shu chicken, which is served with thin pancakes and wrapped by your server right in front of you. Once for dessert, I had the "Great Wall of Chocolate. It is a very rich chocolate, rasberyy cake. We had a group of 5 poeple and one slice was plenty for all of us. They are also famous for their martinis. I highly recommend their key lime martini. It is is excellent. It is like eating a dessert. Yum.

They have two locations in St louis, one in Chesterfield and and the second near Brentwood across from the Galleria. I usually go to the one accross from the Galeria since it is closer. The Galeria location is cozy and the atmosphere is great, but it is not very big, so it gets really packed on the weekends. They accept reservations though.

Trust me, if you go to PF Chang's you will walk away from dinner feeling very satisified.
Well, that's all for now. I need to get out of this house before "I have done nothing for too many hours" feeling sets in. Off I go.