Concerts/performers I have seen in person

So I'm trying to make a list of every concert artist I have seen in person.  You are welcome to chime in if you remember we went to a show together and I missed it

Everly Brothers - PA

John Denver Chicago Stadium 1975
Paul McCartney Chicago Stadium 1975
Elton John Chicago Stadium 1976
Chicago/Beach Boys/Billy Joel  Chicago Stadium 1976
Led Zeppelin Chicago Stadium 1977
Jackson Browne - Ravinia on Running on Empty tour
Neil Diamond Chicago Stadium
Peter Gabriel Assembly Hall
Tina Turner Assembly Hall 1987
Bruce Springstein Assembly Hall
Emerson Lake and Palmer Assembly Hall
Dan Folgelberg Chicago Amphitheater, Assembly Hall
Pure Prairie League Assembly Hall
U2 Assembly Hall 1987
MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice 1990
Fleetwood Mac Chicago Stadium 1975
Doobie Brothers 1975 AH
Harry Chapin, Huff Gym, UI Auditorium (4 times), Chicago Arie Crown - twice


Outdoor Lansing. IL
James Taylor
Kenny Loggins
Starship

Electric Light Orchestra - Miami 1977

Pine Knob (80 - 84)
Crosby Stills and Nash
J Geils
Rick Springfield
Jackson Browne
James Taylor
Bob Dylan
Tom Chapin

Detroit (80 - 84)
The Who - Silverdome
Paul Simon - Joe Lewis
Bob Seger - Joe Lewis
The Police - Joe Lewis
David Bowie - Joe Lewis
Sammy Hager
Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton


Ann Arbor
Prince
Billy Joel

Pittsburgh
Rolling Stones - Three Rivers

Michael Jackson/Jackson 5 - KC opening tour, Indianapolis, Chicago
Tina Turner Champaign and Hawaii

Farm Aid 1987
Willie Nelson
John Mellencamp
Neil Young
Sammy Hager
Van Halen
Jon Bon Jovi
Beach Boys
Hall and Oates
Kenny Rogers


Shawn Colvin
Bruce Hornsby
Jackson Browne - at least 6 times
Bonnie Raitt - twice
Billy Ray Cyrus

Pearl Jam - St Louis

Glenn Frey/Joe Walsh - 2014
Styx
REO Speedwagon
Cheap Trick
Chicago
Allison Krause - twice
Garth Brooks, 3 times
Vince Gill
Amy Grant - twice

Foreigner - 2015 San Fran NAR

Kansas
George Thurogood
John Prine
Steve Goodman

Christian Acts
Chris Tomlin
Matthew West
Jeremy Camp
Third Day
Newsday

A Message to the New Pledges of the World. The 10 (or so) things I wish I had known when I was a pledge.

I was invited to speak to the pledges of all of the fraternities on campus last night.  What a humbling experience.  I thought I would share my thoughts with you.  First let me say these thoughts are not original.  I asked many friends, brothers and staff to share with me "what would you like me to tell 1000 or so pledges in Greek System.  I got a lot of great responses and narrowed them to about "10 or so things I wish I had known when I was a pledge"  Let me share them now.

I asked everyone to stand and shake hands with the people around them.  The room was filled with future leaders of the world: Doctors who will find cures to cancer, men who will work on the Mars project, senators and congressmen, CEO's of major companies.  Here in this room were some of the most brilliant men in the world.  They just didn't realize it yet.

Then I presented the list.

#1.  Be a sponge.  Learn everything you can about the chapter, the national fraternity, the university and the alumni.  Now is the time to build your foundation.  The more you know, the easier it will be to establish a network in the future.

#2. Wear your Letters and Colors with Pride.  We need to tell the community and the campus who you are.  Whether you are on campus wearing your fraternity colors, or back home wearing the orange and blue, we want everyone to know you are part of our Greek system and our University.

#3.  You are no one's personal servant.  Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.  That freed you!  You are not required to clean someone's house, room or apartment (except maybe your own).  You are no one's Merry Maid, Uber driver or Grub Hub delivery man.  Your role now is to learn about your history, meet your brothers and find where you fit in.  If someone in your chapter has a problem with this, call me or someone in the Greek Affairs office.

#4. Venture past your front sidewalk.  There is a whole world out there beyond your fraternity property line.  Find clubs and organizations you love.  Get involved.  Share your talent and wisdom with other organizations and other students.

#5. Own you actions.  Everything you do is is based on the choices you make.  It's not your parents, your past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument or your age that is to blame.  You and ONLY you are responsible for EVERY choice you make! Period.  If you decide to drink until you black out, own it, and own the consequences.  If you chose to use drugs, harass women, steal or lie it's a choice you have made. Being in a Fraternity is not a license to break the law.  Own it and if necessary.....

#6. Ask for Help.  You are surrounded by people who want to help you.  I believe the that ages 18-20 are the most difficult ages in your life.  You will be faced with making decisions without your parents help.  Things like alcohol, drugs, cheating, sex etc. These can be tough to figure out.  It's likely you may make mistakes.  Welcome to the club.  We have all made bad decisions in our lives.  You can learn amazing things from your mistakes when you are not busy denying them.  All of us, the alumni, faculty, staff, counselors, are here because we want to work with college students.  Seek us out. We won't judge you.  We will help you.

#7. Get off the fence.  In a 100 man chapter there are 20 leaders, 20 idiots, and 60 men sitting on the fence waiting and wondering if they should be a leader.  Get off the fence.  Whether on campus or in the chapter "step in and step up" to leadership.  Don't wait a year to get involved. Join a committee, shadow an officer, ask the president where and how you can help.  I promise you there is a role for you.  The time is now.  Don't wait for your turn.

#8. Embrace Diversity.  If you haven't figured this out by now you need to.  This is one of the most diverse campuses in the world.  114 countries, over 11,000 international students.  The world literally is out on the quad waiting to be discovered.  Meet as many students as you can.  Learn about their culture.  Find out why they might chose this campus in the middle of a cornfield.  The stories are amazing.  And by the way, having members from around the world only makes your chapter better.

#9. Become an Active Bystander.  See it, stop it, get help.  We need to police ourselves.  The Greek system is stereotyped with many horrible images.  We have earned these designations based on our actions.  If you think a brother is suffering from mental health issues and is possibly suicidal, talk to him, lead him to help.  This also applies to brothers who abuse alcohol and drugs.  Find help.  And no issue is more serious that preventing sexual harassment and assault.  Stop it before it's a problem.  If you don't feel comfortable confronting them, get help.  Find another brother or officer to intervene.

#10.  Make Every DAY Matter.  This is my personal mantra.  No one has been promised they will be here tomorrow.  Things happen.  I was diagnosed 4 years ago with stage 4 colorectal cancer.  It had spread to 6 areas in my body.  I had an expiration date.  And after 45 chemo treatments and support from friends, brothers, family and God, I am cancer free.  The lesson learned, don't waste time.  Make Every DAY Matter.  Ask yourself every night before you fall asleep, "what could I have done differently to make a difference in someones life today?"  What could I have done to make today a better day for me and those around me.

Finally I shared a passage I received from a brother I admire very much.  He graduated two years ago and is a pre-med student.

The U of I has one of the richest Greek traditions in the entire collegiate system. It has never been more important than now to uphold and improve the positive, enriching aspects of Greek life and stamp out the harmful, negative aspects. The class of 2023 has the power to effect great change in their organizations, but it's up to them to decide what kind of change it will be.

Pledging is an exciting time and should be enjoyed. The connections made in this process and through your time as active members will last a lifetime. Chances are you'll meet your best man or future business partner. But don't allow a sense of responsibility to your pledge process outweigh your academic commitments. You are all students enrolled at one of the top universities at the entire world before you are members of your respective organizations. 

UI Greek Alum, Class of '17

My last challenge to you all.  

When you bring honor to yourself you bring honor to your chapter, you bring honor to your fraternity, your university and the entire Greek system.

When you dishonor yourself, you dishonor your chapter, your fraternity, your university and the entire Greek system.  

Make us Proud! 

Surviving Cancer, an essay by Michael Markstahler

One of my friends on Facebook, Michael Markstahler, posted this essay on his experiences with cancer.  It is so eloquently written that I asked if I could share it on my post.  So many of Michael's experiences were also my experiences.  Thank you Michael for permission to share with my other friends.

Cancer is one of those words that makes you go quiet. For a large number of people what they hear is “now you are going to die”. Because of this profound meaning, learning you have cancer gets your attention.

Cancer is a tricky thing. It is a mutation of cells from your own body. What caused that mutation? You will not find an honest oncologist that will tell you they know. That single fact is why we have the phrase ‘cancer survivor’ for people declared cancer free after a bout with it. One is not cured because no one knows why it first appeared.

It was the cancerous cells that were beaten back not the first cause. Not knowing the first cause leaves you with the possibility it will be back. Thus ‘cancer survivor’; so far you are still here with us, you are still surviving.

The beginning of June 2017 I was diagnosed with lymphoma. Lymphoma is a slow growing cancer. In fact in its early stages the standard protocol is ‘watchful waiting’ and doing nothing. This phase can last for years.

Mine however was not discovered until stage IV. I had already had it for years not knowing. Mine had progressed to a fast developing aggressive version. The oncologist laid out for me there was about a 16% chance of survival. There were months of chemo and anti-body therapy. This month is the one year anniversary of my being told l was cancer free.

I know some survivors march in parades, raise funds for research, radically change the direction of their life. It never affected me that way. I have led my life as a collector of experiences. Looking back, while there were a few, I think there were not many, damn stupid things I tried. Perhaps a few more simply stupid things. But mostly, I have been restless, I bore easily. I like the act of taking on something new. That is why my career ‘path’ looks like a zigzagged line rather than an advancing step by step predictor of the next phase.

I have just started my second year of ‘preventive’ immune therapy treatments designed to lower the statistical chance of re-occurrence from 25% down to about 7%. I feel fine, life is great. My wife’s fear of losing me and going on without me has subsided. We are happy.

But one should not just collect experiences for a hobby. The experiences should change you, round edges, crack you open a bit creating new different sharp edges, give you a few yet unexplored grassy knolls where you can stand up on your hind legs and get a new different look at things.

It is not the chemo. I have been sick before so I was ready to be sick with chemo. I had heard stories. Remember getting food poisoning or the flu? Imagine getting both of those together, at regularly scheduled intervals, for months and months. That is kind of like chemo. You have no choice it is something you simply endure and wade through.

No, what I learned was humility. I learned it is not about me. It is about the story of life; the ongoing rolling flow of it. I sat for hours in that room again and again quietly watching all kinds of folks, some clearly losing the battle, still going on. Some were afraid, some wrapped themselves in dignity others with a rough cloak of determination. On occasion I would read the obituary of someone I had chatted with a few weeks before. In those chats I had listened to their life stories, about their grand kids, their hopes, their plans, how the damn cancer had put things off.

One fellow told me he was getting chemo and radiation. That was to shrink the large cancerous tumor growing inside of him to a size the surgeons thought might be operable. He was running his business from that chemo chair. His foremen would pop in to get instructions for the day or to have a planning session.

Just this morning I received a telephone call from the son of a friend. He has been fighting for 18 years. Two years ago the cancer came back. He is in the hospital again. His son does not think Rock will be coming home one more time. When I first met him he had been a survivor for 15 years, excited about retirement from a career as a bartender and looking forward to immersing himself into the culture of downtown Champaign. For two years he got to do that.

My year with cancer, I like to think, helped me become more tolerant, excepting and more humble than I was before I got the call “Mr. Markstahler your scan shows tumors throughout your body, we need you to come in today for more tests.”

Bob Auler - Truly a man who loved life!

I'm not surprised that Bob Auler would have heart failure.  No one had a bigger heart or had it full of the things he loved more than him.  He roared like a Grizzly Bear but in truth was a big teddy bear.  More passionate about the things and the people he loved than virtually anyone else I have ever met.  I'll miss you Robert Auler.  But at the same time I know you are watching over all of us, between innings of Cubs games, in heaven that is.

Bob loved so many things.  His children, Robbie, Jamie, Jen.  When he talked about them he glowed.  I have known Bob for over 30 years and in that time children were always the first thing he wanted to talk about.  Recitals, grandchildren and the successes of each of his relatives were at the top of his list.

He love the Cubs.  He grew up listening to WGN radio just as I did.  With that came a never ending passion for stories of Banks, Santo, Beckert, Kessinger, Jenkins and Hundley.  Bob dreamed of wearing the pin stripes and lived his dreams by attending Cubs fantasy camps.  Get him started on his trips to Arizona and soon he had you believing he had embarrassed Ferguson Jenkins by hitting his fast ball over the center field fence, with the crowd roaring and Jack Brickhouse screaming "Hey Hey".

Bob loved the Illini.  He agonized over every loss, every fumble and every missed opportunity.  He will forever be connected to Illinois Football where he valiantly defended Dave Wilson, a UI quarterback seeking eligibility after transferring, vs. the NCAA.  Bob got national pub for that case and he relished it.  But while Bob may not have been to every basketball, football or baseball game in his life, especially in his later years, he made a point to listen to the radio and read every word in the papers.  Bob's long term friendship with Mr. Illini Loren Tate was something he cherished, especially the opportunity to read Loren's columns before they were printed.  I suspect that Bob has the lineups for the 1989 and 2005 Final 4 basketball teams tattooed on his body.  And somewhere in heaven he can watch the 1983 Football Victory over Michigan over and over again.

Bob loved to write.  I wish I had a quarter for every time he told me about the books he had written and how well received they were.  Ironically as much as I read I have never read one of his books.  I know though that he had himself in the same league as Grisham, Hemingway, Steinbeck and perhaps Shakespeare.  He was passionate about putting to paper his fiction and as many have told me, most certainly him, he was good at it.

He loved to eat.  Going out with Bob was a treat.  We had breakfast together many times over the years, whether most often at Taffies or most recently at Urbana Gardens.  He savored bacon, eggs, toast and even biscuits and gravy.  And dinner with Bob was food extravaganza.  He rarely failed to order appetizers or dessert.  He loved ice cream nearly as much as I did so a sundae after a meal was often in order.

Bob loved his friends.  Always the center of attention in any group, Bob was loyal to his friends and we were all loyal to him.  Each of us has a "Bob Auler" story where he went out of his way to help us and never asked for a dime.  These stories are personal and for the most part private.  He didn't want credit, he just wanted to know he could help.

Bob loved Matilda.  Matilda is a big bloodhound.  Free spirited, full of energy, Matilda was to dogs what Bob was to life.  Full of it.  She loved Bob and Bob loved her.  One of the most important support groups I have had in my battle with cancer has been the "Doggie Play Group" friends.  15 or so people who hang out together while our dogs play.   Bob invited me to play group almost 10 years ago.  Some of my best friends, many I would have never met otherwise, are in that group.  I loved coming to play group in the morning at 7 AM or so and sitting with Bob and discussing the latest in sports, local or national news or just our personal lives.  Bob read he newspaper religiously keeping him well versed on every subject.   The last two years have been difficult for Bob to make play group with his walking limitations, but still once in awhile he would pull up with Matilda in he silver SUV with the "SUEM" license plates and spend a few minutes telling us stories.

Bob loved the law. He was committed to fairness and especially the idea that everyone makes mistakes and deserves a second chance.  I can't begin to tell you the numbers of times I consulted Bob because a student I was connected with got into trouble, serious trouble.  Bob would advise me on what to say, where to go and who to call and in each case follow up and make certain the student was treated fairly.  Again, all without asking for a dime.  Students mattered to Bob.  I suspect at some point he was treated unfairly and felt obligated to pay it back.  No matter how he came upon this this principle, he was devoted to it.

I want to share a couple of stories about Bob.  In 1989 Bob took over the Champaign County Colts minor league baseball team.  I think he managed it for two years but it may have been three.  I was working for the DIA at the U of I and assigned to Illinois Field where the Colts played.  My job was to make sure we had the fields ready and provide what his team needed for their home games.  Bob was a cross between George Steinbrenner, ornery, and Bill Veeck, full of creativity.

One day I mentioned to Bob I had this vision of every game starting with the James Earl Jones monologue from Field of Dreams.  The "People will Come" speech.  http://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechfieldofdreams.html
The next game Bob had it playing on the sound system and continued to play it each game the Colts played there.

Another day Bob told me he was bringing an elephant to the game,  to come in from center field and deliver the game ball to the pitcher.  We had recently installed a irrigation system with lots of plastic piping.  I envisioned an elephant foot snapping a pipe or sprinkler head and told him no, the elephant could be outside in the parking lot, but not on the field.  He wasn't happy.

Still another day Bob wanted to have local magician, Andy Dallas, be suspended by a crane above the pitcher's mound, escape from a straight jacket and deliver the game ball to the pitcher.  I told him, "great idea, but no crane on the infield."  The crane ended up outside the outfield fence and Andy dropped the ball to the centerfielder.  It was fun, but not what Bob wanted.

We had a great few years though and I respected his passion for the game.  He brought mutual close friend Stacy Pomonis to run the concession stand.  Stacy ran Taffies and Merry Annes, two local restaurants where Bob ate regularly and as far as I know never paid for a meal.  I would get so mad a Bob some days because he had ignored one of our rules that I would go sit with Stacy in the concession stand and cool off.  It's funny in retrospect because it was two massive egos, his and mine, nose to nose.  I think that is why we were such good friends, we were cut out the same cloth.

Bob's son Robbie helped Bob run the Colts.  He was the General Manager at the ripe old age of about 16.  Robbie is truly one of the most talented musicians to ever come from Central Illinois.  A professor of music and skilled pianist, Robbie has played in Carnegie Hall several times.  Brilliant would be the word to describe him  Robbie reminded me at the visitation how Bob would record attendance for the Colt games.  We might look around and count 80 or so at the game including the players and umpires.  Bob however would tell us "we had over 700 at the game."  Robbie and I think he was including the crickets. 

One of my closest friends, Steve Nieslawski, grew up in Oglesby IL, Bob's hometown, and ending up clerking for Bob for three years.  One winter day Bob comes in the office and tells Steve, "grab your coat, we have to leave."  Bob and Steve walked 4 blocks to University Avenue and proceeded to throw snowballs at the billboard across the street.  Steve said Bob was the "best snowball thrower he ever saw."  Not surprising of course.  I'm sure in Bob's mind he was Adolpho Phillips throwing from deep centerfield to Randy Hundley, in time to nail Lou Brock advancing from second to home on a base hit.

So I hope you can see what I mean when I say Bob's heart was eventually going to give out.  He had every inch of it filled with the things he loved.  It's supposed to snow tomorrow.  I think I may go throw snowballs at billboards in tribute to my friend.  RIP buddy.

Rick Frederick Post Season Partner, Great Basketball Referee

It has been a rough week.  Three people I knew passed away.  Two that I was close friends with and one whom I greatly admired.  It doesn't seem fair at all.  Two of them have been battling cancer as I have been for the past few years.  And then the tide turned and they are gone.  The hardest for me to deal with is my long time referee friend Rick Frederick

 

Rick was not a complicated guy by any means.  He loved a few things, his family, always making time for a Saturday night dinner even in the busiest time of the basketball season, the Cubs, heading to Arizona annually to see his beloved Cubs in spring training.  No one was happier for a World Series win than Rick was.   And Rick loved to referee basketball, especially girls high school basketball.  He was a GREAT referee.  In fact he made it to the top of the ladder, officiating the girls championships in Illinois three times.

I had the pleasure of going to the state finals all three years Rick was assigned.  Over the years we worked over 300 games together, more than a third of them in state tourney assignments.  We were "partners" as we climbed the ladder together.  And truly the term partners is appropriate.  Referees spend endless hours going to clinics, studying the rule books at local association meetings, and driving late at night in horrible weather to make sure the "game goes on."  Rick was no exception here.  He was a dedicated student of the game, sharing his insights with the people he worked with.

As the two of us were climbing the ladder at the exact same time I must confess I had a jealous streak in me.  I think we all believe we are better than our partners, except of course when we are working with the really great officials in the area.  But in order to deal with the challenges of the fans/coaches/players etc, I believe officials adopt an attitude of being in charge and with that comes a bit of ego whereby I was the best official on the court.

This wasn't true when I was working with Rick.  Despite my wish for it to be different, he was indeed the most talented, fair and patient.  He just had the right temperament for girls basketball.  He understood the nuances of the game and helped his partners to work the "perfect game."  I think there were situations in a game I might have been better at handling, however overall, he handled the entire game better.

As a result Rick was always rated higher than me.  Coaches and officials rate us.  These ratings determine who will "move up the ladder" and who will get knocked off.   Again, jealousy prevailed as I just couldn't understand how he could be rated higher.  It seems funny now how this bothered me.  And of course I wasn't willing to invest  the time/effort losing weight and studying the game to get ahead of him.  Which is why now I say Rick was a GREAT referee and I was just pretty good.

We had a lot of fun working together.  Many a big game with some great players.  We refereed Candice Parker a few times, the best player I have ever been on the court with.  And we refereed a lot of not so good players.  I remember working with Rick in Decatur in the first round of the regionals when a #16 seed played a #17.  Those were the two worst teams in our area and it showed.  But our last game in the post season that year was at Redbird Arena in Normal so it was worth it.

We worked our post season games mostly with Roger Nichols from Bloomington Normal.  Another Great referee, Roger recently joined the softball umpire hall of fame.   But many of our games/non-post season were with the one and only Terry Holleman.  Terry also worked the state finals and is a Great official.  But, he has a mean streak......  And so I need to tell a few Rick stories.

A couple of highlights.  One year Terry and I decided to let Rick referee (throw the ball up to start the game and run the captains meeting) for every game in the State Farm tourney (8).  Normally you would rotate, but Terry and I were mean.  Rick liked to talk in the captains meetings.  He might talk 3 or 4 minutes talking about games situations that could come up.  Personally other than meeting the captains I think captains meetings are a waste of time as the players just want to get the game started.  So I put Rick on the clock, I told him he had one minute to run the meeting and I kept the count down.  He was rattled, Mr. In Control was not that.  And it was cruel and funny.

Later in his career Rick had hip problems and it was hard for him to put his socks on.  Terry, always the devil, would wait until Rick was standing trying to get balanced and then he would push him just when he was in the right position to step into his socks.  Here was Rick falling all over the locker room.  Eventually Rick started wearing his "game socks" to the game if he knew he was working with Terry or I.   During the games Terry would roll the ball to him instead of throwing him a chest pass and Rick struggled to bend over and pick it up.  Again, cruel and funny.

When you are in the mix to move up to the state finals you know that the big guns at the IHSA office are probably going to come see you in person prior to assigning you to the state final round.  Rick and I were assigned to Sectionals at Normal HS and we were sure Marty Hickman and then Beth Sauser would come see us.  So in the pregame I  would joke "I saw Marty in the stands.."  Rick would always tense up if he thought they were there.  One game some of our friends made Marty masks and brought them to the game.  Cruel and funny!

I said earlier Rick studied the rules.  And he would look for oddities in the rules and would bring them to our games or the local IBOA association meetings.  One year he was obsessed with the fact the rule book only permitted two free throws for a foul and therefore if you were fouled on a three point try you could only award two free throws.  My answer was, I'm giving them three free throws, you can issue two and listen to the coaches and fans.  Also I would often tell him on the odd rules if you can't administer the play, don't call it!

On a serious note though you ask people what they remember about Rick and universally they will say "he was a quiet guy."  I guess he was, but not around Terry or I or some of his other regular partners.  Coaches loved his temperament and his ability to understand and manage the game.  I admired him for his commitment to the game, to his family and to those of us who had he honor to work with him.  Rick you will be missed my friend.

2017 - A Bonus Year!

(This is letter I sent with my Christmas cards this year.  Merry Christmas to all)

This is a bonus year.  We take for granted the time we have.  I know I have for most of my life.  And this year has truly been a blessing for me.  More about that later.  For now, you all know last year was a war.  I won most of the battles and ended the year pretty much where I started, recovering. 

So as the curtain closed on 2016 I was just out of the hospital again, this time for an enzyme overload in my liver.  Keytruda immunotherapy drugs had created the imbalance and the doctors chose to put a stint in to drain the excess fluids.  I can’t imagine everyone not wanting to spend the New Year’s celebration with a tube hanging out your side.  Open the valve and I could spray everyone with some “special sauce.” 

Health set back or not, I had tickets for Las Vegas first week of January.  I promised Guanheng I would take him there for his 21^st birthday, even if that meant carrying a bucket on the plane to drain into.  I was surprised they have sealed bags for you to hook up to for travel.  Although TSA did give me a stare when they saw my drainage contraption.

Vegas was a blast.  First trip for me with no convention or meetings attached.  We spent time doing just about everything.  Grand Canyon, David Copperfield, Hoover Dam, you name it.   The weather was perfect.  We walked a lot, which I truly needed to do.  And we pretty much saw all the casinos.  Highlights were food, the Golden Nugget Buffet is still great, Gordon Ramsay’s Fish and Chips and In and Out Burger.  Those stops alone made the trip nearly perfect. 

February started the Coaches vs Cancer team kick off.  I was one of 9 local “celebs” charged to raise money for the American Cancer Society.  Thanks to some very generous fraternity brothers, friends and family I was able to raise more than the others and was a “guest of honor” at the new basketball coach’s table for the banquet.  It was so much fun I have enlisted to do it again this spring.  Watch out for my requests for a donation.

The best part of the Coaches vs Cancer campaign was an article written by Deb Pressey on my battle.  She captured it so well, calling me to make sure my quotes were accurate.  Here is the link if you didn’t see it, http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2017-02-07/diagnosis-or-not-hes-living-all-out.html 

I returned to a battery of tests in March.  About every conceivable scan and blood test.  Bottom line, the good doctor proclaimed me in remission.   Officially, “stage 4 colorectal cancer in remission”.  That’s a lot of letters and words to say I’m doing just fine.  The only issues I have are numbness in my hands and feet from the chemo I took last year. 

I am still taking chemo every three weeks.  The Keytruda clinical study is continuing.  I’m perfectly happy to be taking the drug, but have to keep taking steroids as the drug creates liver issues.  A fine trade.  Enough about health issues.  Just know I’m feeling good, started working out with a trainer, and will be my old self again soon.

April I headed to my father’s birthplace, North East, PA, to spend time with relatives for Easter.  It was wonderful to see aunts, uncles, cousins, etc and reassure them that I was still ornery.  I love northern PA along Lake Erie and try and get there every year if I can.  This was I test of my driving skills with the numbness, but I passed the test. 

My plans were to have June be the “return to normal schedule” month for me.  That means my traditional over commitments and over booking.  I succeeded!  A trip to Pinehurst NC for nephew Drew’s wedding followed by a week in Virginia Beach for our church mission trip.  Brandon Foster, my cousin Dana’s son, accompanied me on this adventure.  We met sister Kristina and her boys in Pinehurst, had a grand time there, and then headed to Virginia.   It was wonderful, a great two weeks of family, fellowship and worship.  Add in the service projects and I felt in my element for the first time in 18 months.

By the time I returned we had started work on the summer musical for the Champaign Urbana Theatre Company, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.   This show was marvelous for sure, director Jeff Dare’s vision was brilliant, and we were able to bring it to life.   I love producing for CUTC and love having shows in the Virginia Theatre.  Spectacular.  I’m on board for another show in 2018.

A quick trip to Columbus in mid-July for some fraternity training.  I’m always learning more about 18-21 year olds and the issues they face.  Then off to Chicago for James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt at Wrigley Field.  Talk about a wonderful evening.  Breezes off the lake and the timeless JT tones filled the air.  I took brother Frank to the show as it was his 50^th birthday and he loved the experience. 

In August I headed to Boston for Nathan Kelsey’s wedding.  Nathan is another in my top 5 all-time brothers.  A remarkable young man with visions of idealism and optimism.  In addition he is one of my fraternal golf partners, a small group of dedicated white ball chasers.  Nathan married a beautiful doctor, a very smart woman, who will give him plenty of space to chase his dreams.   I went early to the wedding and used the time to traverse the local towns and villages.  It’s amazing to see the architecture and history of the area.  I love Boston so much and could spend weeks exploring. 

September brought the normal back to school challenges.  Goal setting for the fraternity chapter, retreats, and motivating the young men to succeed.  They are doing very well this year and semester.  I have never been more pleased, and given some of the national headlines related to Greek Life it’s refreshing to have positive results to report.

October was ultra-special.  A week in London with nephew Arlo.  Our hosts, fraternity brother Mark Porst and his beautiful wife Betsy, put together a perfect schedule for this once in a lifetime trip.  The schedule combined history, the monarchy, shopping, theatre and delicious food.  Betsy should be a tour guide!  More info at my blog, http://toddsalen.blogspot.com/2017/11/londonor-magic-kingdom.html

November has been very low key.  A great time for me to get caught up at work and also enjoy the best of Champaign.  I love all the sports, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and volleyball.  We have excellent teams here.  And we play football too J

Finally I plan to head to NYC to stay with my sister Kristina and her boys for Christmas.  Her new company, United Masters, launched a few weeks ago.  More excitement for her.  After Christmas Guanheng and  I will be bringing Godson Drew and his brother Brandon to Orlando for a few days of fun at the theme parks. 

Thanks to all for a wonderful year.  A few highlights, best gift, (from Brenda) stationary.  Best Movie – Wonder.  Best TV Show – This is Us, (Ozark is good too).  Best Music – I’m Not My Father’s Son from Kinky Boots.  Best Surprise – The Remission and of course chance to see the next Star Wars.  I’m the luckiest man in the world because…..I have an amazing family, incredible friends, great doctors and dedicated fraternity brothers.  Oh, and I have my girl Kelsey as well…woof!  Have a fabulous holiday and remember,

Every DAY Matters!

Much Love, Todd and Kelsey

A Long Time Ago, In a Galaxy Far Far Away.....There were Hurdles

A few times over the past year or two I have written about some of the things you think about when doctors give you "notice."  In my case, the date circled on my calendar was around March or April of this year.  So many things go through your mind, most of them relevant, many of them not.  In my case, as I love to read and especially love to see movies one of the early things that went through my mind was the next Star Wars movie.  You see the release date was December 15, 2018.  About 8 months past my expiration date. 

I don't know why this movie in particular stuck out.  I've seen lots of great stories over the years and while the first episode, 1977 first, is one of my all time favorite movies, I can't say the rest have lived up to that standard.  But Star Wars is for me a sort of measuring stick in my life. I was 20 when the first one was released.  That's a great age for exploration.  Searching the galaxy for storm-troopers seemed like a great adventure.

We all wanted to master the force.  Light sabers were the weapons in favor.  Luke Skywalker's hovercraft had the campus engineers designing cars of the future.  And of course Princess Leah was just waiting to be my queen.  Star Wars has been a part of 2/3rds of my life.  Yoda, Darth Vader, Chewbacca, Hans Solo, and many other characters have been role models in some form or fashion.  And I have stolen many a line from the text.

And so here I am, it's December 15 and Star Wars, The Last Jedi, opened today in our local theaters.  I haven't seen it yet.  I will, maybe tomorrow, maybe next week.  Why no rush?  Reaching this hurdle was important for me.  Crossing it, not so important.  

I need a next hurdle.  Maybe one in December 2020.  Maybe 2025.  I'm not sure.  I'm open to suggestions.  And I won't be trying to reach this next hurdle.  I will make it for sure.