Due to the holiday (learn more here), I am off work today — off from my day job at least – but I’m kicking it in gear with my writing hobby this morning!  Today, I will draft up chapter 11 of my NaNoWriMo WIP.  I’m very excited about my progress!

However…  Yesterday morning on the way to work, I was thinking of how to enrich my characters in this WIP.  Because I’m in NaNo/draft mode, I’ve been concentrating on beefing up my word count, so deeper characterization has been sacrificed in the process.  I mean, here I have a heroine being interviewed for her memoirs, and, well, um, I kinda skipped over her answers.  Hee.    But!  Plot and dialogue (and setting) are really taking shape in the WIP.  So, I suppose that’s the trade-off when I go all “NaNo” on a WIP — producing a higher word count, watching my plot and dialogue take shape, coming closer to a completed manuscript — but losing the essence of my characters.

Potentially, this is bad.  (LOL)

Bad because novels need engaging characters with believable motivations and actions.  In fact, some would argue (though not me) that compelling characterization is the backbone of any great novel.  (I, on the other hand, believe in theme-based novels.)  Anyway, I have to keep this urge to develop character sketches off my plate for now.  The point of NaNo is producing 50,000 words in one month toward completing a manuscript.  And, except for the work I will have to do on characterization later, I am on my way toward meeting that goal.

In the latest of his Gaithersbungle series on Greater Greater Washington, David Alpert gets more specific about his previously mentioned better ways to spend the $3.8 billion that is planning on being spent to widen a stretch of I-270 to the Northwest of Washington, DC.  As part of his story, Alpert produced this map:

And here are his specs on what the map represents:

• Extension of the Red Line to Germantown. The Red Line would use the I-370 and I-270 right-of-way from Shady Grove to Germantown, then end in an underground station at Germantown Town Center.
• All-day, bidirectional MARC service to Frederick. A new station near White Flint, to serve the planned, dense, transit-oriented development in that area. And through-routing of MARC trains down at least to King Street.
• A MARC extension to Hagerstown, using an old and abandoned right-of-way.
• The Corridor Cities Transitway, using the less circuitous original alignment and an extension to Clarksburg Town Center. With the Red Line, riders from north of Germantown wouldn’t have to ride all the way through the office parks west of Gaithersburg to get to Rockville, Bethesda or DC.
• A streetcar along Route 355 (Rockville Pike/Hungerford Dr/Frederick Rd) from the White Flint Mall to Gaithersburg. It would stop at the various Metro stations, Montgomery College, Gaithersburg MARC, and Lakeforest Mall before turning west to a new Red Line station and Metropolitan Grove MARC, where it would connect to the CCT.

Something like this would be a wonder to see.  It would show that Maryland, in many ways a very progressive and transit-supportive state, is making a statement about car dependence that would support some of the measures it has taken to face climate change and save sensitive areas like Chesapeake Bay.  It would allow for proper development in these areas while still focusing energy on DC.  I think the proposal that Alpert and friends have created is far superior.

I had a CT scan today to see if we can get a clearer picture of what’s going on with my jaw. About a month ago, a needle biopsy on a lump  came back positive for cancer. Then a couple weeks later, I had a PET scan that showed the lump had gone done dramatically. I haven’t heard back about my results today but I have to be honest…all of this is taking it’s toll on me. And I don’t mean my health specifically, but the health of all the little kids I have met, spoken with, etc. with the same type of pediatric cancer.

For those who have never experienced cancer close-up, it’s quite a gut-wrenching experience, whether you are the one experiencing it, or you are the caregiver. It’s natural for those that are experiencing a similar fight to bond with people in a similar plight. We’ve met some amazing families and their kids, suffering from rhabdo. Most relationships are built online, through support groups, and constant emails…mostly of the supportive kind, but some are of the “what do we do next?” kind.

During the course of my treatment, Amy has been the one on the support group lists and has been the one tracking our other little fighters and keeping in touch with their families. She has made friends with many families facing similar difficulties. I have gotten great words of encouragement and support from so many of these family members. Their support and prayers have helped me tremendously…I know that they have positively affected me…both mentally and physically. All of these parents are great…constantly by their child’s side, doing whatever necessary to keep them in good spirits and fighting. I know this because of the kind notes they send me. I know they are good people.

Recently, I have gone back and read up on some of our supporters and how their kid’s are doing. I can see why Amy kind of shielded me from this information. This morning, when Amy announced on our carepage site that another one of our little friends recently passed away due to the rhabdo, I couldn’t take it. I read it right when I woke up. I needed to get ready for my own scan today to see where my health is at but, all I  could think of was little Dillan Cade and his mother, Beverly. Beverly has been amazingly kind to us, constantly sending us words of hope and encouragement. Now her little one is gone. We never had the chance to meet them face-to-face, but we knew each other very well. We were each fighting the same battle and taking life one day at a time.

Nothing makes me more sad than hearing that we’ve lost another little fighter. It rips me up inside. All I can think about is the sadness that the families feel. I feel a sense of guilt. Why have I been able to survive when all of these “little ones’” are earning their wings way too early.

This is a sad day for me. I don’t know what my results will come back as, but this is a sad day for me.

Throughout my treatment, I have been getting a ton of support from not only family members and friends, but people I haven’t even had the pleasure of meeting yet. Many even comment that I am an inspiration to them. This is very humbling for me. How can so many people really care about me and show me the support that they have? It is almost surreal to me. I thank God every day for the support I get from everyone. I know that all the prayers and well wishes have helped me in my battle! For that, I am very, very thankful!

Some have asked who I look to as an inspiration. Of course, my wife, Amy, is by far the biggest inspiration in my life right now. She has been there every step of the way for me. She’s been at every single doctor’s appointment, slept next to me every night that I was in the hospital, taken care of all our bills so I don’t have to stress over it, made all of my doctor’s appointments, etc. She doesn’t have cancer but I think she has the tougher role. When I get down about something, she is always there to talk me through it and lift my spirits. She has been through it all with me! She has given me the strength I need to fight this battle! Thanks, Amy…I love you!!!

Another question that comes up is how I became such a fan of basketball. This sort of leads me to write about another inspirational person in my life. When I was younger, I played just about every sport…baseball, football, hockey, lacrosse, tennis, and of course, basketball. I loved all of these sports but I ended up being the most interested in basketball. I think back as to why this is and one person’s name keeps coming to mind. His name is Allen Leache. Coach Leache started a league called I-270 Youth Basketball. Actually, I’m not 100% sure he started it, but he is the one responsible for making it a great league. I played 7 years in the league (age 7-14), my first 5 with a team called Darnestown. My last two years I switched teams and played for Montgomery Village which was coached by Allen Leache.

Talk about inspiration! Coach Leache was and still is a great inspiration to me. He put so much time and effort into that league and our team. He made us all feel like we were stars. He kept intricate stats about the players and always posted the top scorers for each division on a bulletin board outside the gym. He also coordinated a radio show where he invited different players to come in and be interviewed. How many 10 year olds get to be interviewed on the radio about their basketball skills?!?! In addition, he made sure the league got publicity in the local papers. He also kept track of all of his stats for every single player and gave us each a thick binder with the stats as well as summaries for each game,  player of the game, etc. It was awesome. In recent years there has been all this talk about Moneyball, stats, etc. but he was  compiling intricate statistical analysis well before it became mainstream. Even today, I look at his statistical analysis from my past years and am amazed at how intelligent he was (and is).

I-270 and Coach Leache gave me a lot of confidence in myself. He showed us how a good program was run. As a kid, I didn’t know any better and thought this was the norm because this is the only league I played in. Looking back, I have come to realize how lucky I was to play in that league and play 2 years with Coach Leache. As a kid, having someone believe in you and praise you is a big deal. It’s helped me become who I am today. With so much wrong with youth basketball today, I wish there were more Allen Leache’s to coach and start youth leagues.

Playing with his team for my last 2 years was extra special. Besides our regular league games, he would schedule us to play the area’s (and nation’s) top teams. We played DeMatha, Gonzaga, Good Counsel, Harker Prep, St. John’s Prospect Hall, and many other great teams. We played against the nation’s top talent…and this was a Youth League…we were all about 13 or 14 years old!

I’ve always thought about Coach Leache and what he did for me by making I-270 basketball such a great league and experience for me. It’s because of him I was able to play at DeMatha. It was because of him I was able to play at Wisconsin. It was because of him that I found something I loved…basketball. But most importantly, he instilled in me the confidence to do anything…and that is why I know I will win this battle with cancer!

Like I said, when I was younger, I took him and the league for granted. As I grew older, my experiences taught me how special that league was and how special Coach Leache was. So, after many years, I tracked down Coach Leache because I wanted to thank him. Thankfully, I was able to track him down a few years ago and we have kept in touch since. He is a fighter as well. He had suffered 4 heart attacks and was clinically ruled dead four different times! But, he came out a winner and is doing well today! I think God knew how special he was and how much he was needed down here. I am very thankful he is still around and we get to keep in touch.  It makes me sad to think that he could have passed away and not known how much of a positive impact he made on my life. I am very thankful that he is still alive and I had matured enough to track him down and properly thank him. I know I would have had a lot of regrets had I heard he passed away without him knowing how important he was to not only me, but to many, many kids who played in that league.

So, Coach Leache, I thank you with all of my heart. I am who I am (at least the good parts) because of a lot of what you have done for me and taught me. Without you and your league, I would not be where I am today. Honestly, without I-270, I probably would have quit basketball after my freshman year at the public school I was attending at the time. But you instilled in me the confidence I needed. It was because of you I felt confident enough to transfer to DeMatha and have 3 great years there.

Thanks Coach Leache…you were, and always will be, a huge inspiration to me!!!

Matt

We first reported on the McMansion epidemic in the DC area HERE. It seems as though this is an issue across the country as the square feet per person within houses increases. (Read this and this) However, couple this with the fact that people in the DC area are currently in mass exodus of the burbs and moving inward. Does that mean that soon we’ll have huge dormitories instead of apartments inside the beltway? I doubt it. But since DC has an extremely low rate of unemployment (5.7 all around and 4.8 in the closest Maryland burbs), I have a feeling that these changes have to do with other things… like under-the-table employment things. Or maybe they want to be close enough to steal from the Obama’s vegetable garden. What do you think?

Kim submits the following tip that should be of interest to all you 270 commuters out there …

I saw on the State Highway web site that they have put out a bid for the replacement of Dual Single Span Bridges No. 10080 on I-270 over Dr. Perry Road. The replacement bridge will be built on the same roadway alignment. The single span steel girder bridge will be 80′ long and 127′ wide. The project also includes 0.24 miles of road work on Dr. Perry Road beneath the bridge. During construction a temporary roadway will be constructed within the median of I-270 to maintain all lanes of traffic on I-270. On Dr. Perry Road, two way traffic will be maintained in one lane through a flagging operation while roadwork is being done.

Now, they could change their minds and the plans (and though it bids on June 19th, it could get postponed, and who knows when the project would actually start), but I thought you might like to have the heads-up.

Glad to see improvements to 270, but that should add some time to my commute. They better add room for an extra lane while they are busting the bridge up. If not it’s pretty much a useless exercise. Here is the announcement from the Maryland SHA on the project in case you are interested.

~Guy~