JCAs, I'm cycling 100 miles and would love to have your support

Hi my dear JCA friends!

Be forewarned:  This post is NOT fashion-related in any way, because it has to do with the use of chamois-padded cycling shorts which, I think we can all agree, are not a fashion item anywhere in this galaxy. :-)

You may have noticed that once again I've been AWOL from blogging.  But I've got a REALLY good reason. I've been quietly investing increasing amounts of time to training for the biggest athletic challenge I've ever set out for myself, and I'm ready to tell y'all about it. 

I’m going to take part in a really exciting and important event, glaydies.  And I'm asking (hat in hand) for your encouragement and, if you can do it, your monetary support.

On Saturday, April 24, 2010, I’m going to be indoor-cycling 100 miles in this year's Atlanta RIDE TO CHANGE THE FUTURE™ benefiting Ovarian Cycle, a wonderful 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of and funds for the fight against ovarian cancer.  

Since 2004 Ovarian Cycle’s indoor cycling events like this one have raised $645,500 for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, the Ovarian Cancer Institute and the Norma Livingston Foundation, all of which are working on the development of a reliable, early-detection screening test for ovarian cancer.  This is critically important work.  Ovarian cancer remains a deadly threat to women in large part because only 25% of cases are diagnosed in the early stages when treatment is most effective.  This year more than 20,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and the statistics tell us that 15,000 of these women likely will lose their lives to this disease.

I'll be riding my "century" (100 miles) with some good friends from my weekly spinning classes.  We call ourselves “Team Pedal Pushers" and we are riding together because, sadly, we've all watched friends or family battle ovarian cancer or a related cancer. Many of you, I'm sure, have had the same awful experience.  

I'm going to cycle in honor and celebration of my beautiful Texan friend Virginia Tate, who I get to see every summer at a fitness weekend I attend.  Last summer she wasn’t able to attend our annual event because she was battling fallopian tube cancer, a rare and frightening malignancy that's very closely related to ovarian cancer.  Thankfully, she’s had a complete recovery.  I'll be thinking of her radiant face all day long as I'm pedaling through a "virtual" Georgia!

My goal is to raise $2,500 to support Ovarian Cycle's important mission, to honor Virginia's courage and the miracle of her recovery, and to honor all of the countless women we all know and adore who have fought so bravely against terrifying gynecological cancers.  I always hate asking for money, and in these tough economic times I know that I’ve set an especially ambitious target for my fundraising.  But I also know that every dollar will help bring us one step closer to important breakthroughs in the detection and successful treatment of the family of ovarian-related cancers, and that means more happy endings like the one my friend Virginia is living today.  

So I'm asking for help from everyone I know, and it occurred to me that I should include you, darling JCA's. You are intelligent, joyful, generously-spirited women, and I'd be so pleased to have your support for my ride.  I will deeply appreciate any donation you can make, big or small.  Your donations are fully tax-deductible, and if you prefer to keep your IRL name private, you may donate anonymously.

And if you're not in a position to donate right now, then just cheer me on, and please keep Ovarian Cycle in mind for future support when you're feeling able to contribute.

Please click on this link to go to my Ovarian Cycle home page, where you can find more information about Ovarian Cycle and can make a contribution if you like:

JCAUNCMom's Ovarian Cycle Atlanta RIDE TO CHANGE THE FUTURE™ 2010 Page

One more important thing:  Whether or not you’re able to donate money, please be sure to write to me at jcauncmom@gmail.com if you’d like to tell me the name of any woman you know who has faced an ovarian-related cancer.   It would be my privilege to ride in celebration of your loved ones, and I’d like to add their names to Team Pedal Pushers’ Honor Roll of the courageous women for whom we’ll be cycling.  

And could I ask this of you?  If you're a Follower here (and there aren't many of you, but bless your little hearts for hangin' in there with me), please pass along a link to this post to anyone you know who might be interested in supporting Ovarian Cycle's vital work.  

Thank you so much, everyone!! Now, off to meet the team for a 2.5 hour afternoon training ride -- huff puff!!! :-)

Dashing By With Ann Taylor Money Saving Advice

Hey y'all!!

Belated Happy Saint Patrick's Day from this 99.9999% Irish JCA!  Hope yours was green and fun, as was mine!!

Puh-leez accept my apologies for being inexcusably AWOL lately.  I have been reading and lurking occasionally, but obviously not posting.  The past couple of weeks I've been Willie Nelsoning a bit, including a visit to my MIL at her Snowbird perch in Florida where it was seriously NOT WARM (?????), and then almost as soon as I got home, our very adorable Tar Heel DS#2 was home for spring break.  Of course, I spent his whole visit just eatin' him up with a spoon.  One thing is very clear to me: There is no girl good enough.  Period.  I'm just sayin'.

So I have Tales to Tell, but not today.  Today I'm on the fly, and am just buzzing by quickly to impart Secret Important Money Saving Advice.  (My mom, who never "went" anywhere in her life, would have loved that description of my day.  Here's how she'd have described what I've been up to:  "Well honey, (she'd begin) I've have to stand up to weewee today for sure. I had to dash to the grocery store and then zip by the dry cleaner's, and then I made a mad dash by the alteration place and just sprinted real quick thru Target on the way home."  Boy, do I miss ya, Mama.  In your honor later I'm gonna scoot to my spin class. :-)

But back to my quick point, right?  Today's Secret Important Money Saving Advice applies to Ann Taylor.  And the Advice is:  Call Ann Taylor's very friendly customer service people (who, I learned, are in Utah where it's also NOT WARM) before you place an online order.  They will flippin' volunteer to do good things for your wallet.

I know this because I have been eyeing a couple of AT pieces that have now gone on sale, and during my dashes, zips and flits today I was positively, pitifully seized with the notion that my sale items were going to sell out while I was driving around.  So instead of eating lunch I went online (yeah, I know, but again I'm SAYIN') to place my lil' order but before hitting SEND I called AT CS to ask a sizing question.  As CS Gal is looking up my sizing info I casually ask "So, have ya got any good promos you can help me out with?  I haven't been able to find anything that would apply to sale stuff."  To which she says, "Well, you're right, all of our current codes apply to full-price stuff, but I'm sure I could find something good for you...."  And she proceeded to take $30 off my order, which pre-discount was only a little over $100.  This was way better than what I'd have earned in Ebates dollars.

So call, shuggas.  There are many adorable things left on sale. Don't trust the AT online search engine by size, by the way -- things go missing.  Just scroll thru the categories and you'll find goodies.

And if you do order online don't forget to order thru Ebates. Here are a few Ann Taylor codes that are currently working for full-price items.  Enjoy!

30% off $100 coupon -- Use code:  30CABIN Click link, enter code & you'll receive 30% off your online order of $100 or more (excludes sale.) This coupon expires April 7, 2010.
40% off coupon -- Use code:  40CABIN Click link, enter code & you'll receive 40% off your online order of three or more full-priced items. This coupon expires March 24, 2010.
30% off $100 coupon -- Use code:  30MORE Click link, enter code & you'll receive 30% off your online order of $100 or more (excludes sale.) This coupon expires April 7, 2010.
40% off coupon  -- Use code:  ANN STYLE Click link, enter code & you'll receive 40% off your online order of three or more full-priced items). This coupon expires March 24, 2010.

Buzzing out of here, now that I've fully enabled your AT shopping!  Be back soon with Tales to Tell!!!