BEERZ FOR BEANZ

The benefit for my wife was a huge success! All told, my expectations were well exceeded.

I first off have to thank Dominic and Collen Vaccaro. Your benevolence, generosity and compassion mean the world to us. Sarah and I are forever grateful for your friendship. You put up your home, decorated and had some great food (plus a ton of beverages). I could type until my fingers fell off, but even then I don't think I'd fully articulate how much we appreciate what you both have done. A simple "thank you" would seem inadequate, but seriously, we thank you.

The one thing I realized in the weeks leading up to the benefit was how lucky we are to have such great friends. This benefit was originally just going to be a small gathering of friends, what it became was so much more than we could ever have imagined. It just goes to show you what happens when people pull together. We grossly underestimated how many baskets there would be, so much so we had to get another tent and somehow snag another table.

It was just so overwhelming to see this all come together. From the baskets, the food, the donations and the silent auction items...I would have never thought would turn out so epic. This benefit literally started as an idea in Dom's basement. I'll never forget it's humble inception; it was one of the first nights I had gone out since Sarah was diagnosed and we're having a beer in his basement and he turned to me and said: "Dude, we gotta do something." I was reluctant to accept any help, because that's just how I am, but Dominic wouldn't take no for an answer. And he and Colleen quickly got the ball rolling. What's amazing is that they never told us "This benefit it too big, let's scale back." Instead, they said "Let's go all out." And that they did.

What was most eye opening to me was how many people pitched in. Our friends are great people who just want to help and for that, I am forever grateful. Buffalo is truly the City of Good Neighbors.

I say a lot of times how much Sarah inspires me, but after last night I realize that she not only inspires me, but she inspires others. But more-so, the benefaction that was on display last night inspired me. And for that, I thank you all. benefaction that was on display last night was downright life-changing. You are all marvelous and wonderful people. I love you all.
Be relentless.

Never tear us apart...

Three years ago today I married my best friend. It's hard to believe that three years have gone by already, yet here we are. It seems like only yesterday we were taking our vows and taking that next step in our lives. We've had some great times over the past few years. Some bad times too -- the past five months being the toughest -- but if I've learned anything over the past few months its that I'm married to the toughest, bravest, most remarkable woman I know. She's taken anything life has thrown at her and came back fighting.

Still I can't help wondering, "What else can life throw at us?"

We've already been through so much over the past few months. Diagnosis. Surgery. A 12-day hospital stay. Chemotherapy. It's been overwhelming. A fucking whirlwind. Yet Sarah has not broken. Her spirit is resilient. Never once has she asked for one ounce of pity and if there's anyone I know more deserving of sympathy, it's her. A lesser person would feel sorry for themselves or simply just give up. But Sarah sees every obstacle as an opportunity. A chance to learn, grow and enrich the lives of others as well as her own. This whole thing has already inspired us both to look at our lives and question: "What else can we do?"

And that's the spirit of "be relentless." It's more than just two words that sound cool together. It's become her battle cry for the past five months. She lives it. She embodies it.

So now there's four more weeks of chemotherapy. Boom. You can count that on one hand.

Today, at lunch after treatment we were talking about how fast our past three years of marriage had gone by and how even this year, as shitty as it's been is moving so quickly. Now we're rounding the corner of whats been the hardest few months of our lives.

Normally, Sarah and I would be in Boston right about now. Soaking in a ball game at Fenway Park, watching our boys from the bleachers and eating delicious, stale, over priced ballpark food. This isn't the anniversary we had planned at the start of the year, yet we're making the most of it (an afternoon nap with her and four of the craziest pets ever seems about right).

It's strange to think that the girl who was pushed into me 12 years ago at a concert would wind up being my wife, fate brought us together. A chance meeting through a crowd of thousands. Good thing I stuck around after the end of the show...even better thing that she approached me and asked for my number! It took two weeks of hanging out everyday before I finally worked up the guts to officially ask her out (looking back, I can't believe I was too daft to realize that she totally was into me). It would be another 8 years before I'd ask her to marry me (thanks for waiting so long, Beanz!). And looking back that far, it seems like it wasn't really all that long ago. And here we are, twelve years later...that's beautiful.

Happy anniversary, Beanz. Here's to 90 more! That'd make me what? 122?