Understanding Organ Donation

LEARN THE FACTS:

Despite continuing efforts at public education, misconceptions and inaccuracies about donation persist. Learn these facts to help you better understand organ, eye and tissue donation:

Fact: Anyone can be a potential donor regardless of age, race, or medical history.

Fact: All major religions in the United States support organ, eye and tissue donation and see it as the final act of love and generosity toward others.

Fact: If you are sick or injured and admitted to the hospital, the number one priority is to save your life. Organ, eye and tissue donation can only be considered after you are deceased.

Fact: When you are on the waiting list for an organ, what really counts is the severity of your illness, time spent waiting, blood type, and other important medical information, not your financial status or celebrity status.

Fact: An open casket funeral is possible for organ, eye and tissue donors. Through the entire donation process the body is treated with care, respect and dignity.

Fact: There is no cost to the donor or their family for organ or tissue donation.

Fact: Signing a donor card and a driver's license with an "organ donor" designation may not satisfy your state's requirements to become a donor. Be certain to take the necessary steps to be a donor and ensure that your family understands your wishes.

STATISTICS:

Although there have been advances in medical technology and donation, the demand for organ, eye and tissue donation still vastly exceeds the number of donors. For more information, read the summary below or create a detailed data report on the UNOS Web site.

More than 100,000 men, women and children currently need life-saving organ transplants.

Every 11 minutes another name is added to the national organ transplant waiting list.

An average of 18 people die each day from the lack of available organs for transplant.

In 2007, approximately 30,000 grafts were made available for transplant by eye banks within the United States.

According to research, 98% of all adults have heard about organ donation and 86% have heard of tissue donation.

90% of Americans say they support donation, but only 30% know the essential steps to take to be a donor.

Please go to Donate Life today and register.

Galen and Karen Ballentine

These are Jen's AWESOME parents, Galen and Karen.  Without them The Just BeCauses TerraTrike Tour might very well have been a dream that could not come true.  "Thank you so much Mom and Dad!  It will be a real gift to be able to spend time together in this way and we are so glad you will be with us on our epic journey.  We love you so much!" HUGS! 
GB and KB travel full time in their RV so are used to traveling - perhaps this is where I (Jen) get my desire to roam - my parents are gypsies!  We really value their experience and advice.  Check out their blog at:  Loving Retirement and see all the neat things they do.  They fly kites, play music, and do all sorts of interesting and fun things!  You should buy one of their cd's, if they have any left, because they are quickly becoming famous bluegrass/folk musicians!  Karen plays a mean mountain dulcimer and Galen plays a washtub bass, guitar, mandolin, and he sings and songwrites.  Mom writes lyrics too, digitally scraps all of their memories and is a creative genius.  I am so lucky - I have THE BEST parents!

Our New Online Journal

While we will still be maintaining our personal blog here, we have also begun a more journey-specific online journal at a site made just for bike (or trike) tavel.  Here is a link to where you can follow what we are doing every day from now until the end of The Just BeCauses TerraTrike Tour.  CrazyGuyOnABike Journal

A Reminder

The reason for our ride.  We miss you Alex.

EdieBug

Our kitty EdieBug left her mark on the back porch this morning.  She left lots of them, actually, since we got more fresh snow last night.  It sparkles in the morning sunshine.

Icy Lights

The streetlights had an eerie glow about them today.  See the ice?

Snowmobiles?

Who says you can't ride a trike in the snow?  We took some great video earlier of us skidding, sliding, and shreiking our way down the hill (which we will edit and post onto Vimeo).  They say it feels like 14 degrees out there but we stayed toasty warm in our new cold-weather gear.  Neighbors watched us from their warm living rooms as we played like the children we are.

A Love Story (Haiku)

Ken walking alone.

Ken finds Jen and they are happy.

They smooch in the snow.  :)

Jen and Simon

We didn't get too far on today's walk.  In fact, this is about as far as we got before Simon wanted to go back inside, and this is the street right in front of our house.  In his defense, it was only 24 degrees out!

Let it Snow!

The white stuff has been falling for HOURS now and there is quite a bit of snow on the ground and on the roads.  Looks like we won't be riding our trikes today, but we will be walking in it and loving how beautiful our neighborhood looks covered in white.

My Other Chucks

There is something about being on these TerraTrikes that makes you want to take pictures of your feet.  Once we are on the road I will only have one or two pairs of shoes with me... until then you will probably get a pretty good idea what my shoe collection looks like.  LOL

What is That Thing??

Simon looking smug - he hasn't noticed the tail hanging off the back of Ken's trike yet. 

Vitamins and Things

Vitamins and WHAT things, we wondered when we saw this sign on today's 20-miler. 

The front of the shop.

This is Mary Farrell and beside her stands one of her loyal customers (sorry I didn't get her name).  Mary owns "Vitamins and Things," a great little shop located at 3723 Carbonton Road.  The "Things" she sells besides her great selection of supplements include cards, healthy snacks, essential oils, and one of our favorites, Dr Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar (see customer's hand - lol).
Thank you Mary for the great conversation, the lip balm, and the donation.  It was great to meet you!

So Cute

Simon and Daddy sleeping.

Today's Funny

"Okay, so when you get to the fork in the road..."

Beyond San-Lee

Today we went out past San-Lee Park and found ourselves in uncharted territory for some of today's 30-mile ride.  It was really pretty country, very few cars, lots of horses, and unfortunately alot of wind.  We were pleased to learn that sitting as low as we do means much of the wind passes over us, but it was still a challenge riding in the gusts.  At least we didn't have to worry about being blown over!

Horses Like Trikes

We saw these three horses, and they saw us. 

Cold, Hard Ride

We worked ourselves out on yesterday's ride, really pushing it up the hills, pedaling harder and moving faster than any of our other rides.  We didn't do this on purpose, mind you, it was just really cold and we were still a long ways from home and the sun was setting!  We made it home just at sunset and looking at the sky made us think of all the sunsets and sunrises we will be seeing from countless new places when we start Touring.

Red

We loved this little red set up.  Too cool!

Rainbow??

During the last 4-5 miles of yesterday's 26.5 ride, this appeared in the sky.  It shared some characteristics of a rainbow, however, it wasn't raining and it wasn't in the shape of a bow.  Hmmm... to us it was more like someone, Izzi, touched an enormous grey watercolor wash with a finger, and slid it down the canvas.  As blessed as we have been feeling lately, we were suprised when we pulled into our yard and our little house was not lit up in all the colors of a rainbow.  :)  (Nor was there a pot of gold.  Hmmph.)