And if there's only one reason...

...to live in this world

I'll find it

And if there's only one reason

To give of yourself

Ask the lonely and the dying

- All About Eve, Only One Reason

I went to a wine auction for charity last Thursday night. The event raised money for Hospice of the Valley; a local non-profit organization with a mission to "Bring comfort and dignity as life nears its end." An incredible organization that provides end-of-life care that focuses on comfort rather than curative treatment for anyone with less than six months to live.

Like last year, it was held at the Royal Palms Resort, just on the south side of Camelback Mountain. The event opened in the courtyard with a silent auction; about 30 lots with write-in sheets on a table in the middle, and hors d'oeuvres and wine stations along the perimeter. Several of my wine buddies (and spouses) attended: Jeff Nowak, Kevin Stoddard, Jock Wulffson, Rick Cecala, Tom Rough, etc. 

After the silent auction we all moved indoors for the live auction - this is where the higher end lots were auctioned off. Last year I made a wine donation that appeared in the silent auction, but this year I was happy to see my donation made it into the live section, even though my lot was the lowest value lot in the room. 

In addition to giving wine, many donors got creative: restaurants donated wine dinners, golf courses donated tee times, the Phoenix symphony donated season tickets and an opportunity to join the symphony as a 'guest percussionist'(!), wineries donated airfare to Napa Valley and private tasting tours, the winemaker Tim Mondavi (Robert's son) donated a wine dinner for eight guests with him, etc.

Overall a successful event, but it was painfully obvious that the financial crisis has put a damper on people's ability to donate, both in terms of the lots offered and how people were bidding on them. Last year there were several more lots at the very high end (off the top of my head I remember two different 10-day trips for two to Europe including 1st-class airfare and luxury accommodations) and all lots went 30-70%  above their value (people tend to overbid to support the charity) but this year most lots sold for just above what they were worth, and some didn't even collect that. Last year the event raised nearly $200,000 and I doubt that we'll come near that this time.

On a brighter note, my friend Jeff bought the season tickets to the Phoenix Symphony, so hopefully I'll be able to see him play percussion sometime next year

Mattias bore witness to the Tour de Fat; and he saw that it was good...

...And so Mattias set out on his search to find the beer of the bicycle of which Jenn Fisher had spoken this very Thursday Eve. Beyond the Lake of Tempe he joined his friends, and there was much rejoicing. Yay!

Brittany, Jenn, Mattias, Kim, Alex and Adam

Today, I made it to my first Tour De Fat, a beer and bicycle festival sponsored by New Belgium Brewing Company. For those of you not familar with them, it's a Colorado-based brewery whose signature beer Fat Tire is quite well-liked out west. For you Pennsylvanians, I call it the Yuengling of the West. Overrated and unduly popular! Zing!

But I digress. And they make a number of other beers that I do enjoy. Anyway, every year, New Belgium organizes a tour of charity events to promote environmental causes and, most specifically, bike riding to replace the use of cars. This stage of the Tour de Fat was held at Tempe Town Lake and they couldn't have picked a better day. The weather was perfect: 75 degrees (24 Celsius) and sunny with a nice, at times even brisk, breeze.

Brittany 'Car-Tire' German

Unfortunately I was ill-prepared for the event and did not realize that there was a costumed bicycle parade earlier in the morning, so I arrived too late to see it. And, judging from the costumes people were still wearing it would have been a sight worth seeing. Next year!

The Main Stage

The actual festival consisted of an enclosed area with a main stage, beer tents, various booths and stations, and a mini-arena filled with all kinds of crazy, custom-made bikes for you to try. My personal favorites were the bike with the tires replaced by shoes fastened at the end of the spokes, and the octacycle. Ok - enough talking and time for more pictures.

Mattias 'Walking Bike' Jansson

Prashant made some new friends

Vinee on the Octacycle

Lori happy to have survived her Bikeride of Terror

Carpopalypse (Part 1): Funeral Procession for an Escalade

Carpopalypse (Part 2): Four Horsemen

Late lunch at La Bocca on Mill Ave: Amit, Chintan, Divya, Vinee, Prashant and I

Arizona cooldown musings

Every fall there is one day that is special.

It's the day when you leave your home and you're no longer met by a wall of warm air. For the first time in a long time the temperature outside is lower than inside, and after the long hot summer that is a novel and welcome feeling.

This year that day was yesterday. Just before midnight and just after a still evening rain, to be precise.

The days still feel like summer by any non-Arizona standard, but the nights are now wonderfully refreshing. We're entering that perfect time of year when it's pleasant pretty much all around - never too hot, never too cold.