Lance

Dear Danda!

In addition to being the Fourth of July today, you probably know that it is also the start of the Tour de France, featuring Lance's big comeback. Here in Austin, TX--which is where Lance lives and where he has a huge fan base--this is yet another reason to celebrate with fireworks. The heart of the matter being not so much whether he wins as much as proving that he's still well and kicking and another year cancer-free (as he says, anyway). I thought of you the other day when I saw this new ad of his for Nike, and I'm posting a link here for a mood boost:

http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nike/en_US/

Inspired by your fight and journey so far, a few weeks ago Lucas and I also ventured out to two of Austin's key locations with the purpose of soaking up some good vibes and sending them your way: Whole Foods, which is headquartered here (founder John Mackay is a regular shopper; I saw him buying strawberries the other day), and Mellow Johnny's, which is Lance Armstrong's relatively new bike shop. We wandered around, thought of you at each place, and took some photos in your honor to inspire you to keep kicking that f--cker.

Now, the name Mellow Johnny's, you should know, is a play on "maillot jaune." Clever, right? Well, next to it is a coffee shop, also owned by Lance, and it is named Juan Pelota. . . .Get it?! I scratched my head for a whole two hours before I realized the meaning and bust out laughing. So! Here's celebrating the man who just conceived a fourth baby with all of one ball, and here's celebrating you, a fighter with more balls than any of us can dream of.

xxx Katie