September 19, 2010: the Last Gasp Charity Bike Ride/(Race)

The race/ride could not have been better: beautiful weather, a biker  gang directing traffic, much adrenaline, bagpipes, power bars, water, Gold Bond Medicated Body Powder, 62 miles of finely paved road from Sandwich to Provincetown, and more.

Handlebar Moustache for Charity team members: Steve Swain,
Richard Bonanno, Bob Zarum, and Chris Hosford at rest stop #2.

A heartfelt thanks to all those who offered support; in the coming days you will hear from me in a more official manner. In the meantime, experience the intensity as if you, too, had been there!

Winner of "Release your pain...share a story" Contest

Ladies and Gentlmen, We have a winner: Francesca Rizzo, sharing her story about Ashley Rode.

"Ashley Rode, more fondly known as Ascilei, is a rare gem of a person and friend found in today’s generation.  If one believed in reincarnation, one would know that she possessed an old soul, one that could not only be described a Renaissance woman.  With her deep knowledge of foreign languages, both dead and living, along with the immense passion for discovery, Ascilei is able to live a grand a supremely fulfilling life, no matter where she may be in the world.  I first met her the last day of the fall semester in 2007 during a final exam.  She sat down next to me and we started talking about our great passion for the majestic country, Italy, and in that moment our great friendship and adventures took off.  Through the years our relationship has only grown stronger, even though the distance now keeps us apart. "

Ashley R.

Congratulations Francesca Rizzo; thanks to all those who participated.

Day 42: Handlebar Training Instructional Video

The last few days have been quite exciting as we move to the final week of training for the big race. Team Handlebar Moustache, a subsidiary of Team Cape Cod Beer, had a very productive ride and twisting session on Sunday, completing nearly 40 miles of the pleasant Cape Cod Rail Trail in preparation for what will surely culminate in a very a successful event. If you haven't already contributed, please see the Last Gasp site and contribute to one of our riders: Richard Bonanno, Shaun Kerr, or Steve Swain. The writer of this blog would prefer you helped push him into the "Big Wheel" category with a generous contribution, but please know that Steve and Shaun have fallen behind on their fundraising efforts. Steve, as you will see in the video below, has managed nonetheless to exceed expectations in handlebar growth. Thanks to those of you who have already contributed...to those who have yet to support such a worthy cause, there is still time to give!

Day 39 Musings

With the help of Clubman Moustache Wax, a registered trademark of American International Indurstries, Los Angeles, CA 90040, I have made significant progress in feigning a full-fledged handlebar moustache, which, incidentally, I am debating keeping for years to come. The road training has been another story altogether; I attribute my reduced stamina to the drag created by my wax-laden moustache. I have gained a greater appreciation of my dear friend Mike Wallace of Vineyard Enterprises who once said: "There's no doubt about it: you either look good or be warm." For next year's race (preference is given to calling the event a "race" and not a "ride") I propose to atone the disparity between practical matters and vanity by shaving my entire body and devising an altogether new marking initiative entitled "Buff Body for Charity." I already have a photo shoot in mind.

Day 39: photo by Marissa Bognanno of the Boot

push, push, grow, train

The race date is not far away, and I have increased my training regimen. Thanks to all who have contributed to such a worthy cause...keep it coming.

In training

Day 28: in training

As you can see, I have been following a strict training regimen, which has prevented me from keeping updates. The Cape Cod Beer Bash was a huge success. I am back to work. Thanks to all those who have donated thus far.

AMI: Defenders of Style

We all develop style in all facets of life. We present ourselves, perform endeavors, and follow our crafts in special ways. Cormac McCarthy has a certain writing style that drives the content of his novels in a profound way. The same may be said of any great writer. My father has a very unique style of dress, full-on proletariate shabby, that he has developed during years of wearing work uniforms; I like to wonder how he would choose to present himself were he a candidate for an Oscar. This highly positive flight of fancy has led me to seriously consider pitching to Aramark executives that they expand their operations to the sphere of leisure wear. 

And the Oscar goes to...Tommaso Antonio Bonanno for "Doing it His Way!"

The American M(o)ustache Institute (AMI) is in the business not of making a fortune but rather of "protecting the rights of, and fighting discrimination against, mustached Americans by promoting the growth, care, and culture of the mustache." These defenders of style deserve credit for their work, namely their resource pages and provocative monthly mustache interviews including such m(o)ustachioed luminaries as Patrick Bertoletti, competitive eater, Hemky Madera, actor, and Alexander Antebi, 2007 "Imperial Mustache Champion." You can find faith in the LWV, hope in the ACLU, love in the IBEW, charity in the MSPCA...I will choose to find all of the above in the AMI and may even opt to bear their standard well beyond September 19, 2010, when the Last Gasp charity event will be held on Cape Cod.

Release your pain...share a story

I enjoy keeping this (we)blog, which allows me to drill deep into a bottomless well of creativity, the location of which I have been able to determine without the aid of a dowser: in the lower left part of my neck. I suspect that its whereabouts lie specifically in my trapezius muscle (or perhaps in the levator scapulae,) in the same spot that had been causing me a signficant amount of discomfort in recent months, a pain in the neck that has slowly begun to disappear since the day I started writing. Perhaps the physical therapy carried out by the folks at Novacare Health Care in Dennis had helped to alleviate the problem. A drastic reduction in hours behind the wheel of my car may have also added relief. One might add that growing a handlebar moustache is therapeutic. I am convinced, nonetheless, that keeping this (we)blog has worked wonders. It has helped me not only to release some of the pressure by tapping into the well of creativy in my neck but also to dedicate energy to giving back.

Day 21: Spinning the beginning of the right handlebar (n.b. relaxed posture and loose neck)

I want to give back even more and share the love by encouraging you to give back and share the love. Has there been a special person with a handlebar moustache in your life? If so, send me his/her story (250 words maximum) and a photo. I would be delighted to post it (and help you to release your pain.)

Finer Moments

Some of the finer moments in life are rarely deemed so while “in the moment.” We seem to realize their value once committed to memory and, above all, during less fine moments. I have been fortunate enough to make it through a night in a jail cell, to recover from a serious illness, and to come to terms with the loss of a loved one. While living through these less fine moments, I distinctly recall yearning for blissful times of yore, which seemed to pass before and behind my eyes. They have become, nonetheless,  touchstones for me. Although I would never want to relive such hardships, I am able to find some good in them. I was released from the jail cell just in time to prevent my tattoo-teared cellmate from using me to “mop the floor with.” Eduardo Fichera, my brother from Palermo, happened to be sharing a hotel room with me during the delirium-filled night in Florence when meningitis was getting the better of my brain and body. Mary Giannetti Bonanno may no longer be with us, but she watches over us. The Cape Cod Beer Bash, from 5-9 PM on Friday, August 27, is sure to be a fine moment. While hoisting a pint and contributing to the Last Gasp charity, guests might relish such a fine moment and smile while recalling those less fine moments committed to memory for no other reason than to help us cherish all that is good. The moustache is coming along, and I am doing my best to appreciate it now.

Day 18: I will not settle for extensions.

Insomnia has its benefits

One might say that insomnia has its benefits. The condition grants the sufferer time to carry out menial tasks ill-suited to the more serious arena of daylight waking hours. Personally, I make the most of my time by demistifying half-completed sudoku puzzles (tackling the 7's that tend to frustrate me,) by liberating the refrigerator of that hidden container of hummus (creamy style is best at 4 AM,) by catching up on late-nite TV (the miraculous Ninja Master Prep, which carries a money-back guarantee, may be purchased in 3 convenient payments of $19.95,) and by thinking. During the small and dark hours of Monday morning, after having finally dominated a recent sudoku and topped a cracker or two with Middle Eastern dip, I turned to the TV and tuned to the Tim McCarver Show. Only a five-syllable word could describe the thirty-minute transmission that had me transfixed: serendipity. Along with team Cape Cod Beer members Shaun Kerr and Steve Swain, I had already determined that the handlebar moustache would offer a profound look for the Last Gasp charity ride and would also serve as a perfect marketing tool. During training rides, I had entertained notions of joining many famous men who sported the stately 'stache, and the elite group's forerunner now appeared elegantly dressed and finely groomed opposite Tim McCarver: Roland Glen "Rollie" Fingers.  

Although his risponses to Tim's questions seemed somewhat rehearsed, the Hall-of-Fame pitcher--a debonnaire revolutionary in the realm of relief pitching in the modern day--spoke of what had been a truly remarkable career. Among the salient tales, he provided insight into his decision to grow the storied 'stache, as prompted by A's owner Charlie Finley, notorious for micromanagement of the ballclub, frugality in spending, and animosity among players and coaches. Rollie's handlebars became the hallmark of the team, of baseball excellence, and of 70's facial fashion. Having turned the TV off, I began to sink slowly into a state of somnolence and to think at last of all things for which I should be thankful and of what could only be a bright day to come.

what is this thing called "handlebar moustache for charity?"

Dear friends,

On September 19, 2010 I will be participating in a charitable event, the Last Gasp, a three-part, day-long, fundraising extravaganza intended to help raise money for several diversified nonprofit organizations headquartered on Cape Cod and the Islands. The event consists of a 62-mile bike ride from Sandwich to Provincetown. Organizations that will benefit from the event include Hospice and Palliative Care of Cape Cod, Cape and Islands United Way, Champ Homes, Kiwanis of Hyannis and Sandwich, Cape Cod Child Development, and the Cultural Center of Cape Cod.

Please help me exceed my fundraising goal by offering your financial support. Learn more about the Last Gasp and donate to rider "Richard Bonanno" on the following page

http://www.thelastgasp.com/store/category.asp?cat=2

For the entertainment pleasure of supporters, I will attempt to grow a full-fledged handlebar moustache by the day of the race, details of which will be kept in this weblog. Please add this page to your list of favourites and check in periodically to chart my progress.

day 1:beginning to not shave the moustache

Thank you for your support.
Richard Bonanno