Until the sun goes down

Many of you know about my connection to Alzheimer’s disease. My lovable grandpa, Papa, battled Alzheimer's the last five years of his life. He was affectionate and sweet, a story-teller and a family man. He had a head full of white hair and a heart full of kindness. He was tall and handsome, and you could disappear in his hugs.

Papa was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and moved in with my family because he could no longer care for himself. I'm thankful that he didn't become aggressive like many with Alzheimer's do. But it was hard to talk to him, to carry on a conversation and he never could remember meeting Pat. Many people with Alzheimer's deteriorate even further, to a point beyond recognition. It's a terrible disease.

Many people still call it “old timers” disease, and it gets brushed off as simple forgetfulness that comes with old age. It’s much worse than that. The scariest thing about Alzheimer’s is that there is no cure. It is the only cause of death among the top 10 in America that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed. And it is fatal. What also scares me is that it is often genetic. That means that other people I love, or even myself, can develop Alzheimer’s. I’ve already lost one special person to this disease, and I’m determined not to lose another.

I have been a supporter of the Alzheimer’s Association for over five years now, and my family and friends have continually supported me in all my fundraising shenanigans – a trivia night, a bingo night, a couple of baseball games, my annual walk team and now, The Longest Day.

On June 21, the longest day of the year, people all over the country will come together to do an activity from sunrise to sunset, to honor the endurance of people and their families who are fighting the disease every hour, every day. Some teams are running, some are knitting, some are playing cards. Each team member signs up for a time slot, so it's like a relay, passing the torch from one person to the next, across multiple locations.

My team is Dee Dee’s Water Warriors. We’ll spend June 21 playing in the water! I will report on every hour, showcasing each of my teammates and their activity to end Alzheimer's. If you join my team, you can do anything water-related, like:

• Kayak
• Boat
• Play in the pool
• Take a dip in the Jacuzzi
• Waterski or go tubing
• Organize a float trip or canoe trip
• Surf
• Run through the sprinkler
• Visit a waterpark
• Swim laps at the gym

Please, join me! Commit to a short time block and then ask your friends and family to make a donation to support your activity. All of the donations will go toward Alzheimer’s research, advocacy and support for families dealing with the disease. Message me if you would like more details.

If you’re not able to join the fun or you just don’t particularly like water activities, I sure would appreciate a general donation to my team. Every dollar counts. You can make a donation here.

This is my birthday wish this year: no gifts, just support for my favorite cause.

Thank you, thank you, to everyone, whether you join my team, contribute a couple dollars or cheer on Dee Dee’s Water Warriors from the (dry) sidelines. I appreciate it more than you know.

My dad and his dad, Oceanside, California

Papa ♥

Title lyrics – Mountain Sound, Of Monsters and Men

Out of my league

I've never had a major league ballpark in my backyard before. We could practically walk to Angel Stadium if we wanted to! A big perk of our current location, for sure.

I don't know if I would have been able to see Derek Jeter play one last time otherwise. He's retiring from baseball after this season. He has been my favorite player since I picked his name out of a lineup when I was 13 – for all the right reasons, of course: he had a cool name, I liked the number 2, he grew up Michigan, he played shortstop. I suppose he turned out to be pretty talented, too.

I made sure to get tickets to his last scheduled game in southern California. So did 40,000 other people. What they say is true: There are Yankee fans wherever you go, and it was a sold-out crowd. We lucked out with some great seats and enjoyed a nice farewell ceremony from the Angels, complete with a custom pinstriped paddle board as a gift to Jeter. Only in California.

The game could not have gone more in our favor. The Yankees swept the Angels 9-2, with a home run by Jeter in the 2nd inning. I was ready to catch the ball with my official Derek Jeter Rookie of the Year glove, circa 1996, but it wasn't meant to be.

I have always been a Yankee fan, and yet I've never been to Yankee Stadium. I have only seen them play when most of the audience is rooting for the home team. Not this night. More than once, the crowd chanted "Der-ek Je-ter!" When he came to bat, they stood. And when he scored, you would have thought we were in the house that Ruth built. It was the game of a lifetime.

Title lyrics – Out of My League, Fitz and the Tantrums