lee bender fund

taken from skatedaily.net:

Imagine if you woke up one morning and literally couldn’t move. Well, this nightmare is actually what happened to skateboarder Lee Bender a few years ago. Soon afterward at the hospital, he was diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis), a debilitating neurological disease that has taken away much of his equilibrium and as a result, his skateboarding ability.Lee’s treatment is expensive and is one that could very well last the rest of his life.

Not one to give up by any means, Lee has learned of an experimental, treatment called the Liberation procedure (or CCSVI) in Europe that has garnered an 80% success rate. However the chance to try out this treatment will cost him close to $12,000. And of course, since this alternative treatment is not recognized by US doctors, there are no medical insurances stepping right in to assist in covering the cost. With the kind help of Cowtown skates,Real skateboards, and many of his friends and family, a collective effort is underway to raise money to get Lee to Europe in the near future.

Please visit Lee’s “One Sick Race” blog, read down the right hand column, and donate a minimum of at least $5 towards this effort. Then share the info of this post via your websites, blogs, zines, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Let’s stick together as skateboarders and do what is right for Lee so he can have a substantial shot towards a normal life once again.

...if my friends were animals, numero 2

second installment... "if my friends were animals"

... if brandon were an animal, he would be a lion.

... and what a sweeeeeeeepy lion!

...if my friends were animals, numero 1

this will no doubt be a short-lived mini segment on the blog, until i decide to upload some pics of my own.

for now, i'm calling it, "if my friends were animals"

first one - if levi were a dog, he would look like an afghan greyhound:

(only maybe with a cardinal's hat)

bowl cut

my last night in party-mode in az i ended up in a closet. here's a moment that i don't hardly remember when micah gave me a bowl-cut in the wee-hours.

shmeeeeeeeeeeee and me.

ian and his roomies had a lil bash at their place just before i had to hit the road, bus, plane, second plane, bus and skateboard home to barcelona. these are a few of the pics, actually, from the night before the party...

i'd heard if you blow smoke into a dog's ear, it get's 'em lit. so i tried on my dawg.

...and of course, jack was there to help us get to where we needed to get.

trace must have said some funny stuff... i never laugh.

nicest guys.

thanks, pac! glad you stuck with me through all these beers!

cheers to good folk.

i looked for a photo of my folks, but to no avail on this computer.

anyway, a lot of stress went into these past few months, having been banned from europe, and all the lawyer mess, etc.

i wanted to take this time to thank my parents, len and denise adams. i could not have made it through this mess without your help. i would have driven myself insane.

you are kind, loving, wonderful folks. best i could have asked for, and i love you. see you in spain in a day and a half!

californiuuuuuuughhhhhh

i cruised out to the los angeles area with my buddy, cab, who's photos i am now stealing.

i'd forgotten my camera in our ride's car and didn't see them throughout the weekend.

here's me in a car, on the way out.

went to the cherry park spot. didn't skate at all the first day. just heckled levi (r).

levi and alma had a bbq for us. it was awesome. i ate about ten times as much as the rest of the folks.

then we played some loteria.

went to the blueprint premier to heckle marty and the boys from the u.k.

here's a photo from the after party, where they had free pizza and whiskey.

steve and i decided not to end after the party and bounced around long beach with a box of beers.

had to go. thanks for the block, leaver's truck!

cab the "i only had two alllll night loooooong!" beer thievesman.

thank god it's ry-day

FELIZ CUMPLEAñOS, MI HERMANO! TODAY, MY BROTHER (RIGHT) CELEBRATES HIS 31ST! CHEERS, MATEE!