Steve Irwin
Australia The media has been all over the recent death of Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter. My journey has focused on interviewing people who love what they do. I think the cameras can Hollywood a lot of people, but from what I could tell, he was as passionate for his work as anyone. His love for animals and the adrenaline from being close to them could not be faked. I don’t know Steve Irwin so I can’t eulogize him. All I can say is that if every one of us had the passion for their work and life that he did, the world would be a much better place.
Read MoreNice
Rochester, NY 7:58 PM It doesn’t get much better than this. The first big college football game is on the TV. A poker game is on the CPU. My NFL fantasy draft is tomorrow. And I’m on the road to Cleveland on Wednesday for 3 talks and 2 media interviews over a 3 day span. Game time.
Read MoreMack
Rochester, NY Today is an Anniversary I don’t wish I had to think about. It’s been 13 years since my first semester of college. It’s been a week and 13 years since the phone rang in my dorm room and I shot up to the corner, staring down at me as my friend told me my right hand man from high school had shot himself. It’s been 13 years to the day that he died. I grew up in those weeks after coming home for the funeral. We lost some friends growing up, but losing someone so close in that way, it caused me to ask a lot of hard questions about life. I now wonder if that...
Read MoreKatrina
New Orleans, LA 11:02 PM It’s hard to believe a year has passed since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. Unless you’ve seen it with your own eyes, it is impossible to fathom how much damage has been done. I have not seen it, but my old company is based there and I’ve read the stories about what they’ve had to do. I can’t imagine 6 feet of water in the first floor of my company headquarters. It’s even crazier when you think about your house. I watched Charlie Rose last night and he had Spike Lee on. I guess he’s shooting a documentary about New...
Read MoreWeekend
Rochester, NY 8:06 PM Another weekend comes to pass and the signs point to the summer’s end. It’s already dark out, Lake Ontario is ice cold, and preseason football highlights are on ESPN. I love football, but the looming season shows the seasons are going to change. In Charlotte, this is the best time of year. In Rochester, the fall doesn’t last too long. Soon, the white stuff will be falling. With the impending football season, I went to a fantasy football draft on Friday night. The Peasano’s Football League needed a draft helper and I obliged. It helped them putting the stickers on...
Read More20 Years
Corning, NY 11:22 AM I woke up today outside of Corning, NY, Coopers Plains to be exact, at my aunt and uncle’s place. After a long night out with my cousin’s who cam in town for my sister’s wedding, I zonked out on the couch. Most nights a couch is not a good fit for me. I sleep on my stomach. Give me a choice between a couch and a floor, the floor wins every time. In this case, the couch was there, it was 1:30 AM, and my eyes were heavy. Strangely today I woke up early and in the REM sleep that occurs in the in and out’s of the morning, I dreamt that a cat was sleeping on my head....
Read MoreWedding
Rochester, NY 10:22 AM My legs are still sore from the wedding on Saturday. Song after song found me on the dance floor. It could have been that I got caught up in the excitement and didn’t eat lunch or it could’ve been that I was just ecstatic that my little sister got married. My legs still feel it and my body does to. I can’t remember the last time I slept for 11 hours, but I did last night. Running on E caused me to miss a 30th birthday party of a friend, but I would not have been able to conversate. This was one of the best weekends of my life. Most of our family was in...
Read MoreEye
Rochester, NY 1:48 PM A wedding is always hectic, but I am guessing when it is yours it’s like a hurricane. With my sister’s big day being tomorrow, I’ve been a part of the eye of the storm. But, in this case, they’ve taught me how preparation can make things very smooth. Today there is no running around, no last minute tasks, just a little work and then the rehearsal dinner. I was the event coordinator last night for the bonfire. A weird thing happened. All day and into the night a stiff breeze blew off of the lake, south toward the houses. The bonfire I had built was...
Read MoreWedding
Rochester, NY 10:22 AM Less than a week to go until the wedding (not mine, my sisters). I still can’t believe little Caytie will be in her white dress walking down the aisle. Obviously, there’s been a lot of planning, but they seem to have a pretty good handle on things. As the brother, I’ve done a good job of staying out of the way and avoiding arguments. I do what I am asked to do and offer an opinion here and there, but I pretty much try to blend in. Families on both sides will be pouring into Rochester starting on Thursday. I am the social director for Thursday and built...
Read MoreMySpace
WWW I joined the world of MySpace a few days ago. If you’re on there, add me as a friend. My page is looking pretty bare. And I’m sitll getting the hang of all of it. See you online. http://www.myspace.com/iamontheroad
Read MoreTalk
Rochester, NY This is a roller coaster. On the upward swing, I’ve been contacted to come to just Summerville, OH, which is just outside of Cleveland to share my interview experiences. It looks like I’ll be busy, speaking at a Rotary event, going on their NPR at noon, and then to a talk of fellow Seekers at night. The speaking juices get me going. Time to get cracking on tailoring the presentation to the audience. Cookie cutter doesn’t cut it. Anyway, I’m excited about that. My sister’s wedding is coming up next week so things have been hectic. I’ve also...
Read MoreCelebrities
NYC 7:42 PM It’s been a while since I’ve typed in here. Part of it stems from the Sideways Syndrome. Wherever I go I am asked, “When is your book going to be ready?” The Today Show asked me the same question months ago. The people from high school who I saw at a wedding last night asked too. And it’s great, the interest is awesome. But it gets harder and harder to not have the answer I want. I’m trying to remain as patient as I can with the publishing industry, but when they tell me my book won’t stand out, that I need interviews with celebrities and...
Read MoreLove of the game
Rochester, NY 11:58 PM I went to the minor league baseball game tonight. The Rochester Red Wings played the Charlotte Knights in Rochester. One of the relief pitchers for the Wings grew up with my sister’s fiancée. He didn’t get in the game, they didn’t need him, and they won 6-1. After the game we met his wife and mother. As a sports fan, there would be nothing better than playing your game and getting paid for it. As I talked with his family, I didn’t think about the sacrifice they have to make in order for the dream to become reality. His wife even said it was like...
Read MorePoker
Who knows Not sure how wise this is, but I just joined the online poker revolution. Now I can spend many hours by myself in my office. Wait a minute, I already spend many hours by myself here. Summertime is probably not the best for this, but what the heck, the World Series of Poker is waiting.
Read MoreTasty Waves
Lake Ontario 3:22 PM When you live on the beach, there is never a question when there is a neighbor in need, even when the call is inconvenient. Lake Ontario was angry today and as I sat inside watching the British Open as well as the grey sky fluttering bits of rain down, the last thing I wanted to do was go into the lake to rescue a boat hoist. But with the waves raging and the boat hoist steadily inching over toward 2 jet ski hoists, there was no question, especially when it is your uncle’s boat hoist. Out I went to the sea, not as a marine biologist to a whale with a plugged blow hole,...
Read MoreDistance
Charlotte, NC 10:37 AM A weekend back in a town where you lived is never enough. I visited with as many people as I could, and as is typically the case, I couldn’t fit them all in. My family was first on Friday night. Then the post-wedding shower that was the main reason for my trip on Saturday. I saw a lot of friends and met a lot of new ones. It was a fun night that ran from 6:30 PM to 1:30 AM. I never made it to the other party. Golf came early the next morning. A 9:20 tee time did nothing to stop the 95 degree heat and 95 percent humidity. That type of weather used to not affect me. I...
Read MoreFire
Rochester, NY 11:42 PM Yesterday was over 3 inches of rain and flooding to parts of Rochester. Today was sunny, 80’s, and then a bonfire on the beach. My legs feel the itch of the mosquito’s but the sun setting in the background of the fire is worth it. After going to the gym, mowing the grass, getting a hair cut and a shower, I was planning on packing for Charlotte, but the glint of the flame in the window caught me. Out I went. The pink sky turned black and then the bugs came out. We all fought for as long as we could, but the fire broke up and so did the party. I can’t wait to get...
Read MoreEarly
Rochester, NY 7:39 AM I am up and at it early today. A hectic and fun two weeks concluded today with a 4:30 AM wake up call to take my brother, sister in law, and nieces to the airport back to Memphis. I’ve slept in a bed only twice since June 23 and am feeling the effects. But, the day is here and we move forward. My stomach wheezes and churns as we had a clam bake last night. 5 dozen in my belly mixed with chicken, corn and salt potatoes. You have to love the summer. I am not sure if I said this from the Adirondacks, but as we hiked up Cascade Mountain, a map and hiking trail list was...
Read More4th
Lake Ontario 3:22 PM My office has been overtaken by my 4 and 2 year old nieces for the week. They arrived on Monday. Kids always make things exciting and tiring, but the Lake Ontario 4th of July tradition continued on Tuesday. I was not upbeat when I woke up to a rainstorm, but the bonfire had already been built. The morning was saved for going to the grocery store for burgers and dogs. I wasn’t sure how many people knew about the party or how many would show up, so I had to guess on food supplies. My cousins next door had people coming over as well. The rain cleared off and my first...
Read MoreCascade Mountain
Adirondack Mountains, NY 11:01 AM The sign at the trail head said it was close to a 2,000 feet ascent. It would be 4.8 miles round trip. The guide book also said the end would provide one of the most picturesque views of the High Peaks. After yesterday’s manly breakfast, we found a parking spot and loaded up our packs. I had two protein bars, a bottle of water, my camera, a hat, and a jacket. My Millerenium shirt soon found its way into the pack as well. The start of the hike was gradual and the ground was muddy in a lot of places from all of the rain the northeast had been getting. I...
Read MoreOlympic
Lake Placid, NY 10:42 AM We checked out of the GGT in Burlington yesterday and headed south to Charlotte. Not my Charlotte, but we took Rt. 7 down and drove the car onto the ferry toward Essex. It was a sunny morning and the 20 minute ride gave us a chance to take some great shots. The ferry came recommended by a friend in Rochester. The Essex stop put us very close to the Adirondacks. Our place for the night was in Lake Placid, NY. I should say our city for the night. We didn’t know where we were staying. I was excited to see what an Olympic town would be like. Before we did that, we...
Read MoreShort
Burlington, VT 5:22 PM No time, but we are in Borders. Just updated the site. Went on the Ethan Allen III ferry around the lake. Dinner time.
Read MoreMagic Hat
Burlington, VT 5:58 PM All we can say right now is, “Wow.” We sit in the GGT Tibet Inn in Burlington, Vermont sipping Magic Hat spirits. It’s a long story of how we got here, but I think it is worth telling. The drive from the White Mountain National Forest was rainy, but Hwy. 302 treated us well. We found a breakfast spot, The Coffee Pot in Littleton, NH. The owner’s story is for another time, but worth a read. Two eggs, ham, hash browns, and a cup of joe later, Vermont waited us. 302 turned into Hwy. 2 and then 89. The rain slowed at 89, just in time for the Ben and Jerry’s...
Read MoreNew Hampshire
White Mountain National Forest 10:36 PM After a long night in Portland celebrating Maureen’s completing her med school boards, we got around late today. It wasn’t until after our lunch at 1:00 that we hit the road for the White Mountains of New Hampshire. We said good bye to the highway and drove on 302 toward Mount Washington. Small town after small town passed us by. Some new friends from Portland told us about Pinkham Notch, but the nice lady at the information desk in Conway pointed us in a new direction. Rather than veering off on 16 and up to Pinkham, we stayed on 302 and drove past...
Read MoreGeorge H.W.
Kennebunkport, ME 2:02 PM We made it to Ogunquit and struggled to find a parking spot in the beach city. The main street was lined with shops selling paintings and restaurants all advertising lobster. That word caught my eye. And my stomach’s. We found a spot near the beach for $2/hour and immediately heard the ocean hitting the shore. It was grey, cloudy, and in the mid 60′s, but it wasn’t raining, so I took off my sandals and hit the beach. The tides of Maine are more pronounced in any place I’ve been with some levels as much as 10 feet. In this case, the tide was...
Read MoreBirds
Biddeford, ME I learned yesterdays that I am a below average packer. After all of the miles and months on the road, this was the first time I had to load the car with more than just my things. The 941 boys got to witness the man that evolves out of me when trying to load a SUV with only so much storage space. Enough storage space for my things and one other person, not 2. After a few cuss words and me leaving a few things behind, we were on the road at about 10:30 AM. Not bad considering I had been at a wedding and up until about 2:30 the night before. The tone of trip could have been set as...
Read MoreTires
Rochester, NY 6:36 PM My traveling companion, Fe, had 4 new tires installed today. She had been trying to let me know for a few weeks that she needed new wheels, but I just got around to it. I put Bridgestone Dueler Alenza’s on her. The Firestone place took a little longer than they estimated, but the install and the alignment werre worth the bucks. The 1 hour drive to and from Newark was much smoother and quieter and the shimmying went away. I also don’t have to worry about rain storms like I had been. All of those miles wore down my first set of tires. The installer laughed when...
Read MoreBusy
Rochester, NY It has been and will continue to be crazy as I draw close to hitting the road again. Today was my dad’s birthday, many happy wishes to him. The family did dinner. I’ve been putting in a lot of hours at the consulting job which makes packing and planning much harder. At the same time I have car work to do. My new Bridgestone tires arrived today. Getting them installed and an alignment are on the to do list for tomorrow. A lot going on, but I know it will be worth it once me and the boys hit the highway on Saturday.
Read MoreSummer
Rochester, NY 7:55 PM Ah, summer has finally hit the northeast. I type with sunburned shoulders after the second 90 degree day of the weekend. This is when it is nice to be on big and cold Lake Ontario. My sister, BIL, and I ventured into the Lake for the first time yesterday. The heat of the day made the chilly water feel good, but only after a few minutes of adjusting. Pool people would not enjoy it, but lake people do. So the first swim of the year occurred in mid-June. Probably hard to fathom for my friends in the south. It’s funny how doing nothing but sitting outside, raking the...
Read MoreBack to the air
Gonanda, NY 11:42 PM There I was again, at the flight park, this time staring at a hang glider. I was supposed to go up with the owner. This time no engine. No propeller. Just us, the wind, and the sky. When you trust someone, there are no nerves for new experiences. That was the case here. I had never been on a hang glider before, but my trust in him, his experience, and expertise set me at ease. After signing more waivers, he went over some rules, how to operate the glider as well as the parachute. He is a man of go go go energy and there was no time to waste. I put on a borrowed pair of...
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