Metal
Myrtle Beach, SC 2:22 AM There have been numerous times on the journey where I was in awe at where I was and what I was doing. I had that feeling when I walked into NASA, when I spent the day at the Arkansas Supreme Court, when I bunked at the Fairfax Count Fire House, and many more. In Myrtle Beach I had another awe moment, on a different scale. I drove in from Wilmington on Friday and headed down to Pawley’s Island for a prewedding thing on the beach. It turned most of the people had not arrived yet, so I get to spend a lot of time with Scott, the groom, and his inner circle. He and I had...
Read MoreAM
Baltimore, MD 9:35 AM Back at it. Still a little groggy, but a night of sleep, a shower and a protein shake have helped. I’m letting traffic die down before I head south towards and past DC and down to Wilmington. I’ll be vesting my cousin Morgan who is a student at UNC Wilmington. I’ll be living the college life for a day. That should be fun, but I can’t get too wrapped up in it because I have to be on the road by 9 AM on Friday. I can’t relive my days when I would have just gone to bed at 9AM. Baltimore is a fun town. There are a ton of young people who are very active. It reminds...
Read MoreYanks
Baltimore, MD 12:36 AM I’ve made it to Baltimore. What a great day for a drive. It was 75 and sunny throughout. The AC was never touched. It was a sunroof day and the windows cracked from time to time. I left at about 12:30, filled the car and made my way south. It was all down 15 until Harrisburg. I saw some Amish buggies and some gorgeous red trees. Most of them haven’t changed yet, but the ones that have were crimson and beautiful. Give it a few weeks and you’ll see why a lot of bikers take 15. I was more rushed than usual because we had tickets for eh Yankees Orioles game that...
Read MoreLight
Rochester, NY 11:09 AM The rush of packing and trying to leave never seems to leave me. I am running behind as usual. Yesterday was filled with errands and last minute to do’s. We all have experienced the unexpected when we plan to leave. In my case, the check engine light went on in my car at about 2:00. Of course this freaked me out. I had just paid big bucks for the 30,000 mile service (5,000 miles late) last week. I called my guy at Hyundai. The light was solid, not blinking, which meant it was a sensor, and nothing major. That set me at ease, but I still set it up to bring it in. Not...
Read MoreOn the Road Again
Southeast U.S. My goal is the book, but the travel nibbles at me like a swarm of mosquitoes. You can shoo it off, but eventually one or two get to you. And now I am back on the road, albeit for a short time, but I am back. The juices are back. Planning where I am going, what days, where I am staying, who I am seeing. I just booked a speaking gig down in Little Rock, AR. I am excited to get back to my college town. That talk is on October 10. That talk allows me to do some things I didn’t think I was going to be able to do. I am heading to a wedding in Myrtle Beach. I thought I had a talk at...
Read MoreShow Time
Pittsford, NY 9:46 PM I took a deep breath as I slammed the door shut of my car. It was 7:30 AM and I had already been up since 6. My brain reminded me I was not a morning person. I was in the upscale part of Rochester, Pittsford. The biggest Wegmans around started at me and up on the second floor was a conference room with my name on it. I opened the back door and loaded up with my gear. I had my computer bag, my video camera bag, a Staples box with handouts, a cooler with my morning protein shake, my daytimer folder, my tripod, and a couple of other odds and ends. It took more than one...
Read MoreTime
Irving, TX 12:59 AM I am not sure how much time I am going to spend in front of the TV watching football, but there is no question it has taken over. I don’t watch any shows regularly anymore. It used to be NYPD Blue and 24, but nothing on now is a staple. Seinfeld reruns catch the attention, but here comes football. Saturdays is college. Sundays start at 1 and end 11. And here I am tonight, even with a presentation before 80 people lingering, staring in disbelief as my Cowboys squander a 13 point lead with half a quarter to go. Sick. My team lost. It cost me a fantasy win. And I lost...
Read MoreMiddle School
The Roch 11:01 PM I just got home from a hefty dose of enchilada’s and South Park. An excellent combination. My contacts are wrinkling, but it’s been a day to talk about. A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by the brother of a girl I went to high school with. He had seen the article in Worthwhile and out 2 and 2 together, realizing we had met back in the day. He is now a guidance counselor at a middle school and wanted to get together and talk about a few things. I agreed and set it up for today. As I made the drive for the 11 AM appointment I was extremely excited at the prospect of...
Read MoreGame time
Rochester, NY 11:26 PM Week 1 is in the books. I am not sure how I do it, or how many so of us do it, but a max weekend of football has come to an end. College Saturday came and went with South Carolina almost pulling the upset at Georgia. That would have been sweet. Today was spent getting the Canadian back to the ferry. I bet it was interesting for him to see the hoopla that goes into the opening weekend of NFL. “So you’re dad watches it too? And your sister?” I did the Bills game at home and then went up to the mall bar (NFL Ticket) to watch my beloved Cowboys start the Bledsoe and...
Read MoreRemember
Greece, NY 12:25 AM Here it is, a Saturday night and I’m home typing a journal entry. I’m not sure why I’m not out living it up on Labor Day Weekend, but I don’t feel like doing much today. This may be the first time in 11 years I’ve been in Rochester on September 3. This day means different things to different people, but to me, it holds a place in my mind and heart for a friend of mine who is not here anymore. I used to be a lot worse about it than I am now, but it still gets me. One of my best friend’s from high school is no longer with us. He passed on this day in 1993, a few...
Read MoreMorning Show and Katrina
Rochester, NY 10:48 AM What a morning. Katrina arrived in Rochester last night. I am staying on Lake Ontario. This meant huge waves, high wind and rain. I tossed and turned a lot last night in getting prepared for live TV. Not that I wanted to, but I was able to see the clock at 1:32 AM, 2:41 AM, 3:46 AM, and I finally got out of bed at 4 AM. I went downstairs and saw all of the damage she had done in New Orleans and in Mississippi. I have been in those casinos that moved a few blocks. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have your house in water up to the roof. Devastating. I watched...
Read MoreABC nerves and story
Rochester, NY 10:25 AM OK, we have about 5 minutes until the ABC news team will be here. I am way more nervous for this one. I am not sure if it is because it is at the house or because I am the only one they are talking to, but I am butterflying. They wanted me to get a bunch of stuff from the journey ready. It’s been awesome to back through it. I have a lot of the state park flyers and Gettysburg maps and a big map of DC. Time to do the last minute prep work. 10:58 AM I am typing as the TV crew is filming. They want to get me typing for the news story. Matt is shooting and Patrice is...
Read MoreFox
Rochester, NY 11:05 PM It’s not every day that you wake up knowing you have to go do a TV news spot. But, after some tossing and turning after the party last night, there I was this morning shaving and picking out an outfit for some time with Fox Rochester. The Worthwhile Magazine article has been a springboard to the news stuff. The reporter from Fox, Jill, set it up last week. We wanted to integrate my story with the interview of someone in Rochester. I called up the owners of Wild Hearts Charters, a 50 foot catamaran sailboat. My parents sailed with them last summer and told me about the...
Read MoreCamping
Keuka Lake 8:40 PM I was right. It was Sean’s 12th birthday that we went camping. Man, what a time it was. I picked him up at about 1:30 and we hit the grocery store. We were given the task of beer (30 pack Genny Light), steaks (5 pack, strip steaks), eggs (2 dozen), steak sauce (generic), ice (2 bags) and Gatorade. We had the cooler packed and were on the road by a little after 2. As I said, it was an awesome day. The sun was out in full effect and we jammed the tunes as we drove. Pete Yorn started us off and then we needed a little more umph and Sean put in Great Big Sea. I...
Read MoreCall
Rochester, NY 1:16 AM My cell rang at about 5:00 tonight. It was an unavailable number, so it rang differently than normal. I had just shut the car door, but heard it ring. I scrambled in, saw the unavailable number, and answered it. It was a woman with a voice and name I recognized, but I wasn’t sure. She then said she was from a Rochester TV station. That is where I knew her. Our conversation was short and sweet, but the gist of it is, she and a camera person will be over here tomorrow at 10 AM to do a story. I am not sure what type of story it is, but I’m sure it has to do with...
Read MoreFeet
Chili, NY 12:42 AM It’s not a bad feeling, sitting with your feet in a massager. I just got back from a night at the ladies house. I experienced my first pedicure. I’m not sure how it came about in discussion, but I said I’d never had one. I asked about what took place and what it was like. She ended up having a home pedicure kit. So I spent my night at a home spa. As I soaked my feet, the two female roommates took turns massaging each other with one of those Mr. Happy things you get for Christmas. Of course I stared intently at the two females ohhing and ahhhing. You dream...
Read MoreHyde
Lyons, NY The three guys I was with today held their breath as I recoiled from my golf swing. The ball has just sailed high and wide, very wide of the target, into the woods. They watched and waited for a reaction. Ever since I started golf all the way up to not too long ago, my reaction would’ve been a huge spike in blood pressure, followed by a club toss, and a bleep followed by more bleeps. But, I have recently found some peace of mind and with that has brought about a change on the golf course. In this instance today, one guy was particularly interested in my reaction, my dad. Today was...
Read MoreMuscle Man
Rochester, NY 11:25 PM My coach has a group of up and coming executives she coaches. She invited me to come to their group and hear a speaker, a guy named Joe Dillon. The bio she sent said his topic was Producing Peak Performance. I am one who looks for ways to increase my performance, so I RSVP’d yes. I read his bio further and was intrigued to find out he has been speaking for over 20 years. His brand of peak performance seemed to come from the physical side of things. He’s a former Marine Corps fitness instructor and has trained 22 Olympic Gold-medal winning athletes. That sold...
Read MoreWorthwhile Magazine
Barnes and Noble What a day it’s been. It started off with some early morning writing and then the final 4 action packed holes of the PGA Championship. Congrats to Lefty, although no one made him sweat. More bogies than birdies. While eating breakfast today I made the call to Barnes and Noble, “I’m checking to see if the new Worthwhile Magazine is in…” After some keyboard crunching they came back and said, “We have it.” Sweet. I asked, “Who’s on the cover?” Could it be me? I asked myself. They said a guy named Stedman Graham. It didn’t ring a bell, but it obviously...
Read MoreDraft Day 2
ESPN Here is the team. Not the best work I’ve ever done, but not bad for on the spot with minimal prep. QB Marc Bulger, StL QB RB Willis McGahee, Buf RB RB/WR Domanick Davis, Hou RB WR Chad Johnson, Cin WR WR Andre Johnson, Hou WR TE Jeremy Shockey, NYG TE D/ST Panthers D/ST, Car D/ST K Mike Vanderjagt, Ind K BENCH Bench Michael Bennett, Min RB Bench Larry Fitzgerald, Ari WR Bench David Carr, Hou QB Bench Jimmy Smith, Jac WR Bench Keyshawn Johnson, Dal WR Bench Heath Miller, Pit TE Bench Stephen Davis, Car RB Bench Braylon Edwards, Cle WR Shouldn’t have a RB and WR from same...
Read MoreDraft Day
ESPN 9:15 AM 90 minutes until draft day. Fantasy Football 2005 is about to kick off in full swing. If Peyton is around, do I take him, or go for a top RB? Regardless, I love this stuff. The preparation, the anticipation, the choosing of your team, it is awesome. I’m in a free one on ESPN. Never used them before. It’s me and 9 other guys I’ve never met. All of my friends are in high dollar games. Not for me this year. I still have to have it, cash prize or not.
Read MorePGA Championship
Springfiled, NJ Nothing will compare to walking the course for 4 day’s with the winner’s wife as I was able to do a couple of years ago at Oak Hill, but this is the final major of the year. I am out of the running of the Major’s pool I’m in, but I can still win this week. It will be hard without Tiger or any of the other big guys. I’ve used them already, except for Vijay. Here are my 7. Enjoy the golf. Vijay Singh Tim Clark Fred Couples Adam Scott Billy Mayfair John Daly Chad Campbell
Read MorePark Avenue Fest
Rochester, NY As I’ve said previously, I have not spent an extended time in Rochester since my college days. Each time I tell my friends, “I’ve never been to that,” they can’t believe it. This goes for The Ten Ugly Men festival, the East End festivals, and in this case, Park Ave. fest. I will give this to Rochester, once the weather breaks, the city and the people take full advantage. This summer has been great, if you have AC. I have AC, so it’s been awesome. This weekend was perfect for an outdoor festival. The temps were low 80’s and the sun was in full force. My friends were...
Read MoreGone
It’s a sad day when you lose a member of the family. Lucky for us, no one close to us has passed, but one that has been with us for over ten years has moved on. I remember getting her with my brother in Arkansas, she was so dark and comfortable. We had to haggle with guy for a few days, but we got her. She joined the family in 1994. She made the move up north in 1996, and partnered with my sister. They made a great team up until 2001, where Caytie passed her on to Bryan, her now fiancée. And now, on this day, Black Beauty has moved on to a mechanic who hopes to fix her up. She’s...
Read MoreFull
11:02 PM There is tired and then there is this tired. It’s been a long, action packed weekend. Thursday night was camping under the stars. I didn’t get as much sleep as normal. Friday was a night of music and drinks. Again, minimal sleep. Saturday was a wedding, which meant open bar and prime rib. Today was church, sun, horseshoes, a 44 dozen clam bake, beer can chicken, and more. I have gained pounds. My eyes droop. Bed time. Enjoy the week. More writing to come.
Read MoreMovies
It’s been a move week. I watched Hotel Rwanda on Monday and National Treasure on Tuesday. Yes, I know, two very diverse movies. If you want a predictable, entertaining Hollywood blockbuster, then Rwanda must be watched. Kidding. National Treasure is good for mindless entertainment. Now, I watched Hotel Rwanda by myself. I started it at about 10:30 PM. If you haven’t seen it, it is the story of one man as he protects his family and others during civil war/genocide. If you live in the U.S., you might not know what a real genocide is. I didn’t grasp it until I saw this movie. I...
Read MoreBest of Both Worlds
The Beach, NY 10:53 PM I sat down to watch Kevin Salwen/Worthwhile guy on CNN tonight but he wasn’t there. He’ll be there tomorrow. I turned off the TV and headed to the gym. I hadn’t been in a week or so. A good sweat and some lifting are always good for the mind. I came home to a gorgeous night. Not a cloud in the sky. Stars radiating over Lake Ontario and the waves lapping up with their sweet music. My mom and went outside and sat under the stars. We talked and then I decided it was time to get the tent out. She looked at me for a second, but then proceeded to help me put...
Read MoreCatawba College
Salisbury, NC I’ve booked my first paying speaking gig! I’ll be speaking to the public and students at Catawba College in November. It’s a small world as I almost went there to play golf for college. I went down and looked at it in-between my junior and senior years of high school. Funny how things come full circle. Catawba is 45 minutes north outside of Charlotte, NC. Someone passed them my name after seeing the article in the Charlotte Observer.
Read MoreUgly
Rochester, NY 10:34 AM 7.23.04 Running late as I get the blankets, frisbees, shades, sunblock, hats, and clothes ready for a day of bands, food, and drink at the Ten Ugly Men Festival. This is a charity thing that has boomed into a major event in Rochester. $25 gets you bands all day, all the food, and all the drink (including beer) you want. Doesn’t get much better than that and when you top it off with a forecast of sunny and 82, perfect. Ugly time. www.tenuglymen.org 12:45 PM 7.24.04 I type this with a foggy head and a grumbling stomach. The Ugly Men met all of the expectations that I...
Read MoreThe Fair
Monroe County, NY 9:25 AM When you mention the words County Fair or State Fair, we all have different images pop into our heads. For some of us it is walking around with our family getting as close to farm animals as you’ve ever been. For others it is eating all of the fair food: fried dough, corn dogs, burgers, grilled corn, etc… For others we think about all of the voices beckoning us to “Step right up, win a prize,” and the games that follow. I remember shooting a clowns mouth with water, dropping ping pong balls into fish bowls, throwing a ball to knock down milk jugs, pitching...
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