The park itself is impressive. Very well maintained. They have a lake, dog park, huge playground, paved paths, baseball fields, disc golf course (which I will return at some point to play and review). And of course the Magnolia Mountain Bike Trails. There are several small loops within the system combining for about 4-5 miles.

These trails were probably some of the easiest, yet most fun trails I have ever ridden. When I say easy it is because any skill level biker can ride them as they are smooth as pavement with very little elevation change. A more experienced rider can go fast and take some of the side trails they have designed as expert along the way. Those side trails were just minor detours, a hundred yards perhaps. They contained man made obstacles such as narrow, elevated boardwalks or high banked curves.

For example one of them, named “Wally World”, consisted of a quick turn down a hill leading to a wooden banked turn that the faster you hit it, the higher up on the turn wall you could ride. It exited exactly where you started, allowing you to try it severals times to get your nerve up to go faster and faster.

Another section that was side trail, “Kudzu” flow track, was all down hill into a small ravine. It winded around and have several ups and downs, which if you had enough speed could really get air! It reminded me of the sensation of being on a roller coaster. And again exited at the same place you started so you could go again and again, testing your skill to go faster and higher each run.

There are options to connect to other trail systems outside the park, but time was of essence for me that day and I did not get to them.

If you are ever visiting Tallahassee, live nearby, or just passing down I-10 looking for a diversion from driving past the miles and miles mind-numbing pine tree scenery, I highly suggest you check it out.

View Trail Map ››

This shoe, Lost Sole #465, I dedicate to the 3 victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing.

What emotionally struck me at first was the amount of, for a lack of a better term, carnage. Then I noticed the personal items that were strewn about. Items that meant so much to those victims just a little time before, meant nothing now, but were still a lingering essence of what made each victim an individual. They There were bags, purses, jackets, cameras, cell phones. And me being me, noticed a solo shoe lying there. Immediately a moral dilemma arose in my mind.

The journalist in me wanted to document and memorialize the victims and families by dedicating that Lost Sole to them. Even though I discovered the shoe in the photo while looking at the image, I did not physically discover it nor did I take the image obviously. So that was my first issue with it. Then the humanist came out, and I felt it would not be right to tie such a horrific pic to the victims memory.

However, I did want to memorialize them in the one way I knew best how to do. With a Lost Sole Dedication. Because after all, running shoes have become the symbol of the marathon. So it just seems to be appropriate to dedicate a shoe.

My solution was this. Just a few days earlier I had found Lost Sole #465. Not the same day as the bombings, or was it even found near the bombings, but it did have a connection to the first victim they announced, Martin Richard. He was only 8 years old, probably the same age of the boy to whom Lost Sole #465 belonged to.

I decided to invoke my artistic license and make Lost Sole #465 the dedication shoe.

My heart beats a little different every time I see another image of a victim, or read a recount of what happened to individual victims. I just cannot imagine the pain and hardship they, and their families have been going through. How could anyone ever really console them. How is it, this goes on all over the world, every day?!

Another thing that rocks me to my core is to think these people’s lives were snuffed out and other’s were ruined while they were in the middle of celebrating life. So many of the people running and spectating at that point were doing it for charities and personal achievement. The race was honoring the victims of Sandy Hook who were taken in senseless violence.

Plus, now that I have a 3 year-old daughter, events like this really hit home. How do parents explain evil in this world to their young child? Nora did ask a question while we were watching the news, “What is a bomb?”. I just sort of glossed over it with a vague answer, then distracted her from the thought and made a decision to not expose her to the coverage of it.

I do like the explanation that comedian Patton Oswalt stated on his Facebook page about evil in the world. Especially the end of his statement… “But the vast majority stands against that darkness and, like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evil doers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation. We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We’d have eaten ourselves alive long ago.”

Here are links to other Lost Soles referenced in this entry.
›› Link to shoe image that sparked this tribute **WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE**
›› Link to a solo shoe photographed in Boston the day after, but several blocks away from the bombing site.

Footnote: Prior to hitting the “publish” button, news of the explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas was being announced. At least 15 people died and 150 more were wounded, with numbers expected to rise. People described it felt like a nuclear bomb as it registered a 2.1 on the Richter Scale. It leveled many buildings, some as far away as 7 blocks. It is hard to imagine all the heartache going on throughout our country right now.

To end this entry on an uplifting note if possible, take a look at the video of the National Anthem being song at the Boston Bruins game after the tragedy. We do outnumber the bad still, and there is plenty of us good people in this world.

The blue aircraft hanging in the top right is the Truculent Turtle.

The event started at the National Flight Academy building, built to resemble an aircraft carrier, with cocktails and mingling with about 50 bankers from all around Florida. Here is a brief rundown from the NFA website about what it is about.

“Aboard Ambition, at the National Flight Academy, our AXPs (Aviation Experimental Pilots – 7th-12th grade) live within a completely immersive experience for almost an entire week. It is a fun, fast paced, innovative learning concept. Because of this experiential learning environment, you can see student after student in the video testimonials talk about the speed of all types of learning and this one of a kind opportunity. Specifically, these are some of the measurable results we have began to document and assess. Welcome to your virtual experience aboard Ambition, there is nothing like her in the world, promising an advantage that is out of this world.”

This building is really something to check out for all ages.

Captain Charles E. Ellis is a native of Texas. After receiving a draft notice, he enlisted in the Navy in November 1961, and later attended the University of Texas at Austin under the Naval Enlisted Scientific Education Program, graduating in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering. He was commissioned after completing Officer Candidate School.

Capt. Ellis served in a variety of submarine billets, including command of USS Skipjack (SSN585), USS Louisville (SSN724) and USS L.Y. Spear (AS36). His duty ashore included a tour on the staff of Submarine Group FIVE, during which he earned a Master of Science Degree from Chapman University, and a tour as Commanding Officer of Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay, GA, from which he retired in December 1992. Capt. Ellis was employed as Provost of a Distant Learning Center of Georgia Military College until October 1997.

His decoration and awards include: Legion of Merit with 2 Stars, Meritorious Service Medal with 2 Stars, Navy Commendation Medal with 2 Stars, Navy Achievement Medal, Meritorious Unit Commendation with 2 Stars, Navy Expeditionary Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with 3 Bronze Stars, National Defense Service Medal with 1 Star, Good Conduct Medal and Navy “E” Ribbon.
Capt. Ellis is married to the former Judy Stevens of Crowley, Texas.

One of my favorites was the story of the baby kangaroo, a.k.a. One Long Hop, that traveled on one of the aircraft named the “Truculent Turtle” for 55 hours without refueling It flew from Perth, Australia to Columbus, Ohio setting a world record at the time. For the first day during the flight One Long Hop would not eat or drink because of being scared. It was right about the 24 hour mark that he started to drink water, eventually eating shortly after. The crew was relieved as they were not sure he was going to make it. Now why there was a kangaroo on board? I am not sure as Capt. Ellis never said, and I cannot find anything online other than he was donated to the Washington Zoo. I can tell you this, seeing how small that cockpit area is, I cannot imagine being trapped in there for 55 hours, especially with 3 other people and a kangaroo!

Another story that will always stick in my head was about a tiny Cessna Bird Dog that was built by the United States Military and later in its life assigned to the South Vietnamese Air Force during the Vietnam War. This story takes place on board the Aircraft Carrier Midway during the evacuation of all U.S. military forces from Saigon, Vietnam. The carrier was headed back to the U.S. when a tiny plane, the Cessna, came into view. At the controls was a South Vietnamese Air Force pilot. And he made several passes over the carrier dropping pieces of paper. Eventually one landed on the ship. It was a note requesting permission to land.

The carrier found someone aboard to interpret for the pilot so they could communicate. He said he wanted to come aboard and did not have enough fuel to make it back to land. Well he had never seen a carrier before, let alone landed on one so the captain of the ship told him they would make a hard right turn which would flatten the sea out so he could land on the water and skip across to a stop. That the plane would probably lose its wings and tail section but he would have a good chance to survive the crash.

But he told them that would not be good as he had his wife in the plane as well as his 5 children stuffed into the cabin and tail section! The captain then made the decision to clear the deck and allow him to try and land. They stuck 50 men on the deck to help aid in grabbing the plane in case it started to go over the edge. They were not needed. The little plane landed without trouble and stopped within 200 feet.

Many of the men on board chipped in money to the tune of $5000 to give the family to help them get started with their new life in America. The family took up residence in Miami, Florida. The children all went on to be successful and start families of their own.

What was so great about this story was that I was getting a first-hand account, as Captain Ellis was aboard the Midway that day. And stays in contact with the family still.

There are several more good stories saved up in my memory, such as the Swaztika, the sawed off propellers, battle results painter, side to side landing and more. If you want to hear them you will have to visit the Museum with me or go on a tour with Capt. Ellis himself.

The evening ended with a filet mignon dinner (which I did get to eat) and a moving tribute to the President of the Florida Banker’s Association.

FBA President, Alex Sanchez being showered with gifts from fellow bankers to acknowledge his great service with the FBA and his life achievements.

The night was not always a bed of roses though. In fact it almost did not happen for me. Days earlier I had lost my wallet. So when I went to drive onto the base I was asked by the guard to show my driver’s license. I could not therefore I could not get on base. I drove straight home and had to get Sharon to drive me on base to the event. Not knowing how I would get back home from there other than having Sharon come back and get me, hoping Nora had not gone to sleep yet.

I planned on asking someone at the FBA for a ride home, perhaps someone was going by my house as it is on the way back to I-10 and could help me out. Luck was on my side. All of the bankers were staying at a hotel just a few blocks from home, and a trolley was coming to take them all back. I was able to hitch a ride on the trolley and all worked out.

I dedicate Lost Sole #463, in honor of Thomas Thiel (1969-2013), a classmate and friend of mine. I have seen this shoe for a few days but never got around to photographing it, but today I felt compelled to add it to my collection to memorialize Tom in my own way. Rest in peace big guy.

Not only did I go to grade school with him, but also graduated the same class in high school from the Catholic School, Moeller of Cincinnati. I probably have not seen Tom since our 10-year high school reunion. We were never really close friends, but still friends. More so in grade school, than high school.

We grew up playing baseball on the same teams for years. He was always the big kid in class, and very athletic so he excelled in everything he played. He was also very bright from I remember. Far from a typical big jock. What I do remember most was him laughing. He was always joking around and having fun. I vividly remember playing four square at recess where he dominated, and watching him lead our grade school basketball team. Which I think maybe his dad coached.

What is weird, is that many of my dreams I have as an adult, involve my grade school friends, and he was no exception. I recall waking up many times, wondering why the hell was Tom Thiel in my dreams. And in the dreams he was, sure enough, laughing and having fun. It was usually a reunion or party in the dream where many of our grade school friends were attending.

I guess those years were very formidable years and left indelible impressions on my psyche.

It made me sad to hear of his passing. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. I recall them being very involved in our church at St. Columban in Loveland, Ohio, and expect they will have a large support system to help them.

And from reading an article I found from the local news in Folly Beach, SC, he was well liked by many and his laughter and generosity will be missed for a long time there as well.

Damn. The world lost a good guy today. Goodbye Tom, and God bless. I’m sure I’ll still see you in my dreams laughing, at least I hope I do.

Below is the article written posted by Channel 5 WCSC and there is a great video about him as well… View Video ››

FOLLY BEACH, SC (WCSC) -

Folly community mourns loss of ‘good friend’ after apartment fire

The life of a friendly face on Folly Beach was cut short early Friday morning. 43-year-old Tom Thiel died of smoke inhalation while his apartment on Center Street went up in flames, according to the Charleston County Coroner.

Officials say the fire started shortly before 4 a.m. at Thiel’s second floor apartment. Folly Beach police say someone walking by noticed the fire and called police. Firefighters had the flames under control within 5 minutes.

Once the flames were out, Thiel’s body was found.

The small Folly community is now mourning the loss of the man who meant so much to so many by the beach.

“It’s just disbelief,” says a good friend of Thiel’s named Arnold. “I just don’t want to think of Tom being in that place when it was burning. It’s really hard just to look at this building.”

According to Arnold, Thiel let him stay in the apartment a handful of times when he was down on his luck. He says Thiel made him laugh and helped him when he needed it the most.

“You never know what you have until you lose something,” says Arnold, who decided to move back to Folly recently. “A lot of people are going to realize they lost a good friend today.”

Even those who didn’t know Tom feel the pain.

“It hurts everybody here,” said Charlie McCarty, who has lived on Folly Beach for 17 years. “Seeing the damage done on the rear of the apartment, that was scary.”

Now it up to investigators to find out how the fire started and it’s up to the small community help one another out, just like Tom did.

“He’s going to be a hard guy to get over,” said Arnold. “Other people you can talk about with a smile on your face but this is going to bring a tear to my eye every time I talk about him.”

Tom has friends all over Folly Beach. His friends say there really wasn’t a place that didn’t consider him a regular.

Hurley, the dog Tom shared with his cousin, was rescued from the apartment fire. Rescue crews say the dog tried running back toward the house multiple times after it was pulled from the building.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. As the story develops check Live5news.com for the latest information.

Copyright WCSC 2013. All rights reserved.

Nora tucked safely into her Ergo kid carrier

I havent had the time to write in this blog lately. Ive been too busy trying to support the family, and when I do have time to write, I have been using that time to polish my One Shoe Diaries Trilogy which is set to be published in the very near future.

What prompted me to write this morning is that yesterday, a photo I had taken while on vacation at Disney World, got featured by the official Disney Facebook page. It made me see how much, in just a short span of time, my little princess has grown.

She had just turned 3 in the pic and it has been almost 6 months now since then, yet it feels like we just got back from that trip yesterday. It was a special vacation for us. She will never have such innocent wonder and excitement again. Looking back, it was truly magical.

So that got me reminiscing. And one thing, which happened since she was very little, that I never thought would come to an end, is the way I put Nora down for her naps. I mean I thought about it while doing it, but at the time it seemed like it would not end so soon I guess. In the beginning it was just once in a while because Sharon nursed her down most of the time, but once she hit 2 it was pretty much the only way we could get her to fall asleep for naps.

Whenever it was time for Nora to go down for a nap, usually around 2:00pm I would strap on an Ergo, a type of kid carrier. Then proceed to load Nora up in it and go for a walk. Rain or shine, hot or cold, it had to be done.

I recall times when I held an umbrella over us as it poured, with no end in sight, during a tropical storm. We do live a block from a freeway where I could walk for about 3 blocks without getting rained on under the elevated section. That section of highway was a godsend. Because not only did it protect me from rain, but from the blazing sun as well in the sweltering summer heat. I know we live in Florida, but it still gets cold and windy in the winter. And When it did, I would put on a big jacket that enveloped her as well, and zipped it up. Her heat would keep us both warm. I called her my little heat rock.

When she was really small, 6 months or so, she went down very quickly and silently. And it went on that way for a while. I would just strap her in, walk around a few blocks, and out she went. Transferring her from the Ergo to the bed without waking her took some practice but it became an art form.

Once she reached about 2 years old she did not go to sleep so easily. She was often curious of the world, wanting to know what was going on around us. I started telling her stories to distract her and it worked quite well. To avoid my own boredom I would try to come up with original stories. Since Nora was so into princesses, I began telling her stories involving a young princess named Penelope, Princess Penny as she liked to be called.

At first I just took plots from movies and twisted them to involve Penny. One of Nora’s favorite to hear, and a favorite of mine to tell, was the Princess and the Bride rendition. If you have ever seen the movie you can see how easy it would be to just add different names and condense the plot. It is pretty child-friendly and the ending I just have the bad guy, whom I named Gargamel for some reason, just fall asleep from the poison in the drink. Eventually to wake up surprised that he lost Princess Penny from his grasp.

She liked hearing that story for a bit, then she wanted something different. And so did I. I began making up story lines involving Princess Penny. I tried to make them with a moral at the end. like bullying is bad. Listen to your parents. Share with others. Help people who need it. And so on. But in almost every story Princess Penny would get something magical from the Magic Shop in the Village from her friend Merlin the Magic Maker.

I borrowed names for characters. The bad guy was almost always Rumpelstiltskin. Penny also found a stray dog that became her sidekick, his name was Fido. Some of the magical items that Penny had were…

A magic bubble wand that could make bubbles to surround her and lift her up into the sky, taking her where ever she desired.

A magic cape that could make her invisible, that she learned to only use for good and not bad, like eavesdropping on other girls (except to help someone else out.)

A magic tiara that could change her clothes into any dress she could imagine. Great for when a surprise ball came up that she had to attend.

A magic ring, that transported her through time. Good for when she made someone sad or did something wrong that needed to be righted.

Magic shoes that made her run as fast as the wind. She even got a pair of magic booties to put on Fido so he could keep up.

Magic beads that help her sing like an angel.

A magic purse that could never get full and could hold things like ladders and furniture. Much like her suitcase that she could climb into and have a whole house in there to stay in when she traveled.

And who could forget the magic glitter pens. These was Nora’s own invention. The glitter pens could change the weather as the shot glitter and smoke into the air. Making it rain, snow, cloud up or get warm and sunny. And Nora and Penny’s favorite pen was the orange one because it could make beautiful sunsets. The next favorite was purple, as it produced dazzling rainbows.

There was also a magic umbrella, a magic bike, a magic doll, a magic hairbow, a magic jewelry box, a magic hat, a magic belt, a magic water bottle and numerous magic potions that made Penny small, tall and even different colors. Way too many to still reside in my head unfortunately.

At one point I have to admit, it got laborious thinking up something new every day. Because this was usually in the middle of my work day and often times I was under a deadline and barely had time for the nap ritual. Ii work from a home office, so I did always find time somehow though. Thank goodness, because now I cannot imagine if I had not.

Nora did give suggestions sometimes. I would just ask her, what is todays story. And she would say something like, “Princess Penny and the Magic Picture Frame,” and I would run with it.

The cold days were the hardest. But then the gorgeous warm spring days made up for the bad ones. At the time I didn’t think I would ever come to miss those walks, but now that they have ended, I really do miss them.

Nora no longer goes down for naps. And if she does, it is a real treat to carry her snuggled up against my chest as I tell her another Princess Penny adventure. I make them a little longer now so I can relish the moment because I never know when the last time I will tell a Princess Penny story to her while walking her sweet little soul to sleep.

I cannot believe how big she has gotten. They truly do grow up so fast. I know she is only 3 now, but before I know it she will be graduating college and no longer need her daddy’s stories. And that is a thought I cannot bear just yet. Fortunately I have a few years before I do.

I try to enjoy ever moment of this young age, but I am only human, and the days pass like the all too true cliché – like sand through an hourglass. I do like seeing her develop into a young lady though. She has developed such an interesting and humorous personality. She has quite the imagination. I wonder where she gets it from? :)

The family with Santa at Epcot. The last smiles of the day, before the cold trek back to the Ark.

Disney quest is pretty much a virtual type of amusement setup. There were multiple levels within the building and on the levels were videos games and interactive attractions like motion simulators and 3D shooting galleries. Most of which get me very naseaous so I abstained. We did have a good time, Nora got to run around and play so she got some energy out. The most memorable thing to me was the roller coaster simulator where you can design your own coaster and take a virtual ride on it. Of course I did not ride it, instead we decided that I could design it and Sharon would ride it. I probably could have made it a little more extreme, but not much. I intermixed large hills and pretzel like loops and twists. All the while Trish was helping me create it and was having fun as well until she realized the ride was set up for two people and she was going on it with Sharon!

The machinery was very sophisticated. They sat in a pod like vehicle and were tossed and turned, upside down and all around. I surely would have gotten sick. The best part was Nora and I could watch them inside being turned and churned from a camera who’s feed was displayed on a monitor outside. It was just black and white but I could swear I saw green on Trish’s face as she went upside down over and over.

We only stayed at Disney quest for a couple of hours and then opted to stroll the Disney Downtown shops. It was a warm day and were just took our time. Nora fell asleep in the stroller and we got to relax with a beer at an outside patio at an Irish pub. That would have been a perfect time to map out an attack plan for Epcot, but we didn’t do it.

There had been ads all over for the “snow” fall at Celebration. So after dinner we headed over there to check it out. If you have never been to the community of Celebration it is worth going once. As per wikipedia, Celebration is…

“Celebration is a census-designated place (CDP) and a master-planned community in Osceola County, Florida, United States, located near Walt Disney World Resort and originally developed by The Walt Disney Company. As part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area, Celebration’s population was 7,427 at the 2010 census…
…Response to Celebration has ranged from an early visitor who said it resembled the too-perfect town of The Stepford Wives, to those who see Celebration as a return to small-town values with walkable and safe communities.”

Celebration is a little too controlled for me and plus I could never afford it so it will never be an issue. I do like to visit as it has that perfect Norman Rockwell feel to it. SO you can imagine what Christmas is like there. It had a synthetic ice rink, complete with synthetic snow that fell on the hour every hour. The snow was nothing more than a foam bubble mix that came out of sprayers mounted on the light posts. It was a pretty cool novelty though for the kids. Nora still has no idea what real snow is like. One day I hope she will get to play in it for real. Although she may not like it as she hates being cold. Her first, and only experience with real snow was just touching it after we drove and hour out of our way and she wanted nothing to do with it as it was too icy she said.

We got home kinda late and just went to bed. No discussion of Epcot, so once again we would just wing it.

The morning started off well, we got an early jump on the day by getting to the park around 9:30. It was a breezy, chilly and cloudy morning, which did throw us off a bit because the weather channel had called for fairly warm sunny skies. Luckily we had the Ark in the parking lot full of warmer clothes and jackets. Score one for the home team.

We did plan out some strategy on the way there and knew we needed Soarin’ fast passes first thing. So once inside the park, off to The Land we went. No problems there, we got the fast passes, did a few attractions before it was time to ride it. And then rode Soarin’. It was pretty cool I must say. A little short, but was a unique experience with the feel of hang gliding over California’s beautiful diverse landscape. Smells of pine and orange groves were even pumped in at the right times to complete the illusion. Being a lover of California I really enjoyed the attraction.

We went from attraction to attraction, just enjoying the day. All going pretty smooth except for the cold. It seemed to get colder as the day went on.

When we first started out in the Motor Home in 2004 we met a couple early on from Canada. We clicked with them and have remained friends with them, occasionally running into them here and there. This time they were in Orkando as well and met us at Epcot to spend a little time hanging out. They showed up with their faces painted and smiling ear to ear. And we would not have expected anything less. They have always just enjoyed life and taken it in. They have a great zest for life. The best way I can describe them is that they are 12-year-olds spirits trapped in mid life bodies (still in great shape) possessing the wisdom to know that life is precious and should be fun.

Unfortunately our schedule at Epcot did not allow us too much catching up time and we parted ways after an hour or so. We were on a mission to get Nora’s photo with her favorite princess and for whom she was dressed like, Snow White. We located her greeting area in Germany and awaited for her to return. It really did not take long to get our chance to meet her. Nora was a little nervous and overwhelmed so she acted quite shy at first, not even getting close to her like she didnt know if she were allowed to be so close to Snow White. After a little coaxing by a sweet Snow White, Nora was right next to her chatting. We got the photo and signature for Nora’s book and left with a twirl, which of course Snow White responded with a twirl as well. Nora was almost in shock as if still processing what just transpired.

The sun was starting to go down and it was getting even chillier now. We needed to eat and eat somewhere inside. The only place that had availability was the sit down service at China. 3 days in Orlando, 3 times eating Chinese food! We couldn’t complain much as it was warm and helped get us ready to make it through the evening.

We didn’t do much else than eat and drink our way through some more countries so to speak. Hot chocolate and pastries at Norway. Pastries and wine at France. We had beer and pretzels at Germany. Early in the day we had beer with fish and chips at the U.K.

Our evening was to end with seeing the candlelight processional narrated by Neil Patrick Harris, along with carrols sung by a large chorus of kids to the music of a 52 piece symphony. The stage was incredible with large decorated Christmas trees, wreaths and thousands of lights. It was quite the spectacle. The seating was full so we stood along the back fence but could hear and see pretty well. It also afforded us the option to leave easily. Which turned out to be a good thing because the line for Santa was short behind us because everyone was in the event. Nora was so cold and everyone was worn out after the Santa pic. It was time to get to the Ark. But the Ark was very far away :(

Trish made the observation of of how far it looked to get back to even the Epcot globe, making refernce to how it looked like was golf ball sized from this distance. It did in fact look tiny and a long way off! We just put our heads down and pushed through the crowds, trying not to look up or stop. And before we knew it we were back to the Epcot globe, heading past it and on to the parking lot. It was so good to finally make it to the Ark.

Exhausted and hungry we stopped for fish and chips, cake flavored vodka and mixers (Trish’s vice), taking it all back to the condo to enjoy. After eating and having a drink, sleep came quickly and easily.

If I had to keep score on this day, I would say it was a tie. While we started off great and got Snow White’s photo with Nora (a major goal), we still ended the day cold and feeling beat up. So the tally in Disney vs. The Hamilton Party: 1-0-1. We still have 1 more park to rally and win, so we were not defeated yet! Stay tuned…

Photo of the WorldGuy, Erik Bendl and his dog, Nice

I stopped for lunch about a half hour down the road and my mind was still fixated on regretting the fact I did not have time to get the shot with him. Then I decided I had to find out more about him so I googled him on my phone. I thought for sure he was getting media attention somewhere or doing an online blog. And I was correct. He had both going on. His website, worldguy.org was functioning as his travel diary. I discovered his name was Erik Bendl and was from Louisville, KY. I learned he was walking across the Southeastern United States to raise awareness for diabetes. To make a statement that all we need to do is walk everyday for exercise to help combat the disease. No big sales pitch or complicated plan, just eat right and walk.

His cause hits home with me as I lost my father to complications from diabetes, and my wife Sharon’s grandparents passed early because of it, her mother has it and so does her sister. So I felt an urge to contact him.

On his website site he had his phone number, and I figured I would call, hoping it was a good chance the number was his cell phone. The call went through and after a few rings he answered.

I explained who I was and about my project, and proceeded to ask a favor of him. That when he saw the lost shoe coming up on the highway, would he get a picture of himself with it and send it to me?

He was very friendly, however he was taken back for a second at the odd request. With a tad bit of skepticism in his voice he agreed to do it.

Later that night I got an email from him with the image of his globe, and dog in the picture with the shoe. He was unable to get himself in the photo, as he had to be the photographer. I thanked him and added it to my archives. I also did a blog entry about him to help him gain more awareness for his cause.

Over the course of the next few months, every so often I would get an email (or three) containing images of lost soles he was coming across. He has gained his own gallery on my One Shoe Diaries website.

Erik has just embarked on a new walking journey. It started in Tennessee but got detoured due to bad weather. He proceeded to drive to Pensacola to start walking east towards Jacksonville where there was no ice and snow. He is not sure what his final destination is, and is playing it by ear. He may heads towards Miami perhaps.

Upon getting into my neck of the woods he messaged me through Facebook to say hello. I arranged to intercept him for breakfast somewhere on his route to finally meet each other in person, along with his dog Nice.

It was an interesting breakfast. I listened to him tell me stories from his adventures and I asked him several questions, and I want to share some of what he told me.

His dog, Nice, is his constant companion and never seems to tire. He gets very excited when they start out on adventures. Nice is a protective dog. Not mean at all, just protective. Such as he does not like people messing with his “ball”, a.k.a. the globe. He will just nudge if you touch it, but gets angry if you start messing with it too much. So if you see them on the road, respect that the globe is his. Especially if Erik is not around, because he has to tie Nice up with the globe when he goes in places. And Nice will guard it.

He joked with us about his travels through Louisiana, and how amazing it was that he actually gained weight while walking all those miles from all the nice people who cooked him real southern comfort food, and handed him tea so sweet it swished like syrup in the bottle. Everyone was trying to feed him. When looking back at a photo taken of himself when he finished walking through Louisiana, he referred to himself as looking like Uncle Fester from all the weight gain. He has thankfully taken that weight back off.

Through his many encounters with people he has acquired many gifts from them. A reflective neon work vest from a DOT construction crew in Oregon, his backpack was given to him by an soldier who used it while serving in the military in Iraq, and many others I didn’t get the chance to ask him about were hanging from his pack straps.

He did tell us a story of a woman who was very kind to him and invited him into her tiny living space for a soda. Once inside he noticed the whole dwelling was in disarray except for the VCR area, where a pristine copy of the movie Misery was perched perfectly. It made him a little nervous especially when he noticed the door had been locked, dead bolted, and chained. When she went back to refill his drink, he made his exit, saying goodbye and thanks as he move out the door. Looking back, he recalls that “she even looked the part played by Kathy Bates, right down to her hair color and clothes.”

One of the only states whose Highway Patrol harassed him was in California. They did not allow him to continue through their state rolling the globe on their highways. Other than that he has been well received by both police departments and fire departments.

So many wonderful people he has met along the way have shared thousands of their own histories with Diabetes and how it affected their lives. A lot of them are not so happy, but on occasion, such as today, he hears uplifting ones.

Upon starting out from a Walmart parking lot in the morning he met a couple walking and they stopped to ask him of course what his mission was. When he said Diabetes the couple actually smiled. They had recently been diagnosed with the disease and started walking and eating right and have lost weight and feel better than they have in a long time. They were proud of what they were doing and planned on spreading the word to help others.

When I set out to meet him, I took my wife and child as well. I did not intend on getting any photos so I did not pack my big camera. But as luck would have it there was a lost sole just down from where I caught up to him. He had already passed it up, and so as not to make him backtrack his steps I broke one of my cardinal rules. I picked up the shoe. I took it to with me and threw it on the road outside Hardees where we had breakfast in order to get a shot of him with it. It does still reside outside the Hardees as that is now part of the shoe’s own story.

I was now regretting not having my Canon with me. I used my cell phone camera and the image is all right, it is what it is. Plus, since the One Shoe Diaries and his project are not about perfection but rather the moment, the photo is actually perfect I guess.

We said goodbye and parted ways, he was unsure where he was even heading, nor when he was going to stop for the day.

Perhaps I will catch up with him again someday and can do a really professional portrait of him. In addition, I hope he keeps sending me pics of lost soles. I really enjoy seeing someone participate in my project with me.

I wish him the best of luck and safe travels. The highways can be dangerous places.

For more information on him and his project go to www.worldguy.org

Fuzzy's lost sole was found on the day of his memorial service driving up to Orlando, the same path he was to drive the day he passed. I hereby dedicate Lost Sole #458 to the memory of Timothy Fuzzy Allen Deah. The picture above was of Fuzzy and his doll, Trixie, and the image says a thousand words

He was jovial type person, who was always laughing smiling and cracking a joke of some sort. Usually off-color, but he was a good guy. He became one of Rachel and Donny’s best friends.

Our last visit to Port Charlotte Rachel told us a story from the cruise they had recently taken with Fuzzy. She told us of the great time they had a little bar called Senor Frogs. She described the night as the most fun she ever had at a bar, and coming from her, that means it must have been REALLY fun! And that night ended with Fuzzy helping carry her stuff back to the ship. They really came to love Fuzzy.

This trip Sharon’s parents were also down to visit and we were all out at Dean’s South of the Border where Rachie works. Fuzzy came over to our table to hang out with us for a bit and crack a few jokes. He was in a really good mood because the next day he was headed up to his daughter’s place outside Orlando to visit with her for the holidays as Thanksgiving had just passed.

The next day Rachie got a call from a colleague telling her that Fuzzy had passed during the night. It was a very sad phone call and brought heavy hearts to us all. We were probably the last people to hang with him, as he was on his way out the door to go home when he stopped at our table to chat.

Here is his obituary from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette

67, born December 12, 1944 left this world November 27, 2012. Tim was the devoted son of the late John and Coletta Deah; loving brother of Daniel (Frances), James (Theresa), John (Pamela); and a very special cousin to Dee Quinn Guckert, all of Pittsburgh; he leaves behind many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews; Tim will be dearly missed by his children, Patricia Ann Deah-Santiago (Carlos) of Orlando and Jeffery Allen Deah of Punta Gorda. The love of Jeff’s Life, Lisa Ponsonby, shares in the family’s loss. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and received the Purple Heart for his service to his country. Tim worked as a pattern maker making wooden patterns for the Pittsburgh steel mills. He became totally disabled in 1978 and made Florida his permanent home in 1980. His volunteer efforts include St. Charles Borromeo Bingo, Punta Gorda Little League, Charlotte Warriors, Charlotte High Boosters, Charlotte High School Athletics and he most recently served as Vice President of the Charlotte Fair Association.

His memorial service was a packed house, literally. He had made so many friends across the U.S. He touched a lot of lives and will be deeply missed. His zest for life though will always be remembered by all those whom he crossed paths with.

Farewell Fuzzy, R.I.P.

Nora hanging out on the Pensacola Beach “Wall of Shame” on New Years Eve day.

Another year has passed. Hard to believe. But I feel the same way each New Years day. And it seems every year goes by faster and faster. Yet, each New Years Day, I approach it with optimism and create resolutions for myself, much like everyone else does. And like everyone else I like the idea of a fresh start to tackle the things I know I have been needing to do.

1. Have more money.
2. Be a better person.
3. Take more time to cherish what I have.

These 3 resolutions though are intricately tied together and not sure I can accomplish any if I do not accomplish all of them. Well since Nora has come into my life I feel the desire to really make good on resolution number 3. But to do that I need to have resolution #1 come true. Because without that, I do not have time for #3. And if I get time to come through on #3, #2 will just happen because #3 makes me a happier person, which always makes for a better Randy.

Saving money and eliminating financial waste is probably the thing I have most control over when it comes to money. I cannot squeeze any more hours into the day and charging more money goes a little against my business model. I am sure Sharon and I can find ways to stretch dollars.

This way I spend less time working, more quality time with my family living life, and I feel better and become a better person. Which should, by the rule of Kharma help me live better.

I totally believe in Kharma. Not the way that there is someone up there keeping score and rewards us accordingly. But in the more subtle way of good things happen for good people. Much in the way that if someone is going to do something nice for another person, do they choose the jerk of a person, or the person who they think is a good soul?

Take for instance. I was recently out to lunch on New Year’s Eve day, and our server at the restaurant went out of her way to be nice to us. She was extra sweet to Nora despite the fact that we were her last table of her shift and was rushing to get out there. After we finished we were pulling out of the parking lot the same time as her. She went around us to turn out onto the road and but instead turned right into us, her head was somewhere else and not paying close attention.

I honked as her front end was bearing down on my fender. She finally looked up in shock and hit the brakes. But not before hitting our van. The look on her face was of dismay. I got out and saw the dent was tiny. Our van, not the Ark, is already a little older and the body has a few small dings and the paint is faded in many areas. It really was not really a big deal that we had this new ding therefore I told her not to worry as she looked to be on the verge of tears when she realized she had hit my vehicle.

She looked puzzled at first, then I reassured her I was serious about not caring about the ding. Happy New Year I said as I got back in the van and we drove home.

Now a few things went through my head. Did I deserve that dent for something bad I did. I like to think not. I still believe some things are random. Had she been mean to us at all at the restaurant, would I have felt so inclined to just let her off the hook? Probably not. Therefore by being a nice person, she had something in turn nice happen to her. Kharma worked. Not in a mysterious way, but in a very obvious way. Because no one wants to do nice things to a person who is ugly inside. If you have had people ever do good things for you, I bet it stems from your attitude towards them originally. The old saying of what goes around comes around is profound to me.

Now back to beginning the New Year, and ending the old. Thankfully that was at the end of 2012 which overall was a good year in retrospect for us. We bought our first home, our health remained good, my photography business started taking off, we did not lose anyone dear to us, and we are better off than we were in 2011.

2013 started off with a warm sunny morning in which I got to go kayak fishing with a friend and his son. Followed by time at the playground with Nora while Sharon had the dogs over in the dog park section. After that we went out to the beach so I could play a few games of volleyball where it was warm enough that I was able to take my shirt off to play. I won both of my games and played pretty well even though it had been over a month since I last played. We saved money by eating at home. Sharon cooked an awesome pot of vegetable crab soup which was exquisite! Our friend Eric came over to share in the goodness of it. Eventually I gave Nora a bath and we all went to bed and slept well.

Seems 2013 got off to a good start. No failed resolutions…yet :)

Nora’s List: Clip-on princess dresses, Orbeez, and a make-up box. Luckily Santa was able to get all of these. There is nothing like seeing the happiness and joy on your child’s face on Christmas morning. Happy Holidays everyone!

When I was young I could never figure out why they always said the holidays were the most stressful time of year. Why would there be so many suicides? I can now see what happens, maybe not the suicide part, but the stress and depression.

Financially, it can be a real struggle, especially in my line of work of being a freelance graphic designer and photographer. People usually do not want to pay over the holidays, I can’t blame them, I don’t want to pay bills instead of getting my family presents either. Or they just are not doing projects during this time because they have no time for anything else but holiday preperations. But I wont get too much into that as suffice it to say, everyone is feeling the pinch this time of year I am sure. However I know the strain it can put on parents and spouses.

Another stress factor is that as you get older you most likely move away from your parents which then if you do not make it home for Christmas it leaves you a little blue from not being with them. And if you do go home, the sheer cost and logistics can drive you to insane acts. Not to mention if you have children, and how much fun that can be having them trapped in a vehicle for hours.

And once there, family “issues” almost always creep up and at some point you want to just pack up and get home, F***-IT!! However it is that Christmas morning and dinner that makes it all seem worth it.

Last year we did the trek to Cincinnati and then to Baltimore. It about did us in, mentally and financially. So this year we opted to stay home. While mentally and financially, I guess we survived. But emotionally we miss our families.

I start to wander back to all my Christmas’ growing up in Loveland, Ohio. They were pretty special. I just wish I could remember more of them. Some of the memories that are indelibly etched in my brain are ones I will always have.

I remember the glow of the Christmas tree from the living room as the multi colored lights glowed down through the hallway, lighting up the walls and the tiny lights reflecting off the framed family pictures. I loved the tree so much, I even slept under it several times in my sleeping bag.

My parents did not have a lot but managed to always provide me with a great Christmas somehow. One year that stands out is the year we had a blizzard and deep freeze over Christmas. Everything I got, a Nerf football, baseball glove, and bike were all outdoor items. Due to the weather I couldnot play with a single Christmas toy inside (or that is what I remember). So that day after Christmas my mom went out and got me a remote control Jeep for my GI Joes. I loved that thing. But what was the first thing I did with it? I Took it outside and played for hours with it on the frozen street!

The earliest memory I have of Christmas was around 4 years old I believe. I recall it was still dark outside when my brother led me down the hall to the tree. And I got a Sheriff Garrett and his horse for Christmas. I was so excited. I still can feel the happiness as I ate my cereal at the dining room table looking back at the glowing tree illuminating all of my new toys.

Through the years my brother always played with me and helped me put together or set up my gifts. He was 12 years older than I. And when he was old enough to buy me gifts, he always bought me the coolest stuff. Probably because he was still a kid at heart and bought me what he would have wanted had he been my age. I always looked forward to seeing what he got me! The best one was a slot-car racing track, I still have it today and still love to race the cars on it.

Christmas would not have been the same either without my buddy Skippy. He lived behind us and as soon as we would each open presents we would yell out our back sliding glass doors for each other to come over. It was almost like having another Christmas as we always got to play with what the other got.

Boy life easy back then, not a care in the world when I look back. I’m sure at the time we were stressed about silly things like were we going to get the right GI Joe or color bike. I am very grateful to my family who gave me awesome Christmas memories. I do hate that they are fuzzy, I think I need to look through some photo albums of my mother’s to help flood them back into my memory. I think we will be going home for Christmas next year and that sounds like something to look forward to.

For now, I have to get back to helping Nora make good Christmas memories like the ones I have…
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!