The Age of the Double 3

Sandscript

2009-04-09T07:07:00.000-04:00

Good intentions sometimes falter in several different ways. Like Joan of Arc hearing the voice of God and tries to do something good for the people and ends up burned at the stake. Alright, not a very good analogy since that’s a bit bigger than me. My thoughts were why I actually started this blog in the first place. So let’s go back in time. Alright my two time travelers or wait three…I remember someone telling me they read my blog which means I should have three weary eyed readers. Correct me if there’s more.

I started this blog for several reasons, one was because I was traveling a lot and I was sick of looking like that weird guy eating alone. So thinking if I had a computer in front would make me look artistic and mysterious. The second was to have something for my family and friends to read, to be all humorous and enlightening while doing social commentary like Alex from A Clockwork Orange would. And third was to be more consistent with writing. When the traveling stopped I stopped writing. Not with my blog but with everything. Six months later I met Ashley and my focus was on her, although she has been encouraging me to write since I first complained about not writing probably on our second date. So I go on making excuses and then behold I’m 33 years old. Four months goes by and I’m like hmm…maybe I should sweep the cyber dust off my blog and try again. As I get away from the subject matter, the point is this is healthy for me and the response I receive from all of my three readers is like warm fuzzies. (Did you know Fuzzies is not a word? huh.)

A couple weeks ago I read a screenplay from a student of mine and when I was giving him the notes his passion and love for what he was trying to accomplish was inspiring. It reminded me of who I tried to set out to be. Then my girlfriend sent me something to read yesterday and I was floored. Every other day my co-workers and I talk of writing a short script and shooting the movie, so my inspired readers the planets have aligned and I have written a blog twice in one week. I can write a simple story, can’t I? I mean, that is the whole reason why I moved back to Florida. In fact Jonas told me not to do what I have been doing all along by not being productive right before I drove away from Los Angeles. Here I am. I’m going to gather my imagination, sum up the “word Gods” and avoid the wall called writer’s block.

I have friends who make homemade wine and build drums. I have friends who video office antics and create webisodes for our amusement. I have friends who create music from hard rock to classical. I have friends who create characters on stage and screen. I have friends who train wild animals. I have friends who raise small children. I work with aspiring filmmakers who share the same dreams I have.

It’s time to believe that I am your friend who writes stories.
(and social commentary on blogspot.)

Sunday Morning Coming Down

2009-04-05T11:12:00.003-04:00

Sunday Morning Coming Down plays on the radio. It’s the only time Orlando radio is worth listening too. Of course in all the cities that I lived in the #1 complaint were local radio was ridiculous. Which is why the 8 track was invented, I suppose. So while listening to the radio show and Ashley sitting on the porch reading the last chapter of Breaking Dawn, I cleaned the computer room where I decided to drop a line on this once informative blog.

I feel I have failed you my two readers. I left you with an empty promise that I would give a plethora of information about life, but seriously who wants to read that? All I can say is that in the last year life has been good to me. I met a wonderful woman who I now share an apartment with over looking a pond and pool. Ashley and I have been together for 10 months now and I have seen her everyday since the day we met. Aside from living in sin we have created peaceful and wonderful life. I have an adopted dog named Casey who is a princess. So here I am, a wonderful woman, a happy dog and listening to a classic radio show.

Florida is starting to get hot. That was my random thought for the day.

In a month we’ll be driving up to Atlanta to watch back to back baseball and then in June we’ll be up in the mountains camping in North Carolina. In July we’ll be lounging on the beach for a week. Before I know it, the summer will be over and the holidays will begin. But before I get ahead of myself, I’m just going to enjoy today and perhaps get an ice cream.

Today there is a beauty, find it and keep it in your memories.

http://www.wtks.com/pages/smcd.html

The Age of the Double 3

2009-01-09T10:09:00.001-05:00

Time is nothing but blurred memories that is the imprint that builds who I am. Now see my fantastic readers those words are either sheer brilliance on my part or me just trying to be smarter than I really am. Regardless, it came out of me and I’m going to stand by it.

If it was a year ago and I posted a blog the next day it would be January 9th 2008. Well I waited a year to post the next blog. For the readers that have been with me from the start you were reading that I was in need of a change. That I was awaiting the future that would define me, a spark, buying time until that moment, well, I will let you be the judge. I have also changed the title to this blog since as you may all know or will find out shortly that I do not travel as much nor does my job make me get on airplanes to far off reaches of the United States which kept my original blogs interesting and now I’m worried my daily life may not be so much but with my wisdom and charm will try. So now I’m another year older and times have definetly changed except that fact that I still can’t spell definitely so actually some things will always be the same my dear readers. But isn’t that the true base in all of us? Our bodies may change, our ideas, our passions, all of those things may change. But our central core, our being, the little things like my poor spelling and grammar, those things will never change. You get to a point in your life be it in your twenties, thirties, forties, or even in your seventies were you wake up one morning and say to yourself I am happy for who I am and I’m blessed for what I have. You may want to change things or you may be insecure about certain aspects of yourself or life but you wake up one day and say I am happy with being me. I don’t think I was entirely happy with who I was in the past or some decisions I made or even didn’t make that I should have made but that’s been my journey and my discovery. At 4:05pm today I will have lived a full 33 years and 1 day and I can say I like who I am and I am truly blessed.

Now my impatient readers I know you may be thinking where is the drama in this blog if you’re happy with yourself? How is this blog going to be interesting? What the heck happened to you this last year? You will soon find out (because I’m only allotted a small amount of time at work to write these blogs). Trust.

It’s the Age of the Double 3.

For all my past readers thank you for coming back. As for my new readers welcome and for my carpal tunnel it’s good to feel your pain again.

Birthday!

2008-01-08T17:18:00.000-05:00

I have enjoyed it.

BUYING Time

2007-12-06T19:50:00.001-05:00

BUYING Time

Before I left Los Angeles the forever-wise collective circle of Darrin Slowstock, Monkey Boy and Jonas Sansone sat me down and said, “Pete, when you move to Florida make something happen. We know you, don’t revert back move forward. Do something good.”

I know some of you think I am hard on myself, but you know what? I am. I am simply because I know the potential of what more I can do. Unless you have lived with me then you know that I spend more time dwelling on my life than I do actually making my life better. When I fall into something that’s not what I should be doing I Buy Time. Now after the last year I know I have been buying time and now that I’m “broke” its time to invest once again.

Now my much loved and invested readers, you believe my writings are quite good which makes me blush like warm fuzzies invading my body. Although, I know I am not a great screenwriter or writer per say. I know you’re thinking that I am being hard on myself by saying that but please take my word for it. I read scripts, I know this industry inside and out, and I pushed my scripts onto people in the industry and know what a “talented” writer is and what the industry is looking for. That’s not to say I’m going to stop, because I also know that creating stories and making them is one way to get into the business.

The point is I really need to stop buying time and start investing time. I have to be much harder on myself to a point where I am actually getting work done. I have to push to make my stuff happen as well as perhaps searching out for new hungry people to help make my stuff happen. I have to push away my drama, other people’s drama and stop focusing on the things that keep me going around in that same circle. I guess and I have to admit this, I need to be more self indulgent, judgmental and pretentious. Does that mean I need more confidence? Yes. I am very good at what I do I just need to have all the resources to make things happen.

My networking has its moments of brilliance, but my confidence gets the best of me. My emptiness has always betrayed me. I have spent my entire life thinking nothing of motion pictures and I have to do this.

I spent the weekend in Jacksonville trying to escape the mess in Orlando. Seriously, my life in Orlando right now is in shambles. I went to see a friend where I thought she and I would have some alone time, but to my bittersweet dismay, her boyfriend was there. Don’t get me wrong the guy is awesome. It was nice to talk intelligently with someone who knows movies. Yet, once again I felt like a third wheel. Every one of my friends are all involved with someone. It’s like I have to hire an escort just to hang out with them. I’m really happy for them but sometimes it just reminds me that I don’t have that partner, that loving embrace in my life. I really need to push that feeling out and except that I don’t have it and move on.

So now what? Well I have to stop going where the day takes me and start living like tomorrow is my last. Right now, I don’t’ know what’s going to happen. I’m just in a Applebee’s in Jacksonville, Florida having mini burgers and waiting to get tired enough to fall sleep and start my day of inspiring young minds.

And that my friendly readers is that.

Movie Review:

“No Country for Old Men”
Welcome to the first official entry for Best Picture. If you won’t take my word for it, the National Board of Review named it Best Picture today. I have to say this is an instant classic. The Cohen Brothers who made movies like Raising Arizona and Fargo have made a movie as superior as Fargo was. This movie is dry, violent and dark. Actually it’s the darkest Cohen Brother’s movie I have seen of their 12 films. Don’t think you’ll be walking out of the theater feeling gitty. At least at the end of Fargo you could breath. In this movie you end up holding your breath the entire film and you won’t be able to breathe until you are safely home.

Now some people from reading blogs on this movie hate the ending. Now I’m not going to give anything away other than that these people are idiots. Now I respect people’s opinions especially with movies, but it infuriates me when you watch some of the best story telling played out in a movie theater all year and these uneducated people are dumbfounded. What they don’t know is that the book written by Cormac McCarthy ends the exact same way. Pick up a book people!!!! I’m sorry; I’m tired of ignorant uneducated people who write stupid blogs like they know what they are talking about. Kinda like this…but I know what I’m talking about …haha.

Look for the always-great Javier Bardem as Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay from the Cohen Brothers. Javier Bardem gives creepiest villain I have seen since Hannibal Lector in Silence of the Lambs. The biggest surprise was Josh Brolin. I have to say he is awesome in this film and you know he hasn’t been getting to much press for it so I really hope he doesn’t get overlooked during awards time. Go see it, but don’t knock the ending.

National Board of Review Awards
0. Best Film:
0. No Country for Old Men
0. Best Foreign Language film:
0. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (film), France
0. Best Actor:
0. George Clooney - Michael Clayton
0. Best Actress:
00. Julie Christie - Away from Her
0. Best Supporting Actor:
00. Casey Affleck - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
0. Best Supporting Actress:
. Amy Ryan - Gone Baby Gone
0. Best Acting by an Ensemble:
0. No Country for Old Men
0. Breakthrough Male Performances:
0. Emile Hirsch - Into the Wild
0. Breakthrough Female Performances:
0. Ellen Page - Juno
0. Best Director:
0. Tim Burton - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
0. Best Directorial Debut:
0. Ben Affleck - Gone Baby Gone
0. Best Animated Feature:
0. Ratatouille
0. Best Documentary Feature:
0. Body of War
0. Best Screenplay - Adapted:
0. No Country for Old Men - Ethan Coen and Joel Coen
0. Best Screenplay - Original (tie):
0. Juno - Diablo Cody
0. Lars and the Real Girl - Nancy Oliver
0. Freedom of Expression Award (tie):
0. The Great Debaters
0. Persepolis
0. Career Achievement Award:
0. Michael Douglas
0. William K. Everson Award for Film History:
0. Robert Osborne
0. Career Award for Cinematography
0. Roger Deakins

***** and yes, my favorite movie of the year “ONCE” made it into the top of their lists this year. There is justice.

Top Movies of the Year according to the National Board of Review
BEST PICTURE
No Country for Old Men,* Atonement, Michael Clayton, Juno, American Gangster, Sweeney Todd, Into the Wild, The Kite Runner, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, 3:10 to Yuma, There Will Be Blood, Zodiac, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Gone Baby Gone, Once

An Overview and the Need of a Spark

2007-11-29T11:36:00.000-05:00

I have so much to say I don’t even know where to start. My last blog about Halloween has long gone and another holiday has past. I left you hanging right before I left for Chicago. I spent the weekend in Chicago visiting with old friends and watching my friend Derek’s music composition performed by the Chicago Symphony. I really can’t explain how amazing that was. I get so much joy out of watching my friends do well. I’m like a giddy school kid or a proud father. That will be a weekend I’ll always remember.

A few days later I went to Baltimore/D.C. for work, which I should have written about that week. Now, those feelings have now passed. I had hit a boiling point where I just wanted to quit my job and give up. I landed in D.C. drove to Baltimore and entered the city at the start of a Baltimore Ravens Football game, which turned, into chaos trying to find my hotel. The first few days I was sick, as I had to do college fairs, presentations and drive hours each day to different locations. Yet the trip ended on a good note. I met up with my old friend Elise where we had dinner and showed her a movie I made that she was in several years earlier. We had lunch the next day and I was able to see a protest in our nations capital. It turned out to be the JUNO 6 protest. One afternoon in a two-hour block of time I took the train down to the capital and walked around seeing all the monuments and buildings our nation’s capital has. I can now finally say I’m a true American. This was my first time in D.C.

When I arrived home I found out I have a bug infestation in my apartment, but we’re not going to talk about that since even thinking about it infuriates me so let’s move on…

Thanksgiving was nice. I spent it at a friend’s house. The food was awesome as most Thanksgiving dinners are. The company was wonderful and yet I did feel quite lonely at the end of the day when I was sitting at home. Although, one good thing has happened. When I arrived home from D.C. I turned on the TV and saw cable. So now I have cable in my apartment mysteriously. That was exciting. Of course I’m finding myself addicted to the History Channel.

In my spare time I have working on my writing my play. It’s moving very slow and it’s sometimes frustrating. I should be moving forward faster on this but I have to take my time and not let it get to me. Although I am enjoying this experience. I’ve also started reconnecting with some friends again. Since most of my travels are in state for the next month its nice to see my pals again. I hope to shoot some short goofy films real soon.

Yesterday I found out I’m going back to L.A. for a week in January for work right after my birthday. I’m excited to see everyone again. I hope I have some time to spend quality time with all my La La Land friends.

So that’s been my month. I honestly have been on this emotional rollercoaster. Everything seems to be so bland. Maybe it’s that I’m finally home and I’m so used to be on the road that now that I’m home I don’t know what to do. Yet, I see things brightening in the future and I really need to figure out what I’m suppose to do when my lease is up in March. The bottom line is I need a spark. Something to lift me from this mundane, I am optimistic. I’ll try to blog in more often but my main focus in writing this play and figuring out my next steps. So I’ll keep you all posted.

THE KNOCK ON MY DOOR

2007-11-02T20:32:00.000-04:00

Water was boiling in a small pot on my stove. I rip open the Mac and cheese box and was about to pour in the plastic like pasta. KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK, echoes through my apartment. It is Halloween night and never in my existence at any apartment that I lived in has there ever been a knock on my door on Halloween. Never in my years living in Tampa or Los Angeles has any child come to my door looking for a treat, so why now?

I quickly freeze holding the box of Mac over the boiling pot. Ill prepared, I had not purchased any candy on the slight chance that I would be away from my apartment this night. Like and air force stealth bomber I inch up to my door and look through the peephole. Sure enough, tiny children all dressed in the Halloween costumes of monsters and princesses await my dungeon door to open preparing to dive into my bowl of treats and scramble off to the next giver of sweets. Like the Terminator robot I scan my apartment actually thinking that I may have something for them. My brain goes into overdrive thinking what I may give them. I remembered some people handed out pennies and I’m sure there’s been an influx because of the living wage has increased dramatically since my childhood ghoulish days, I perhaps could give them quarters. A quarter is almost the equivalent of any of those candied treats, right? Then I thought, no! I hated when I received that penny instead of a peanut butter cup or snickers. A penny? Man, come on?! If only my Mac and cheese was done I quickly thought then laughed off just as fast.

Time was running out. What are the kids thinking? Are the going to pull one of those mythical tricks on me? You know that urban legend where kids in their costumes gang up on their closed-door neighbors and pull that disgusting trick like egg my door or car, T.P. my apartment or set a bag of poor on fire in front of my door waiting for me to step on the stinky blaze and find my foot covered in feces. Or would they just drop their heads in disappointment, perhaps a single tear drop will fall from their eye after spending all month deciding on their costume and all day of anticipation for this one moment to show off their frightful look and receive candy, glorious candy!

I look back through the peephole and there was nothing. The children moved on. They didn’t have time for my indecision my searching they just moved on to the next-door waiting to say those three magic words that will grant them their chocolate and tart dreams.

Now after writing that memoir I have to admit that is a great metaphor to my life. My constant indecisions have held me back. My lack of planning, my whistles life that I lead where I don’t even stop to get one simple bag of candy. I look at it as the children were my goals knocking at my door and there I am not prepared to open my door to them. You know how they say you have to look at doors and sometimes they are locked and some open up to you. Maybe it’s the other way around. Maybe it’s the goals that knock on your door and you just have to be ready to open your own door. I’ll tell you this though; I will never not have a bag of candy waiting for the children on Halloween ever again. And that my dear readers is the first step.

Florida Travels:

I have been traveling to the east coast of Florida all week doing presentations. I wake up at 5am and drive an hour do six presentations and drive home. Some have been good some bad but I do have to admit it is quite the same if I was on the road. Granted I was able to see my friends and catch up. It’s sometimes hard though. When you’re on the road month’s fly by. When you come home life has kept on going and you realize you’ve missed so much. I have friends that have announced they are expecting babies. I have missed road trips and events. I tell them about my travels and it’s like an inside joke where you had to be there. Yet no matter what it’s nice to see familiar faces wherever I go and know you have someone to talk to that knows you face to face. Only a hand full of precious moments that happened on my trips. By the way, I have made nothing but home cooked meals since I’ve been back. My friend Emo and I enjoyed a pot roast that I had cooked all day in my crock-pot. Nothing beats a good home cooked meal after weeks of micky D’s and Applebee’s. Even though my apartment may be just as big as most of the hotels I stay in it is nice to be in my own bed.

Now tomorrow I’ll be heading to the city I hold dear to my heart for one of the most exciting moments of my dear friend’s life…

CHAPTER 2: LOOKING AHEAD

2007-10-29T12:13:00.000-04:00

Chapter 2: Looking Ahead

Most of you know I do not plan to live in Orlando after March when my lease is up. Yet I still have only one option at the moment and that is Charlotte, NC. It seems to be the most reasonable place to go only because I have family near by and it’s cheap to live. Although there are many places I would love to live I cannot justify the means at the moment. Yet, whatever door opens with the best opportunity I will most willingly pass through. So you my much loved readers are at the beginning of a bigger journey; my life’s options.

It’s the little things in life that matter most to me. I like the simple things. I love waking up to a fresh cup of coffee and sitting outside enjoying my cup of good morning America. I like light cool breezes and a day where everything is simple. Perhaps I need a routine in my life. I know it sounds a bit boring but having a routine is less stressful and will make more appreciative of a random road trip or vacation. As an aspiring writer I think I need that. I believe not having a normal routine has made it hard for me to focus and write constantly. Writing a blog is easy because it’s completely random. Yet writing a movie or a play is very different. Several of you have asked me to make this into a book. Yet I’m still looking for the drama unless of course my daily life is dramatic enough to keep you wonderful readers reading.

I also acknowledge the other little things that drive me nuts. Like, coming home to a broken air conditioner. Or finally coming to turns that my driving is in complete total sync as truck drivers. Weird huh? I’ve noticed that whenever I enter a highway a semi truck is barreling down in the right lane every time I’m merging on. Or that no matter what I’m going to be driving behind a semi and not be able to move over to pass it. Or exiting off a ramp and being behind the semi. Coincidence I think not. I will finally be able to move over to the left lane and at the exact same time the truck driver will move over too. You may all think this silly but I’m on the road everyday and everyday it’s the same. Except today, rain was added to the equation.

I’m sitting in a Panera Bread in between presentations here in Melbourne, FL. South of Cocoa Beach on the east coast of Florida, it’s a little over an hour drive from Orlando. So this week is wake up early, drive an hour present and then drive an hour home. Today is quite nice yet annoying simply because I drove an hour and only have to do 3 presentations which isn’t bad but was it worth a drive since I was here last month and half the students have already seen this presentation already? Yeah, this school is pretty much covered.

I’ve learned recently that I’m booked through Christmas so I can’t slow down now. Although, it doesn’t help me plan my life after March. I’ve talked to my boss the other day and she assured me that what she has planned in the spring (trips) I wouldn’t want to leave. Well, like I said, I’ll consider my options.

The Dream:

If you remember one of the dreams I listed in a blog recently about the time where I was driving on the bridge and ran off it and drowned? I looked up the meanings and this is what it said. Here’s the original dream just to refresh your memory.

I dreamt that I was in car driving over a bridge. Freezing rain pouring down. My windshield starting to freeze over and I couldn’t see where I was driving. I knew something tragic was going to happen yet I continued driving. Next thing I know I slam into the side of the bridge, my car falling off the side and slamming into the water. The car begins to fill with water and I think to myself, I’m waking up now.

Driving: To dream that you are driving a vehicle signifies your life's journey and your path in life. The dream is telling of how you are moving and navigating through life. If you are driving and cannot see the road ahead of you, then it indicates that you do not know where you are headed in life and what you really want to do with yourself. You are lacking direction and goals.

Wind: To dream of blowing winds, symbolizes your life force, energy, and vigor. It reflects changes in your life.
To dream of strong or gusty winds, represents turmoil and trouble for you. You are experiencing much stress in some waking situation.

Blizzard: To dream about a blizzard, suggests that you are feeling emotionally cold and frigid. You are feeling excluded and left out. It may indicate a lack of love and the absence of warmth within your own family circle.

Bridge: To dream that you are crossing a bridge signifies an important decision or a critical junction in your life. This decision will prove to be a positive change with prosperity and wealth in the horizon. Bridges represent a transitional period in your life where you will be moving on to a new stage.

Drowning: If you drown to death, then is refers to an emotional rebirth. If your survive the drowning, then a waking relationship or situation will ultimately survive the turmoil.

I believe that pretty much gives you an idea on where this is all headed in Chapter 2. Will Pete stay in Florida? Will he end up somewhere we least expected? Does he actually write something? I’m wondering the same thing.

TO MY READERS:
So my devoted readers you thought that was the end. No, that was just chapter 1. Yet I hope to make this a bit different. Not as much of a travel log although I still have a lot of traveling ahead of me. This also will be more sporadic than the last chapter, which means that I may write once a week or once every two weeks or several times a day. We’ll have to see or when the mood strikes me.

It All Comes to an End

2007-10-28T09:13:00.000-04:00

Every Christmas when I was in show choir in high school, are group would go from house to house to the parents of each singer. We would sing Christmas chorals then jump into the car and go to the next house. Through the night there would be three houses where the parents would feed us. One house would be appetizers the second house dinner and the last house would have desserts and then our chorus group would exchange gifts to our dancing partners. It was a good time every year. Yeah, this week in Long Island was nothing like that…

Except that we would all go to one high school set up our tables, reel in prospective high school students for an hour, tear down and drive to the next school. Instead of a three-course meal we had a choice between un-toasted bagels, donuts, coffee and tea. I may be a snob but I can’t eat un-toasted bagels and only have one-maybe two donuts before I get a sugar high. Now I’m not a coffee snob per say, but I will drink bad coffee all day so to mix sugar donuts with 10 cups of coffee is a deadly mix. On top of that, one school would have me listed but another school would not, which means more work and more lugging equipment around. Usually I was listed so it wasn’t too bad. At one school I would not have any students come up to me and yet another I would be the belle of the ball.

Every morning I would drive to the school early, hoping to get a jump-start on traffic. Then I would get lost finding the school. Long Island roads like Dallas is set up where the highway is in the middle and the one way streets on either side of the highway which makes it extremely difficult if you miss one turn. Of course if you’re a local it doesn’t really matter but for us visitors you cannot navigate through the town effectively. So after asking myself why a hundred times I just came to annoyingly deal with it, which all of us have to do on a daily basis.

Most of the schools the tables were set up alphabetically which means I would be sitting next to the same people over and over. Luckily I was sitting next to so awesome ladies. Kim, Mary and Emily were my neighbors. Most of the reps at these fairs know each other. Their territory is NY/Long Island so they all see each other constantly. Sometimes it’s a hard niche to break into but these ladies welcomed me, which I strongly appreciated, or perhaps they didn’t really have a choice. Kim was reading a book called the Plain Truth and I was hoping she would finish it by the end of the week. She kept giving me daily updates and now I have no idea how it ends. Emily and I would evaluate each fair. From the lighting to the students to our exhausting drives. Mary works for a college where my favorite college rep works for, so we had her to talk about. Like I mentioned before, college reps are all in the same boat. It’s actually kind of nice to be able to swap stories of our adventures, gossip about schools and know that I’m not the only one getting lost in the morning. The reps are my comfort food on these trips. Being able to look across the room at a rep and they look back at you with that same expression that says a thousand words means a lot.

Storms rolled in, winds were heavy and the sky was dark. Days where your body wants to shut down and lay in bed all day. It made me feel sick and exhausted. I couldn’t complete my scavenger hunt for that reason. Besides the fairies to the Fire Islands had shut down and thought of driving another hour to Mautack was not really something my body could take. Instead I opted to rest in my hotel and check out a couple of movies at a near by theater.

On my last and final day of this 25-day adventure was nothing but bitter sweet and routine. I woke up early. Checked out of my hotel. Packed my car and drove to the school in the rain. I was the first rep to arrive at the college fair entering a dark gymnasium and set up my display. I sat and read the newspaper until the others arrived. I sat and chatted with Emily for a while until the students arrived. An hour later we packed up and drove 22 minutes to Amityville High School and set up. Amityville from what I saw was a beautiful little Long Island town. Yet the high school was terribly scary. It looked more like an old prison rather than a school. Although, I have to admit I did very well there. At the coffee table where I refreshed my travel mug and tried to decide what sugar rush of a donut I needed I met Jolene. We talked briefly and then she mentioned the Amityville house. I told her about my scavenger hunt and she added that the house was actually just around the block. She had planned to go see it, but no one wanted to go with her. I accepted graciously to at least get one checked off my list in Long Island.

After tear down and good-byes to people I’m sure I’ll never see again, I contacted Brit to make sure we had the right address. Jolene doing some searching herself since I told her the address had changed to prevent people like us from annoying the current owner, we found the address. I followed her to the house on Ocean Avenue and there it was. It was nothing like the movie. I had looked it up on the Internet before I left for this trip and know that the owners redecorated it. The half moon windows are now square and the front chimney is now all but disappeared. Yet if you look across the street, the house there looks exactly like the movie which means a lot of these houses did look like the one from the movie some time ago. Jolene and I parked on the side of the street and took our pictures. We decided to walk around the neighborhood and ended up on the canal looking out at the water. It was nice to actually share a moment with someone and talk about what we just saw and about other random things. I appreciated her company.

I drove for the next half hour into NY. I dropped off the white lion at Enterprise and took the van to the air train. I lugged all my stuff onto the train and got off at terminal 3. Down elevators, across streets and up ramps and around buildings sweating profusely with bags in tow I finally check in. With four hours to kill I decided to go through security and have lunch. I sat at a bar looked over the very unappealing menu ordered a 3-dollar glass of coke and sat. My computer’s battery was dead and really nothing to do. After drinking my coca cola that cost more than two 2 liters I walked around the airport finding another restaurant. After finally weighing my not so many options sat down at a place. I had a 10-dollar sandwich the size of my fist and over cooked French fries that were actually better than the sandwich. I found a plug and this computer center place and tried the Internet but got nothing. So I decided to go back to my gate sit relax and watch CNN.

Finally we board. Now I noticed the girl in front of me had seat 14F. I had 13F and thought for a sec, she’s sitting behind me. We get on the plane and me and another fellow help the girl put her suitcase on the overhead bin. Looking down at my seat I see an old woman occupying it. She obviously decided that she was not going to sit in the middle no matter what while I constantly look at my seat assignment on my ticket and the numbers overhead. I’m not one to make much a fuss over things so I was considering my options. Make a fuss to the old lady, or be gentlemen and sit in the middle next to a Dutch kid. Then a twist, the girl in front of me jumps right into the middle seat unaware that her ticket was behind her in the open window seat. So I tell the older couple behind my seat assignment that the open window seat is mine and they happily let me slide through. Success!!! I lay my head against the window and quickly fall asleep.

I wake up an hour later and see that we are still on the tarmac. Apparently because of the weather there’s a traffic jam. If I would have known that, I would have stayed awake. Now I’m wide-awake and this flight is going to be long. Getting up in the air they turn on the TVs which helps make the flight go by faster. They show an episode of the office, a travel channel show and How I Met Your Mother episode. It did make time go by fast. Arriving in Orlando an hour late, I walked to baggage claim and picked up my luggage. Dragged it to the transport and took the bus to my car. My car was intact with no cracks in the windshield. I drove up to the lot and paid the 130-dollar parking fee and drove home hitting every stoplight on way.

Movie Reviews:
Gone Baby Gone
Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/gonebabygone/
Sometimes I get weary when people talk about how much they despise a certain actor. How they refuse to go their movies etc. People’s personal opinions matter, I know that, but come on. Take Keanu Reeves for instance, sure he’s a one-dimensional actor but I have enjoyed some of his movies. I enjoy the Matrix movies, I had fun at Speed and I think he was perfect in My Own Private Idaho. People may not like him as an actor but he’s smart to often pick quality projects that people go see. Give the guy a break.

Now lets take Ben Affleck. A lot of you have a problem with Ben because some of his movies are cheesy and he seems to take on rolls that are big budget sell out films but is he really that bad? I know a lot of you love Armageddon. I think he showed strength as an actor in Hollywoodland and the guy did win an academy award for writing Good Will Hunting. So the guy is pretty smart. Now what is he like as a writer director? Pretty darn good, actually! I’m not a strong fan of procedural crime movies but this movie has a raw intensity and with a 3rd Act that makes the entire movie worth watching and debating over. I’m waiting for someone to see it to discuss it with. The acting is top notch from everyone involved so I think this will be on my top 10 of the year. I’m sure it will receive some Golden Globe and possibly some Academy Award nominations. We’ll have to wait and see.

Across the Universe
Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/acrosstheuniverse/
From the first time I saw the trailer I really wanted to see this movie. I love Julie Taymor as a director. She has a visual style that I absolutely love. She’s done movies like Titus and Frida and directed Broadway shows like the Lion King. Now she’s directed a movie musical with nothing but Beetles songs. I’m in heaven. Then I read the controversy on how she didn’t get final cut and how she was a tyrant on set then the movie finally came out and got mediocre reviews. So it started to drop down on my list of movies to see.

The movie has bouts with brilliance and moments where I cringe. I still love her style but for some reason I think that the style really got away with some of the story. If you are one of those people who hate musicals where the characters just burst into song then you will hate this. Especially if you love Beetle songs and think you will hate all the songs being covered by the actors. Some burst into song moments I hated others I didn’t mind so much. I do recommend it simply because it is different and Julie’s visuals are so cool and it does have those moments of brilliance but my heart wasn’t as warm as it should have been at the end I was actually kinda ready for it to be over.

Lars and The Real Girl:
Trailer: http://www.apple.com/trailers/mgm/larsandtherealgirl/trailer/

Ryan Gosling has cemented himself as one of the best actors of our generation. The guy is brilliant. In this movie he’s playing opposite to a doll and being a delusional extreme shy guy works perfectly for him. Although, I think the movie was just okay. There’s not much conflict in the film and it starts to drag on. Again my emotions really weren’t tugged at the end and were predictable. It’s a dark feel good movie that is simple. It doesn’t offer any twists and just stays true to itself, which I did like. Yet I didn’t walk away feeling any different from when I came in. I recommend it on Ryan’s performance and again something that’s quirky and different. I did like how an entire community goes out of their way to help Lars. It was very sweet. I know a lot of you will probably like it much more than me. So please, go enjoy.

To My Loyal Readers:

Now that 6 States in 25 Days is now officially over I want to thank you for going on this journey with me. I cannot tell you how much it means to me for all of you who read these. Your comments meant the world to me and made me feel less alone on these travels. Your love and support warmed my heart everyday. I hope my ramblings made you feel comforted as well and hopefully you walked away knowing me a bit better and learned something. I have learned so much about myself in ways that are good and bad. Their are things I really need to focus on and change about myself. The one gift that I did learned was that no matter what I will never be alone with friends and family like you. How at the end of the day no matter if it was good or bad that I have loved ones all around me. Knowing the support that is around me, it’s time to fix the things in my life that need fixing and start being the person I want to be.

Thank you
Thank you
Thank you.

AMITYVILLE HOUSE

The Last Four Days

2007-10-22T16:05:00.001-04:00

Friday: Woonsocket, MEGAN!, The Art of Traffic, 4 Nurses and John

It says on the Woonsocket, RI town sign that it’s “A city on the Move”. I don’t know what that means really. It’s more like a city on the move out of town. Like a store closing at it’s changing locations. Woonsocket in its hay day probably once was a great small city. You can tell by the crafted buildings downtown and the huge New England homes on the outskirts. But now it’s all run down, broken windows, overgrown weeds. It’s a shame really.

I looked over my map before I left and drove the 1-hour scenic drive down here. The trees are all pretty much a spectrum of color. Beautiful. I enter Woonsocket and find a town sign and achieve my task for today. I drive towards the address on the map and realize it’s a Catholic Church. So I go around the church and see old men carrying a coffin out of the front doors down long stairs. I quickly learn this is not the right place. So I dash out of there before I get stuck in the funeral precession. I stop at a Dunkin Donuts getting a coffee and call the office. I have Estephany confirm the address. Of course the website I looked up gave me the wrong address and the school website was further downtown. So I drive into town and do not see the school at all. So I drive out of town and turn around. I stop at the beginning of town and park. I walk around Woonsocket because I have some time to kill, perhaps thinking I will spot it better on the walk. Nothing. So I go back to my car and enter the town’s visitor center. The kind lady gives me directions and still I can’t find it. So I end circling again and finally see it. It’s a small brick building with a very small sign in the window. Beacon Charter High School. Yeah, smaller than this 12point font. I finally found a place to park with 50 minutes to kill. So here I am in “Big Blue” as the sky has opened up watching it pour down rain as I reach out to you my dry readers.

It was that annoying rain where it drizzles, pours and then stops, like the weather couldn’t make up its mind what to do. My new plan was to head down to Pawtucket, RI. I’m curious what a socket or tucket is? I’ll have to look it up, is it like a ville? I was invited to a Jack-O-Lantern festival.

Megan

A couple of years ago Megan and I hung out in Los Angeles the day before Valentines. We met up at the Normandie Room and ended up running all over West Hollywood ending at the Abby. We were instant partners in crime. Her energy and uncensored personality drew me to her at a much-needed time. I believe I was currently working on Eight Below. After having so much fun we decided to be pseudo dates on Valentines. We went to see Pride and Prejudice and went to a restaurant/bar across the street. We ended up getting to know each other more in between the waiter constantly hitting on her. We were able to just talk about everything. It was a great Valentine’s “date”. We maintained a strong friendship in L.A. until she moved back to Worcester, MA. We’ve tried to stay in touch, but it’s hard sometimes, but I wanted to make sure, no matter where she was I was going to see her on this trip.

Her and her boyfriend work for this Jack-O-Lantern festival where they carve hundreds or thousands of pumpkins, I’ll have to show you the link it looked amazing. Unfortunately after my presentation she called and told me the festival was cancelled because the unseasonably warm weather and rain destroyed the pumpkins. So I decided to drive up to Worcester to at least spend an hour or two with her and quickly catch up.

I met her at Starbucks and she hadn’t changed a bit. Although, we were both exhausted we sipped on our coffee drinks and caught up wishing we had more time. For me it was nice to see a familiar face finally on this trip. I absolutely think the world of her and so happy we finally got to see each other once again. Oh, Megan, remind your parents they still owe me a trip to Cape Cod!

The Art of Traffic

Leaving Worcester it was prime rush hour traffic. Knowing that when I get into Boston I’m going to be stuck for hours. On the MA Turnpike I mentally prepare myself for I95 and settle in to “Big Blue”. I finally hit I95 with 22miles until my exit I am sardine canned in. You all know by now that I hate traffic. It’s my biggest pet peeve and yes I am aware that when I am stuck in traffic I am traffic. Sitting quietly in “Big Blue” no radio, my windows down I just take this time to think and relax, because I know I’m not going anywhere for a long time. Projecting movie ideas on the back of semi’s trailer door in front of me. Trying to figure out how to reduce traffic, and trying to tame this monster. When people exit the same amount of people enter merging onto the highway. I give up trying to fix it and sit back looking into the red and white lights feeling the breeze coming through my windows.

4 Nurses and John

I decide to go down to hotel bar. To the right of me are four nurses and on the left is John. John overhears the nurses are from Ohio instantly exclaiming he’s also from Ohio. The nurses and John sing the Ohio State school song and talk locations. The nurse next to me brings me into the conversation; I also talk to John about my family in Cleveland and Toledo. The Nurses talk about how they were thrown out of a bar downtown during the baseball game because they were yelling O-H-I-O. which I thought was hilarious. Never mess with Boston baseball!

I find out the four nurses on having a girl’s weekend in Boston. Two are married, one has children and the other attached to her phone texting her boyfriend. Out of respect for the ladies I will not divulge any of their secrets because the quote is (stolen from Vegas) “What happens in Wakefield stays in Wakefield.” John was trying to get to her alma mater Ohio State for the homecoming game, but because of the downpour his flight was cancelled and ended up in Wakefield. We were all six lost souls in Wakefield on a rainy night made the best of a night in a hotel outside of Wakefield on a stormy night. It was a lovely end to a week in Boston. Thank you ladies and John, I wish you all the best and had safe travels. Perhaps we’ll meet again in O-H-I-O.

Saturday

I slept in. I got up and cleaned out “Big Blue” I checked out of my hotel room and hit the road. I made it safely to Enterprise and said my good byes to Big Blue. I took the van to the airport and waited.

Honestly nothing really happened on Saturday. I started to feel my body slowly shutting down. The last thing I wanted to do was getting on another airplane and drive an hour to Long Island. The flight was bumpy and when we landed there was some frustrating excitement. We had to be towed in but the tow drunk was broke so we had to wait on the tarmac for a new truck to tow us in. Then the platform broke trying to connect to the plane and so we had to wait longer. Then a yelling match broke out between three passengers. Then finally we were let off. I waited for over a half hour for the luggage belt to start delivering our luggage. I then jumped on the Air train to get to the rental car shuttle area. I got on the wrong train then got off and then onto another train all while lugging all this equipment. I found the shuttle bus and ended up at Enterprise. I waited in line for a while and finally checked in. As we were walking out to the cars I saw my old friend Big Blue parked out front. I don’t know how he does it. The enterprise guy asks what car do you want? I say anything but a P.T. Cruiser. He responds what about a Jeep Patriot? Deal! I named him the White Lion after a car with the same name I had several years ago.

We drove to an hour to Long Island. It turned out to be a nice easy ride. Finding the hotel was easy and I pull in. I check into the hotel and get my room. Alas, I can relax. I end up going to the hotel restaurant and have a horrible dinner. Back to the room I cuddle up in the super comfy bed and fall asleep. It was 8:30pm

Sunday

I woke up at 7am. Well rested and but still jet lagged. I took my time getting showered and dressed. Drank coffee and sat in my room. I looked over maps on my computer until venturing downstairs to the lobby. I requested the shuttle to the train station and waited. The shuttle dropped me off at the train I purchased my roundtrip ticket into the city. I boarded the train finding a seat and settling in. The train ride went fairly quick. It didn’t seem like an hour. We entered Penn Station and I walked up the stairs and there I was. New York City.

I’ve always liked the vibe of NYC. A rich cultural city, building towering over you and crowds of people from all over the world walking the streets, there’s so much to see that it overwhelms me. I head up north to the 43rd street where I am going to see a show. I’m early so I walk a few blocks and try to find a diner. Of course there’s plenty of commercial restaurants but I want to find a true NYC diner. So a couple blocks west here in the theater district I discover the Theater District Diner. It was perfect. I order eggs and a waffle. The coffee was great and service really good. I just sit back and enjoy. Then I walk up to Times Square and 42nd street. Again, I am truly overwhelmed. I feel something on my shoulder and see that a bird made a dead aim letting go its doo doo on my shirt. Sigh. I find a Starbucks and clean off my shirt. I head back towards the theater and relax in the park. I forgot to mention last week that when I was hiking I twisted or pulled a muscle in my foot. It has been really hurting while I walk so that’s why I went to the park to rest my foot. It’s feeling better now so please don’t worry.

J.T. Patton

Back in junior high and the first few years of high school J.T. and I were inseparable. We were on the Speech team, in all the plays and outside of school constantly making classic films like: “Bob the Dog”, “Death of a Hero”, 454 Theater and many more. After high school we lost touched. While I was living in L.A. we somehow found each other’s email. I ended up in NY a few years ago and had breakfast with him for like an hour. This time we have a few hours. I’m going to see his Off Off Broadway show “They House of Yes”.

The show was well done and being able to see J.T. truly act after all these years was the best. The kid is brilliant. I’m very happy he stuck with acting and still is. He’s really good. After the show we stood around and talked. This was the last show for the cast so they all wanted to celebrate. A block away we entered a restaurant bar and all nine of us sat down.

I don’t know what it is about actors. I just love being around them. Sure they can be a bit dramatic at times but who isn’t? If you look at most of my friends they are artists in their own way. I just love being around creative people. I guess that’s why I love the NYC culture is that they aren’t pretentious as some of the people in L.A. Of course in L.A. my friends were not pretentious. It just seems like the people the artists in NY are aware they are in the same boat as each other. I could be completely wrong by generalizing but that’s been my experience. I like being around that. So we sat and we all talked about everything. So I need to give some shout outs:

Jason: Thanks for stepping outside with me and talking movies and ideas.
Alicia: Thanks for being so much fun and staying with us until the end.
Matt: Thanks for sharing your Across the Universe set experience; I still need to watch that movie.
Anne: It was so lovely to meet you especially someone has done some much as an actress.
Margaret: Thanks for being a good sport as I constantly insulted you ;)
Linnea: Thank you for your inspiring words and sticking with us also until the end even when you had a headache. I adore you.
And last but not least:
J.T.: Thank you for sticking with me after all these years. I’m so proud of you and I can’t wait until we are able to work together on our own projects.

I wish you all the best with all your adventures!

On the train I sat back and just thought. The hotel shuttle picked me up at the train station and I jumped into bed.

Monday
Ten hours later I woke up. Feeling refreshed. I did some work and decided to get some lunch. I went to Applebee’s and sat at the bar. I always feel bad taking up a table so I usually go to the bar. No one was there except for me. Christina my bartender instantly became my best friend in Long Island. We were able to talk a bit and we made snowman at the bar with ice that I have no idea where it came from. She told me about how her husband and her just bought the house she grew up in. I thought that was pretty neat. We joked around and laughed. She told me where the movie theater was etc. It was just really nice. As more customers came in I finally am able to write this blog. Now I am back at the hotel doing my laundry. After this I think I’m just going to chill out. This is a perfect day to just STOP, and relax. As far as work, it’s going to be an interesting week. So today, is Pete time.

Words of Wisdom

2007-10-19T08:27:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, I was scheduled for three presentations and it turned into six. The teachers seemed to find it’s message important and the kids were very respectful. Every class clapped at the end, which is kind of a way to gauge their respect. Boston has overall been a waste of time, work wise. Students hear have an IV league mentality so it’s hard to get them to think about an alternative school. It’s been a curiosity of course, but my leads haven’t been that great.

After school I came back to the hotel exhausted and took a nap. When I woke up I drove to the closest restaurant for dinner. When I came back I just wanted to cuddle up in bed and be brain dead until I fell asleep. So that’s why the blog wasn’t posted last night. In about an hour, I drive to Rhode Island that will be my 5th state in this 25-day journey. My task today is to capture a sign of the town I’m going to called Woonsocket. After that I have another surprise in the works. We’ll see if it happens.

The Path Comments:
I received this comment via email in response to “The Path” posting. I haven’t asked their permission to post this so I’m going to leave it annoynomance just to make sure. But I think we all can benefit from their words. After reading it, it brought tears to my eyes and made rethink what I wrote. It’s a great response…. Thank You

The Comment:
Ever wonder if the forks in the road are supposed to teach you something that you didn’t know or give you an experience that you haven’t had? Sure your gut tells you to go the other way but yet you still take the other path. Why? Perhaps there is something down that ‘wrong path’ that you are supposed to experience. Maybe it’s not wrong … possibly it’s a journey you have to take. Sure you have to back track sometimes, or even carve a new path to find your original one, but maybe it’s not wrong at all. Something is drawing you down the ‘wrong paths’ even though you intuition says, “go the other way”. Sure, the experience may not be life altering; maybe it’s not an in-your-face lesson about life. Conceivably it’s just an experience to make you appreciate something else. Now, why would the path be so long and daunting just to learn how to appreciate something or experience something almost insignificant is a question for a higher power other than I.

Another thought on this is maybe it’s not a path for you. It’s entirely possible that you are supposed to give an experience to someone else down your “wrong” path, but it puts someone else on their correct path. God may think you are strong enough to take these detours in your own path to help someone else find theirs or be their voice if reason to turn around and take the other fork. Could you be someone else’s ‘intuition’?

Imagine a life full of knowing what to do and when to do it. Would it be exciting? Different for sure, but would it truly be worth living? Think of it this way if you will; how do you write about heartbreak if you’ve never experienced it. How do you write about a still black lake on a nice fall morning drinking a cup of coffee? How do you write about the joy of friends and the pain they can bring? How do you write about faith if you’ve never doubted or questioned it?

Perhaps “path” isn’t the word you should be concentrating on. Direction. If someone says go north, there are many ways to go north. From Florida do you go through Georgia or Alabama? Do you go through Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, then head north? Where is the final destination of “north”? Do you really think God would tell you or even show the exact way to go, really? If he did you wouldn’t have all the experiences you’ve had and will have. Yes, God can and will point you in the right direction but the actual ‘path’ may be up to you. Take a good look at a road map, you tell me if you see a ‘straight’ road or path.

Pete, my friend, you’ve always been heading the right direction, never forget that.

Great advice from my dear friend, my perspective has now been altered. I hope my weary eyed readers it’s brought something to you too.

Inspiration/Failure

2007-10-17T22:15:00.000-04:00

Walden Pond

I hear birds and chipmunks scurrying through the grass. The pond is a few yards in front of me as I sit on tree stump writing this. I’m just 50 yards from Thoreau’s cabin ruins and I can see why he picked this spot. Long pine needles cover the ground. The sun backlights trees making the red leaves glow. I wish I could take a picture of that, but it looks over blown on my cameras.

The water in the pond is emerald green with a slight breeze making ripples. How I love nature. You do hear cars in the distance and airplanes over head. Tourists walk behind me knocking up the leaves and pine needles talking loud and being obnoxious. Yet overall I am at peace.

A woman yesterday told me that the pond wasn’t far. Since I had other tasks to complete I decided to wait until today since Belmont is not that far from here where my fair is tonight. I figure I’ll relax here for a bit, grab some lunch and complete probably the most challenging of tasks and that’s to find a sign with a Nobel Prize winner’s name on it. This one will be tough.

I am now distracted by a loud plane and voices screaming closer by now, why the yelling?

Now I am going to put my computer away. Sit on this stump and just be.

Belmont

I drove south to Belmont and found the school just fine. So I went off on my quest for Nobel Prize winners and food. I drove and drove taking left turns and right turns, finding nothing. Not even a restaurant. I started to get really hungry since it was around 3pm and I hadn’t eaten yet. The prizewinners can wait. I found a square that had a starbucks and an Italian restaurant. I went to the restaurant and ordered lasagna. It really wasn’t all that good. I guess nothing will be my grandmother’s but I keep trying. It was just one of those things that sounded good at the time. So after I ate and my stomach hated me I went over to Starbucks and got a cup of coffee.

I was able to steal the Internet from somewhere and looked online for Nobel Prize winners in Belmont. Nothing. I went on mapquest and look for a street name and found nothing. Time was running out. So I took some back roads hoping I would run into something that would have a name like Kissinger or Woodward and I didn’t see anything. Before long I end up at the school. Across from the school is a huge park. I start walking the trail and see monuments. The high flagpole is dedicated to the WWII vets a bench dedicated to a victim in 9/11 and a tree dedicated to a famous arborist. Still had nothing.

There was nothing I really could do so I had to improvise. I created a sign dedicating it to the Nobel Prize winners of Belmont and placed it on a bench. Me being the great writer I am misspells Nobel so I have to cross out Noble and put Nobel underneath it. So that was my sign and for those of you who call out CHEAT then I understand. It was a desperate attempt.

So I’ll leave it up to you. Do I get some brownie points for seeing Walden Pond and making my own sign or am I a complete failure? Tell me what you think?

The college fair sucked.

P.S.
Thank you for all your comments today. You all really reached out which was awesome and I felt so privileged that you were reading my blogs. I’m going to post two blogs tomorrow 1. For the comments you left today 2. For the day I will have tomorrow. It won’t happen until the afternoon so bare with me.

Walden Pond

Quote

The Site of Thoreau's House

The Chimney

Replica of Thoreau's House

Inside the Replica

Peter Vaughn Jervis is THOREAU

MY SIGHN DEDICATION TO ALL THE NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS OF BELMONT

The Path

2007-10-17T10:48:00.000-04:00

The Path

Every night I pray to God asking Him to keep me on path. Make sure my actions; my choices will lead me down the right path that He helps me do the right things that will guide me in the right direction. Today, I believe he showed me.

Chapter 1: Peace and Blueberry Pancakes

I dreamt that I was in car driving over a bridge. Freezing rain pouring down. My windshield starting to freeze over and I couldn’t see where I was driving. I knew something tragic was going to happen yet I continued driving. Next thing I know I slam into the side of the bridge, my car falling off the side and slamming into the water. The car begins to fill with water and I think to myself, I’m waking up now.

I grabbed a cup of coffee from the lobby and went outside looking for a place to sit down and enjoy the hot black water goodness. I strolled down near the golf course and found a bench overlooking a pond. I sat back thinking that I am in Massachusetts on this beautiful fall morning staring at a peaceful pond asking myself why do I get so glum on these trips sometimes. Of course I know the answer, but it was peaceful setting that I wish I could take in everyday. I didn’t have an appointment until 12pm so I had some time to relax and drink my coffee. I walked up to my room and sent some emails and did some work. It was 9am now so I decided to have some breakfast.

The restaurant is kind of shabby since the hotel is under renovation. I find a table and wait. I wait bit longer. I continue to wait until the waitress notices me. She comes over and asks if I want some juice or coffee. I choose juice since I’ve had enough coffee at this point. She fills my class with juice and walks away. I sip on my juice and wait. Finally another waitress comes up and asks if I’m doing okay and I say, “may I have a menu, please?” So I look over the menu and wait. The waitress comes back and I order blueberry pancakes. Sure assures me that the blueberries are cooked inside the pancakes just the way I like them.

The restaurant is a bit chilly so I wear my jacket and stare at a table full of Chinese people. Construction workers tool around the restaurant, which seems to be a bit distracting. Finally, my blueberry goodness shows up and the waitress brings me honey instead of syrup. I hold it up and she apologizes. I butter my hotcakes and she takes her time with syrup but it eventually shows up. I pour the pure maple syrup over the pancakes and dig in. They taste awful. Like the pancakes were pre cooked and microwaved for a couple of minutes and served hot. They were spongy and bland. I ate half of the three-cake tower and asked for my check. I handed over my amex and in know time she came back saying it was declined. I give her my personal card and signed the bill. I sat thinking; maybe I should have waited to go to the peaceful place after breakfast.

Chapter 2: The Lunch Time Representative

I made a few calls to work to get them to up my account once again. It’s all very confusing really. This expedia thing really has made it harder to regulate our accounts. They are learning that now, but nothing will be done. I jump into “Big Blue” and we cruise on the highway. Twelve miles later I’m in Lexington. I find the high school with no problem and park at the visitor’s space. I lug all my stuff to the main office passing by three other college reps sitting at a table. I sign in and they tell me to go to guidance down a long hall. I pass by the reps again and reach the guidance office. The lady then takes me down the hall once again with all my stuff to the tables where the college reps are. They give me a table and I set up. I mingle with the other reps that never heard of Full Sail and then the lunch bell rings. Students pass by looking over at my table with curiosity only a couple stop by. A couple of the reps pack up and leave me there alone. Apparently they had been there for a while already.

I watch students walk by looking at the table in passing. I felt belittled sitting there at the table. I never had to be that person sitting at a table in a high school outside the cafeteria. It felt degrading in a way. With everything that I have done, everything I’m trying to do it was one of those moments I felt like a failure. Then inspiration struck. Maybe the movie idea about college reps I have been waiting for. A shulb who was once an aspiring author takes a job at his old college the fictitious Merrimont College doing college fairs. I picture Philip Seymore Hoffman playing the guy who is quiet, awkward doing this to distract him from his work. There’s a story in this somewhere I know. My mind continued to watch this new movie in my head. The made time fly by. My time was up and I started to pack it up. That’s when several kids started to come by the table asking questions. I sold them immediately and they started filling out the forms. I went from one form to six in a matter of seconds. Still the movie continued to play over in my head so now I have a base to build on after having that useless dramatic feeling.

Chapter: 3 Battle Field Green

The next task was just a few blocks from the school. Lexington is a small historic town big on its history. I parked my car on the street and walk toward the monument. It was a monument created for the lives that fought on that day. The grass is a dark green well kept by the city. My task is to lie down on the grass of the battlefield green. It’s a beautiful 60 degrees and I lie down and close my eyes. I picture the moment at 1am in the morning where the first shots exploded starting the American Revolution. A rush of sadness surged through my body picturing the men who fell to their death perhaps where I am laying. Historical sites can be quite sad really. A lot of them are monuments of people who have died. Of course they died for something even greater than them but still in the simplistic basis, I am perhaps lying next to someone who was shot bleeding to death thinking of his life or family until passing on. I wish I could tell them what their sacrifice meant what their revolution became.

I walked over to a large statue of a Minuteman. Now for all you who I went to high school with I stood where the minutemen are truly represented. My high school was the Concord Minutemen in Elkhart Indiana. Now I feel like I fully understand the real meaning of what a minuteman is. I toured the one room museum and another park with other small monuments for other lives lost. I was now completely engulfed with history I realized that I was extremely hungry. So I ended up at a restaurant eating good old-fashioned Chinese food. Oh, the American Way.

Chapter 4: The Forgotten Path

I was excited to accomplish my next task. Finding the Brothers Rocks. I did much research before leaving the hotel to be able to locate this landmark. I drove up to Bedford and followed the roads. I turned right on this small road called the Old Causeway. Four houses line this single lane road and then to the left is a wildlife refuge. Trees lined the refuge while I’m looking for signs leading me to the trail. Nothing. I enter the Harvard Field Station where they keep goats and chickens looking around for any indication of trail to this historic landmark. I see a guy and pull up. I ask him about the Brothers Rocks, the trail and he has no idea what I’m talking about. I show him the map that’s on my computer and still doesn’t have a clue. He tells me to go to the Field Station office and ask. So I do and another Harvard student comes out. He has no idea either. So I drive down the Old Causeway and still don’t see any indication of a path. I turn right off the Old Causeway looking for signs, trails anything. I pass a boat ramp and come to another area on the other side of the bridge. A man is fishing by the river and I ask him. He has no idea what I’m talking about. He directs me to go further up the road where there’s a park. I do and know this isn’t it at all. I look at the map once again and see that it starts at Old Causeway road and ends on the south bank of the Concord River not the North and I know I am on the North side of the river. I drive back to Old Causeway road and I see nothing. Frustrated and time running out I decide to head back defeated.

I had text Brittany earlier claiming my frustrations and just when I was driving away defeated she calls. I tell her there’s nothing there and couldn’t see anything. I tell her I’ll turn around one more time and take a picture to show her there’s really nothing. So I go back and get out of my car to take a picture. I look through the dense trees and I see what could be a path. I walk closer and see that is a path, but where? It’s a wildlife refuge so I’m sure there’s a path but is it the right path? Am I trespassing? I park my car on the side of the road unsure if I should just leave it there. I decide to do it. I start following the path still unsure. The path forks so I take the one I think is north. The path leads me into a backyard of some residence. I turn back go back to my car again feeling defeated. I study the map on my computer once again. I debate and decide to try again. I take the other path pounding my feet against the ground in complete angry determination that I will find these rocks. I pass by a swamp, I look at the leaves turning colors, I continue following the path. Then another fork in the forest makes me even more frustrated. There weren't forks on the map!

I start going left and feeling my internal compass is off. I turn around and go the other way. I end up at a street lined with stacked rocks. Two small rocks sitting next to each other on the side of the road I ask myself this can’t be it can it? Knowing it can’t be I take a picture and text it to Brittany even though I know they aren’t the right rocks because they aren’t on a riverbank. So I turn around and head back. I get to the fork in the forest and have a choice, to either go with my first intuition or head back to the car. I go with my intuition. I walk for another ten minutes and come to another fork. Even more frustrated I stop to think. I start taking a path and just know it’s the wrong way. So I go back to the fork. That’s when I hear a motor of a boat. So I continue down the other path following the sound of the motorboat. A fallen tree blocks the path and I stop. I look down the path and really can’t see the river. So I climb over the tree. Now, I forgot to mention I am in my work clothes. I have on khaki pants and my Full Sail polo shirt. I’m really not dressed to be hiking especially when I have a college fair to go to in an hour. After climbing over the tree I continue down the path. Through dense trees I see the sun reflecting off the river. At the riverbank lies a huge rock. Ten feet away is another huge rock. Engraved on one rock says Winthrop 1638 and the other Dudley 1638. A moment of sheer excitement and accomplishment I have no idea what to do next. It’s muddy and wet so I lean against the Dudley rock and take it all in.

Chapter 5: The Shadow

I took the pictures I need to document this great find. I felt like that I was the first person do discover these rocks. Since no one ever has heard of them and later talk about it that night still find nobody even knows about this landmark I feel somewhat even more accomplished.

I head back down the path, the sun beating on my back giving me a shadow to lead the way out of the forest. While walking, I think about this simple journey. How I pray every night to stay on path. On this journey I constantly hit forks in the road where I didn’t go with my true intuition, which led me way off path. If I had just stayed with that gut feeling what I know was right the journey would have lasted only 15 minutes. The way there took me nearly an hour. I always come to these forks in the road with my life and sometimes I make the wrong decision that I know is wrong and get way off path. Some how though I stop or come to a dead end and get back on the right path only to come to another fork in the road. It was a reminder to go with what you know is right and stick to your intuition of what’s right. If not, no matter how fun it is or a different adventure it will be, it leads to a dead end and it’s exhausting to try to find your way back. I believe God was trying to tell me something.

I make it to the school with no problem. I unload my gear and try to knock the mud off my boots. I lug it into the school and find my table. I talk to the lady rep next to me about my adventure and she has lived here for a long time and never knew about those rocks. The fair began and it was very small. Not many students showed up but Full Sail sparked some curiosity in parents and students. It wasn’t a complete waste. Yet time went by fast and I was out of there in an hour and a half. The drive home was easy making it to my hotel just before 9pm.

I began writing this blog and realized, after a fulfilling day like today. Where I felt like a failure, honored the dead, became lost, discovered 300 year old rocks and made peace with God I decided to it was time to rest my body and fall asleep.

Epilogue:
Today I have some extra time. I think I’m going to do one thing that is not on my list of things to do, but every aspiring writer needs to do and that is…

Battlefield Green

Laying on the Battlefield Green: MISSION COMPLETE

Minuteman

Old Causeway Road

The Path

The Swamp

The Fake Rocks

A Rock Wall

The Concord River

The Dudley Rock

The Winthrop Rock

The Brothers Rock: MISSION COMPLETE

Fall River

2007-10-15T19:21:00.000-04:00

There’s something special about Boston. I felt it the last time I was here. If you fly in on a clear day and you’re sitting on the right side of the plane look down, you’ll see a lighthouse standing alone on rocks in the Atlantic just a couple of miles from the airport. I’ve decided that’s where I want to write all my movies from now on.

When I went to the Enterprise I was greeted pleasantly and Mike took me outside to re introduce me to my old friend. That’s right “Big Blue”. The same PT Cruiser I had in Maine, the exact same color. I asked “Big Blue” how he got all the way down and he didn’t really want to talk about it. I mean we aren’t the best of friends because we argue a lot but it’s always good to see a familiar face.

Getting lost in Salem was quite the experience, which now is going to be a common theme I’m finding out. Salem was a pretty cool town and being here during Halloween was a rare treat. It’s funny, I didn’t even think of it until I was there. As you walk around you can’t shake that eerie history that happened so long ago. When you walk around the cemetery you just have that strange feeling. It’s kinda touristy but that’s expected. Hey, I’m tourist or do I not count since I got lost and ended up there? I’m glad I ended up getting lost there.

I’ve learned that I have picked the most secluded out of the way hotel in North Boston. There is nothing literally for miles. There’s only one easy to get to restaurant and I went there yesterday. It wasn’t very good, but the apple dumpling was amazing. Yet this over priced golf resort wannabe is nothing special. The room is like every other plain jane hotel. It’s still under construction and it’s smoke-free. Which I don’t mind if there’s a bench our something outside to sit at, but there’s not. The pool is located down the way in another building. It’s a wacky set up but whatever, I have things to do.

I woke up at 5am and took my time this morning. My presentation wasn’t until 11am but it was an hour away. You see, I’m really not in Boston. All my school are on the outskirts of Boston. So I probably won’t make it into the city. Today’s school and Friday’s school are way south of MA. My other schools are North Boston. So “Big Blue” and I will be driving around quite a bit. A lucky for me, I decided to leave the hotel at 7am prepared for a Boston morning rush hour and I got it. Mapquest stated that my drive would take me an hour to get the school. It actually took me an hour to get to the city of Boston at that was just 11miles. I still had another forty miles to go. I cranked up NPR and enjoyed my morning coffee in stop and go traffic. Finally it cleared up a bit. Cruising down the highway a rock jumps up and slams into my windshield making a dime size crack. What is it with windshields and me lately? While thinking of that I realized I got off the wrong exit. I went off exit 6 instead of exit 5. Of course there wasn’t an on ramp south bound so I had to go north to another exit and then head back south. I finally get to my exit and pull into a shopping center. I call enterprise and no one picks up the phone. I call 3 times. I call my boss and again no one picks up the phone. Urgh. Oh well. I grab a cup off coffee at a bagel shop and look at the clock. I realize I have time.

I drive down narrow one-way streets of old New England homes, strange intersections until I get to 2nd Ave. I drive up several blocks growing frustrated. I turn down a side street and around back on 2nd Ave. At the last moment I see it! I drive around a couple of blocks and park. I put a couple of quarters in the meter and start walking down the block. Tucked away in between buildings is Scavenger Hunt Quest #2 Lizzie Borden’s Home. Of course it wasn’t going to be open to the public until 11am and if you wanted a tour it would set you back 10 dollars. Though looking at the house, you kinda wonder how you’re going to get 10 dollars worth from a tour in a small house. I was hoping for a gift shop at least, but all the doors were closed. Though the hunt said I had to drive by it, which I did twice and leaving it 3 times, I stood back and took a picture on my cell phone. So…

COMPLETE: 2. fall river - drive by the house where lizzie borden
killed her parents (now a b&b):
http://www.lizzie-borden.com/about.asp?SiteSectionID=1&SiteSubSectionID=1\

The presentation went well. The kids were really receptive. I was only there for an hour and a half, less the time it took for me to drive down there. That’s okay, at least I saw Lizzie’s house and for you that aren’t aware of her story, she was the O.J. Simpson of her time.

Driving back I had no incidents. I made it to the hotel in an hour. Then I had a swell idea to grab dinner and catch a movie. Well after getting lost to the movie theater and finally finding it I realize there’s no restaurants anywhere near by. So I turned around drove back up the US 1 and found a place to eat. Now, if you never have driven in Boston, it takes a master skill. No matter what the speed limit you have to drive 20mph over it. So in a 30 you have to drive 50. At some point you may have to turn left and then right and then left to stay on the same road constantly looking at signs while going 50 in a 30 on a two-lane road. Sitting at the restaurant exhausted on US 1 I decided to skip the movie. You can’t just get on US 1 you have to scheme your way between cars and if you need to go south instead of north you may be able to do it if the exit you get off lets you. US 1 N and US 1 S is divided by a wall you cannot cross over it unless at an exit (maybe) So as I am going back to my hotel on US 1 N I find the exit. Well I have to turn left, but it won’t let me. So I turn right and see a church on a hill that I will pull into and turn left out of. Well, on a two-lane road where cars going 50 in a thirty and the traffic don’t let up makes it almost impossible. So I wait several minutes and get defeated so I turn right and drive to a stop light take a right and enter an elementary school and turn to the stoplight. Sure a few miles out of my way but needless to say I make it back to my hotel just fine…letting out a long exhausting sigh.

So here I am back at the hotel where I’m going stay in for the night. I have two things on my list that I have to do tomorrow so I have to get some much needed sleep. Oh by the way, I did get ahold of Enterprise, they told me not to worry about the crack. I just feel sad that Big Blue has not got a Black Eye.

My body is beginning to shut down from all the traveling. But hey, if Mick Jagger can do it, so can’t I!!!!

P.S. I figured out how to get pictures from my cell phone.

Lizzie Borden's House, Fall River, MA

Old Burying Ground, Salem MA

The Scavenger Hunt

2007-10-15T06:35:00.001-04:00

This trip is going to be different. My friend Brittany has conceived a game for me to play while I am on this two week trip. I am in Wakefield, MA just 12 miles North of Boston. I’m pretty much going to be in the outskirts of Boston and probably not going to make it into the city. So Brittany has devised this game to keep me entertained while I am visiting these suburban towns. Here’s the Game:

1. boston - throw a tea bag into the boston harbor
2. fall river - drive by the house where lizzie borden
killed her parents (now a b&b):
http://www.lizzie-borden.com/about.asp?SiteSectionID=1&SiteSubSectionID=1\
3. lexington - lay in the grass of the battle green
(where the first shots of the battle of lexington and
concord were fired):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexington_Battle_Green
4. bedford - visit the two brothers rocks (When
Governor Winthrop and his Deputy Thomas Dudley viewed
their lands in early 1638, they decided to use two
great stones on the site to divide the property.
Winthrop claimed the land to one side of one rock;
Dudley claimed the land on the other side of the other
rock. They named the rocks "The Two Brothers." Over
the years, the two men had many differences; however
they learned to work together and even considered
themselves "brothers" by their children's marriage.
The rocks have come to symbolize the men's sprit of
cooperation and democracy. The two brothers can still
be seen near the banks of the Concord River in the
Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.): you can find
a map here, http://www.bedfordmahistory.org/free.htm
5. find a sign (anywhere, saying anything) referencing
any of the many nobel peace prize recipients or other
famous people who have lived in belmont: scroll down
to notable residents:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belmont,_Massachusetts
6. salem - visit the burying point (oldest cemetery in
salem), where you find the with trials memorial as
well as the grave of one of the witch trials' judges,
john hawthorne (an ancestor of nathaniel hawthorne,
who wrote "the scarlet letter"):
http://www.salemweb.com/guide/tour/attract3.shtml#OBP
7. woonsocket - oh, that town name is so awesome, just
take a picture of any sign with the town's name on it
8. long island - visit fire island!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_Island_National_Seashore
9. long island - drive through the hamptons
10. long island - visit the beach at montauk (like in
eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!)
http://www.onmontauk.com/
11. new york city - visit the five points area (like
in gangs of new york!):
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=worth+st.+%26+baxter+st.,+new+york,+ny&ie=UTF8&om=1&z=16&ll=40.714362,-74.000452&spn=0.006408,0.021629&t=h
12. amityville - well, yeah, duh. here's some more
info: http://djtricities.com/amityville/location.php
(like the address isn't 112 ocean drive anymore, even
though it's in the same place).

When I arrived at the Boston airport I picked up my car without any problems. I started driving north and there were these roundabouts. I accidentally took the 1A instead of the 1 so I kept driving not realizing at the time they were different. After knowing that they were different streets I just kept driving since turning around would just be a pain. Looking at the map I found that the highway did cross the 1A just a few miles north. The 1A just happens to run through downtown Salem.

It’s that time of the year in Salem where people from all over the world come to visit in the month of all hallows eve. The witches were all in costume in this downtown festival. People lined up for the Witch Museum. Street vendors lined the streets selling kettle corn and other foods and novelties. From my list I was to see the old burying ground. I stepped into the crowded visitors center and asked a lady where it was. She pointed me in the right direction and one block away there it was. The old stone graves lined up in this small cemetery. It was amazing looking at these stones that date all the way back to the late 1600’s – 1800’s. On a street next to the cemetery was a haunted house tour. The festival was busy on this beautiful Sunday Afternoon. The weather was 60 degrees. I was happy to be walking around even though I was lost and tired. Salem was a gorgeous town. I may go back if I have time, it’s really not far from my hotel so who knows.

COMPLETE: 6. salem - visit the burying point (oldest cemetery in
salem), where you find the with trials memorial as
well as the grave of one of the witch trials' judges,
john hawthorne (an ancestor of nathaniel hawthorne,
who wrote "the scarlet letter"):

Once

2007-10-13T00:32:00.000-04:00

I know some of you have showed interest in the movie “Once” that I had mentioned and declared the best movie I’ve seen so far this year, so while I was trying to find the DVD release date I came across these tidbits.

Sources say the movie comes out Dec. 6th.

Legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg was quoted as saying "A little movie called Once gave me enough inspiration to last the rest of the year.

Shot for only $160,000

As of October 7, 2007, the film had grossed more then $10.5 million worldwide including over $9 million in the U.S

male lead to be played by actor Cillian Murphy but later dropped out.

Shot with a skeleton crew on a 17-day shoot

The stars, Hansard and/or Irglová composed and performed all but one of the original songs in the movie.

On the May 18, 2007 broadcast of Ebert & Roeper, both Richard Roeper and guest critic Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune gave enthusiastic reviews. Phillips called it, "the most charming thing I've seen all year," "the Brief Encounter for the 21st century," and his favorite music film since 1984's Stop Making Sense. Roeper referred to the film's recording studio scene as "more inspirational and uplifting than almost any number of Dreamgirls or Chicago or any of those multi-zillion dollar musical showstopping films. In its own way, it will blow you away."[

On a Good Note: Farewell to Pasco County

2007-10-12T05:51:00.000-04:00

Thursday I have to admit was a good day. The teacher was awesome and the students were well behaved. This teacher was the first person who ever asked me if I smoked. After I said yes, during our break we walked down stairs, through corridors and behind this long gate. There was a patio on dark side of the compound where teachers all sat smoking and bitching about their students. I felt like I was apart of the elite group, this secret society. All the teachers huddling, name dropping students good and bad and giving each other the 411. I asked myself if high school had this secret space on campus. It was amazing.

Of course I still believe this school isn’t the greatest. A fight broke out before school leaving one student in bloody pulp. I only received the details from the students. The day prior my teacher had a substitute and during the day someone in the class swiped her wallet. So the cops came in during one of my presentations which was a bit of a disruption but quickly ended. Overall my day was good.

I went to the coffee shop and did some work. I am confirmed to leave on my next trip on Sunday. I booked my hotels and my car. I then grabbed some dinner. As soon as I got back to my room to my surprise I had the internet. My last night at the hotel and doing all my work at a coffee shop, I finally get the internet. I just laid in bed silently going over my thoughts until I fell asleep.

Today I go back to the classroom from hell and do two presentations and them I drive back to Orlando. I have so much to do tonight and Saturday. On Sunday I’ll be on the road for two weeks straight so this could get really interesting. Stay Tuned my weary readers.

Gloom and Doom Wednesday part 2

2007-10-10T19:09:00.000-04:00

Yes my friends it is that time of the week. It’s Gloom and Doom Wednesday!!! I’m currently sitting outside on this clear blue sky with a nice breeze coming off the gulf listening to an eclectic mix here at starbucks. I’m sipping on a vanilla bean frap and recounting my day in my head to you lovely readers.

Let’s recount the events I had planned out from last night’s blog. Today I had a nice plan of sleeping in, eating a nice lunch and taking in a picture show. Sounded great didn’t it? It was a dream a hopeful wish that didn’t come true.

At 8am I awoke from my dreamland to the sound of my ring tone. I slowly slid out of bed like a zombie and saw that it was from my boss. I listened to the message and she asked where I was. In a panic I called immediately. I apparently was supposed to be in a classroom at 7:30 this morning. Due to a schedule shift on the excel spreadsheet, my dates are now off. I was supposed to be at the College Fair last night, at a presentation today and tomorrow and back in the office on Friday. So my schedule showed I was at the fair tonight and presentations tomorrow and Friday. That my friends was the start of my day.

My coordinator called the teacher and called me back. She tells me the teacher will be expecting me at 10am. I quickly jump in the shower, get dressed and fly out the door. As you all may know since you know me, obscenities were my declaration to the world. I arrived at school in the nick of time for 3rd period. I have to say, the students couldn’t have given a damn if I was there or not. I did two presentations in a row and the teacher did not once keep her class under control. I had a two-hour break for which I grabbed coffee and a sandwich at a coffee shop with free wifi. I was able to try to correct the schedule problem. I went to the last class and again, they had no interest in me what so ever except maybe a couple people. Yeah, maybe that’s cool that one or two had an interest in me but when you have students talking or smacking each other during the presentation it’s not cool. I don’t care what they say, I enjoy going to ghetto schools because those students are well behaved. Prominently white schools could care less.

After class I went back to the hotel and went to sleep.

I couldn’t think of anything I wanted to eat so now I am here at starbucks exhausted and hungry. I’m so over this week. I guess it’s just the way it is. I had two great trips to Indy and Maine. Now two bad weeks in Dallas and Florida, I hope the next two will be better.

So yeah, tomorrow I’m back at the same school talking to 11th graders and again on Friday to make up the two hours I missed today with that same teacher to a bunch of brats.

Sigh, if there wasn’t a schedule mix up I would have been back in my own bed tomorrow night. So I better inspire the next Spielberg or else!!!

The Dream and the Internet Fiasco

2007-10-09T21:00:00.000-04:00

I had a dream last night. I was living in a city near friends. It was raining and I was in my car driving. I saw a sign for a town I knew. I decided to drive towards it. The sun is shining and I drive into town towards a house of a girl I know. I see she’s having a party. I drive by then turn around and park down the street. I sneak through the back door and sit on the couch. She comes inside from the party and is happy to see me. She throws her arms around me and asks me to protect her. I find out what she means. She has been dating this Asian guy that she wants it to be over with. She invites me outside to the party and everyone knows me. From the front door my dead aunt Lucille walks out with an engagement ring around a charm. She doesn’t say anything, but just hands it over to me. The girl and I are the only ones that can see her. We both look at the ring and smile.

I wake up like it was a nightmare. My heart pounding and my covers wrapped around me laying vertical on the bed. But it wasn’t a nightmare I was happy and ecstatic. I woke up thinking I was now engaged and in love and wasn’t able to shake that feeling. At the same time I felt my aunt Lucille was in the room with me. That was the first time I ever dreamt of the dead.

So I am on my third state and I know some of you would argue this statement but I’m counting it simply because I’m not at home, but I am in Florida on the Gulf Coast. I am going to count it simply because my drive time is just about the same as me flying to any of the states I’ve been to.

So I drove up here on Sunday night after spending the evening with my mother, having dinner and doing laundry. The traveling is definitely catching up. I’m really dragging lately. I arrived at my Hotel in New Port Richey around 10pm Sunday night. I quickly learned that I didn’t have the Internet. It’s now Tuesday night and I still don’t have the Internet. I’m sitting at a starbucks coffee writing this. I’ve complained twice about the lack of the web at the hotel and the constantly say they are fixing it. Now I believe they are just saying that to all the customers. I may have to switch hotels tomorrow, urghh… it doesn’t make my work easy since next week is still up in the air. I’m going out of town next week, that’s confirmed. I just don’t know when.

I’m staying at a Quality Inn and the corporate slogan says that if I’m not 100% satisfied then I (Full Sail) get their money back. I can deal with the fact that the wallpaper is peeling off the walls and soap is like plastic. I can deal with that. I’ve stayed at worse at a highway motel but no Internet? Especially since I called last week and asked if they had it?

Well, the last two days have been tough. 5 or 6 presentations both days which makes it draining. The schools have been fine except one class. On both days I’ve had one class that have ruined it for me. Yesterday, I had a girl talk through the whole presentation and the teacher didn’t do anything. So I had to give her the evil eye. Today I was asked to stay one extra class at the end of the day and all the classes were great except the last class. The students could have cared less. First period and last period are always the hardest. For me and for them. So I usually have to give them the “Be Cool” speech. Which contains, if you’re not cool and disrespectful you’re not going to last long in the industry. Yeah, I know, but it works sometimes and in the film industry, it’s true.

Tomorrow I get to sleep in and relax. I have a college fair tomorrow night so that will be awesome!

Monday, after class I went out for sushi and a movie. I saw In the Valley of Elah. It’s Paul Haggis the director of “Crash” new movie. I give it up thumbs up. It wasn’t as powerful as Crash but it was good. Simple, matter-of-fact story telling. It’s not an anti-war movie at all but a generational movie. I’ve always thought about the comparison between soldiers of WWII to soldiers of today. Don’t get me wrong I am a strong supporter of our soldiers perhaps not the war but I do respect our armed forces a great deal. I’m proud of them. I just wonder sometimes as a generation. If you see the movie you’ll understand what I’m talking about. I guess that’s why I liked that movie simply because it asks that question. I don’t think it’ll be nominated for best picture but I do believe Tommy Lee Jones was really good in it so who knows maybe he’ll be nominated.
I don’t know if the title of the movie really fits the story. The David and Goliath aspect is way too simple. The metaphor is a man against the military. I don’t think that’s what the story is about at all. If you pick a bible story as the title it should be the Prodigal Son.

If I go to a movie tomorrow it will be “The Kingdom”. I’ll let you know about that one.

I also bought a new much-needed suitcase. I hope this one will hold up. Especially on this two-week straight trip starting next week. Wait? Who’s going to water my plants?

The Great Escape

2007-10-06T12:22:00.001-04:00

This episode takes place between 5am – 1am.

I wake up, shower, brew coffee and pack. I check out of my hotel room with no problems. I make the mistake of drinking my entire cup of coffee before I leave the hotel. I usually like to take a cup with me for the drive, but the continental breakfast hasn’t been set up yet. I leave early to be able to get some breakfast and relax before I get to the school. It’s 6:am and I have to be at work by 7:30am.

I get on the roads, missing ramps and exits until finally I get on the right road. I’m cruising down I-30W listening to NPR that there’s a road closure on I-30 because of an over turn semi. Having no idea where I am let alone where the closure is. Sure enough the closure is up ahead. I’m stuck in the middle lane for almost a half hour. The time it says it will take me to get to the school from my hotel. Of all the times where I don’t have a cup of coffee. Everyone merges to one lane and exits. Unfortunately there are not detour signs and I kind of follow the others. A stoplight separates me from the pack so now I just go on intuition. I drive on these back roads until I come to a major intersection. I make a left and voila! There’s I-30! After that 15-minute detour and on the road for close to an hour I’m cruising down I-30 towards Fort Worth. Morning rush hour is starting to show it’s ugly face. Several on ramps begin to merge pushing to the making this three lane highway into five. I now find myself in the left lane and see my exit far on the right. With my sloppy driving skills and a few obscenities I make it over to my exit in the nick of time. A few left and right turns I’m finding my roads okay until I end up in a turn only lane bunched into cars so my only choice is to turn left on the wrong road. Of course it’s the longest light in Fort Worth so it forces me to think about how much I hate driving in these cities. So I turn left and right on a side street that gets me back on the right road but I can only turn right to go the wrong way. So here I am stuck at the longest light once again having to turn left. It’s one of those five street intersections so a U-Turn is not a good Idea. I turn left and see a Wendy’s open for breakfast. I still have twenty minutes so I stop and grab some coffee. Finally I have coffee and end up on the right road. The school happens to only be two miles from that mess and I pull into the parking lot with 10minutes to spare. I grab my stuff and wonder around the school looking for the main office. Of course I’m going the wrong way and when I finally get there, it hasn’t opened yet. I wait a couple of minutes and the lady shows up. I sign in and she gives me directions to the teacher’s class. The office lady who hasn’t had her coffee yet gives me the directions to the classroom. I walk dragging my presentation suitcase behind me and carrying a box. I didn’t mention that this school is built on a hill so there are steps everywhere. It makes ten times harder to lug this gear around. I end up where I started when I was lost looking for the main office and now find myself lost again. So up stairs through busy halls I end up back at the office. The office lady apologizes because she realizes she sent me the wrong way. In fact the classroom is just around the corner from the office. After several internal obscenities screaming in my head I reach the classroom.

You know you’re a professional when you can turn off that negative hatred for your day and put on that nice fake “I’m happy to be here” smile on your face without anyone knowing. The art teacher is laid back and she’s liked the best friend or mom of the school, which makes me a bit more at ease. I set up and give my first presentation. I was still a bit frazzled so it wasn’t great, but the kids and teacher enjoyed it immensely. Of course her planning period is second period which means I have an hour to leave campus have a cigarette and gather my thoughts. The only problem with that is, is that I have six straight presentations in a row with a half hour lunch break. I show back up to the classroom and lucky for me the teacher has a coffee pot in the room and put it to use. I’m at ease now that I have coffee for the rest of the day. That’s always a perk when a teacher has coffee in the room.

After six straight and the teacher buying me taco bell for lunch I have finished inspiring young minds for the day. I pack up my things, study the map and make my way to the airport with six hours to kill.

I’m starting to crave ice-tea so I stop off the ramp at a McDonalds. The only thing that I’ve seen for awhile. I grab my ice-tea have a cigarette and relax before I turn in Big Boy. Well as the day has been going, it’s not that easy.

Of course the ramp that I got off at now merges with a bunch of other main highways and I end up on the wrong one. I exit and backtrack through a back road where it’s apparently the busiest back road in Dallas. Stuck on this two-lane road I see now where I have to go I just have to be patient and wait it out. Almost there, I’m in front of train tracks and you guessed it, a train comes. The train barrels by and I get on the ramp and start heading to the airport.

After a few swift turns I make it to the Enterprise rental car return. I take out all my stuff and hug Big Boy good-bye. I head on down to the busses and jump on one of them. As we start moving, the driver says we’re going to terminal E. I look up at the map and see that I have to go to terminal A. But the bus isn’t going to terminal A. So I ask her where I should go and she very politely (like this happens a lot) tells me to go up the stairs and straight out the doors and get on another bus to terminal A. Please!!! No More Stairs!! It’s an escalator and I’m okay with that. I go out and find the bus. It’s actually going to terminal C and A. Of course C is first. The driver is a young guy with big teeth. I think he’s a bit mentally challenged but he can’t stop talking about his girlfriend. More power this mentally challenged big tooth kid with a girlfriend…. just rub it in brotha! After being on the bus for over 20minutes learning everything I about this lovesick driver’s relationship I finally get off the bus. I have to drag my luggage a city block to the check in at the kiosk. I check in, look around and find a seat to sit. Finally I zip through security because all the restaurants are on the other side, which sucks and find my way to the gate. I still have four hours to kill. I find a Friday’s and have dinner for about an hour. I then wander around the terminal looking at shops all exclaiming how proud they are about Dallas and Texas. I feel kind of sick to my stomach. I then come across one of those airports massage places and nod my head. The room is quite inviting. Relaxed. I ask for the back and neck massage and they escort me to the chair.

After everything I have been through this was the best decision I had made all day. In the chair I realized I had made my great escape. Not the escape of leaving Dallas and the trials I had gone through the whole week. But the escape of doing something for me. Finding an oasis in the middle of the airport where I could shut down my head for a short time, enjoy being pampered, and enjoy this great escape.

My flight was on time and I boarded without any incident. I found my seat and buckled in. I grabbed the blanket and rested my head against the window falling a sleep to sounds of S80 engine and the rocking of the turbulence.

My car was intact, no cracked windows. I drove home hitting every red light there is on 436. After some more obscenities I laughed at the irony of being stuck in my car so close to home. I finally make it home, which I will stay for the next 30 hours.

I know a lot of you are in the same boat with me. Frustrated and worn down because of work or life. I encourage you to find one moment of bliss, spend an extra few bucks to be pampered or relax into something that will make you feel good. My moment in that massage chair lasted 15 minutes but it was worth every penny. So go when you can and find your Great Escape.

And yes, I have made peace with the fact that I still hate Dallas.

To the ones I love...

2007-10-04T20:31:00.000-04:00

I do appreciate all the advice I received from everyone regarding last night’s rambling throw down. All of it helps in the construction of anyone’s or mine journey through life. Without the questions we ask answers will never rise. Everyone’s trials are their own their trials may be simple compared to someone else, but they are our own. Our situation that needs to be thought out or found in our own way. Ignoring questions is a way of giving up on our daily trials.

Positive mental attitude aka: PMA is a great way to live your daily life. Being positive when you wake up to the time you go to sleep is important. Having that positive energy changes the energy around you and everything else, but we all know we have those bad days where PMA is thrown out the window. No matter what happens to me I always end up having a good day eventually. When things are out of your control you have to throw up your hands and let life sort it self-out. Majority of the time you always find that it works it self out and worrying about it doesn’t accomplish anything other than stress and sleepless nights. Yet sometimes you can’t control it whether it’s a mental condition or a situation that was in your control that eats away at you. The month of August I was a recluse because of little things added up and I was being torn down. It took family and friends as well as my job for making me leave Florida to pull me out of it. Now I’m a recluse because of my job not because I want to be. Yet, everyday I try to inspire young adults, explore a new place and retreat back to a small room. But isn’t that why I write these blogs? To connect to all of you, my dear readers.

I have had this dream since before I was six years old about what I’ve wanted to do with my life. I’ve been persistent and patient. I’ve succeeded and failed. As the years go on reality sets in and you end up knowing more about the “real-life” of your dream and you have a choice to continue on or give up. Although, I have wanted to give up many times in exchange for a more simple life, I just can’t. So I will journey on.

My father brought up the differences between “want” and “need”. I debated him on the difference but I understand what he was saying. For example: I want a camera because I need to make movies to help me get ahead. But the difference is more internally than physical. The simple fact life is not fair and not matter what it will always be bad, bad, bad, good, bad…

For those of you who know me know, I enjoy my little blessings and never take them for granted. I’m sensitive to the things around me and I’m vocal about my emotions to which I have no shame. You know me when I’m serious and when I’m just being a dirty old man. My dry sense of humor has gotten me into trouble a hundred times over and my sarcasm can sometimes can be misunderstood by even my close friends. I’m a fan of the half-truth and I enjoy living in the gray area.

This blog thing is new to me and I love it. I will be able to tell my friends and family who cannot see me everyday look inside my mind for a few moments everyday. For my mother and father to better understand their son on how he ticks. My cousins to be better explain who I am to their children, faux cousin/friend to build to make our relationship stronger, high schools friends to see that we haven’t changed only grown up, new friends or people that don’t even know me that we are all in the same boat and my closest friends to let them know I’m alright and their love means so much. I write to you as an outlet for me because I trust and admire all of you dearly. I’ve said this often and I will continue, but without all of you I would be a lost soul. If God chooses to take me home tonight or years from now I will at least have this. If I lose any of you, I know I can call upon any of you to cry on your shoulder. I move around a lot especially now and it’s hard to say where’s my home. My home is inside all of you.

I’m like all of you. I have my good days and my bad days. I see challenges and victories all in one day. I ask question looking for answers. I question faith and rely on it. I give out the good and fuck up sometimes by being bad. Set backs makes us strive to be better. I believe people are all the same inside. We hope, dream and wish for certain things. We are all trying to do something. From the religious radicals to the impaired, belief is a powerful thing. We all believe in something and that’s what’s makes us similar it’s just our beliefs that makes us different. If I had born in a different time or different culture my belief would have been different. I was born to two loving parents, wanted to make movies and have strived to make that happen. I’ve seen most of the United States, met some of the most beautiful people in the world, loved, seen and experienced so many things in my life like all of you have. We live in a beautiful world where bad things happen.

Oh, I’ll question the bad all the time because that’s what’s going to add drama to all of this. Hell, I’m waiting for something controversial to happen real soon to keep you guys interested. It can’t be all roses. To be honest, I kind of feel a bit censored only because I respect my mom and dad so much, but I’m slowly going to break down those bridges. Not like anything like this has happened but what if I have a one-night stand at my hotel, what will you all think? I guess that remains to be seen. I suppose that will be all a part of this whole story of this one man’s journey inspiring high school kids and seeing the country.

Thank you for being a part of my journey and being my home. I love you all.

For the ones that read this and don’t comment let me know you exist. Say hello or make a statement.

Dad: you don’t have to scroll down to the bottom of the page to comment, you can comment at the end of each post. I want to make sure people read your comments every day.

Mom: You have so much to say, even if it’s a bad day. People can learn from you and your disease. I don’t know if my blog reaches those people, but you are wise and we youngin’s can learn from you.

Michael: Aka: Fairy God-Mother, along with my mom and dad you helped raise me. You have been patient, supportive and dealt with the most shit out of anyone. Nothing is hidden between us and I love you for that. You are a part of my family…period

Brit: What can I say that I haven’t said already? You Rock!!! Yeah, that’s frat boyish and unintelligent, but I’m allowed because you know the true meaning behind all of it. I love you dearly and forever. Everything you write is absolute brilliance.

Glenda: Thank you for helping with my mother now stop working and rest for one second, especially now you deserve it.

Stacy: Oh Stacy, what can I say. You are more beautiful than the first time I met you. You and Rob are amazing people and two of the most important people in my life. You guys shaped me at such an early age. Tell your step dad that I’m still sorry.

Brent: Where the hell have you been? I’m sorry if I contributed to your smoking but it felt right at the time. So awesome to hear from you, thank you!!

Ragan: I wish I could give you a hug right now. You have been reading these blogs and have been so supportive. I’m so sorry for everything you’re going through right now and we need that drink.

Carrie: I can’t imagine my childhood without you. Thank you for finding me.

Stephanie: You are the cousin that was with me the whole entire time. I miss you dearly and I love your children. I hope someday we can be closer but always know you’re in my thoughts constantly.

Aspen: I have no idea who you are, but your advice for Maine was awesome!!! Thank you sooooo much!

For the rest of you who haven’t commented or I didn’t mention…. COMMENT damnit and let me know you’re out there. I love you all…

Gloom and Doom Wednesday

2007-10-03T22:59:00.000-04:00

The IHop is quiet at 6:30am on this Wednesday morning. I woke up early so I could get a jump-start on traffic. I figure if I arrived close to the school early I could grab some breakfast and relax. When I started moving around my room I looked outside and saw rain pouring down the side of the building. Of all the places I travel to it rains in Dallas. Knowing the rain would add time to my drive I quickly got ready. I packed up my bags and checked out of the hotel before grabbing a cup of coffee for the road. Although the pouring rain was a factor it only took me half the time as it did yesterday. So now I have two hours to relax here at the international house of pancakes.

It looks to be a long day today. I figure I’m going to do six presentations and leave by 4pm this afternoon. It’s the same school as yesterday so I’m sure I’ll have some of the same repeat watchers which means I’ll probably not be able to play the game. The game is a Jeopardy type interactive game we play with the students. It actually wakes them up and sometimes I hear some moans and groans before we play but they really get into it. After school I drive 40 minutes southwest to Arlington in rush hour traffic.

It actually rained hard the last time I was here in Texas last July. My co-worker Matt and I started out from San Antonio to Dallas to Houston to represent Full Sail at the Warp Tour. It seemed like every time we started driving the car somewhere it started to rain. Today, it’s supposed to rain all day but clear up for tomorrow. Better today than Friday when I fly out of here.

I’m at the Lake Highland High School right now, sitting in the library waiting for my teacher to arrive. I’m soaked from the rain. Of course as soon as I pulled into the school the rain turned into a downpour. If it were up to me, I would equip all my rental cars with umbrellas as a privilege. Charge 20 bucks if the umbrella comes up missing from the car upon return. Perhaps I’m still a moderate traveler. If I were a well-seasoned traveler I would be more prepared and have a small umbrella for these situations. I’ll look into that. As well as getting new luggage that’s not ripping at the seams, yep all my stuff is falling a part.

Any who, I should go check on that teacher.

I’m sitting in the faculty lounge having a cup of coffee. It’s 10:30am. I’ve already had one presentation. It was kind of sketchy though. I started hooking up the projector and for some reason the projector was not working. Everything else worked fine. I had plugged into the teacher’s projector yesterday so I didn’t know that there could have been a problem with my projector. So I insisted we go to the library and check one out because there’s really nothing I could have done to make it as entertaining with out pictures. I really hope that I can get access to projectors the next couple of days in the classroom or this trip is going to be a nightmare.

I need to know if someone is actually keeping score on this trip. Not to be completely negative, but let’s just look at the facts. Car Rental, Pouring Down Rain, Broken Projector and Traffic, Wrong Addresses versus Good School, Nice Hotel and Meeting New People. It’s a 5-3 in favor of bad trip. Hey, I’ve been keeping a positive attitude so far and laughed off the bad so I’m allowed to vent. To put it in even more perspective, I haven’t had any of this bad, not even in Boston ever happen to me. I hate to say it, but Dallas I do not like you right now!! Almost everything that could go wrong on a trip has so far occurred. I’m not going to discuss the other stuff that could happen so I’m going to just leave that up to God.

I better head back. I’ll do two in a row, and then I’ll have another break then two more. I so wish I could post this right now actually no, I so wish I could curl up in my hotel room in a little ball and watch HBO all day long. Yes, that’s what I wish I could do.

The day is now over and I’m close to dreamland. Now please let me summarize because I have so many thoughts in my head. The bottom line is this trip has not been a good trip. Bad things have happen that have made my time here difficult. Sure nothing I can’t handle but it does make it stressful. Compared to other trips it’s been worst. Now is it Dallas? I don’t know. Yes we make the best out of situations and we try to learn from the trials and tribulations that happen in our lives. To what end? There’s no end to life’s trials, we always find ourselves in other bad situation or well, another trial. So taking a pessimistic standpoint on this would be why even try to be optimistic? What more lessons do I really need to learn? I am aware of my own mortality, I am aware of the world around me. I have been through bad days. So when is the lesson learned? Now I’m not taking back what I said yesterday because I strongly believe in what I said. But as an example I am trying to be friends with Dallas. Yes, I know this is a metaphor and we can discuss what the true meaning of what Dallas represents. Since I’ve already put out the negative vibes that Dallas sucks then of course it’s not going to be a great trip. Why then meet these nice people or sleep well at night? I think what I’m saying is when do you stop trying to be optimistic and finally realize the bad is just bad and you cannot change it. It’s like an abused wife thinking her husband is going to change or shrugging it off saying its just life. Now the real question is, and I’m only asking these questions because it’s ‘me” time because that’s what I’m suppose to do, right? You would feel sorry for that abused wife and try to help her. But what if she doesn’t what to be helped and you give up? Saying if she just wants to live in misery than that’s her life.

All right, so this is complete rambling but do you understand what I’m writing? There has to come a point where you stop being optimistic and just say this is bad. I feel a lot like that in my life. In Florida, there is a lot more bad than good. In Los Angeles there was a lot more bad than good. So obviously it’s me, right? Well yes. It’s like why am I still single? The excuse is the right one hasn’t come along yet. Why am I having a hard time wherever I live? I’ve prayed for years to God to keep me on path. So am I on the path that God wants me to be on? Am I so off the path that I can’t see the path God wants me to be on? If my entire life is to be devoted to movies why am I not making them? Am I supposed to be doing something else and if so why have I not found that path? Like I wrote on Monday, if a whole bunch of bad things led me to meeting those gentlemen was a good thing, right? Well why does bad things have to lead me to that sweet cherry? Enough is enough. Should I thank every stressful bad thing that happens to me and be so overjoyed when one good thing happens to me, do I? I am blessed I know that. I have so many blessings so please don’t get me wrong and think that I am ungrateful because I do count my blessing and thank God for them.
Perhaps my wanting is my sin. I want my mom and dad to meet my future wife and perhaps their grandchild. I want to be finically satisfied; I want to have more good things happen to me than bad. If wanting that is a sin, then I’m sorry mom and dad, you will never see me happy. Those are the questions spiraling through this limbo called “me” time. I just don’t want to be asking these same question ten years from now. These are just my questions that I need to find my own answers to because obviously I’m doing way to many things wrong. All those things that I have listed above as wants, I have tasted but they quickly went away. So what do I really want?

I’m sorry Dallas, you have a great big heart, but we just don’t get along. Sorry.

Memories at Their Expense

2007-10-02T22:40:00.000-04:00

I woke up refreshed at 5am this morning or if I was in Florida 6am. So am I more rested since I’m an hour behind or is my body just dumb because it thinks it’s just slept for an extra hour? Regardless, it was still dark. And it was still dark while I was stuck in traffic at 7am but the light was coming up and by the time I was unstuck from traffic on a 19mile drive that took an hour to the school it was then broad daylight.

The kids were so respectful and nice. It was a minority-dominated school that I always seem to have more fun at. You here all those bad stories from schools like that, but everyone that I have been to I’ve always been treated with respect and have fun at. I think they just like the fact that I gave coffee to Jessica Alba on a regular basis. But it was a short day. I was out in 3 classes so I had the whole day to have…

…A momentary lapse of insanity. Today was expense day! At the end of every month I go through all my receipts and pray to God that they all add up. As well as not missing any. This is what I should have done on Saturday or Sunday that I procrastinated from doing. After a nice lunch from next door I start the writing, the counting, the praying. If I were smart I would do this as I go, but I don’t and wait until the end of the month when I have a plethora of little pieces of paper that I have to organize by date and time. I tape them to a white piece of paper and make an excel sheet of the date/what it was/what for/amount. It’s tedious. This time the process was a bit different. There was something special to it.

Every other receipt meant something. Having lunch at the hotel with my high school friends, that amazing sushi dinner with Brit, eating lobster on the floating restaurant in Maine and a great steak with to good ole Boys in Texas. For this one painstaking monthly moment I get to look back and remember everything I have done, seen and experienced. It’s been a good month.

I tell my students who ask what I’m doing now; I often say I’m taking a year off to focus on my own projects. I call it “me” time. I get frustrated because I haven’t made anything, or make excuses for not doing anything productive. I’m hard on myself and people around me for not putting in the effort when I have this time. I don’t have a camera so it’s too hard to find one and it would be so much easier if I did. Yet would it make any difference? Well, yes, but that’s not the point. The point is would this be the “me” time that I really need? Sure I’m poor, but I have a roof. Sure I’m a lone a lot but I have so many wonderful friends and family. Sure my job is redundant but I get to see the country. I’m like George Bailey in “It’s A Wonderful Life” you have to put of some things off, go through hell and back to find out you’re the wealthiest man in Bedford Falls. All of you have made me rich and breathed life into me and I love you dearly for it. I guess I’ve been chasing my dream for 31 years now and I have succeeded in some aspects, so right now in this quiet hotel room, in this moment in my life I’ve come to realize I really am getting “me” time.

Oh, my receipts all added up. I’m relieved. 27 hundred dollars of memories at their expense.

the view from my hotel

Finding Peace in the City I Loathe

2007-10-01T20:48:00.000-04:00

I like to consider myself a very laid back guy. I enjoy the simple things and I tend to laugh off things that are completely out of my control. I guess my two pet peeves would be traffic and driving in traffic and not knowing where to go. Other than that I don’t really get too frustrated at things unless people get under my skin. I’m sure I reflect things off on people that view me in a certain way but those two things are what get me going. That doesn’t count me as a worrier. That’s different.

I woke up at 4am this morning hoping to get a head start by going into the office and get some work done. I start by making maps for my schools. I start searching for the school’s address and check if the teacher puts down an address in the email. I rarely do the latter but I sensed something fishy. The school in the subject line didn’t match the teacher’s address that she puts down in the email. After going through all this I find that two schools were inconsistent. I finally lock down the right address by emailing the teachers this morning and lucky for me they wrote back quick. Based on the previous addresses I booked my hotels based on that location so now I find myself thirty miles away from all the schools. Now with that new system with (I’m not going to swear) Expedia I can’t change my hotels like I could have with the old system. So now I just have to wake up a bit earlier.

I jumped into my car and made my way to the airport. Everything was going perfectly well. My American Airline flight was on time, I help others at the kiosk (I’ve learned nobody can figure those out) and zipped right through security. FYI, people had their toiletries in a zip lock bag in hand and ready.

The flight was comfortable. American Airlines have spacious legroom and horrible monitors for TV’s but they showed classic episodes of Cheers and Frasier so that made the flight go by pretty fast. I waited at baggage claim and my bag was one of the first to come out. So things were looking good in the city I loathe the city I have come to hate, the city of DALLAS.

Now don’t get me wrong, I do like Texas. It’s an interesting state. Beautiful cities like San Antonio with the river walk downtown. Austin with its amazing film and music culture. Big Bend National Park that has so much beauty it sucks you in especially at sunset. I just had a bad experience in Dallas last time I was here. My mother told me to find one thing about Dallas to like, so that will be my mission. My mission is to come to peace with Dallas.

I hopped on the bus to the rental car place and over heard a lady say she would not drive on any road with George W. Bush’s name on it. It’s funny; the biggest toll road in Dallas is named after our president. I walked into the Enterprise rental car and waited in this long line. An employee was going down the line taking names and saw that I was an Enterprise member. So he let me cut in line, I guess that’s one of the perks. Everything was ready to go so I handed over my credit card. Swipe. Nothing. Swipe. Nothing. The employee goes to the back for a moment and comes back. Eric says, “I’ve never had a corporate card get denied.” I just nodded and smiled and then started to laugh. I stepped out of line and made a couple phone calls to my boss and to Amex. We tried different things but Enterprises policy wouldn’t let me use my boss’s number over the phone. Finally, after my boss got a hold of the person at Full Sail that takes care of that stuff called Amex and upped my account 2,500 dollars. After 45mins, I was able to get my car. Eric had a few customers who were pissy with him before me and was relieved that I was nice about all of it. So when I got to my car I was upgraded from a midsize to an SUV. I’ve named him Big Boy. I climbed into Big Boy and headed off. To my amazement it was 4 miles just to get off the airport property. Driving into Dallas I ran into my number 1 pet peeve…traffic. Dallas drivers compare to Los Angeles drivers. Dallas is considered the fourth largest city according to the locals here, which makes sense because of the traffic. Then not knowing where to go adds to that. I’m starting to get used to it now that I do this everyday. Finally I arrive at the hotel. The Hilton Garden Inn/Allen TX. It’s kinda like a Holiday Inn Express but nicer. It has a microwave, fridge, big size room that overlooks the pool. So I was quite pleased with it. I jumped into the shower and cleaned up for dinner.

Next door is a restaurant named Two Rows Grill; it’s a restaurant/bar like any other Bennigan’s or whatever. I forget you can still smoke at the bar so that’s where I placed myself. I ordered garlic mushroom steak, garlic mashed potatoes, pasta salad and an Iced-Tea. Two 50something Texans sat down next to me after their long day of work. I’ve noticed they were regulars since well, everybody knew them and the guy at the end of the bar buys them a round of beers. My food arrives and I dig in. This was the most amazing meal I’ve had at a restaurant in a long time. The steak was tender, the potatoes fresh it was good. The older Texan next to me asks, “How’s your vittles?” In my head I’m laughing at ‘vittles.” I tell them it’s amazing. Before I know it I’m in a conversation with these gentlemen. Stuart, 50’s dressed in slacks and a blue button up shirt. Tim 50 dressed in jeans and scruffy shirt. They look rugged but they are good people. They remind me of my North Carolina Uncles. I find out they have been friends since the 7th grade and love to go fishing. They admit they are the worst fishermen on earth but their love for just being out in the open water intrigues me. I finish my meal and they offer to by me a drink, of course I except. We talk about where I’m from, what I do and what I’ve done. As the conversation goes on we decide to make a fishing show together. A light bulb goes off in my head and I think it’s the most brilliant idea.

The Pitch:
These two good ole’ boy, bad fishermen with probably the most remarkable looks and personalities takes celebrities or whoever out fishing and drinking for a day all over the country.

I can’t explain it but these guys were awesome. These guys are full of life, love and wisdom as well as being absolutely hilarious. I would film them fishing anytime and never get bored. They offered me a place and whatever if that’s something I wanted to film. They bought me a couple rounds and we just talked it up. They introduced me to the manager of the restaurant, the sweet bartender Becca and we just hung out. It was like hanging out with family. Tim’s wife calls and she’s making fish for dinner. I’m invited but I gratefully decline. As the gentlemen leave to go back to their families these two hilarious long time friends and barflies invite me back to Allen TX anytime and I will be taken care of. Now that’s good ole’ hospitality. I have their card for when I’m ready to make this amazing fishing show. And now I know what house I can go to when I need an Elk Burger.

I know the day started out rocky then smoothed out then became rocky again. But what if the addresses were correct, what if my card did work what would have happened then? I don’t think a nicer evening after a long day of traveling could have been without those rocks in the road.

Dallas, are you growing on me? We’ll see in four more days…

Dinner Theater at the Airport Security Checkpoint

2007-09-29T13:57:00.000-04:00

I was just a fly on the wall for this little sweetheart. Granted it is 6am and people’s brains really have not begun to work yet. The Portland airport is small and they only have one security check point working this morning. A line of what seems to be all amateur travelers are waiting patiently. Before I head to the check point I hear over the speaker an announcer reminding people to take all liquid, gels etc… must be placed in a clear zip locked bag and placed in the security bin over and over again. This had once happened to me when this first implemented the rule. They search your bag; take out all my stolen hotel shampoo and soap. The airport was gracious enough to put in a zip lock back and push it through. At that time the zip lock bag was new and what a hassle it is to take that stuff out through the security checkpoint with a rush of impatient people behind you. So remember if you can put all your toiletries in the checked bag. If you carry it on, everyone will see what you’re using in the special place by the parceling pot.

The security guard shouts out, “Take all metal out of your pockets, take off your shoes, hold on to your boarding passes, take out the zip lock bag!” While standing in line I hear this call several times. I don’t know if people think if they are quiet they’ll be able to slip by unnoticed? Or this is their first time on a plane? I figure they just are too caught up they just don’t listen. I’ll believe it’s a combination of the three.

As we all wait people are being called out about their toiletries, their boarding passes and taking everything out of their pockets. They do listen to taking off their shoes, which I find odd, but they ignore everything else. I’ve already put everything from my pockets in my bag before the line. I take out my laptop and put it in the bin. My shoes are untied and ready to be removed when it’s time. I’m all set and ready to go through, but then a nice surprise occurs in front of me.

A couple my age, both beautiful yuppies prepare to go through the line. The woman is drinking bottled water and the security guard tells her she can’t carry that through. She takes a few gulps and throws it away. In the woman’s bin she took out two small bottles of what looks like perfume and something else. The security guard says she cannot not carry that through unless she has a zip lock bag, she replies, “It’s okay, it’s in my purse.” That’s not working for the security guard and her husband who’s becoming a bit impatient tries to compromise. The security guard repeats you either need a zip lock bag or throw it out. The husband then takes the perfume and whatever the other stuff was and starts to throw it away. The woman stops him. The woman can’t seem to understand her two options and granted the rule is a little over the top in my opinion and if you don’t know, who brings a zip lock bag but I know they do have some when they check your ID at the beginning of the line. Still whatever sentimental value the perfume may have she’s still making a scene. Of course I’m a huge fan of the dramatics of people that throw tantrums in public so I wait patiently watching the drama unfold. The woman is pissed and trying to find a way to compromise with the airport security and then with a quick stealth move catching the wife off guard throws the contents in the trash. I was impressed by his skills. The woman explodes at him. She keeps asking him, “Why didn’t you tell me?” repeating the statement in different ways. You didn’t tell me I had to do this etc. In my head sticking up for the guy because he had some mad skills and was prepared to take the heat, Baby, you’re a grown woman take the initiative! The man tries to console her by touching her back and she forcefully pulls away silently yelling, “Don’t you touch me.” The security guard then tells the man to get his boarding pass out of the bin and carry it through. The woman moves through the checkpoint pissed. The man follows close behind but is stopped. Apparently he didn’t take everything out of his pockets. So my admiration for his swift mad skills begins to dissipate. He has to go back to the security guard, which gives me the opportunity to zip through just fine. It’s kinda like why does it take people twenty minutes at an ATM when it only takes me 30 seconds?

I grab my stuff and start walking. I pass by the woman whose luggage is now being searched. She calls out for her husband, which at first thought he was I but still trying to get through security. Another old security guard is shifting through all her belongings taking out bottles of stuff. The husband stops and checks in on what is going on. The woman is now balling her eyes out. You would think I would have sympathy for this woman but I really think she was an ignorant spoiled brat who can’t think for her self and relies heavily on material things and blames everyone else but her self. So I diagnosed her with Borderline Personality Disorder and moved on.

I looked back one more time and I noticed something. I don’t know if this is mean for me to say, but the wife was standing alone crying as the guard continued to search her stuff, the husband nowhere in sight, I am left with a sweet sense of justice.

Dinner theater was served!

BE COOL!!!!

I received a welcome home gift that was a fairly large crack in my car windshield. Sigh….I have nothing else to say. I want pizza.

In 48 hours I’ll be in the city I hate the most…I so can’t wait.

The Lighthouse

2007-09-28T20:04:00.000-04:00

The waves crash against the rocks echoing their sound across the Cape Elizabeth. I've been laying here for a while staring off into the Atlantic Ocean perched up against rocks. The rocks look like carved wood, natural steps down to the water. High tide is gradually making its way up the rocks. I will probably have to move up the incline shortly. My mind is empty with perhaps a thought or two popping in every once in a while. The sun peers through the partly cloudy sky and the cool ocean breeze makes it once again perfect weather.

I drove through dense fog twelve miles west of Portland this morning on my way to the high school. It was a small town like every other town here in Maine. I found the school with no problems. I think I'm beginning to understand my way around here. The school was large and the Art teacher I met was extremely nice. He had me set up in the auditorium and he had gone all out and had a student play his upright bass while students entered the auditorium. It was a nice gesture and the student was very talented. I gave two presentations back to back and I think a quarter of the students actually cared, maybe half. But that's usually how it is. The teacher than showed me around and told me about the tv class he kind of teaches. They have a full studio and edit bays that are really going to waste. He hinted to me that he wanted someone with experience to turn this into a real working classroom, a professional that know what he was doing. I would move up here in a heartbeat I told him if it was ever a possibility. I doubt anything would come of it, but it was sad to see all the equipment not getting any use. A couple of the teachers expressed interest in me coming back next semester so I pretty much have a full schedule if I can get this off the ground. I told them all it will have to happen before march if that's the case. CouldI teach? Could I really live in Maine? If that's God's path, we'll have to see.

I arrived back at the hotel at 12:30pm to change. I had planned on driving to Cape Elizabeth today pending on the weather. It turned out to be perfect. The drive was short. It's about 12 miles southeast of Portland. My goal this week was to see a lighthouse and I am happy to say my distant readers that mission has been accomplished. The lighthouse stands old but strong behind me. That is one thing I've always wanted to see in my lifetime and now I have.

Now I am going to get lunch….

I forgot to mention in yesterday's blog. I was doing a presentation and my IM was on without my knowledge. Michael my dear close friend had written me a hello. I'm so glad Michael used the simple word hello. I have received IM's on his bad office days and my students could have possibly learned a whole new lesson if that was the case. After the class I called him and we laughed hysterically at all the possibilities that could have happened. Thank you Michael for the laughs yesterday. I needed it.

I drove to downtown Portland because I heard about this amazing sushi restaurant. Several teachers, students and random people told me about it. So I walked to the restaurant and they were closed until dinner. I walked around until I decided on a place because I was so hungry. I went to McGritty's and had a sandwich thinking I would just wait it out downtown until they opened. Well I was actually full after that. I thought about going to a movie, but decided against it at the last moment. So I ended up just going back to the hotel. Even though, I really should head back downtown tonight to have a farewell party but I have to wake up at 4am tomorrow, return Big Blue and catch a plane. I have so much to do when I get back to Florida. Pick up my car, drive to work, get some work done, and drive to Tampa (maybe). I think I'm making the right choice to stay in this evening. I've had so much fun this week and have seen a lot. I'm just going to take it all in before I even think about writing a retrospective on the week. So with this bittersweet ending, I will say this almost forgotten state of Maine, will always be in my heart.

….so for those of you who don't know where I am going next, I'll see you in the city I hate the most the city I absolutely loathe…

The Dreamer and the Realist

2007-09-28T06:34:00.001-04:00

I'm sitting in a hotel bar drinking a vodka soda and two lemons. The bar is noisy with business people after a seminar. I just spoke to Danielle outside while smoking whom is from Boston. She tells me her and her husband own a restaurant Angelo's on Columbus street in Boston. I had to write that down for when I'm in Boston next.

I put in my ear buds, clicked on Itunes and now listening to the Once soundtrack. It has drowned out the gleeful conversations of relaxed business people. I had come down here for a late lunch earlier. I took a shower and again I'm annoyingly in a non-smoking room so I figured this would be a great time to write to you my faithful readers.

I must be a bit silly sitting at the bar with headphones and typing on a laptop, but you know I think I like making people curious about that stranger at the end of the bar. I do know from across the bar Danielle's got my back.

Today was a good day. I woke up well rested from Captain Stone's house. I had enough coffee to kick start the day. I had some extra time before school so I decided to drive further past the school. To my nice surprise I found an inlet at the end of this street. It overlooked the serene view of the bay. I was glad that I kept driving to find this gem unknown to me. It added to the peace that I needed that morning before a presentation.

The teacher was very nice and was a talker. She just seemed so excited about a lot of things and you had to somewhat pay attention to what she was saying because the topic would change in an instant. The students were polite. The first were a good mix of art students who asked me about all the famous people I have met. The second group was all girls who were a lot of fun to talk to. The last was in an auditorium, which always seems less personal. It's harder to connect to them that way compared to being in a room right in front of them. I hear tomorrow I'll be in an auditorium all day tomorrow. All and all I have at least made an impression on the teachers because they want me to come back next semester. That would give me an idea of winter, which I think is something I need to find out for myself.

I then drove the half hour back to Portland and staying at the Double Tree. It's further from downtown than I like. Meaning I can't walk to it. Which I could have saved myself from that because when I checked in, I was only booked for one night. I think that was my mistake. I went up stairs and searched for hotels downtown, like that holiday inn would have been great, but I'm sorry Mother, Father, F%@king Expedia doesn't cover it. Yes I know I said that before but that really kind of pisses me off. So I made it easy and just booked it here another night here. Which is okay, so I don't feel like I have to move again.

Wow, after reading this, this is boring.

I've been thinking about this a lot since I had this conversation about it back in Indy with a dear friend. It was brought to my attention the two personalities I own that are in constant battle with each other. One side is the realist and the other is the dreamer.

Wait, before I begin, I'm listening to a song at the bar and it feels like one of those movie moments with the background music going on and the rest of the people are just extras. Like this is a montage of me writing blogs for all of you. Sweet.

All right, so the writer in me is the dreamer and the realist is the one who figures out what to do after the dreamer is done with writing. I've recognize that the when the dreamer and the realist is in perfect harmony I'm doing great creatively. Recently the dreamer and the realist are at war. When the dreamer begins to write the realist is whispering into his ear saying what's the point. The realist is being a cynical bastard who is depressed but won't admit it. The dreamer is full of hope but very sensitive so when the realist brings the dreamer down the dreamer gives up and walks away. Right now I'm trying to get the realist and the dreamer to fall in love again. If I skip one day of writing these notes to my weary eyed readers I feel that I'll suddenly stop. I'm trying to get to a point where this is a good addiction rather than a war in my head. I've learned that I need to be addicted to good things in life rather than the bad. If I could find myself writing to you my friends everyday even though you don't read them everyday, it makes it an obsession. Where something will be missing if my day isn't put down. They say making prisoners write stories or poetry they become more peaceful. Perhaps the realist and the dreamer that are imprisoned in my head for eternity will now become at peace and with that my creativity will flourish.

Words are meant to be read; I guess that's why I don't understand diaries.

I know you have all stressed interest in the movie I saw last night and Brit went out to see it in Bloomington where I am extremely proud and absolutely amazed the movie was there. So here is the link to the trailer for those of you that haven't heard of it or know anything about it.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0907657/trailers-screenplay-E32392-10-2

the inlet I found

Delirium at Captain Dan's

2007-09-26T22:42:00.000-04:00

This part of the week is where delirium begins to set in. My body begins to drag and my mind starts to wonder. Perhaps it’s changing hotel rooms every night, or not getting enough rest because you feel like you’re not going to wake up in time for class in the morning. Perhaps like this morning having a class full of droolers who are unresponsive students makes it bit hard to feel good about what you’re doing. But being a wondering stranger in a new city by your self takes its toll.

I drove up to Brunswick, just a half hour north of Portland. I found my way to Captain Daniels Inn.

http://www.captaindanielstoneinn.com/homes.html

An old mansion made for Captain Dan back in the 1800’s. The website made it look beautiful so that’s why I stayed. And it is, they just forget to mention that the hotel is located right on a busy highway so my view is just that. My room is cute but small. My laptop barely fits the desk in the room. I do love the fact that you actually get a real key for your room. And the bed is one of the most comfortable beds I’ve slept on yet. In fact, after having a great lunch in town I came back to rest my eyes and fell instantly asleep.

Perhaps because it was hot today, I really wasn’t in good spirits. I walked around town today grabbed some lunch. It is a very cute and quaint town. People seem to be a little off but in a good way. The most interesting thing I saw today in the park was a man walking his monkey. Yes! A real monkey…on a leash. The town is really old fashioned and extremely laid back. I could see myself making a movie here someday.

On my walk, I discovered an independent movie theater. I don’t know if the world saw that I was feeling down and lonely, but the movie that was playing there was a movie I have been waiting to see since last May. I don’t understand how it is that I couldn’t see this movie in Orlando, but I found it months after its release in Brunswick, Maine. I meant to go the 5pm show but I slept through it during my nap. I figured I would just skip it but I called and found out the next one was at 7pm. I decided to go. I walked to the very small movie theater and when I walked in, there were regular movie theaters chairs. In the front were a three couches and a piano. So instantly I went to the couch. It reminded me of working at Rhythm and Hues during dailies my team and I would cuddle up on one of the couches in the front row while everyone else sat in the movie theater chairs as the morning dailies were shown on the screen.

The Review
It is this humble filmgoers opinion that “ONCE” is with out a doubt the sweetest and Best Film I have seen all year. Not only is this best film I’ve seen all year, I believe this will go into my all time favorite list. It’s a guy meets girl story and it’s funny because their names listed on the credits is guy and girl. It is considered a musical but in a very non-traditional since of the genre. More musicals should be made like this but I don’t think there can ever be a musical like this.

I am so pleased and in awe of this movie theater. The film had been rated R for a few non-sexual F-words. On the marquee they crossed it out and put PG-13. Evening Star Cinema, I applaud you.

The planets aligned on this day after months of trying to find this movie God gave it to me as a gift on one of my low lonely sad days. I had happy tears in my eyes through out this entire movie. When this movie is released on DVD I must have a screening in hopes that everyone will appreciate it as much as I did.

Now I’m going to listen to the soundtrack and fall asleep at peace after slight moment of delirium.

So please if you have a moment in your busy day tomorrow please send me some love, a question or anything that I can respond to. Or if you feel like you can send me a text or call my cell. I would love to hear a familiar voice.

The Sleazy Underworld of College Fairs

2007-09-25T20:17:00.000-04:00

A sign reads, "Life is Short, Eat Desert First".

All of these pictures that I post are from the camera in my laptop. So I apologize for not having a digital camera and for this poor quality. It's actually quite funny to see me holding up my computer and taking these pictures. I look like I'm crazy

There is this underworld to college fairs. To give you an idea of what I do when I’m not giving presentations is that I represent Full Sail at college fairs. I usually enter a large gym, convention center or high school where lines and lines of tables are set up. You carry your “collateral” to the table that has your college name. You lay out your special embroidered tablecloth and obsessive compulsively lay out your brochures and information sheets. Before the fair your usually fed snacks like cookies or fruit and coffee. If it’s a good fair they’ll have a complete spread and if you’re lucky a local culinary arts school will make the dinner. You hope that’s there’s enough bottle water to get you through the two or maybe three hour fair. With a half hour until the doors open to the students you mingle with other college fair reps, or introduce yourself to the table next to you or behind you. That is imperative. The rep standing next to you will make or break your night. They will be your savior, your partner your break from chaos of horny teens. This time I had Todd – Cornell College (not the university), Kim – Iona College NY, some guy from G.W. and old Larry from the other college I attended Columbia College Chicago. These people will be my team that will save me from the insanity.

Once the doors open students, parents and guidance counselors move from booth to booth with dreams, educations, and for parents a financial nightmare. Full Sail will either be known by students, or have been seen in a magazine or people stop by for curiosity. You pick your stance and make final adjustments to the brochures. You prepare yourself for standing the next two or three hours while waiting for your first sell. I kind of compare it to speed dating while you do everything you can to make an impression so they will give you their digits. Then of course hopefully the marriage when they give you their 70 thousand dollars in the end. The repetition begins to get tedious. The same questions asked, my same opening blah blah blah said. That’s when you check on your partners in crime. Either you see how they are doing or shoot over a funny face. It’s like two psychics reading each other’s minds. Finally the fair winds down. You say your good byes to your new friends, grab your stuff, finish paper work, hit a local Fed Ex drop box and drive away.

I’ve made a lot of friends during these fairs from all kinds of schools. When I started last spring attending these things I was so intrigued by it. It’s a people watcher’s wet dream. On my second or third fair I finally asked if there was a college fair underworld. “Oh Yes!” she said. These fairs are on going. Most of these people are on the road more than I am. They’re rock stars! So a lot of these people see each other all the time like how I see my friends at these fairs. My friend offered, “It’s very much a soap opera.” Most of these reps are young and beautiful. Working in the marketing or admissions department at the college. Some have family most don’t. One-night stands are the norm or when two reps from different schools meet at the same fair every year they hook up, sort of thing. Several people have parties back at their hotels or go out for drinks. I’ve even heard of BBQ’s happening. Yet I stay close to my people. Those others are like a fraternity that I really don’t want to join. Plus they are very selective and mostly are guy reps trying sucker in the newest cutest female rep. Yet, I enjoy sitting back and watching the sleazy underworld of college fairs is quite fun. I rather do this everyday than presentations.

I was really excited to go the University of Maine where the college fair was being held. On Monday night I had some extra time before the fair to explore the campus. As I walked and walked it was big boxy brick building after boxy brick building. In this vast campus there wasn’t anything that stood out. It was plain. They had a huge grass area where few students were laying out enjoying the weather while studying or reading. I sat down at a bench with a cup of coffee and looked around. I found myself picturing what it would look like in winter. The trees covered in snow, the snow sparkling in the sun and found myself getting depressed. Seriously, if I was a student there in the winter I would go insane like Jack in the “Shining”. No wonder Stephen King is the way he is, he lives here in Bangor. There were no nature paths or great statues. No beautiful architecture, nothing really. Just brick buildings. I went into the student union and went to the bookstore to get my shirt. There was nothing I liked really. The only one was just plain grey but the only sizes were extra large. I’m not that big…yet. I lowered my head in disappointment and walked to the gymnasium.

This morning I arrived at the college fair at UM an hour early. When I began to set up my table an old gentleman working for the fair came up to me. He said my stand up quick screen wasn’t in regulation of 4 feet high 18 inches. Basically it’s a banner that is pulled up from a base like a giant poster. He made me take it down. At the last two fair there were no complaints nor was there any last night. He told me he didn’t have the rule sheet with him last night and so he didn’t make me take it down. Yes there are rules at these fairs; it’s quite ridiculous really. Come on? You have college sports teams giving illegal gifts to perspective college players and I cannot put up a six-foot poster. Lame. Apparently I wasn’t the only one. Two old ladies a couple tables down had to take down theirs as well. And as the guy from G.W. pointed out, the Military booths get to keep theirs up…SCAM!!

Well, either way, today’s fair was a bust. All the vendors were complaining about the number of students attending and the quality of students there. It was pretty lame. People started packing up 15mins early and I waited it out. I said my good byes to my fair friends and packed it up. I jumped into Big Blue to head back to South Portland.

A nice two-hour drive I pulled into the Best Western. It looked beat up from the outside and nothing what it looked in the pictures on the web. You see, I have always stayed at the Holiday Inn’s but a recent corporate shift to booking everything on Expedia rendered that useless. Expedia doesn’t carry Holiday Inn’s and I was just a few points shy of being a top priority member. Urghh…

I enter my room, which is annoyingly non-smoking and hoped for the best. It actually has a nice charm to it. Microwave, fridge, two sinks, a phone in the bathroom and the most brilliant thing is the MASSAGE CHAIR, the ones at a Brooktstone store with the calf massager as well. After taking a shower I lied in it for an hour. Then jumped into bed and fell asleep. Today was my rest day. Now that the gymnasium doors are closed, the classroom doors are opened. Let the presentations begin…

Vacationland

2007-09-24T13:18:00.000-04:00

Legend has it that my mother and father had been trying to get pregnant for quite some time. They had finally given up and decided to adopt a boy from Hawaii. They had moved to New Hampshire as missionaries where they lived for a short time. While on a trip to Maine my mother was becoming ill. They drove to Bar Harbor Maine with my aunt and cousins. Whether the news was here in Bar Harbor remains to be know to me, but the realization is that I was unexpectantly in my mother's womb in Bar Harbor Maine when my began to have symptoms of being pregnant.

After 31 years I have made it to the place where I was noticed. I am in Bar Harbor Maine. It's a beautiful clear day about 70 degrees with a perfect breeze. I walked the along the coast of the harbor taking the beauty all around me. It's absolutely gorgeous here. Downtown is lined with gifts shops and restaurants. All New England style buildings. The leaves are slightly changing yet to my surprise the flowers are in full bloom.

I'm sitting next to an old man eating ice cream on a park bench in the town square. I'm sipping coffee and doing some work. The town has free wireless so I was able to work and enjoy being outside. I drove up from Portland to Bangor yesterday afternoon during sunset. I really can't explain God's miracles up here in writing. I think only the greatest poets or painters could capture and describe what I saw. By the time I reached my hotel in Bangor it was dark. My room was fair nothing special, but the bed was comfortable. I had fish and chips for dinner and decided to retire early. I woke up at 7am, made coffee and did some work for my next trip. I noticed I had 12 hours to kill until my College Fair and so I jumped into Big Blue and drove 42 miles.

I first stopped off at Acadia National Park. Brittany has always wanted to go there so at the steps I made a promise that I would come back with her someday. I at least bought her a magnet to remember that promise. You see she is my National Park buddy since she traveled cross-country with me from L.A. to Orlando hitting every National Park along the way. It just wouldn't be right to go in without her.

I then drove down a couple of miles to Bar Harbor where I now sit.

I really have nothing profound to say. I put on a mood ring while in a gift shop and it read that I was extremely happy and relaxed. I'm sure that this place could be brutal in the winter and tough to bear. I don't know if Maine would be a place to live or if it's just one of those vacation moments where you're in complete bliss and living here would be completely different. Living costs are about the same as Orlando. Nonetheless I'll always keep it in the back of my mind.

Maine license plates read "Maine – Vacationland". Perhaps that is all will be to me, just a vacationland. I have only been here for three days and I'm in love with it.

Tonight, I head up to Orno, Maine for a college fair at the University of Maine. My goal is to get a black t-shirt with Maine imprinted on it. Not because I love this state but really because I grew up in a small town in upstate NY called Maine. Ha-ha…I just looked over as saw a man sleeping on the grass with his book covering his face. Sweet!

What a great day it has been so far…

Downtown Portland - From my hotel room Sunday Sept. 23

Big Blue and I at the hotel parking lot before leaving this morning

Acadia National Park - Visitor's Center

Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor - Along the Path

Bar Harbor - Me on the path

The Park where I wrote this Blog

The Spirits of Portland Maine

2007-09-23T10:46:00.000-04:00

I’m sitting at this desk drinking a cup of coffee, staring out my window. There isn’t a cloud in the sky. It’s a gorgeous day. I can’t wait to go outside. But as I sit here I am really trying hard to come up with words to describe last night.

I started walking and decided to go down a different street. A block from my hotel room there was a bar that stood a lone. I nearly walked past it. I honesty can’t remember the name of it. I walked in and ordered a 7&7. I walked outside to the patio a stood with my drink and smoked cigarette. It was packed nor were the people obnoxious. The place was chill, which I love. A guy behind me talks on his cell phone and then hangs up. I look back at him and he shrugs and says it’s my mom making sure I’m not getting too drunk tonight. He then introduces himself as Luke. As we talk he shares with me his love for this city. The food, the bars and the people he loves living here. Luke has just arrived back from Africa where he had been backpacking for the last month. He’s here with his friend Staaus who is standing next behind Luke talking with another friend. Luke walks away to get another beer and I stand quietly smiling at this optimism these he shared with me. Luke comes back with four shots of whisky and hands them to his friends and then passes one to me. They toast “All In” referring to Luke’s big win at poker earlier in the day. We down out shots in great appreciation. I am introduced to Staaus who lives in Maine but is from Russia. His accent is still strong. Luke and Staaus make a funny bet on who has more “game” than the other. Obviously Luke has more confidence but Staaus has the accent the women love. Luke sees a woman and makes his way to prove his “game”.

Staaus and I talk about L.A. and Vegas. He had just arrived back from a weekend trip to Vegas with his brother. He’s a bit ashamed for spending way too much money out there gambling. I think he’s realized he has a gambling problem. At one point he was up thousands of dollars and didn’t walk away. Now he’s broke. I assured him that money is money and he’ll make it back, but the experience is what he needs to look back on and appreciate.

I walk over to Luke who talking to a girl and her friend. I’m told him I’m about to leave and he says we need to go to another place. Staaus still has a full beer so we wait and I sit with Luke and the ladies. To my surprise the Natalie is from Lakeland, FL and her friends is from Altamont Springs. They know Orlando well. We all sit and talk as other locals come in. Everyone seems to know each other here and it’s comforting to be included in the mix. Finally Luke is ready to move on.

We head to Mcgritty’s where many people have told me prior that I need to go to. It’s a brewpub and it’s packed. Luke hands Staaus cash to buy us around and then walks away. Luke is gone for quite awhile. Staaus and I end up talking to David a guy sitting at the bar. I began to notice that people love baseball here. In fact Maine is full of hardcore Boston Red Sox fans. You would think you were in Boston. The irony is that Staaus is wearing a Yankees hat just for reactions from people. He tells me that he doesn’t even like baseball; he’s a soccer fan. Luke shows up and we chat. He tells us he has to meet some friends at Rai Tai and wants us to come along.

There’s a line at Rai Tai and we wait. A lady in front of us jokes with Staaus about his Yankees hat. As we enter the crowded bar an 80’s cover band is on stage. Staaus and I realize we have lost Luke and from that point on we will not see him for the rest of the night. We go upstairs and Staaus buys me a drink. We walk around and I notice people are glued to the Boston/Tampa Bay game. Staaus and I talk in great detail about life, home, women, Russia and our common lack of money.

I was worried as we were walking from bar to bar that this nightlife would be like every other place I’ve been to. You have people decked out and people in very casual attire, and I was afraid that this would be just another meat market. Looking back it kinda is but not really. These people are aware and extremely polite of each other. If someone bumps into you that stop and make sure to apologize with a smile. Everyone moves out of the way when someone is walking through especially in a crowded bar. I notice that these people are sincere and kind. I’m sure some people’s hormones are on fire but they mingle with class.

Staaus bumps into some friends and introduces me. It’s starting to get late so I tell him I need to head back to the hotel. He’s disappointed but makes sure I get his cell phone number for when I get back to Portland.

On my way back I walk past the bar where I started. I decide to have one more before heading back to the hotel. I go to the upstairs part and order a drink. Another band is on stage. I go outside and sit at a picnic table where a group of people is talking. I quietly sip on my drink and listen to their conversation. After about ten minutes, I find myself included in the conversation. I have met five more people. These people are intelligent and laid back. I seem to have fit right in. They find out that I am a “motivational speaker” and tell me to motivate them. The rest of the night we all sit back and talk, laugh and enjoy each other’s company. Before I know, we have closed out the bar. The invite me to continue hanging out but I tell them it’s time for me to head back. They give me their email addresses and make sure to contact them when I’m back from Bangor.

I don’t know what it is. Perhaps when I’m in a new city I have more confidence. I wonder why I can’t do that as much in my own city. Perhaps people are intrigued with a new face and a fresh perspective. Maybe it’s just the people here and it’s just their nature. Nonetheless there really is still good people in this world.

I wan to give a big thank you to the dozen or so people that I met last night. Thank you for the drinks, your kindness and your beautiful spirit.

Trouble on Day 1

2007-09-22T20:15:00.000-04:00

Trouble has struck. I don’t have any information to hand out to the students. We ship boxes up to the hotels that we can’t carry on the plane. So either we lost them in the mail or they were never shipped. So for the next three days I can only offer my charming personality and wit. Oh and my plethora of information about Full Sail.

On the flip side, they have free hot chocolate in the lobby….I love this hotel!!!

So before I can go down to the hotel bar I have to deal with this and drink hot chocolate!!

The Grand Father City

2007-09-22T19:40:00.000-04:00

I feel a bit silly really, somewhat ashamed at myself in a way. My plane landed early in Portland. My bags arrived on the belt. I followed signs to the rental cars lugging two suitcases and a quick screen. Reaching the rental car location I noticed mine wasn't there. I was slightly annoyed. I lugged my suitcases across the airport which really isn't that far, but tired and jet lagged I felt I was becoming anxious. I found a phone where I am supposed to call them and wait for a bus. The bus took its time arriving and when it did, stopped twenty feet past me even though I waved him down. I arrive at the rental car place and waited for my car. The process took about a half hour. They pulled my car around that will be my carriage for the next week. A small P.T. Cruiser with just enough room to put my luggage in the back. I've named the P.T. Cruiser "Big Blue".

The three-mile drive to my hotel took 15 minutes. The speed limit was 30 mph on two lane roads. At that point I have become extremely annoyed and anxious. This was suppose to be fun, this is Portland, Maine…

The initial plan was to drive down to Cape Elizabeth today. But the day is dreary like a heavy fog looming over the city. That ocean mist that does not want to dissipate. I'm on the 10th floor and open my huge curtain that reveals downtown Portland. I decided to just walk even though I'm exhausted.

Portland Maine reminds of Portland, OR. It is said that Portland, OR was named after this city and you might think these two cities were brothers separated by birth. It also reminds me of Seattle. The buildings are on hill that leads to the bay. Though the hills are not as steep as Seattle. The old red brick is breathtaking and cobble stone roads in certain sections make it very unique. I went through little shops and bought a camera. I walked up and down streets searching for a place to eat. I decided to walk towards the port and found DiMillo's. It's a ship turned restaurant. It was nice yet casual. The windows surround the dinning area where you could see out into the bay. I was seated at four top slightly embarrassed and since I was eating alone. I looked around the dining room and you could instantly point out the locals from the tourists. The tourists were loud and drunk on life and all of then of course ordering the lobster. The locals were quiet, eating in peace. Their skin aged, their bodies worn down. I noticed that too when I was walking earlier. How easy it was to separate the two.

I of course order a cup of clam chowder and a lobster. I'm a tourist what can I say?

After lunch I walked around more and took pictures of buildings and statues. I was tired but really didn't want to go back to the hotel. I didn't want a drink or a cup of coffee, but then I came upon a movie theater. I checked the times and the one movie I wanted to see was starting in five minutes. This was fate. I snuggled in my seat and watch Eastern Promises. I enjoyed it, though it's funny to see several older people go to a David Cronenburg film because I always remember his films a weird a twisted. He's kinda gotten past the somewhat weird part but he still doesn't hold anything back. So the older people in the theater gasped at the gore and I say, well, that's just David, that wonderful sick man. Please send me your thoughts and lets talk about that one scene…or you will know.

When I left the theater I started walking back to the hotel. And this is why I feel a bit ashamed. I don't know if it's just today, the dreary sky or if this is what it really is, but Portland is so quiet. I did not once here a siren. Cars didn't honk. In fact if the car has a green light they will let a person who is waiting for the walk signal to cross the street before they go. I'm ashamed because I seem to have let in all that impatience that annoyance of everyday life gets the best of me. This is not what this city is. It's a quiet city where it has found a peace through long winters the monster ocean. Like it's an old man who has seen everything and settled down for some quiet bliss. I'm going to call it the "Grand-Father" city because it's old and wise, worn and embracing.

Now, even though I am exhausted I want to know more. I'm going down to the hotel bar and use my complimentary drink ticket then walk to a local pub. I want to listen to these people because they may have some lesson some secret to share with me tonight.

Restaurant Website
Dimillos.com

Movie Trailer of the Week
Juno

MCO - Orlando International Airport

2007-09-22T09:27:00.001-04:00

Who is this Sky Chef? I mean who is this person and where did they go to school? Were they the graduates of the bottom of their class? I believe the Sky Chef is a robot that makes synthetic food products made from chemicals found in the lead factories of China.

That’s right my loyal readers I am at the Orlando Airport waiting and watching CNN in the terminal. I hate using the word terminal in an airport it kinda freaks me out. This morning I have learned that if everyone in America followed the food pyramid to the tee that America would run out of food. So thank you my fast food friends. Also they dissected a Twinkie and what the chemicals are involved. Contrary to popular belief a shelf life of a Twinkie is 25 days.

I woke up a 5am this morning and finished my packing. I’m a bit tired but excited. I am curious to see where my day takes me. I have that feeling that I’m forgetting something so when I realize what it is it will be when I’ll need it the most. Checking in at the airport was no problem. I’ve become a pro at this traveling business. Perhaps in a future blog I’ll add some travel tips or perhaps answer any questions you may have. I passed by the Indianapolis terminal and gave a shout out internally. I mean if I start yelling in the airport I could be kicked out or committed to a strip search, which would not be cool. If any one has had that happen to you please tell me your story.

I’ve had some random thoughts this morning. One in particular is the glass half full or half empty. Half full means you’re an optimist and half empty is a pessimist. Now I think it should be the opposite. If the glass is half empty that means I have consumed half of the liquid, which means I am have replenished. If it’s still half full that means I have a long way to go to finish it. Yeah, that thought lasted for about 3 minutes. Still it’s a matter of perspective. Perhaps my perspective is a bit askew.

So this is it my friends, the beginning of my travel blogs. I sometimes have this affect on people where I offend them. I don’t know why? So I just have to say that from the bottom of my heart if I offend anyone I sincerely DO NOT apologize for that. Listen, I have to keep this honest and true. So if you feel offended by it in anyway than let me know and we’ll talk. But in my own heart I cannot censor this.

These blogs are being posted on myspace as well as petervj.blogspot.com So you do have your options. The plane is going to board in a half hour so by 1:30 I’ll be in the State of Maine.

Remember: Breathe in the Good

Me at the Airport

6 States 30 Days

2007-09-21T19:01:00.000-04:00

For all my faithful readers I am going to attempt a certain consistency to this strange place the "blog".

I leave tomorrow for the much-anticipated trip to the glorious and often forgotten state of Maine. I hope to document much of my adventures often. As many of you know, I have been having some trouble with writer's block lately, so in a desperate attempt to keep writing I am going to try this new approach. So please consider this a documentary or memoir if you will of my trials, my success, my secrets, my slight of hand of stealing hotel shampoo. Whatever the mood you will be informed.

Writing this, right now is a promise that this will happen but I'm going to need help. Please interact with me, please ask questions, and send comments, advice, post pictures, anything. Traveling alone can be lonely so your words will truly comfort me as well as encourage me to continue with these blogs. Please, please travel with me...

According to my schedule I will be on the road for the next month. In that month I will be in 6 different states. For those of you who don't know, I work for my old college, Full Sail. I travel from high school to high school trying to "inspire" students to follow their dreams. Today, I realized that's actually what I do. Students have responded well to me and have given me hope. I realize I have led a full life and my experiences can help someone else. I have come to peace with this job. Yet, I'm on a certain schedule so I cannot always go and sight see often but I'm going to try to squeeze it in as much as I can. Doing seven presentations a day is a bit exhausting and sometimes I have to drive two hours to my next hotel afterwards so I hope that these blogs do not become too mundane. With your help, lets see how I can make the best of it.

Alright...tomorrow morning it will begin....I will see you then...

The Fall has Risen

2007-09-21T18:59:00.000-04:00

The summer was full of trials that buried me deep into the corridors of my Bishop Park apartment. I had fallen to a point where I was not able to communicate with people or lacked any motivation to go outside. My health was failing so the doctors had said, so I went on this low cholesterol diet, which wasn't all that bad, but yet lacked a certain spark to put a smile on my face. A couple dear friends had come to sit with me and watch movies. Yet, at the end of the day I was still alone and miserable. I felt my life slowly disinagrating…. I had entered the fun filled fabulous world of depression.

Over the summer I had gone on three trips. I went on two fabulous vacations to see friends and family, the other for business, which turned into quite the adventure. When those shorts trips were over, I was looming over a desk at work, feeling stuck. I was looking forward to when I could burn myself out again and start traveling, visiting schools. It felt so far away back at the beginning of August. The days slowly went by as I watched close to three movies a day. Finally, September had arrived and Labor Day weekend was here. My mother heard the distress in my voice as I coolly played my emotions like nothing was eating at my insides. Yet, mother's intuition had beaten me. She drove up to see me and made it clear I wasn't alone. We shopped, cooked dinners and went to movies. It was the first time in quite awhile that I felt comforted, blessed and loved. Thank you mom.

Last January, when I first started working at Full Sail I had petitioned to visit Indiana high schools. Not only is it my home state, but also there were a lot of friends that I wanted to see there. So yes, it was a selfish petition but I believed in it. I pushed and pushed and finally late August it was a go. I worked hard to get into those schools and make contacts and finally it was a reality. My mother had said before I left that this is going to change you, this is what you need…

Saturday – Sunday Morning
On September 8th I flew into Indianapolis. Brittany picked me up at the airport and drove me down to Bloomington as my mouth watered every time we passed a White Castle. Now without doing a play by play of my first day I'll just write this… Lunch, Indiana University Art Museum, Nap, Dinner, Drinks with Friends, then bed by 3:30am. It was a day that I hadn't really had in months. I was already in Heaven.

Sunday
Brit then had to drive me back to Indianapolis to get my rental car. She stood by with me and waited until my car was ready. After she left I drove to my hotel to check in. I had informed Grant I had arrived at my hotel and not a minute later, he was on his way. We met in the lobby and instantly recognized him. It had been 10 years since we last saw each other and he hadn't changed a bit. I took great comfort in that. We sat at the hotel bar, ate, drank, watched football and caught up. Two hours later, Rob and Stacy showed up, more friends from high school. I hadn't seen them in twelve years. Thanks to Grant, the drinks kept on the coming the stories of our past years were revealed. I was in bed by 9:30pm with a huge smile on my face.
Monday
It was my first day of class for the fall semester. I was a bit rusty during my presentation, but I made it without missing a thing, I think. After the first presentation, I had a couple of hours to kill. So I went to Steak and Shake for breakfast. They screwed up my order. When the manager found out about this, which I hadn't said a word about it, he came over to apologize. He saw my Full Sail shirt and commented on it. He knew about the school and took much interest in it. He then told me my breakfast was on the house. Really?
After two more presentations I head up to Rob and Stacy's for dinner. I was early so I drove up to Panera to get a cup of coffee and do some work. I walked in and asked for a cup of coffee and the girl said…"you're fine" handed me the cup and smiled. Free coffee? Really?
I arrived at Rob and Stacy's in which they were cooking me a home cooked steak dinner. Wow! Before dinner we looked at pictures and talked of the past. Then my high school friend Dana arrived. Another familiar face in whom I adore. We ate the most amazing steaks and drank wine that Rob and Stacy had made from scratch. Without just saying the evening was delightful, I will say it was simply lovely.

Tuesday
I've never been to a high school that had ten class periods. After a record nine presentations I headed down to Bloomington to check into my hotel. I stayed at the Indiana University Memorial Hotel located in the heart of the IU student union. My room was nice with antique looking dressers.
Brittany comes over I turn off the TV (yes that's important) and we walk the campus looking for a place to eat. We decide on sushi. After we eat, we go to a clothes shop where I am looking for a t-shirt that says Indiana on it. We then walk up to her place and make drinks. We sit on her porch and talk. It was one of those talks where you remember why you talk to this person. Why you care for this person and how you want to exist with this person. We covered the ups and downs in our lives. Connecting the past to the present and wishing for the best in the future. Brittany has been there for me during my darkest hours. We've known each other since we were babies and yes she has a picture of me as a baby and I'm sitting like a monkey…yes it's true. The conversation reinforced our bond which gave me great comfort that I have such a great person in my life.

Back at the hotel I enter my room. The TV is on…. spooky

Wednesday
More presentations…
Brit and I eat wings and other unhealthy stuff. Remember that diet? Yeah, throw it out the window. We walk it off and get my t-shirt with "Indiana" on it. Watch movie trailers and go get coffee. We part ways at the coffee shop so I can get ready for Mary Alice. Mary Alice arrives and we walk up to the Vid that is a bar. We have a couple of drinks and decide that we're going to do the "Amazing Race" show and our shtick is that we really don't know each other that well. We've actually only hung out about two times prior. So yeah, that was decided over drinks. Since I had been to the Vid many times before I ask her to take me some place new. Finally I stop the thought process and say take me to Kilroy's. That is the Frat Bar of IU. The one bar that my friends refused to take me to, so with a shit eating grin, Mary Alice and I go to Kilroy's. The bar was dead sadly, but there were enough frat boys and drunken sorority girls to get the point across. I then had a moment of clarity. I realized that I spend most of my time at places where I would find people more like me. In retrospect I need to go to places I would normally not go to inspire me creatively. I mean, think about it... I need to broaden my storytelling spectrum, and besides drunken frat boys and sorority girls is just plain comedy.

Thursday.
Presentations…. you get the picture.
Hooray, White Castle!!!! Brit and I dine gloriously.
Brit is the co-chair for the Pride Film Festival in Bloomington. So I go to a screening with her. It was inspiring. I sit in a room with people as we watch independent films. Some were good some were just plain awful. Overall the experience inspired me. I need to get going on some movies and get them out there. That my wonderful readers...is that.

Friday
Last day of Presentations…
Due to a change of accommodations so Derek could finish his symphony in peace I stay in Bloomington one more night.
Legend has it that Brit and Pete sit for hours trying to figure out what kind of pizza they are going to get. How much money can they spend where to go? Pete steps out for a phone call and when he comes back in Brit had already made the decision and ordered the pizza. Which of course was fine with Pete. Brit and Pete drive to the library and pick up movies. They then drive to the pizza express. When we arrive to our surprise our pizza had mysteriously disappeared. So embarrassed were the pizza express employees that they make a fresh pizza and tell us it will be half off. Pete and Brit sit on the Pizza Express bench outside for about ten minutes contemplating life. Behold the Pizza Express employee comes out and asks if we had already received our t-shirt? Bewildered, Brit says no. The Pizza Express employee hands over a t-shirt to Brit in which she gives it to Pete, then our pizza. Then a slight miscommunication on drinks. But then as everything was about to be said and done….the pizza was free!!!! Holding back their emotions and pure glee they drive away from the pizza express in an explosion of joyous symphony!!!! We ate well…
The Kinsey Institute is showing erotic films from their archives this night. Speed walking our way we arrive just in time to a packed theater. The movies ranged from a rare interview with Kinsey himself. Then short silent films from the 20's to the 50's. They were slow and almost exhausting. The highlight was the rare Betty Page footage making it obvious to me why she was so highly regarded in her day.
After the screening we take some pictures at the fountain in which I write a short film in my head. Walk over to a crowded Starbucks to get me an ice tea. We then walk back to Brit's trying to figure out if we were going to see a friend's show. It was obvious to her that I had crashed and my night was over. I slept well.

Saturday/Sunday
Brit and I walk to over to get our coffee and bagels. We sit on the porch and chat. It is my final exit. Bloomington has this charm that embraces you. I don't know if the novelty would fade if I lived there, but it's peace and beauty makes it hard to leave. Not only leaving my best friend but my other new friends as well. Nonetheless I had to go. I hug Brit good-bye and drive my rental car to Indy as tears roll down my cheeks.

Stacy picks me up at the rental car place where I drop off the car and jump in her car. We eat lunch and head back to her house. I put in a movie for her. I sit in this huge comfy chair that sucks you in. I was asleep in seconds and didn't wake up until the credits rolled. She decides to order pizza and I travel with her through Carmel to get it. We arrive home and Rob is crashed out from a day of partying with friends. After eating pizza I jump in the shower and get ready for our night out.

Derek's band is playing at a festival called Oranje. Rob, Stacy and I walk into this festival. A warehouse/parking garage turned into a sensory overload of art and music. It was amazing! We swoosh through the exhibits and listen to music. Brit and her friends show up which was a great surprise. We had already said our good-byes? Then Derek who had locked himself into his apartment for months trying to finish his symphony, he was in hyper crazy mode like a child rediscovering the world. Then Mary Alice arrives. We reinstate our plans to do the "Amazing Race" as we sip on our booze. We gather in the area where Derek's band is playing. It was my first Basilica show. When they begin, I am instantly blown away. I can't tell you, but you have to see it to believe it. Not only that, but my greatest enjoyment is watching my friend perform. Watching Derek perform always leaves me in awe.

Stacy and Rob drive Brit and me to her car to do the Pete Exchange. I decided to stay at Brit's mom's house. HOORAY, WHITE CASTLE!!!! We stop and pick up that greasy goodness and take it back to the house. We eat in such sweet bliss.

Sunday Morning we lay in bed as long as we can. I get up to a fresh pot of coffee thanks to Jim. Brit and her mom look over old writings as Jim and I talk and laugh at them. I gather my things and say good-bye to Jim and Linda. Brit and I head to a Waffle House for one last diet breaking breakfast. After the All-Star Breakfast and a wonderful conversation it was time to go.

Dropped off at the airport it hadn't sunk in that it was really over. I was going back to the place where I had lost my will my inspiration. Going back to my corner that shelters me from the evils of the swamps. Then I realized… I know some of the most talented people in the world. A writer, a composer, interior designers, a dancer, an architect, and a friend who works with cancer patients. I also may have inspired students to full fill their dreams. Although I may feel like I am alone, I'm really not. My heart is filled with love for the people in my life. I have friends all over the world who are some of the most amazing people anyone could ever meet.

Now I sit on my patio on this hot muggy night in Florida. I'm wearing my Pizza Express t-shirt proudly. I'm not sad or depressed. My heart is full and my mind inspired. My mother was right. This trip did change me and it was exactly what I needed. Thank you to everyone for giving me your time and your love. You lifted up a fallen man.

…Coming Soon: State of Maine!

p.s.
For those I didn't get to see, you were in my thoughts and I'll catch you on the next trip!!!

pp.s
If you read all that…I applaud you.