Having just finished the C.R.A.S.H.-B. sprints on Saturday, I took the Amtrak train up to New York for the Empire State Building Run-Up. It was an exciting event, from the training and fundraising leading up to the climb….to the event itself. I had one fundraising goal – to raise $2500 for the MMRF. That’s what…
In January, 2014, I signed up for the CRASH-B Erg Sprints, to be held on Febrary 1st in Alexandria, Virginia. Now, you may wonder just what the heck are the C.R.A.S.H.-B. Erg Sprints? First, it helps to know that “Erg” stands for Rowing Ergometer, or more specific, a Concept2 rowing machine. I have now idea…
I’ve never thought of myself as an athlete, and to look at me, you wouldn’t think so, either. In 2012, I was 51 years old, 80 lbs overweight, depressed and dealing with a ton of personal challenges. By 2014, I went from being a complete couch potato to achieving several goals that would be the envy of…
When my kids were younger, they used to have a saying….. “Dad can fix it….he can fix ANYTHING.” Between YouTube, Google and RepairHelp.com, I’ve saved lots of money, and kept several appliances running way longer than expected. I (unfortunately), some times fall into the trap of believing my own hype. Once, my wife called from…
On today’s 9/11 milestone, it’s sobering to think about all the lives lost, sacrifices made, and heroic efforts in the wake of that tragedy. Even in scary times, however, some times, you can find a funny story (even if you would rather it happened to someone else). In 2001, I worked 2 blocks from the…
It’s been about 5 years since the Disney movie “Frozen” came out…but it popped back up in the news because of some uninvited flag waving: (NOTE: No matter what political party, product or web site you’re promoting, nobody wants you to block their view of Olaf). While the flag incident was an interesting news blurb, I…
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”, or so goes the old proverb. It’s true that all journeys have to start somewhere – and the toughest part is frequently taking….that first step. We all have ‘journeys’ that we undertake – graduating from school, becoming a parent, or starting a new job…
This week, I attended the 2018 Toastmasters International annual convention in Chicago. Despite being a Toastmaster for five years, it was my first time going to the convention….and my first time competing in the International Speech Contest at the Semi-Final level. It was quite an experience, meeting Toastmasters from all over the globe – some were…
Fifteen years ago, September 11, 2001. I was working around the corner from the White House, sitting in a facilities meeting, talking about disaster recovery. Someone stuck their head in the door and said a plane had hit the World Trade Center. Having flown in and out of Laguardia many times, I figured that someone…
Another orbit around the sun….and 2015 is history. It’s been quite a year, with a lot of highs, a few lows, and a number of changes that I haven’t quite figured out yet. I’m grateful for the friends and family that continue to remind me that there is far more good in the world than…