Bush’s Last Day Bumper Sticker (2008-2011)

I don’t like politics. I’m registered independent and voting is pretty much the only way I get involved. I think our whole system is broken, and the only way things will get fixed is if we get 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th parties strong enough to get elected.

Although I counted the days until “W” was out of office, I do think we have some things in common. We both had a drinking problem. I wouldn’t make a good president, and he didn’t either. We were both in a classroom on 9/11, and we both remained teaching until the end of the lesson. Neither of us was good enough to play a varsity sport in college (I opted out of cheerleading). We’re published authors. We’ve both been asked to be motivational speakers: Bush got paid a lot in the “Get Motivated” seminars, and I volunteered for 15-40.org to share my cancer story. We both would rather be in casual clothes instead of suits.

I disagreed with a lot (okay, just about everything) he did as president and cursed every time he stumbled over and mispronounced words, but I honestly think I’d enjoy hanging out with the guy. We’d obviously have to talk about baseball and drinking stories instead of talking about gay marriage and war, but I think we could find at least one issue we could agree on.

As you can see, it was definitely time to retire this sticker. I won’t be replacing it with any of the anti-Obama stickers I’ve been seeing (some of which are predicting his last day before next year’s election), but maybe now W will be more open to hanging out with me someday…

Medical Records from When I Was Hit by a Ford Bronco (11/3/94)

To read the story, check out my scan of the BC Heights article. I like how they called it “motor vehicle versus pedestrian trauma”…

Relay for Life Speech and Notes from Today’s Talk at Bancroft

Last month, 15-40 asked me to share my cancer story with some Bancroft students. I used this speech I gave at a Worcester Relay for Life as a guide, but had to change it a little to include my Crohn’s story and to adjust for the audience. I also tried to just tell my stories instead of reading what I wrote, only relying on these notes I scrawled this morning. Movie of today to come later, but you can see my Relay speech here.

For Dave! Note

Like I expressed in my EA Hockey video, a lot of times it’s the little things that make me happy.

Today, even though I returned to a still powerless Hope Lodge, this note was waiting for me on top of a brownie that was so good it made me moan in between bites. Thanks again to Katie K for making those amazing brownies for Hope Lodge and the weekend manager who saved one for me! Mmmmmmmmm, brownies.

Halloween Pictures

Here are some Halloween pictures from over the years…

The earliest one is of my older brother as a werewolf, me with a random monster mask I picked out, my younger brother as Snoopy, and my sister as a gypsy. Then, there’s my younger brother as an old man, younger sister as Annie, and me as Indiana Jones. Another year, I was another random monster terrorizing my princess sister.

In 1997, I made myself up to be Freddy Krueger, followed in 1998 with an Indy encore – with teachers I knew from my student teaching job.

In 1999, I was The Punisher. There’s me saluting with my sister, Queen Elizabeth; and with my roommates Patrick and Amy. That same night, my friend Carl came dressed as Carla, the bearded lady – classic.

Rally to Restore the Sanity Towel (10/30/10)

Queensryche Ticket (House of Blues, Boston, 10/26/11 – make up date from 8/6/11)

(See 8/6/11 blog here)

Music is a great and funny thing. I love the bands Pearl Jam and Extreme. I listened to both bands extensively during my chemo and “drinking days”. They helped me through difficult times, and their songs just got inside me. Last year, I even had “Tragic Comic” tattooed on my shoulder.

But, music is a funny thing. Different bands impress people differently. Instead of Extreme and Pearl Jam, my friend Carl loves Queensryche. He has their symbol tattooed on his shoulder, and he doesn’t miss any of their local shows. And just like me and “my” bands, he will defend their skills and songs until death.

Although Carl and I would love to believe we could convert the other into super fandom, it’s safe to say it will never happen. I have a fantasy where I convince Queensryche to let Gary and Nuno secretly write an album for them, and after Carl tells me how great it is, I triumphantly do my best Dark Helmet, “Foooooled you!!!”

Even though Carl and I will never agree who is the better guitar player or band (Nuno Bettencourt and Pearl Jam in case you were wondering), we still are willing to go see what all the fuss is about. Carl came with me to see Extreme in 2006, and I went to my first “Ryche” show on Wednesday. Going to my 2^nd Ryche show tonight, so now I will either have to make Carl see Pearl Jam with me or we can watch the Pearl Jam Twenty DVD I just bought.

Here’s a couple pictures and a clip from Queensryche signing “I Don’t Believe in Love” – only a minute long, and you get to see Carl headbanging away…