Day 20/21

Friends, as promised this is day 20/21. This video has driving, cliff jumping and beautiful shots of the Tahoe area. Enjoy.

working on it

I want to apologize for not posting last night. It was a long night of a lot of driving so I didn't just want to put up a video of driving. Today in Tahoe we did some stuff so I'll work through the night and have it up within 24 hours. I'll be in San Fran soon and that should make for some great footage. I'm almost done. I can't believe it!

AND new pics will be coming soon too so look for that.

Day 19

CAUTION: this video contains crazy fire bombs, an astrological fortune, many manikins...enjoy

The Land of Port

Well friends...I'm out of Portland. I'm at a McDonald's right now eating lunch and using their Wi-Fi. I love wireless internet. On to things I don't love: when a video takes more than an hour to upload (still hasn't) after a 3 hour export, 2 hour edit (starting at 5:10 a.m.). I'm frustrated but the video will soon be up.

In the mean time I'll be flipping off YouTube for taking so insanely long to upload my video.

Please be patient. I'm not.

Portland was a great city. It was the kind of city I think could live in for a little while. It's not really 'me' per-se but that doesn't make it a bad thing.
On thing I found very refreshing about Portland (as my friend Kate pointed out) everyone there is cool with everyone else. I mean it's a very accepting culture. We went (as you will see in the video) to 4th Thursday and there were flamers and flame throwers, bikes and dikes, young people, old people, hippies, homeless, small dressed, well dressed and so much more. I never got the feeling that people were looking at me and judging me. I would have 100% done that to the people I saw there...had it been pretty much any other setting. You just become a part of the accepting nature of the culture. It's kind of refreshing. I don't agree with most of the way people there that night seemed to be living their life but I could (and did) talk to pretty much any of them without feeling like they were making fun of me or talking about me. It was weird.
The local government is really in touch with the people of Portland too. The Mayor bikes to work sometimes (TONS of people ride bikes in Portland). I think this "in touchness" is what has led to pedestrian friendly streets (side note: cars stop for you about anywhere...cross walk or not--insane!) and a beautiful city that is led by leaders who fit the city too. Another great example of this was the fact that when building the 10 or so bridges that cross the Willamette River around the main city each has it's own unique art style and look. This is a governement thing and it's to be applauded.

(the thoughts of the author are completely representative of the owner of this blog)

day 18

Sooo here is day 18. This is me leaving Spokane and on the road to Portland. This is nothing short of travel and good times. Tomm is Portland the city but sit back relax and let the miles lull you into a happy place (sorry...Portland's hippy scene has me trippin)

day 17

This is my video from Missoula into Idaho and on to Spokane. It is the tale of striving, struggle, battles and blood. A tale of pain and hardships and a really huge zoom.

Day 16

This is from my trip to Yellowstone and my arrival into Missoula.

pics for kicks

Friends, family, people I don't know,

I wanted to draw your attention to the right side of the page to my Flick'r badge. You will see pics there. Click on one of them and it will take you to a page that has all the still pictures I've taken so far on the trip.

They are arranged by album (broken down by location) and you can even view them as a slideshow so you don't have to spend the time clicking next and what not.

So a gift to you.

Thanks for your support and comments. I love them (most of them).

day 15

This is my video from my day in the Tetons. They were breath-taking.

day 14

Hey guys. Well this was another beautiful 11-hour drive. I left Monument (N. of Colorado Springs aka 'the springs') and arrived in Jackson Hole Village last night. This is my video. Oh yeah there is a bit of a rodeo on it too. Welcome to Wyoming.

day 13

Wow. I can't believe I left Charlotte two weeks ago today! Well, this is my video as I explored Colorado Springs and Denver.

day12

This is my drive from Dallas to Colorado Springs (about 13 hours). Enjoy.

Day11

This is me in Dallas going downtown and then to a softball game. Texas has been fun.

cleaning up

Hello, all.

A number of issues have come to my attention as of late and needed sorting out.

1) KYLIE Miller's b-day is around today and I wish her (you) the very best birthday EVER!

2) I did watch Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang without a review--doing everyone on earth a disservice. It was a fun movie that had a great narrator-driven, John Cusak-esque character in Robert Downy Jr. and Val Kilmer was pretty impressive in that he was kind of funny. The movie overall was different and not in an "indie" say it cause it makes me sound deep, kinda way. It's just a different movie. I recommend it but not to all.

3) I can't remember this one.

4) I'm on the road today for 12 (prob more) hours so while you are doing anything at all...I'm driving.

Day10

So this is from Memphis to Dallas.

day 9

Hey guys. Hope all is well with you. I leave Memphis today for Dallas (6 hours) but before I hit the road I wanted to give y'all this video from last night/yesterday.

Thanks for watching and making comments. It's pretty cool to know people are actually following this stuff.



ps: the audio is off for some reason and I know that's annoying but just pretend I'm speaking in another language with a voice over (wait that's probably more annoying)

day8

This is video from my trip to Memphis from Nashville. Tomm (today)'s video will have downtown and my adventures there.

day 6/7

Well this is the video from my day 6. Yesterday (day 7) I ate with some friends and went to the pool then to a birthday party and then a club. No video of all that (sorry). Enjoy my take on Nashville.

NEWS

Anyone can now post comments on my blog!
I just changed the prefs so anyone can post a thought. Just click on "comment" and go. You don't have to be a member of blogspot. You don't even have to be a member of the YMCA. So post thoughts. I'd love feedback. Thanks, friends.

delay

Friends. I am sorry I have yet to post yesterday's video. It is done and will be up later. FYI

good boy

This is Memphis. Memphis is Hart and Stephanie's dog. This is cool.

day5

Nashville+Hart+random guy= good times

day4

day3

Let's play a game. I will name things I did today and you try to guess which one I had never done before and let's even up the parameters and say you haven't done it either.
1) washed and waxed my car
2) ate lunch with my friend Adam
3) played frisbee golf with Chris
4) cleaned up the house
5) played on myspace
6) made some phone calls for my trip
7) went by a beryllium testing laboratory
8) ate dinner with my family
9) walked my dog and talked on the phone for an hour with my friend Eric
10) watched a movie

Come on...see if you can guess. Just play.

Nope.

Nope.




















Yeah. You got it. I have never been near a Beryllium Testing Laboratory before but I did go by one today. When in Rome. Well what I mean by that is when you live near the building location of the Atom bomb you have to tred lightly. I ordered a uranium burger. It was great.

Oh yeah one more thing for my friends. You must check out www.askaninja.com but make sure you can actually listen and be in a place where you can laugh. I think it's pretty funn.

day2

Today was a good day (I didn't have to use my AK--shout out to Ice T). Last night I watched Lord of War with Nic Cage. Pretty good movie. It was different than I thought It'd be. I don't want to illegally traffic weapons anymore, however. So that's good.

I'm still in Knoxville and will be here till Thurs A.M. It's a nice break and I'm getting some final things done that I didn't have time to in Charlotte. Plus I'm getting to hang with my family and my grandmother is coming into town tomm with my Aunt Ruth. I'm going to talk to them about Jim Hasemeyer who lives outside Denver with his family and son named Brad Hasemeyer. That's weird. I'm going to be meeting them and putting them on camera so we'll see what the resemblance is.

I finally got a video camera today. Can I just say how much I love Walmart. Bestbuy and Circuit City both have restock fees and a 15 day return policy. Walmart was like, "um...you have 30 days without a receipt." I love it. Now admittedly Walmart may signify stepping on the smaller people and crushing competition to bring us the consumer the lower price at the expense of the farm family in Nebraska selling corn. But you gotta love that return policy. BAM.

So I should have some video up here soon. Thanks for comments so far. I hope to hear from you all over e-mail or comments on the blog itself.

Oh yeah sooooo check out Keane's new CD. Like McDonald's, I'm lovin' it!

Day 1...kinda (pt 2)

This is the only video I could get to work off my camera. I promise better footage once I get the camera tomorrow. Keep checkin' back and we'll make this thing happen.

b

Day 1...kinda

Friends, this is it. Day one. I have officially begun my trip to California. This has been a long time coming. I write to you from the comfort of my parent's home in Knoxville, TN. This is where I will be for the next few days then on to Nashville.

I have promised many of you daily updates and I will try to do that. I am hopefully getting a video camera (to...um..."rent" till I take it back) tomorrow. Upon this acquisition I will begin posting regularly.

It's crazy to think that it's finally here. What in the world am I doing? I am going to drive across the country seeing old friends and making new ones. I will be visiting sites familiar and foreign alike. Then truly beginning the adventure of following a dream.

People ask me if I'm sad to leave Charlotte. Well the truth is I am sad to leave my friends. Charlotte is great but a city is no more than what you make of it. The friendships, however, are real. They are miraculous. They are memorable and they last.

One would be crazy to leave the deep, rich and profound friendships I have in Charlotte unless he knew he could. What I mean by this is that it takes a deep love to not hold on to what you've got. My friends are equally as excited about this next journey in my life as I am. They are the voices cheering and praying, even now. They are the ones who quite honestly make this trip possible.

What really makes a friend? Is it a mutually shared experience? Is it similar likes or dislikes? Is it intrigue because they are so different? Is it arranged or happenstance? How do some become friends that hurt to leave and others suffice with a hand shake? I can't trace all the steps, conversations, discussions/arguments, laughs, meals, coffees/teas, movies, trips and chance encounters that are the very fiber of my friendships. But I can feel the pain to walk away from something so great.

You know you can judge the size of a boat by the wake it leaves in it's path. I guess I'm a freaking barge with the amount of quality friendships and wonderful people I love.

To all my friends (new and old, alike) thank you simply for being honest with me and for supporting me. I pray God uses me however he sees fit. Please know He has used each of you in my life in varying ways and dimensions.

I love you and hope to see you in the not too, too distant future.

Let's stay in touch.

front row seat

This is a video I took while on our trip to Frontier. It's from the front row on Batman the ride at 6-flags in St. Louis. It's pretty crazy. I have been trying to post it for a while now but only just got around to it. I am sorry the audio would not work when I compressed the file and uploaded it.

back at the ranch

Hey friends. I wanted to let you all know I am doing pretty well and I'm at Frontier Ranch in Colorado with 15 guys from Charlotte. It has been a fun (and pretty tiring) week. Last night I got to talk with one of the guys I've known for about a year about his recent (last night) decision to become a follower of Christ. I'm stoked about this new development and can't wait to get him plugged in and keep tabs on him while I'm out West. Pray for the end of this week that the right conversations would take place and the right questions would be asked. Thanks guys.

ps: this is us on volleyball tournament day....ninjas from south Charlotte...watch out!