Nobody ever figures out what life is all about, and it doesn’t matter. Explore the world. Nearly everything is really interesting if you go into it deeply enough.  ~Richard P. Feynman

Statue of Saint Boniface Wimmer in front of Saint Vincent Church at Saint Vincent College. I received the Sacrament of Confirmation in this church… Ryan was the alter boy.

Since I recently wrote about Random Fun Facts:  Latrobe, Pennsylvania, it wouldn’t be complete without addressing Saint Vincent College.

This past June, for Kyle’s birthday gift I got him, Bricks 4 Kidz, Kyle’s Lego Camp Birthday Surprise at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe!  Actually I got him two different sessions, Animal Grossology for the morning session and Space Adventure – Star Wars for the afternoon session.  The Lego camp lasted a week, from Monday June 24 through Friday, June 28.  Kyle’s birthday is in July, so he was really surprised.

Saint Boniface Wimmer, Saint Vincent College

The first day of Lego Camp, on Monday, I thought it would be neat to hang out with Kyle for lunch.  So I packed us a picnic and we ate on the college grounds.  It was a warm day but really pleasant under the trees.  Afterwords, I thought he might find a tour of the campus interesting.  In my head, I remembered how cool it was when Father Alred gave our sixth grade class a tour of the college when attending Sacred Heart.  He talked about the history, the architecture, the stain glass windows, and so on and so forth.

Well, as it turns out, I remembered the feeling more than the facts.  I must say, I fell short and needed a refresher.  Kyle wasn’t amused at all!  It was at that moment when I thought, I need to revisit Saint Vincent College, in the books.

Ironically, when I was doing research for the Discovering Greensburg Scavenger Hunt for Seton Hill University Discovering Greensburg in the Rain  (the sister college of Saint Vincent), at the Westmoreland County Historical Society, I came across a lot of intriguing content on  Saint Vincent College.  I hope you find the history of the college as interesting and almost mind blowing as I do!  Please read to the very end!  I promise it will shock you!

Sportman’s Hall, built in 1790 by Father Theodore Brouwers- later become Saint Vincent

Random Fun Facts: Saint Vincent College

• Founded in 1846 – Saint Vincent Arch-abbey and College
• In 1766, before the monks John Fraser, an Indian trader, acquired land on part of which Saint Vincent is now situated
• February 10, 1766 granted a tract of land along the Forbes Road to John- made in the name of the King George II of Great Britain by Captain William Murray, Commander of Port Pitt.
• December 3, transferred teh entire parcel of land to James Hunter, a farmer for Five Pounds Lawful Money
• James Hunter owned the land for 21 years
• March 12, 1790, the Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania granted Joseph Hunter “a certain tract of land called ‘Sportsman’s Hall’” – 1st time the name of Sportman’s Hall was given to individual tract of land (name retained for over half a century)
• Sportman’s Hall was called “the Cradle of Catholicity in western Pennsylvania”
• April 16, the deed to Rev. Theodore Brouwers, O.F.M.
• Father Brouwers died on October 29, 1790.  As per his will his body was laid to rest in a plot overlooking Sportsman’s Hall.  Since 1869 his remains have reposed under a a stone cross in Saint Vincent Cemetery
• Father Brouwers provided his successor by bequeathing all of his real estate “to a Roman Catholic priest that shall succeed me in this same place, to be entailed to him and to his successors, forever.”
• In 1787, 6 Catholic families moved from Philadelphia and settle near Greensburg
• A small log church was erected
• Sportsman’s Hall stood northeast to the present Saint Vincent Archabbey Basilica until 1883 – in 1930s a marker was erected on this site
• Reverand Michael Galllagher succeeded Father Stillinger as pastor, serving until October 21, 1846 – then Rev. Boniface Wimmer, O.S.B. was pointed as pastor
• Boniface Wimmer was a monk from the Benedictine Abbey of Metten in Bavaria

Hence the name Wimmerton for the neighboring housing development

• Boniface Wimmer received the monastic name of Boniface upon his entry into the monastery, a name with deep significance for German Catholics
• Saint Boniface was an English monk who in the 18th century brought the Gospel and the Benedictine Rule to the Rhineland, where he established  monasteries and served as bishop of Fulda

He wanted to provide education for the sons of German immigrants and train clergy for the German community in the United States.

• Saint Vincent is the 1st Benedictine college in the United States
• Saint Vincent sits on roughly 200 acres of land
• First buildings were built by the monks
• The Benedictine Rule is known for spirituality and practicality
• By 1855, Saint Vincent was divided into the Seminary, the Classical Department, and the Commercial Department – basic structure of college for next 50 years
• In 1870, the college was incorporated by the State Legislature of Pennsylvania and given the power to grant degrees in the arts and sciences
• February 25, 1931 Benedictine Sisters left Germany to go to America, set up residence in Saint Vincent, to earn money to send back to mother house during World War I
• By 1987, one sister retired and founded Saint Emma’s Retreat House in Greensburg
• In 1948, there were 19 majors available in the divisions of Humanities, Social Sciences, Science and Business
• January of 1963 – a fire destroyed part of the campus – no life was lost

On the campus they have a memorial with a rescued bell saved from the bell tower.  The bent and torn metal of the once perfect bell is so surreal yet intriguing.

• In 1983, Saint Vincent became co-educational

Until that point it was an all male college, sister college to Seton Hill University, which used to be an all female college

• The college is sponsored by the Benedictine Monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey and shares the campus with Saint Vincent Seminary (4-year graduate school of theology), and Saint Vincent Parish
• Saint Vincent College offers undergraduate degrees in business, education, medicine, engineering government service and church.
• Saint Vincent College offers Masters degree programs in education and business
• The Fred M. Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media (yes THE  Mr. Rogers!) is a college center
• Nationally known, students from 24 U.S. states/territories and 20 foreign countries – half of these students are in the top 20% of their high school graduating classes
• Accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and School

Bell Tower at Saint Vincent, built in 1871 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the arrival of the Benedictines in the U.S. In 1963, destroyed in a fire

Ok, now for the the really fun and interesting information I stumbled across.  Evidently, the students at Saint Vincent College need or did need to write a senior thesis before graduation.  Using primary resources, they were permitted to write about anything.

One student narrowed his focus to Latrobe and decided to write about the history of Latrobe’s volunteer firer-fighters and the Latrobe fire company.  Nice little topic!

Unbeknownst to him, he was going to stumble upon some really ground breaking news that was overlooked, even by Saint Vincent scholars, even to present day!  When I had lunch with my cousins John and Sherry Business Leader in the Form of a Youngster, in September, I asked John if he ever heard of the news I will reveal to you below.  He didn’t.  Dr. Olczak who also translated books for Saint Vincent College and most certainly was knowledgeable in the history of his Alma Mater, had no idea!

In the 1870′s, the Latrobe Advance, the local paper which is now the Latrobe Bulletin, circulated a story which dealt with a recent incident at Saint Vincent College.  What made the news but never made any other history books regarding the college and was forgotten?

Boniface Wimmer, yes the founder of Saint Vincent monastery and college, made the paper in the form of a small hidden story.  On October 1, 1879, the newspaper reported that the then 70 year old Abbot was nearly assassinated by a “lunatic”.  YEP!  No joke!  Keep in mind at this point in history, Boniface Wimmer was no stranger to the world, especially when concerned with his dedication and progress towards education and as a missionary.  In fact, he was recognized by many as the American Roman Catholic Church leader.  Kind of a big deal!  The paper reported that the mad man tried to assassinate Boniface Wimmer in his monastery room.

The story goes, a stranger was found lurking around, outside the monastery for several days.  On Saturday, September 13, 1879 the stranger gained access to the monastery where Boniface Wimmer resided.  A monk cut him off at the pass and ejected him from the premisses.  A week later the creepy stranger, on Tuesday September 23rd made his way back in the monastery and proceeded towards Brother Nicholas room.  He was the Porter or the gatekeeper of Wimmer.  This crazed stranger struck Brother Nicholas on the head and bolted up the stairs to the Abbot Boniface’s room.  (currently located in Mauer Hall and is used as a guest room) The lunatic took the key and tried to lock himself inside along with Boniface Wimmer.

Quick witted and matching reflexes, even from an aged man, the Abbot noticed this unusual sight and took the would-be assassin off guard before he could lock the door.  There was a tussle between the two men and that’s when Boniface Wimmer received a blow to the head, but not before gaining a hold of the intruders arm and managing to gain the upper hand. The 70 year old Abbot took down his attacker!  Yes!  He wrestled him to the floor!  This just proves, you have nothing to fear with God on your side and when you have complete faith in Him.

The recovering Porter came to Boniface’s assistance, after gaining his wits about him, and eventually a couple of monks arrived at the scene, hearing yells for help.  They removed the determined stranger from the premises.  No charges, no cops, no finger pointing, nothing.  Now-a-days that would have made front line news and opposing sides would be talking about it and pointing fingers at everyone including the Abbot for days, or weeks, heck months.  Everyone would have someone to blame.

The reason for this situation?  Not an Anti-Catholic message nor a hatred against Saint Vincent nor its Abbot.  The intruder was a Latrobe native who had mental issues and recently escaped from an asylum.  He felt if he killed the Abbot Wimmer he would in turn take his place as the Abbot of Saint Vincent.   At least the mentally disturbed man had goals!

Since this was not recorded anywhere else or brought to the spotlight, how can we know this actually happened? Even though back then the reporters needed to check and verify their sources, so I would be pretty confident they did their due-diligence before including the story in the paper.  Well, I came across documentation of a letter Abbot Wimmer wrote to the Vatican giving them an update on the church and the college.  This was a standard letter, with pleasantries and general day-to-day stuff.  At the conclusion of his letter, yes not as a headline, the butt end, as if just mentioning it in passing or as an afterthought, Abbot Wimmer made note of this incident.  Why didn’t he make it out to be the big deal it was?  Simply, because he was a humble man and didn’t want to upset anyone or have the general population turning on the assailant.   At least that’s my guess.  Or perhaps he didn’t like the negative publicity.  Either way, it was real history.

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.  ~Roger Caras

Winner of best Costume! Way to go Molly! Doggie in Disguise Scavenger Hunt in Latrobe, Pa. 10/19/13

It’s funny, this is my first year not planning for Kyle’s Halloween costume.  I guess once you hit twelve years old and are in the seventh grade, kiss trick-or-treating goodbye, as well as all the candy.  I’ve always looked forward to this time of year with Kyle, but my little man is maturing.  Well, as much as a Piper can.

What fills this void?  A Doggie in Disguise Scavenger Hunt of course.  Yes, Thrill of the Hunt hosted the first ever Doggie in Disguise Scavenger Hunt in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.  What exactly does this mean?  No, the dogs were not expected to find items but they did dress up in disguise, walked alongside their owners and joined in on an adventure throughout the city of Latrobe.

Zoey as Batman at the Doggie in Disguise Scavenger Hunt in Latrobe, Pa. 10/19/13

This event was a laid back and easy going scavenger hunt, an activity for dogs, their owners and the whole family to enjoy.  After all, The Piper Corporation does encourage family fun and togetherness, building and reinforcing the bonds of the family. The participants were given clues and riddles to find out which store in downtown Latrobe they needed to stop by.  As I’ve always said, part of my scavenger hunt strategy is to encourage foot traffic directly to specific participating local stores and shops to reinforce branding and to give them an advertising opportunity.  I want to help local merchants and the communities alike.

Once the Thrill Seekers (those who participate in a Thrill of the Hunt scavenger hunt) arrived at a correct location, the participants collected dog toys and treats with each stop.  This particular scavenger hunt contained a total of seven missions and online challenges, an increase from past scavenger hunts.  I might just add a few more stops to next year’s Doggie in Disguise Scavenger Hunt, extending the fun even more!  Everyone was also asked to conduct online challenges that included taking pictures and video of them with their dog at specific locations, making the event more thought provoking and interactive.

Angie & her family joining the Doggie in Disguise Scavenger Hunt in Latrobe, Pa. 10/19/13

What makes this scavenger hunt so much fun and just plain hilarious?  The dog costumes!  Yes, the dogs were dressed in their Halloween best!  When everyone finished finding their clues we gathered at the finish line, which happened to be the Family Video parking lot.  There, our non-bias outsider, John was present to judge the costumes, picking a winner.

Congratulations Molly, Super-girl won!

I will admit, that was the best part of the scavenger hunt!  Some of the costumes totally cracked me up!  There was a turtle, batman and joker, a witch and Elvis, among other very creative costumes.  In fact, one family told me since their daughter was too old for trick-or-treaing, they thought they would dress up the family dogs and take them out. Perfect idea!

Elvis even made his appearance at the Doggie in Disguise Scavenger Hunt in Latrobe, Pa. 10/19/13

Prior to planning the event, I worked with Darlene Smucker from the B & D Activity Center in Latrobe.  She owns a huge indoor dog facility that she brings in vets, hosts competitions and dog training sessions, among other 4-legged activities.  Perfect start location.  Both parties, B & D Activity Center and Family Video graciously let us use their space for the morning.  I also worked with Nick from the City of Latrobe to coordinate this scavenger hunt on the day of Latrobe’s Autumn Fest.

Everything certainly came together nicely.  God even blessed us with a nice brisk sunny day, perfect for walking around in the fall air, among the multicolored foliage of Latrobe.

Since the completion of the scavenger hunt, the Action for Animals Humane Society in Latrobe contacted me about maybe joining efforts to create one big event to benefit both parties.  I think that would be a great idea!  I’m totally game!  My friend Tree actually suggested the same thing earlier this year, but it looks like it might happen for the next annual Doggie in Disguise Scavenger Hunt.

I’ve been working on Thrill of the Hunt full time for nearly six months now.  And as I’ve been developing and administering to these hosted scavenger hunt events, I thought how I could give back, making my scavenger hunts even more community friendly?  Eventually, when our popularity and participation increases, I will have the resources to donate a portion of the proceeds back to local charities, with respect to the themed scavenger hunt.  Another goal I would be happy to fulfill.

Our participants had a lot of fun at the Doggie in Disguise Scavenger Hunt in Latrobe, Pa. Can’t wait till next year! 10/19/13

My buddy, Kyle joined in administering to Saturday’s Doggie in Disguise Scavenger Hunt.  Even Aunt Nikki made her appearance with Avery (a.k.a. Acron) wearing her angel wings, just as the judging was to begin.

I really truly can’t wait for next year!  It’ll be even better!

On a side note, I want to give my friend Holly a big shout out!  She not only walked around with me passing out flyers for the Doggie in Disguise Scavenger Hunt but she also was my biggest cheerleader with her fellow dog friends, spreading the word on our event and building the excitement!  If she ever wants to quit nursing, she has a job with me in marketing and event planning.  Thanks Holsters!

Check out all the pictures on the Thrill of the Hunt Gallery Page, the , the , as well as the videos on the .  Please support our local start-up company and Like US and Follow Us!  Remember, everyone needs to … Experience the Game!

We have the best government that money can buy.   ~Mark Twain

Finishing where I left off… Government Shut Down? Not Completely

As I was typing this up last night, the news announced that there was a vote by Congress to reopen our government and raise the debt ceiling, signed by Obama.  I’m guessing they came to an agreement.  This, by no means is a long-term solution, I bet the politicians are playing their ever so perfected game of staling and refocusing our attention on other things, done with precision during voting season.  I’m still not sure why they took a voluntary break in August, knowing there were deadlines?  But I’ll continue on my initial train of thought from the other day.

Nicole hanging with our little man in our Nation’s Capital, Washington D.C. in front of the Washington Monument c. 2003

Recently, I read an article commenting on a Federal Prison in North Texas that had me flabbergasted.  The inmates, yes those individuals who have done wrong and have taken rights away from others, yes those not so moral humans are getting a paycheck, while the ones that serve and protect will not!  What?  Kidding me right?  Apparently, the Federal Reserve that pays those correctional officers, yes that trust fund is not affected by Washington D.C., therefore it is not an issue of public safety.  Seriously?  Yet, the president and all other members of our Congress, etc. are getting their pay.  And to do what?  Nothing?  They are not serving this country and they are most certainly not leading this country to a better future.  If I didn’t do my job, I would get fired!

Apparently, as of last night’s news announcement, government workers who were effected by the shut down, will now receive back pay.  Why didn’t they just get it in the first place, paid for by our very own politicians?  Someone’s way of proving a point!

Maybe I better stop reading and watching the news.  It only gets me fired up!  Unfortunately, so much is brought to my attention, from all kinds of sources that I can’t keep track.  I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, I’m just saying it makes it difficult to site my sources.  I suppose I’m not that concerned with it, because I could just Google the topics, but I’m not a reporter, nor am I an official on all things news, just a plain everyday chic with an exploding opinion.

Somewhere I saw or read a remark that rang true and made complete sense.  I truly don’t remember where I saw it, it wasn’t necessarily Fox News because I also take sneak peeks at other news channels to see what’s being said.  But the gist of the comment was to take money out of politics.  I agree!  Totally agree!  These politicians were voted by the common people to serve, to serve the common people and our country.  They have an obligation to make decisions on behalf of the general population, in the general population’s best interest.  They are to SERVE this country for the BETTERMENT of the country, not to run it into the ground and use it as a stage for personal power and gain.  We have a republic, not a dictatorship or a socialist country.  Again, the politicians are voted into office to make decisions on behalf of the general population for our betterment, NOT for self serving needs and interests.  NO!  Those in the government, all levels of government and decision making authorities, should make laws and choices to place the American people first and themselves second.  None of which I am seeing.  So maybe money needs to be taken out of the equation?  Not that I feel this is a cure all, because when you have humans who all have free will and are in a position of power and decision making, who’s voices and votes ultimately become law, there will always be error and selfishness and pride.  However, there is also a chance for self sacrifice and a moral compass pointing north, which I believe is out there, somewhere, being overshadowed.

Dad & Kyle in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. c.2003

I also thought we were a country of the first Amendment, Freedom of Religion.  I mean the Muslims get to do their march in Washington D.C. during the anniversary of September 11th, which is a slap in the face.  Then on an opposite note, Catholics are being harassed and judged in our very own military?

Yes, I just saw that on the news the other morning.  There is an increase of negative sentiment against Christianity, specifically Catholicism, to those who serve and protect this country.  Yes, the ones who are literally PROTECTING this country, those who are trained to put themselves in harms way when threatened, when our Commander-in-Chief, a.k.a. our president commands it, they have to deal with religious issues?  Kidding?  Nope!  It is reported, with true facts and figures that this problem has increased dramatically since Obama took power.  Surprising?  Not really.  I mean it’s also a fact that he has made anti-American comments and his actions seem to follow suit.  After all, everyone is following perfectly form from our leader.

I’m not saying only Catholics have been persecuted, but it was not highlighted and brought to center stage.  If it was any other religion or issue, it would have been blasted in the media.  Ultimately, let’s face it, all prejudice is wrong and no one wins.

This reminds me of a book I read years ago called AA-1025: Memoirs of the Communist Infiltration Into the Church.  It’s a very short read but such an eye opener.  It told the story of a man who wanted to take down the Catholic church.  What is the best way to do this?  Yep, you guessed it, from the inside out.  With relentless trying, he was finally accepted to train to be a priest, not just anyone who applies is permitted to become a man of the cloth, nor is everyone who is trained ends up being a priest.  Priesthood is not a career move, it is a calling, a calling from God, to serve God.  After several refusals, this man was accepted and completed the Sacrament of Priesthood.  He then planned to start to change the religion and was guided to do so from an anonymous source.  The goal was to modify the teachings, the practices, the morals to shake the foundation of the church.  This mission was to be done so subtly at first, to create an almost snowball effect to eventually make huge changes within the church and its teachings.  After all, if you are off by an inch at the beginning when building your foundation, when it’s completed you will be off by feet.  Then, it doesn’t line up making for a weak foundation.  How do we know all this?  His letters and diary were found by a nurse upon his death.  It wasn’t just one man, it was a communist organization of many, he was number 1025!  So if this can happen and in deed did so, I would guess that’s the best course to action when taking down such a great nation as ours.  I mean Hitler did it, he easily brainwashed not only the Germans but also the Jews.  He had the Jews wear the Star of David to show their pride, until he used this symbol to gather them up for his own agenda.  I’m not pointing fingers and the devil can show himself in many forms anywhere, but people need to open their eyes to reality.  Help what’s right and not encourage wrong.

When it comes down to it, the government shut down is not just that, it is a much bigger problem.  Until that is fixed and we build up a strong foundation again, we will never be a stable country, a stable people.  Truly, first I believe it starts with us, everyone, all individuals, the family.  A strong family can not be shaken.  If there were strong families lead by good solid morals, than more respectful decisions would be made on everyone’s behalf.  A little idealistic?  Maybe, but can certainly be done, and done easily.

At times, you must act on principle and not ask what cost, what are the chances of success.  ~New Mexico Republican Rep. Steve Pearce

Michael Port,  Jen Laflam, Melanie Spring, Ray Hennessey (moderator) at the Entrepreneur Magazine Thought Leaders Live conference in Arlington, VA 10/10/13

It’s no secret our government missed deadlines to come to a compromise regarding the budget and more importantly the National Healthcare Plan, a.k.a. Obamacare.  So what happens when no decisions are reached and gridlock happens?  I guess Congress calls for a shut down.  Did I really care?  Not really, not until I completely understood what that meant.  After all, the last time this happened to a large extent was in 1994 during the Clinton administration.  I believe we are going on the fourteenth day, but who’s counting.

Do I believe in a shut down, kinda.  I mean if the right decision is being overlooked or cannot be made, why rush into something just to do it?  Like Obamacare.  Come on, it is already proving to not be financially secure or stable.  They can’t even get a website to work correctly, and they expect me to have faith in the extremely large and overly complicated plan?  The majority of the people don’t want it and personally, spending any of my money on medical issues and decisions like abortion is completely against my religion and against everything I believe.  So why should I be forced to support such actions?  My theory?

Obama is on this power trip to get something passed in his name for the sake of his own ego, not for what’s best for the people it’s affecting.  I mean, when he passes a loophole in the law exempting the executive branch and our party leaders from using the very thing he is pushing on all the American people, that’s a red flag to me!

Last Wednesday, I happen to be in the area of all the contrasty, Arlington, Virginia.  Yes I was within a stones throw from the Pentagon building.  On a side note, Kyle commented recently on the design of the Pentagon building saying, “They are stupid, they are wasting so much space with the hole in the middle of the building that they could use!”  That’s my practical buddy.  He is not about design, but about function.

Jen Laflam, Melanie Spring, Ray Hennessey (moderator) at the Entrepreneur Magazine Thought Leaders Live conference in Arlington, VA 10/10/13

I was attending the Entrepreneur Magazine Thought Leaders Live conference.  It was a really great morning of learning from other successful business leaders and networking.  I made some really good contacts and gained a better insight on how to be a better leader and business owner.  On another side note, maybe the entire government should have attended as well.

Much of what was discussed, was already in my practice, but it’s still a good reminder.  Author and speaker Micheal Port was there and gave a very powerful and insightful speech on booking clients.  Not just getting them, but actually booking them.  I love Entrepreneur Magazine and they always bring credible resources and information to the forefront, especially for young start-ups like myself.  But as I sat there, I wondered what these business leaders thought of all this crap in our Nation’s Capital.

Getting down to the Washington D.C. area, especially in the rain, was a little bit of a challenge, nothing that my GPS couldn’t handle.  Although at one point, I missed my exit, not so clearly directed by the GPS and I drove upon a closed road, going toward Arlington Cemetery.  Yep, I was not allowed to cross in.  There were even guards reinforcing this order, no doubt given by the president himself.  So why?  It’s a cemetery, a public place where others have loved ones buried there.  To me that was insane!  I’ve never heard of a public cemetery being closed down, let alone guards stationed there.  Probably paid workers.  (Which I’m happy they have work and are getting paid to do a job!  I do have issues with those that get paid without working.  Big issues!)

So let me get this straight, the government is closed down and most hard working employees are not getting paid, but the government picks and chooses some individuals to get paid, to guard against the public visiting public sights that tax payers invested in over the years?  And let’s not forget, our government officials are still getting paid.  For what?  To argue? To make these horrible decisions?

My mom told me about a story she heard on the news.  I guess this family goes overseas every year to France (don’t quote me on the country) to visit family buried there.  What a great sentiment!  Anyway, who would have thought that a burial sight or monument was shut down too!  They traveled all that way to visit a public place to pay their respects to our fallen soldiers who were ordered to go to war and give their lives defending our freedom, and they couldn’t get in?  This is all becoming very unnerving.  Is there no respect?  I guess, it seems like the American people are not being respected, so I guess how can I expect those making the decisions to give the dead any respect.  Shame!

Michael Port (Author, Actor, Speaker) at the Entrepreneur Magazine’s Thought Leaders Live conference in Arlington, VA 10/10/13

Basically, the executives, a.k.a. the president and his constituents seem like he and they are just proving a point and flaunting their power with these stupid declarations.  I know, everyone will say it’s the Republicans who shut down the government, yet someone is proving their own point with these shut down choices and difficulties.  Maybe for a personal agenda?  To prove a point like a spoiled child?  Maybe if the president really cares about his bill, take a stand for it!  Show us your passion and dedication to it.  Use Obamacare for your entire family, be treated like any other person, maybe show your concern for those not getting paid because of the shut down and give up your very own pay to them!  Or is he not that dedicated to this country?  To the people?

Why can’t veterans, who have served their country and those who lost family and friends who honorably and graciously served our country, visit the dead?  Why are they banned from entering memorials erected to honor this service?  I understand about not having the public roaming around inside buildings for safety sake and to protect the integrity of the area, but outside in public sites?

Another true story.  A gentlemen took it upon himself, without being told, without pay, to mow our lawns around our National Monuments in the Washington D.C. area.  He didn’t want to be embarrassed by such disgrace.  He was showing true pride and patriotism in our country!  That is the American way!  Get off your butts and do something without expecting anything in return.  Stop with the hand outs!  I believe no one is too good or too high on their pedestal to get their hands dirty.  I do it personally!  And I am proud to be a hard worker!

Then I heard of a bunch of runners running in a “closed” area and each of them getting a hundred dollar fine.  Really?  Come on!  This is just nitpicking and again proving a point.  Spend the money for these officials to capture bad guys, not people who are trying to maintain good heath, so they don’t have to use Obamacare.  Or is this a conspiracy for more government control over our health?  Sounds silly, but is it?

Michael Port, Jen Laflam, Melanie Spring, Ray Hennessey (moderator)  at the Entrepreneur Magazine Thought Leaders Live conference in Arlington,  VA 10/10/13

In a way, it sounds like a way to point fingers and blame others.  After all, the truth is, this wouldn’t happen without a good leader, or if it did, it would find a resolution sooner than later.  Plus why are these government officials still getting paid!?

I was lucky, after the conference, I was able to leave the immediate area and head back to my sister’s pad, where I had a puppy named Avery waiting for me to take her for a walk.  I love taking our dogs Seven and Scooby for a walk, just not on a leash.  I also never have to clean up their waste that exists their rear ends.  No it’s true, I take my boys to the woods where they can run free, up to eye shot from me and do their business by other wild animals’ businesses on the forest floor.  So this was a bit gross and new for me, but I semi-managed.  Nicole called me while on our return trip back to ask if Avery was alright.  Seriously?  I’m walking the dog in the rain, and cleaning up her waste.  She should have asked if I was alright!

Ironic I’m reverting back to talking about crap, and the one who is cleaning up the crap.  Me!  The little person on the totem pole.  The similarities are amazing to how the American people are being treated.

I don’t mind road trips, in fact I love them.  This was a small adventure that opened my eyes. In stead of focusing on my own piece of the world, I saw things without the veil.  Don’t get me wrong, I hope eventually the information I heard and the contacts I made at the conference will help Thrill of the Hunt, but I believe there is no hope for my start-up company if we don’t have a rock solid country to work in.

Recently, I read an article commenting on… To Be Continued!

If the bee disappears from the surface of the globe, man would have no more than four years to live.  ~Albert Einstein (attributed)

In this digital age, does anyone really read magazines?  I mean the real deal.  I do!  Now let’s not get silly, anyone who knows me, knows I love my books, the real printed pages of complete escapes into other worlds, yet I mostly read magazines and newspapers online.  That is until I had to use up some frequent flyer miles and chose to order a few magazines.  Among my mix, Money, Inc., Entrepreneur, Entertainment, Fortune and Time.  Do I read them?  You bet I do!  Why not, there is a lot of information in those pages.  Do I actually read the articles?  Yes I do!  Now granted, sometimes they pile up until I have the opportunity to address the piled stacks of printed pages, but I really truly try to give them attention.  Some articles interest me more than others but I do at least skim through those pieces.

Recently, I got Kyle into reading a few found articles.  One was the Auntie Anne’s franchise, since Kyle is such a fan of the soft pretzels.  It told of how one women created herself an empire, starting off at the farmers market with her little idea.  He loved it!

I also had Kyle read a few articles in Fortune about the Apple company.  He loves their products and was very interested to hear about any new technologies, how the company is doing and such.  Pretty cool coming from a twelve year old.

Anyway, why my dissertation on magazine articles?  Simply because I came across one that I found so interesting, I couldn’t just let it go.  It was in the August issue of Time magazine.  It was an article on honeybees and their demise.  This article was pretty thorough and I found it very intriguing, maybe because I am a fan of honey, as is the rest of my family, especially Kyle.  Dad loves to get the honeycomb and eat it.

Years ago I read an article that stated, when consuming honey over long periods of time, it was said to decrease allergies.  Since then, Kyle has held that near and dear to his heart.  So when any one of us gets sick or seems to be filling the effects of seasonal allergens, Kyle becomes the honey pusher.  Literally!  Once he made me a bowl of oatmeal and there was so much honey in it, I swear he invited an entire hive to stop by and regurgitate into my bowl.   Love that kid!

According to Hannah Nordhaus “Honeybees are the glue that holds our agricultural system together.”  I hope you enjoy this information as much as I did.  It was pretty much taken directly from the article.  Enjoy!

Random Fun Facts:  Bees     

Bee History 

• Bees are not a natural resident to North America
• 17th century bees were imported to the continent
• The oldest known honeybee specimen dates from 100 million years ago
• During the 17th century, Ian Swammerdam discovered that the king bee had ovaries and was in fact a queen
• In 1923, Rudolf Steiner, a scientist predicted that within 100 years artificial cultivation of honeybees would have a sever consequence on the bee population
• There’s an Institute of Bee Health at the University of Bern in Switzerland
• Honeybee, also known as Apis Mellifera
• There are more than 20,000 species of bees worldwide, only 6 main types are kept commercially (Italian, Russian, Carniolan, Caucasian, German, Buckfast)

Bee Basics

• There is the worker bee, drone bee and queen bee
• Worker – construction, storage, keeping the nursery, guarding, care-taking, scouting and foraging, lives 20-30 days
• Drone – mates with virgin queen in midair, can fly backward, rotate and flip, dies after mating
• Queen – lays up to 1,500 eggs a day, secretes pheromones to control workers, lives 3-7 years
• Honeybees can fly as far as 5 miles (8km) in search of forage
• The queen bee communicates by dance
• 1/12 teaspoon is the amount a worker bee will produce during its short life

The Hive

• A colony typically has 20,000 to 30,000 bees
• The colony creates a winter ecosystem during the winters months and lives off honey
• Bees use their wings to generate warmth
• Middle-aged worker bees build by attaching each comb to the walls of the hive, requires more than 2lbs. of wax
• A worker bee can visit 100 flowers and carry more than half its weight in pollen in a single trip
• To produce 1lb. of honey, hive workers fly a collective of 55,000 miles, while tapping 2,000,000 flowers

Bee Anatomy

• Bees have 5 eyes (2 large and 3 ocelli used to detect light intensity) The workers have nearly 7,000 lenses
• Bees have 2 sets of wings.  The rapid flapping generates warmth and evaporates water from nectar to make honey
• Bees have wing hooks, which enable them to attach 1 of each set of wings together during flight for maximum efficiency
• A charge on the bees hair attracts pollen, known as electrostatic charge
• The proboscis is an airtight, strawlike tube that sucks up nectar and also works in reverse to feed offspring from a honey stomach
• Bees’ jaws help bite and pack pollen as well as shape wax for building honeycombs
• Bees have a 2nd reservoir where nectar is temporarily stored before being regurgitated
• Bees have a pollen basket, this is a sac attached to the rear leg.  The legs scrape pollen from front to back and is collected there.
• Bees have wax plates.  They secrete the wax from beneath plates on their abdomen and use it to build honeycombs
• A bees venom (a unique mixture of chemicals) has been known to destroy HIV
• A barb prevents a bee’s stinger from being pulled out.  The bee tears its abdomen while freeing itself before dying

 The Dance

• Scout workers locate food and alert fellow foragers location with a series of dance moves
• Through the number of turns, the duration of the dance and the moves themselves, the scout can communicate the distance to the food, the angle of the food to the sun and whether it is near or far
• The scout dances in a figure-eight shape to tell other workers to fly toward the sun
• Number of dance patterns in a given time indicates distance
• The angle to which the scout dances gives the angle (relative to the hive and the sun)

Value

• Bees bring in $15 billion in value for farming each year
• In the winter of 2012, 1/3 of U.S. honeybee colonies died or disappeared (42% increase from the previous year)
• Normal winters beekeepers experience 10% to 15% losses
• California’s most valuable agricultural export, the almond ($4 billion) is at risk of decline or collapse
• Almonds are totally dependent on honeybees
• Honeybees increase the yield of fruits and vegetables such as cantaloupes, cranberries and cucumbers
• Bees (unnatural to the continent) are a  man-made, mercantile ecosystem that helps bring big revenue for grocery stores, super centers and such
• Studies have shown that honeybee pollen was contaminated on average of 9 different pesticides and fungicides
• European Commission put a 2-year restriction on the use of some neonicotinoids

Suggestions for the disappearance?

• Agricultural pesticides
• Bee killing pest like Varroa destructor (a parasitic mite)
• Bacterial and viral diseases
• Neonicotinoids
• American foulbrood, a bacterial disease
• Hive beetle, a pest that can infiltrate and contaminate colonies
• Fungal infections like Nosema ceranae

No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world.  And normally he doesn’t know it.  ~Paulo Coelho

Dr. Jennifer (Smith) Galbraith
July 28, 1974 – August 27, 2013

Nicole & Jen hanging with a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. c. sometime in the 80′s

Tragedy is no stranger to me and my family.  It has directly landed on us, suddenly, and with pinpoint accuracy, so I know what dealing with sorrow and confusion feels like.   We’ve been wrestling with it for nearly twelve years.  I’m not saying I understand it, and I’m not saying it’s easy, and I’m not saying I like it.  I’m just saying it’s a close friend and I certainly recognize it.

At this particular moment, I’m at a loss as to what to say.  I’ve never dealt with such a situation.  So instead of my typical format, I chose to write Jen a letter.  I’m sure it doesn’t do her justice, to her kindness, beauty inside and out, intelligence, sincerity, adventurous spirit, wit and sense of humor.  But my words are sincere and straight from the heart.

My thoughts and prayers are with Jen’s family and friends at this time and always.  We have been blessed to know such a wonderful person.  The world will not be the same.

 

Dear Jen,

If my memory serves me correct, we have known each other since I was in the first grade and you in the third, going to Sacred Heart Elementary School.  To be honest, I don’t remember when you officially joined our family because it seems like you were always there.  Who would have thought, from that moment on,  you and my sister would have become friends for so many years?

Dr. Jennifer (Smith) Galbraith eating a Twix.

Even though you were always Nicole’s best friend, you always treated me as a friend too.  I can’t believe it’s been years since those days at Sacred Heart, but we’ve always kept in touch, only due to your continued friendship and sisterhood with Nicole.

Over the years, my family would get updates on how you were doing, what was new and what was going on in your life.  Even though Facebook has been the focus of the media for negative uses and development of an anti-social society, Facebook helped us to connect again.  Prior to that, even without direct communication, you were always in my thoughts.  After all, you were very much a part of the Piper household.  I mean even dad remembered your name!

By the time I reached the seventh grade and you in ninth, in the Latrobe Junior High School, I would grin when I saw you in the halls.  You would smile and give me a friendly nod.  Actually, I think it was more of a laugh, I was always so lost, mentally and directionally.  Here I envied you because I thought you were so much more together than I ever was!  Even in junior high it seemed like your life would take a straight path to greatness.  Well, you certainly achieved greatness, in many ways.  But I was wrong, your life took a sudden and fatal sharp turn.

Nicole & Jen graduating from Greater Latrobe High School. Class of ’92! Go Wildcats!

When I joined the colorguard and you were in the band (clarinet), it was nice to know someone among the older strange faces.  You never snubbed me or anything of the sort.  Actually, you looked out for me, and over the years as we both matured, maybe you more than me, I wasn’t just “Nikki’s little sister”, I was your friend too.

When I heard you were going to school to be a doctor I was so excited for you and I remember thinking, “Yes she is one smart cookie who will have no trouble getting through her studies.  She is going to be such a success in life!”  You were always such an intelligent girl, it came so natural to you.  In that respect, I could see why you and Nicole were always such good friends, you challenged each other intellectually.  In my younger days I didn’t appreciate that, but over the years I certainly have.

Jen, you always had such patience.  Every time I asked a stupid question like “How can you be an optometrist and not have perfect vision?”, you would answer me.  Even though we were private messaging each other or communicating digitally, somehow I could see that Jen smirk.  It’s funny, Ryan had the same type of grin.

You may not have realized it at the time, but you were loved!  You had a lot of friends, family, acquaintances, co-workers, neighbors, patients and the list goes on and on, that relied on you in one way or another.  There were so many lives you touched, including mine!  I know my sister looked up to you and was proud to call you a friend, as was I.

Nicole’s birthday at the house. Back of Casey’s head, Mikey, Ryan, Jen, Nicole & Elizabeth. Rest-in-Peace Ryan & Jen, may you both find each other in blue skies.

In a way, I think you found me intriguing with my hyperactive nature and my adventurous and creative spirit.  You seemed to find those qualities later on in life, whereas I discovered them early.  I loved hearing about your skydiving adventures, your running accomplishments and your evenings on your porch with a beer.  You seemed to be enjoying the life you made for yourself.  I was enjoying it with you!

Did I ever mention I loved hearing about your dogs and especially your chickens!  When I heard you were building a chicken coop, I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic and pride.  Not because you wanted to have fresh eggs, which I didn’t blame you, but because to me that was a sign of you hanging around my family.  You were always at the house and down my Uncle Walter’s farm.  It was almost like a piece of us up on the ridge was instilled in your very core.  You didn’t know it because I never told you, but to me that was a perfect compliment.  Now I may have been completely off base with my assumption, but I’m holding onto it.

Welcome back class of 1992! Nicole, Jen, Heather, Susan 2012. Go Latrobe Wildcats!

On a side note, I saw that Facebook post you posted about getting locked inside your chicken coop.  I was howling!  That was so terribly funny, I still think about it.  You certainly found complete humor in yourself, which was a great quality to have!

I don’t know if you remember or not when Ryan died?  I bet you do, how can anyone forget that horrible time and grief.  The same grief everyone is feeling today.  Granted that wasn’t Ryan’s choice to leave us, but it doesn’t make any death easy to accept.  I guess that’s why they call it a tragedy.  I’m not sure why someone, including you would make that choice.  Maybe you really wanted to LIVE and wanted true peace.  I’m sure I’m a part of the mix of people you left behind wondering why?  Or what could I have done?  I mean, that’s natural right?  Everyone wants to understand and have a good reason, although in my eyes there wasn’t a good one, however that wasn’t my decision.  It was your unfortunate action that cannot be reversed.  One that I still can’t fathom.

Life will go on.  It always does, but it won’t be as colorful and interesting without you here.  I didn’t find out about your passing until early evening on Wednesday and I had the very same shock and confused feeling as I did when I got the news Ryan passed.  I guess that’s understandable considering you were family.

Jen with a Lobster. This was not my pic, but taken from Jen’s Facebook page. I just loved her in it! Rest-in-Peace Dr. Jennifer (Smith) Galbraith

Jen, I never thought your days would be short.  Of course, when loosing someone, who really thinks that?  I suspect you’ve always struggled internally.  I suppose I kind of knew that, but I never made mention of it.  Perhaps it was because I didn’t understand and I couldn’t identify with it or because I thought at this point in your life  all was good.  Do I get it now?  No!  Not even close!  Especially the way you chose to leave our earthly world.  Why that way?  It was so violent.  You seemed so happy, but I guess even though pictures can say a thousand words, they don’t show the inside, the truth, just the surface.  So I guess pictures can be deceitful lies.  I just don’t understand.  I mean here I am talking about going to the shooting range this past Sunday.  Did I give you the idea?  I hope not!  You grew up in the Piper household, you knew we respected the guns.  Did you forget dad’s rule about never pointing a firearm at another person, even a toy gun?  That includes yourself Jen!

I’m pretty sure there wasn’t a person near or far, friend, foe or even complete stranger that wouldn’t have stopped everything that was going on in his or her life to help you.  You, Jen were an asset to this life!  Did you realize that?  Many knew it, I hope you did too!  I bet everyone is wishing you would have called them.  Nicole would have been at your house in a heartbeat, as would I and many others.  Maybe you didn’t know or maybe you thought you had the perfect answer.  You were very smart throughout your short life and have done things right, this time your judgement was wrong!  If you had to do it again, would you choose the same?

Since you consistently read my blog, I thought it appropriate to give you your very own day, your own story, your ever lasting memorial.  Your words were always so kind and encouraging.  You used to state how much you loved my writing style and how much you loved hearing what I had to say.  I know you were just being nice, but coming from you, that was such a compliment!  You truly loved hearing about my silly and sometimes pointless tales, and a few uncontrollable rants.  Eventually, this post will be buried by life and other stories that always seem to want to exit my brain and travel down through my fingers, to end up in black and white, but like this post, you will always remain.  Remain in the minds and memories of those you knew, and maybe by some you didn’t.  You will never be forgotten!

Jen, I hope you are flying in the beautiful blue skies you were made to, and I hope your soul finds the peace it was seeking.  God bless!

With much love,

Heather

Rest-in-Peace and God Speed Dr. Jennifer (Smith) Galbraith!

Huffington Post Article on the Skydiving Accident

Jen worked for Leading Edge Eyecare since 2005.  I took a screen shot of the website.

Here are a few screen shots I took from Jen’s Facebook page to preserve her memory.

The road to success is always under construction. ~Arnold Palmer

Nick & Kyle hanging with Brutus at Legion Keener Park in Latrobe Pa. 2013

Being a Latrobe native doesn’t just mean that I have a specific location I can point to on the map and declare, ‘I’m from here!’  Nope!  Stating this fact holds a lot more, the history, the traditions, those who have paved the way for others and also the pride of the people and surrounding areas.

Many can claim the same about their area, but we, Latrobeans are truly a special breed. I’m not saying my broad stroke, ideal perception is consistent across the board one hundred percent true for everyone, but from my observations and where my heart stands, it is.

Latrobe is one of those typical small towns. You know the kind, most everyone knows each other and in my case because I’m a Piper, somehow I’m related to everyone. Latrobe is also large enough to give a little elbow room when desired. Originally it was a borough and then made into a city. Latrobe was named after Benjamin Latrobe. It’s true, it’s not suppose to be pronounced with a long “a” sound. However, if you are from Latrobe, you use the incorrect pronunciation, that’s our badge of honor and proof that we are true Latrobeans.  Yes I know, we also have the typical Western Pennsylvania slang, and distinct accent criticized by all, but there is so much more.

Me & Kyle at the Banana Split Festival at our Thrill of the Hunt booth in Latrobe, Pa. 8/24/13

What else makes Wildcat Country truly special? Well, lets start with the accomplishments surfacing from this area and the people. Even though it’s not official because it was never really proven, Latrobe is home to the first professional football game ever played. At least, that’s how I always understood it. Incidentally, Latrobe is home to the Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp, held at Saint Vincent College every year. Latrobe, mirroring our neighbor Pittsburgh has very much the same die hard type of personality. “Pittsburghers” are known world wide for their dedication to the city, especially the Steelers. I mean, we have Steelernation! Latrobe projects the same pride and love of the city, for both Pittsburgh and Latrobe.

Me & what I thought was a Guerrilla Girl (nope). Banana Split Festival in Latrobe Pa. at the Thrill of the Hunt booth. 8/24/13

Saint Vincent College, Latrobe’s very own, unbeknownst to many has a history that impacted many around the world for different reasons. Long before the college was the Steelers training home base, Saint Vincent Church was the first Benedictine monastery in the United States, founded by Boniface Wimmer, a monk from Bavaria Germany. The monks not only started the Catholic tradition and built a beautiful church that turned into the college, but they also held the recipe for Rolling Rock Beer, home grown form the fields of good old Latrobe Pennsylvania.

Growing up around the Rolling Rock Brewery, I never realized how famous the beer really was, until one trip changed all that. During one of my senior high band field trips, we went to New York City. A small town Latrobe girl in the big apple. Naturally, we did all the touristy things, but on our final day, we participated in the Saint Patrick’s Day parade. On a side note, up until that point, that was the most I’ve ever walked in one trip, ever! My feet and legs were so sore from marching miles on the New York streets I thought I would collapse. Anyway, as we marched along, and the crowds took note of our banner, ‘Greater Latrobe Marching Band’, they began to yell. It wasn’t making fun, or ridiculing us in any way, it was praise and excitement! They were yelling, “Latrobe! #33 Rolling Rock!” I’m not talking a small group of drunken individuals. I’m talking pretty much the entire city of New York! We were famous! Living in my own corner of the world being oblivious to outsiders, I had no idea that anyone knew who we were! Let alone loved us! People, cheered for our group of Latrobe natives and truly loved recognizing us. It was great! It was at that moment, I didn’t take it for granted that I was a Latrobean, a Wildcat!

Nick & Kyle making a friend (Brutus) at Legion Keener Park in Latrobe, Pa. 2013

Beer is not only our claim to fame and neither are our black and yellow footfall fans. Latrobe has birthed some inspiring people. One being Mr. Fred Rogers who graduated from Latrobe High School. Actually, my grandpap Chester went to school with him and I believe Mr. Rogers was the class president. Graduating from the freshly built Latrobe Senior High School, my mom and brother and sister all walked down the same halls and graduated from the same alma mater. Mr. Rogers lived not far from my parents house in Edgewater. Some may not know or remember the TV personality, but he had a show for children on PBS, Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood (1968–2001). One of his sweaters is actually on display at the Smithsonian Museum of American History. He had many more accomplishments, but he was made famous from his show and calming personality.

Ice-Cream Joe, Valley Dairy (My first job) in celebration of the Banana Split Festival in Latrobe, Pa. 8/24/13

A friend of Mr. Rogers, and matching or perhaps exceeding in popularity would be our very own golf professional, Arnold Palmer. Yep the inducted World Golf Hall of Fame Latrobean was born and breed in the area. He too doesn’t live far from my parents house, right down the road from the Greater Latrobe High School. Every once in a while, I would see him pulling out of his driveway and I heard he still flies his plane in and out of the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe. Personally, I’ve never met the man, but I’ve known many who have and have commented on what a great guy he is. He was not only known in the golf world but to presidents too. I remember when Mr. Palmer’s wife, Winny (Winifred) passed away, former president George Herbert Walker Bush came to town to pay his respects.

More recently, Latrobe made their mark again with proving they are the home of the original banana split. Yes, invented by Latrobean David Strickler came the banana split. He didn’t just stop there, he also created the banana split boat to hold the ice-cream dessert.

This past weekend was the Banana Split Festival in Latrobe. Great time by all! I represented Thrill of the Hunt as part of the local vendors. We had a perfect sunny day and I loved running into old friends and meeting some new ones. Everyone was very encouraging and supportive about our start-up company. It was inspiring!

The New Playland in Legion Keener Park, Latrobe Pa. 2013

Latrobe has produced greatness, yet remains humble and true to our roots. I love this city and what it stands for. Thrill of the Hunt is home grown in Latrobe, Pennsylvania and I hope my company will continue to bring the pride back to Latrobe like many before me.

There is a lot more to Latrobe and I just touched on a few. Everyone should take some time and visit this lovely area, nestled in at the base of the Laurel Highlands. And those who have since moved away, should stop back. It’s a great place to live and do business. I am proud to be a Latrobean through and through. Even Kyle has taken on the title of Latrobe native, well after all he was born and partially raised here. He considers himself a Wildcat and I agree, he is!

Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are.  ~Niccolò Machiavelli

You know I saw this video posted, over and over again on Facebook.  I will admit I did watch it a few times, just being so surprised by the content, and more surprised by the commentator.  Yes it was Ashton Kutcher, correction Chris.

It seemed like he was waiting to give this speak, waiting for the perfect time, waiting for the most influential audience, the Teen Choice Awards.  Yes the teens.  It’s like he specifically and methodically chose his audience.  Wise move on his end!

But what really made me watch and listen to his carefully chosen words, was the content, the real guts of his speech.  He purposefully chose phrases to capture everyone’s attention, yet turned those preconceived catchphrases, those arresting words into his own to really drive his point home.

Never disliking, nor never really being a huge fan of Mr. Kutcher’s, (expect I loved Punked) I would have never listened heard about his speech if it were not for friends of mine who were impressed with the actors message.  The message of hard work, using your head and living life to the fullest.  Pretty heavy topics, especially for an acceptance speech.  Kudos to Ashton for taking a stand and caring about the youth of America!

What really makes his communication impactful, is that it came from him.  The movie star him who is normally a silly goofy type of guy that seems to be a screw around and not to be taken seriously.  In all reality I bet he has worked hard and recognizes it.  He seems to appreciate good old fashioned blood, sweat and tears, especially when others do the same.

Going back to his message, and rolling it over again and again in my head, I wonder, what sparked this on?  Then to take it a step further, did he really write that speech?  I’m not saying he’s an idiot, because on the contrary I think he’s anything but.  However, it just seemed a bit heavy for him.

Although,  I do truly believe he was sincere in what he was saying.  I do believe Ashton has a big heart and is a hard worker.  Not that I have anything to go off of, I mean I’ve never met the man, I’ve never even seen him in person and I’ve never really followed any of his interviews.  Yet, I do believe he meant those words wholeheartedly.  I do believe he is humble inside and he has a strong work ethic.  I do sincerely believe he is a good person.  Despite any of his public  issues.  Of course, I believe some things are private and should be handled as such, but I guess the media doesn’t listen to me.

Wonder if making the movie Jobs opened the actors eyes?  Learning about Steve Jobs and acting his role, I’m sure was quite an experience for the actor.  Even though playing roles for the big screen, I still think actors personally change with each movie.  I’m sure they learn new ways of thinking and realities that are quite the opposite of their own, at least the good ones do, and they see life differently.  Who knows maybe it was totally unrelated, something someone said to him.  I’m sure I’ll never really get my answer, unless Ashton Kutcher shows up on my doorstep to chit chat over tea or a beer or something.  Maybe it’s personal to him?  And therefore really none of my business.  But regardless, I’m still curious.

Maybe I’m just taking this to heart because he spoke words that I have always believed in and lived by.  Anyone who really knows me, knows I’m a silly, off the wall, hyperactive artsy type.  It’s true, yet I’m also a very hard working, putting myself through college, twice, and working three jobs at one time in my younger days; and I’m a structured driven entrepreneur.  I come from a family of blue collared, physically demanding hard workers.  Even to this day, I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty, literally, I help my dad chop and stack wood every year.  Getting dirty and breaking a sweat in places other than a gym to accomplish a job is no big deal to me.  In fact, I appreciate it.  The opportunity to build character and have a sense of accomplishment.  Something I’m trying to instill in Kyle.

Trying not to look the gift horse in the mouth, I plan on showing Kyle this video.  It may or it may not mean anything to him, but it never hurts to use a good example when it presents itself.  I will say this with all sincerity, Kyle already knows a great brain and mind is what it takes to rule the world.  I never had to tell him, he just always knew.

The Steve Jobs movie looks really good and I can’t wait to see it.  I hope it truly portrays our recently deceased Apple genius.  Reading a few books on the innovator, I am curious what they will bring to light and what will be hidden to those who don’t care, or don’t care to really read about such a unique and troubled man.

Well done Ashton, well done!  Take the time to see the clip for yourself and really hear what he has to say.  You’ll be impressed!

See below and let me know your thoughts.

Adventure is worthwhile in itself.  ~Amelia Earhart

Jenny Singer & Me at Steerlerfest 2013 at Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pa. 8/2/13

I’ve always loved adventure, always!  I can turn a simple trip to the local grocery store into an adventure.  And I’d be happy to write about it and tell the story over and over again, refining it and intensifying it with each pass.  That’s probably why I enjoy traveling so much!  It’s the adventure I love, the journey, the sometimes unexpected and unknown, new discoveries, the eye opening moments and the opportunity to learn first hand.  I love it all.  So I guess it’s no surprise that my sister and I embarked on a little adventure of our own, The Piper Corporation.

Mentioning it a time or two, we started The Piper Corporation, which currently has two divisions, Thrill of the Hunt (www.ThrillScavengerHunt.com) a company that develops and administers themed scavenger hunt events for the public and packages for private birthday parties, fundraisers and business functions; and SpyRing (www.SpyRing.com) the world of spies and espionage brought to life through a simple to play educational card game for children, that reinforces scholastic school subjects including reading and reading comprehension.  Yes, that’s a lot to do and a lot to take in!  Hence, why I am focusing my efforts towards Thrill of the Hunt.  It requires less resources, we have the potential to see immediate results, it’s easier to get in the hands of the public and we have the opportunity to indirectly help small businesses and local communities.

Jenny Singer helping the kids play our fishing game at Steelerfest 2013, Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pa. 8/2/13

Recently, last Friday, I was at Steelerfest 2013 at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.  I had a booth to promote Thrill of the Hunt.  As part of reaching out to the Steeler fans, I created a game for the kids to play as they stopped by my tent.  After all, it’s not always about making money, sometimes it’s just as important to support the community, even if it was from a magnetic fishing game standpoint.

Creating this game just for something simple and cheap for the kids to do, I personally thought it was kind of stupid and I thought no child would want to participate.  How wrong I was!  Purchasing small random items at the dollar store and gluing magnets to them, I placed the items in a small plastic kid pool for the kids to fish.  We used Kyle’s old plastic fishing pools that I “sooped” up with larger magnets.  Hence where I got the idea.  These poles were made new again when I saw them sitting with dad’s actual fishing polls in his office.  Brilliant!  To make it Thrill of the Hunt challenging, I made up riddles for each item.  Jenny Singer, my Thrill of the Hunt Team Member, who graciously helped me out all day (including setting up the tent and our table of stuff and tearing down) read the riddles to the kids and they had to first figure out the answer and then they had to fish for the item.  What did they win?  A Thrill of the Hunt stamp on their hand.  It was a hit!  Not only were the little kids lining up to join the fun, but the young-ins around Kyle’s age wanted to play too!  I was flabbergasted and excited!

Jenny Singer working the Thrill of the Hunt’s tent at Steelerfest 2013, Saint Vincent College, Latrobe Pa. 8/2/13

On a side note, Jenny was such a tremendous help!  Sincerely, with her hard work and suggestions, the day went off without a hitch.  She is a hard worker!  Never once did I hear her complain, speak negatively about anything, heck she didn’t even take a lunch break.  She was in it with me for the long haul.  Such a great little girl.  Jenny is already a success in life and over time she it’s only going to intensify.  I know it!

Jenny Singer giving the kids at Steelerfest clues to figure out for the fishing game. Steelerfest 2013 Saint Vincent College, Latrobe Pa. 8/2/13

On another side note, I missed my Kyle terribly.  He is always at my side helping me with functions such as this one.  Kyle is, and will always be my inspiration.  He is also a busy little man with a lot going on, maybe next year!  Although we do have the Banana Split Fest coming up in Latrobe!  I’m sure I can count on his assistance.

Thinking about it, maybe entrepreneurship is in my blood.  After all my pappy started his own business, Walter Piper & Sons Lumber, his own sawmill, like many of the Piper’s before and after him.  Pap was not scholastically smart, only finishing out the fifth grade due to a lack of opportunity and support.  I mean he could barely write his own name, yet he had something, something not a lot of people have.  I’m not sure if it was vision, natural business skills, or a guardian angel.  Maybe it was all the above.  I will say, my pap was great at math!  I mean quick!  He could add and subtract simple math, figure out decimals and add and subtract fractions like he was a calculator.  That doesn’t surprise me.  He adapted to his surroundings, and working with wood in the wood industry, you need to learn measurements and to do them without thought, with one hundred percent accuracy.  I’m guessing similar to carpenters and construction workers.  I bet if pap had the opportunity he would have been able to do higher level math.

Me & Jenny Singer at Steelerfest 2013. Sporting our Thrill of the Hunt Tees. Saint Vincent College, Latrobe Pa. 8/2/13

On the opposite, pap had certain qualities, which were not very business smart.  He was too nice.  I know what sounds mean, but he was!  He would take people on their word to pay him, or he would shake on a deal and trust that was enough.  Pap came from the old time when those practices were honored and upheld.  The world was changing around him and pap remained the same.  My brother was a lot like pap.  They both possessed the same business sense, yet their hearts were two sizes too big and they wholeheartedly trusted everyone’s word.  I can admit that I am guilty of the same, even to this day, but I’ve learned some cruel lessons over the years to not be so blind.

The sawmill sustained for quite a few years after pap’s death, the timber industry is a tough one to thrive in, let alone keep your head above the water with obstacles in the way.  But my pappy did the best he could with the resources he had.  I can only speculate what kind of businessman pap would have been if he had a formal education.  He naturally had a marketing mind.  How do I know?  Just from simple things he did without anyone telling him what to do, like giving out baseball caps and pens sporting the company name.

Steelerfest 2013 at Saint Vincent College, Latrobe Pa. Thrill of the Hunt was part of the vendors & had a kids fishing game! 8/2/13

Working for oneself certainly has its benefits, equal to its challenges.  Let’s start off with my day.  I love making my own hours and not having my schedule dictated by others, at least not entirely.  I wake up around 5:00 am, go to the gym come back and get started by 6:30 am or 7:00 am.  Since I am the workforce, all design, writing, PR, advertising, social marketing, website updates, scavenger hunt planning, business development and such are up to me!  I love every minute of it!  Granted sometimes it’s hard working solo, but I do have my sister and friends to kick around ideas.

The biggest perk of being an entrepreneur?  No it’s not working for myself, and that’s not a good enough reason, nor is it wanting to be the boss making me the top dog or the leader.  Putting yourself in a position of leadership, doesn’t make a leader.  The way I look at it, my customers are my bosses and a good leader can lead in any situation.  No, it’s knowing I’m filling a niche, something new, something never been done before.  It’s giving people adventure while embarking on my own adventure.  It’s falling and getting back up and learning from my mistakes.  It’s also knowing I can indirectly help small businesses and local communities by bringing awareness to these areas.

Steelerfest 2013 at Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pa. Thrill of the Hunt was part of the vendors! 8/2/13

How do I do this?  Simply, when I bring a Thrill of the Hunt Scavenger Hunt Event to an area, I create my game to crisscross around the neighborhood, bringing unknown nooks and crannies of the community to light.  I also use the small businesses as part of my scavenger hunts, driving traffic directly into their doorsteps.  My heart and soul is in local merchants and quaint little towns, couple that with my love of adventure and you have Thrill of the Hunt!

Yes, there is also the negative side of being an entrepreneur, but I would prefer to stick with the positives.  Stop by the website and peruse the Events and Packages or Suggest An Event.  I’d love to hear from you!

Remember, everyone needs to …. Experience the Game!

I call on people to be ‘obsessed citizens,’ forever questions and asking for accountability.  That’s the only chance we have today to a healthy and happy life.  ~Ai Weiwei

Kyle likes being held accountable for his actions, & in turn he is fine holding others accountable for their actions too! He’s going to make a great leader!

Life brings up lessons, some larger than others,  But sometimes do we need that lesson?  I mean, to me they are just common sense.  Do we really have to teach adults accountability?  Maybe I’ve lived in a hole my entire life and this has been going on since time began, but it seems like an easy fix.  I’m talking about accountability.

You know that’s one lesson I don’t ever remember my parents having to teach us.  Probably because they taught by example.  Everyone messes up in life, in one form or another, no one is perfect.  But how you handle your mistakes says a lot about a person and their character.  Also those who are directly or indirectly involved and how they handle the situation, says a lot too.  Whether they are quick to assist and find a solution, and more importantly to forgive.

Anytime we’ve messed up, as kids and adults over the years, and there was a lot, we held ourselves accountable for our mishaps.  Each of us took full responsibility for our actions and never tried to lie about anything or get out of it.  On the flip side, my parents accepted our faults, forgave us and tried to assist us in any way.  They would never rub our noses in our mistakes and hold it again us.  Seriously, sometimes it was never spoken of again, or, if the time was right they teased a little, but never lost faith in us that we couldn’t make the right decisions.  There was trust, and that was never questioned.  We might have gotten into stupid trouble, mostly me and Ryan, but it was never malicious, never disrespectful to anyone or their property, and we never tried to put another in harms way.  We were just kids.  Kids who always held themselves accountable without question.

Now as an adult, I still screw up, but again I take full responsibility for my actions and always try to make right, like most people.  Yes, I believe the majority of the population in the world strive to do good, even though sometimes they are a bit misguided in their thinking, and yes, they something don’t choose the best course of action.  Those that are opposite are smaller in number, and again I think the underlying intent is for good.

So my question is, how do you show accountability when there is so much unaccountability displayed with our leaders?  How do I explain that to Kyle?  Heck, I never knew how to explain that to my employees regarding leaders in my own work life.  It’s true, a boss who refused to be held accountable for anything and chose to finger point for his own business.  Similar to our president?  I’ll get to that in a minute.  And you have prominent positions?  With power and authority?  And you don’t feel you need to be held accountable?  Come on people, you are setting the example for our youth!  Your actions effect us all!

The entire IRS scandal still has me in a huff.  I’m sure targeting certain groups is not a new concept (they targeted conservative groups or those businesses who supported the republican party).  That’s not right either, but their actions with our tax dollars is outrageous, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on dance lessons, travel expenses, and who knows what else.  We’re talking about employees who were living high on the hog from the start with their huge salaries and Washington perks.  Seriously, I think it should be paid back to the people, because after all, it was basically theft.  Now, it seems like there is just a bunch of finger pointing.  No one wants to be held accountable, usually making the low man on the pole the scape goat.  Stand up and be a man!  Everyone who does, will feel better in the long run.

Now I heard the IRS, the very same department of the United States of America, who have been proven to abuse their authority and basically steel money from tax payers, are now in charge to say what Medicare pays!  We are putting a bunch of number crunching thieves in charge of our health?  This has got to stop!

Of course, I guess I shouldn’t expect anything different when we have Hillary Clinton who was the Untied States Secretary of State, who would not even take accountability for her lack of action.  At least at present, Hillary was never held accountable for the attacks in Benghazi, the second deadly attack on U.S. diplomatic facility during the Obama administration.  When questioned, she became hot headed and still would never claim any accountability.  It was almost embarrassing watching her sit there and skirt around the subject at hand when questioned.  The facts remain that there were a list of some 234 security incidents in Libya, of which 50 took place in Benghazi.  These incidents including hijacking, bombing, kidnapping and assassination attempts took place between June 2011 and July 2012.  Sounds like a security issue to me.  But Hillary probably didn’t have time to actually do her job and dismissed the warning signs.  She should have absolutely, without question, been held accountable immediately for her inaction.  Yet, did president Obama step up to hold her accountable?  Nope!  Yet he’ll step in and use the government to overrule a hearing involving the Trayvon Martin – George Zimmerman case, when he has absolutely no right.  That is a direct abuse of power!  What about all those innocent people who died overseas?  Some are there under his orders, protecting the United States and its people.  We’re talking about death, not just money, but death because of a lack of accountability.  Sounds like a jail sentence to me!

According to Merriam-Webster:

Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You’ve stripped away our heritage,
You’ve outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question “Why?”
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!   ~Darrell Scott

Dad in Aschaffenberg, Germany with his new pistol before him & mom came home 1971

Guns!  Guns!  Guns!  When in doubt, blame the guns.  At least that’s where the finger seems to point to first, or how the media wants us to respond.  It’s no big secret that I am pro gun, pro sport shooting, pro self protection and pro hunting, as is the rest of my family.  Many agree with me on my opposition of any kind of gun control, and many do not.  That’s fine, I will carry a firearm, while the counter does not.

Having anyone perish by the hand of another human being, while using a gun or not is tragic.  Violence in any form is not healthy and is not something to be celebrated.  Yet, there are times when it is unavoidable, especially when survival instincts take over.  Obviously, I’m referring to the George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin case Who Has the Right to Judge?.

George Zimmerman’s gun was perfectly legal.  It was obtained legally, it was kept legally and it was registered legally.  It was even used legally.  When someone threatens death upon you, especially when they’re punching and striking your face and cracking your skull into the cement, resulting in a broken nose, you are within your right to protect yourself.  It’s called self defense.  It’s not a malicious intent, expect to do what our brains are wired to do and that is survive.

Now that the gun law has been brought to light again, I started thinking, ‘Would anyone have died that night on February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida if there wasn’t a gun involved?’  Yes!  That’s what’s really scary.  The removal of the gun, doesn’t mean complete safety.  When Trayvon Martin was beating George Zimmerman’s head into the concrete, he could have easily killed him or gave him irreversible physical damage. (not even talking about physiological damage) Does that mean we need to get rid of all sidewalks?  Stop making cement?  Could Mr. Martin have obtained an illegal gun and used it on Mr. Zimmerman?  Sure, especially with a person known to abuse drugs, and we all know that illegal guns and drugs tend to go hand-in-hand.  That wasn’t the case in this particular incident, but it’s a strong reality.

Chad, Ryan & Jeremy deer hunting. Everyone filled their tags that year! 1989

Anything could be used to kill, a tall building, a kitchen knife, a box cutter!  Granted, guns could be used more efficiently with creating more damage, but not in every case.  A plane was used in 911, killing way more people than an automatic weapon ever was capable of, without the use of a single gun.  We as people are never going to learn unless we start looking and understanding the true source of crime, of destruction, of evil.  I mean the true source, not the easiest or the most popular, but the deepest rooted problems.  The real problems that might be tough to talk about, that might not be able to be fixed overnight and would take time and dedication to solve, the darkest corners.  Yes those problems that never seem to be brought to light.  And I believe it all starts with family and family life.

This thought was best addressed by the person responsible for my lead quote.  I specifically chose him for a reason.  I felt his words needed to be heard again and Darrell Scott really hit the nail on the head and called out the source of the violence and grief, the bottom line, the real issue.

Could be my grandpap Chester or his brother, my Uncle Frank during World War II

On April 20, 1999 fifteen students died and many more were injured during the Columbine School Massacre.  Some may not realize that Darrell Scott, the gentlemen I used to quote from, was the father of two of those children who were there that day.  His daughter Rachel Joy Scott was killed.  Did he blame the guns?  Nope!  He did not.  And you might be surprised to find out that he wasn’t a hunter, he didn’t even own a firearm.  In fact, he gave a very powerful statement to a small house subcommittee when taking about the incident.  He spoke of the nature of man,  good verses evil.

He’s right we all have free will, that’s how God made us!  We choose to do right and we choose to do wrong.  Granted sometimes accidents happen and there are misjudgements, but we have to look into our hearts and see the intent.  That’s what makes all the difference, the intent.  A person who intentionally shows the good deeds he’s done is certainly not walking side-by-side with God as another who does good for the sake of doing it, not just for show.  Same goes for the opposite.  George Zimmerman’s intent wasn’t to just start blasting away, and it certainly was not race related.  It was self defense.

Believe it or not, there was a time in history when guns didn’t exist.  And believe it or not, there was still death at the hands of our fellow neighbors.  It’s certainly not the fault of the gun, but solely at the hand of one controlling it.

Dad turkey hunting…I guess it was a good day! This was before dad quit chewing tobacoo! I see the side chew

Recently, when we had an issue with our dogs Dog Gone Irony!, who ran off and got lost for a couple days, I went hiking through unfamiliar woods trying to locate our delinquents.  Before I set out, I packed my book bag with a few necessities, including my .22 pistol.  Not a large or extremely powerful weapon, yet if needed it would get the job done.  I felt safer, not from people, although if I did encounter a stranger, particularly one without good intentions I was glad I was packing heat, but my immediate concern was animals, specifically bears or mountain lions which have been spotted in the area.  Really my thought was a mama bear and her cubs.  A dangerous encounter that would be scary and could have ended badly.

As I was hiking along, making my way through brush, creeks and trees, I thought, what if I didn’t have access to a gun?  Or worse, what if they were totally outlawed?  Then, basically that decision would take my safety away from me.  It’s not protecting the innocent, the law abiding citizens.  It’s protecting those who turn a blind eye to the law, to what’s right and choose to do harm.

Mom said she saw an interview on TV with a Jewish gentlemen who is pro gun, yet didn’t own a gun, never owned a gun and never even shot a firearm in his life.  Seriously?  Yes!  He said he was pro gun because he was from a time that most may not remember or even know about during World War II.  He commented that one of the first actions set in motion when Hitler started to take power, was to take away all firearms from the Jews.  The Jews couldn’t protect themselves, yet millions died and not all by firearms.

So is gun elimination or even gun control really make us that much better off?  Or does it make us sitting ducks?

Below is a portion of Darrell Scott’s transcript:

Since the dawn of creation there has been both good and evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence.

The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.

The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain’s heart.

In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA.

I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA — because I don’t believe that they are responsible for my daughter’s death. Therefore I do not believe they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel’s murder I would be their strongest opponent.

I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy — it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies!

Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves.

I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best. This was written way before I knew I would be speaking here today:

Your laws ignore our deepest needs
Your words are empty air
You’ve stripped away our heritage
You’ve outlawed simple prayer

Now gunshots fill our classrooms
And precious children die
You seek for answers everywhere
And ask the question “Why”?

You regulate restrictive laws
Through legislative creed
And yet you fail to understand
That God is what we need

Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, soul, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc.

Spiritual influences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation’s history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence.

And when something as terrible as Columbine’s tragedy occurs — politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties.

We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre.

The real villain lies within our own hearts.

Political posturing and restrictive legislation are not the answers.

The young people of our nation hold the key. There is a spiritual awakening taking place that will not be squelched!

We do not need more religion. We do not need more gaudy television evangelists spewing out verbal religious garbage. We do not need more million dollar church buildings built while people with basic needs are being ignored.

We do need a change of heart and a humble acknowledgment that this nation was founded on the principle of simple trust in God!

As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes — He did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right!

I challenge every young person in America, and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain.

Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him.

To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone!

My daughter’s death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!

Be courageous enough to do what the media did not — let the nation hear this man’s speech. Please send this out to everyone you can!!!

And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”  And he answered, “What is it, Teacher?”  “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  When they could not pay, he forgave them both.  Now which of them will love him more?”  Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, to whom he forgave more.”  And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”  ~Luke 7:40-43

George Zimmerman – Closing Arguments Held In Zimmerman Trial 2013

The entire human race sins!  Fact!  It is also our obligation to point out the sins of others and to have them answer for it, but it is not our place to pass judgment, especially after a court ruling.  Instead we should pray for one another and we should help our fellow brothers and sisters, getting them back on the right track.

Why the heck am I on this topic?  Simply because of the finger pointing, all the judgements and threats, and all the negativity and the violence and hate that has stemmed from this behavior.

Yep, I’m talking about the famous George Zimmerman – Trayvon Martin case.  Just to recap (since this blog is for my nephew to read later in life, I always try to give details to help him revisit history) on February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida, George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old mixed race of Hispanic American, fatally shot Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African American high school student.  The ruling was just announced this past Saturday that Mr. Zimmerman was found not guilty, it was an act of self defense.

Just to get this clear from my point-of-view, that if someone, anyone a teenager or an old person, attacked me, pushed me down and began to beat my head off of cement, telling me that he or she was going to kill me, I would take that seriously.  Hopefully, all my survival instincts would kick in and I would have done the same, without hesitation!  I would have pulled the trigger.

Was George Zimmerman completely justifiable?  Yes he can be faulted for approaching the kid when he was instructed not to, but he did what he was suppose to do, he called the police first and reported the suspicion.  He didn’t just go guns a blazing at this suspicious kid, wearing a dark hoodie, milling around between houses in the rain, at night, appearing as if he was on drugs.  If I was George, I would have done the same, especially since the neighborhood was experiences break ins and violence thrusted upon them.  Imagine if Zimmerman would have just walked way and later found out that the kid killed or hurt someone?  That’s what would be running through my head, especially in the case of the unknown at the time.  I would feel it was my responsibility to step in and help take action to protect my family and friends.

As for caring a gun.  He was completely legal and within his rights to do so!  Apparently, he never really felt safe if he always carried the firearm with him, except to work.  Sometime before this case, he was interviewed and said that a robber fled the scene in his neighborhood, right through his property while his wife was home.  Yes!  That would mean something to me too!  And that would stick in my mind forever!

Let’s step back and really get to the heart of the matter.  First of all, what self-respecting child, calls another a cracker?  I would have never done that EVER!  I was taught to respect others and their property.  So with that out in the open, I would never have been hanging out in the rain if I wasn’t up to no good.  And what kid, who is innocent, attacks another?  Sure, kids will be kids, getting into trouble, but if that was me and my cousins, we would have set off running, even if we just wrong on the account of trespassing.  But never in a million years would we have attacked another, unless there was more to it, than kids being kids.  I can’t help but think, Mr. Martin was up to more than just passing through.  Of course, it doesn’t make a difference now, and that’s total speculation and not my place to judge.

Rioting in LA from the George Zimmerman verdict 2013

So now my next thought, why are people rioting?  Seriously?  Especially in California, the whole way across the United States, not even close to Florida.  Does looting and destroying private property make everything better?  Does damaging those hard working citizens’ businesses help you get your own way?  When did two wrongs EVER make a right?  My guess there are some deep seated issues residing in some individuals and they are just looking for an excuse.  Again back to respect.  Respect for our fellow neighbor and our brothers and sisters!  Those property owners weren’t involved in the crime, they weren’t even in the same time zone!  I think there are a lot of unbalanced people and I believe there are a lot of lackeys who thrive on violence and supply this anarchy to those in control, simply for a good show.  The media and some celebrities make that list of the guilty.

On a side note, if any of those rioters are on welfare, then technically they are working for the government.  Then, that means the government, Mr. Obama who is the leader, is destroying our own country from within and its hard working citizens.  Isn’t that like a dictatorship?  If the government insists on getting its own way, and disregards the decisions made by a selected jury and our courtrooms, that means the people truly don’t have a voice.  That means one of our branches of government is ruled by the other, our president.  In essence a dictatorship. I know that seems far fetched, but is it?

On the same thought, why is the government stepping in?  What, they have a say so to overrule the judge and the fair jury because they don’t like the decision?  Wake up people!  The government is already spying on us, they have controlled us through our finances with the IRS, which insistently will be controlling our healthcare decisions through the medicare audits, and now you are welcoming them in to overstep the decisions of a fair jury?  We are just handing over our freedom left and right because some want the government to control the legal system?  I’m not saying any branch of office is one hundred percent fair and unbiased, but don’t keep throwing fuel to the already blazing inferno.  The court ruled and that should be the end of it!

Do I feel bad for the Trayvon Martin family?  Absolutely!  I know first hand the pain that comes from loosing a family member too soon and so suddenly.  My heart bleeds for them, but continuing this quest for their own way, still does not make it right.  Yes it’s tragic, but instead of selling your soul to the government to get your own way, maybe everyone needs to step back and really look at the situation.  Although, I know it’s hard, with the grief and the shock of the verdict at hand, but it will help to find peace.

Blaming race is also not the answer.  How can we, as Americans ever get past racial violence and issues, if it’s always thrown out there.  I mean, how is the next generation going to learn this, which is a learned behavior, if it is not taught?  Stop the hate lesson, then the hate will stop!  After all, George Zimmerman was not even a white man, he is Hispanic.  And if I am correct, that race is a minority too.  So what idiot started to play the race card, my guess because there was nothing else, yet got their facts wrong?  Is there really a need to destroy other lives through violence?  It doesn’t change anything, doesn’t stop life from moving on, and doesn’t change the future.  It just makes us barbarians.

I didn’t see any rioting when OJ Simpson was let off.  My opinion he was as guilty as guilty can be.  Nope, that circus courtroom and all the lies was accepted and ruled on, and there were two innocent murders committed on their own property.  Again, completely innocent people do not act out of control, violent and desperate for an escape.  So why the famous high speed chase in the white broncho?  When I heard that ruling all I thought was, ‘Well, God will judge’.  And look at Mr. Simpson’s life since.  Not a healthy one, maybe the guilt is consuming him?

Rioting in LA from the George Zimmerman case verdict

Ok, may that was too long ago for some of us to really remember or care about, but what about the Casey Anthony trial?  Casey Anthony was on trail for the murder of her two-year-old daughter, Caylee Anthony in Orlando Florida.  Again to recap and refresh the memories of many, the maternal grandmother reported the child missing for over a month and said Casey’s car smelled like a dead body.  That was on July 15, 2008.  Casey gave many falsehoods as to the whereabouts of the child including telling the authorities that her daughter was kidnapped.  On October 2008, she was charged with first degree murder and pleaded not guilty.  Later the court ruled on July 5, 2011, and the jury found Casey not guilty of first degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated manslaughter of a child.  However she was found guilty of four misdemeanor counts of providing false information to a law enforcement officer.  Using her credit for time served, she was released on July 17, 2011.

Was I mad?  Sure, but I also have faith.  I have faith that justice is always served.  I have faith still in our court systems, even though we know it’s corrupt at times.  I also have faith, that good prevails.  Never, did I ever even think of rioting or steeling from business owners.  Is looting an act of demonstrating or is it a selfish act for the personal gain of oneself?

Later that year on December 11, 2008, the little girl Caylee’s skeletal remains were found.  They were wrapped in a blanket inside a trash bag in the wooded area near the family home.  There was duct tape across the mouth on the child’s skull.  Did I mention that after all the lies, they were trying to prove the little girl drown in the pool accidentally?

Yet after all this, where people outraged?  Sure, but not like whats happening with the George Zimmerman case, with all the violence and damage and threats.  The Casey Anthony case was not in question of self defense, it was a blatant attempt of getting away with murder.  Yet she got off!  I was not in the courtroom, I was not on the jury, and I may not have agreed with the verdict, but I do agree with those who made the decision.  End of case, start moving on!

We need to continue to trust our court systems, albeit they are not perfect, but it’s better than anarchy and counter to radical thinking and radical actions of those on the streets.  That’s when the innocent are really going to get hurt, no matter their color.

Birth control, Ho Chi Minh, Richard Nixon back again,
Moonshot, Woodstock, Watergate, punk rock,
Begin, Reagan, Palestine, terror on the airline,
Ayatollah’s in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan,
“Wheel of Fortune”, Sally Ride, heavy metal suicide,
Foreign debts, homeless vets, AIDS, crack, Bernie Goetz,
Hypodermics on the shore, China’s under martial law,
Rock and roller cola wars, I can’t take it anymore … ~Billy Joel

The other day I heard a song on the radio, an instant blast from the past, We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel.  It was a song that dealt with over 100 different headlining topics in the world, taking place from January 1949 up until 1989 when the song was released.

Believe it or not, I remember my teacher actually dissecting that song to teach us the meaning of the lyrics.  To this day, I still remember some of our conversations based on the catchy pop song and my overwhelming understanding of the topics sang, only when we reviewed it line by line in detail.  After all, that exercise helped me realize the complexity of the world around us, at least to my young mind at the time.  Really an eye opener!

Now jumping to present day.  Are we that much different?  More civilized?  More responsible?  Did we as people learn lessons of the past?  Personally, I don’t think so.  In fact, I believe we are worse off.  I believe we are far more removed from reality.  I believe our morals and values have been skewed and have gone astray.  However, being an optimist at heart, I also see the pockets of those trying to uphold family values, those trying to maintain the virtues of our youth, those fighting for what’s right.

Watching the news is a part of my daily routine, like many others, but lately I kind of want to omit that part of the my day.  It seems that there is something majorly tragic happening everyday, and I’m not just talking about natural disasters that are unavoidable.  Believe it or not, I am ‘The Glass is Half Full’ type of chick, I also believe there is more good in the world than evil.  However, holding onto that notion and keeping the faith can be a bit challenging, especially with the persuasion being pelted at us from every direction.  It’s hard to decipher the truth, what’s real.

But what really cracks me up, are certain subject matters and decisions being made that are blatantly wrong, yet they are debated like its a topic residing in the gray zone.  No need for discussions, no need for votes, no need to for leniency, it’s just plain wrong! It’s at this point where I get aggravated when those responsible for doing harm to others and to our country are not manning up and taking responsibility and helping to find a solution to the problem at hand.  We are all human, I get that.  And being human we were blessed with freewill and the freedom to choose between right and wrong.  Therefore, making mistakes is going to be a part of our nature, yet it is not acceptable to dodge the wrong we’ve done.  It is not acceptable to lie about it.  It is not acceptable to force others to believe it’s right, especially to justify ones own actions.

With my rant out of the way, what the heck am I talking about?  I’m talking about Benghazi, where people died because of a lack of concern and reaction from the United States; I’m talking about the IRS, and their blatant targeting of conservative business owners to financially cripple them to steer votes; I’m talking about the house of horrors from doctor abortion, Kermit Gosnell who murdered a pregnant women, many infants and performed many abortions; I’m talking about Jodi Arias, and the cold blooded murder of her boyfriend; I’m talking about Trayvon Martin and the Zimmerman case, where George Zimmerman is on trial for second degree murder.

Too much!  Not just in the United States, but all around the world!  It is our duty to look out for each other and avoid those who cause harm.  Yes!  It is absolutely wrong to support leaders of countries who perform genocide, require abortions, and just plain throw around their muscle, their desire for power.

We as a society need to get back to the basics, get back to family, get back to respect and get back to simpler way of life.  This doesn’t mean getting rid of the internet or our phones.  Nope that would be like saying eliminating our guns.  The objects are not the weapons, the user and their intent is the weapon.  Start with education, start with learning and teaching respect, it all starts with family.  After all isn’t that just plain common sense?

Think about it, our society over the years has become more free with our decisions of what’s right and what’s wrong.  We have become less “uptight” and more liberal in our thinking and our actions.  We have looked to ourselves first and satisfied selfish desires instead of thinking of our neighbor and the consequences of our actions.  We are so free to dodge responsibility and look to instant results, no matter the long-term effects.  We want the easy way and not the right way.  We may not have started the fire, the war has been going on for centuries, but are we that more civilized today than we were two thousand years ago?

Actually, I don’t think so and this war that is raging is harder to fight and harder to extinguish the fire, it’s the war from within.   Seriously, the processed food, the chemicals, the hormones, the drugs and all the garbage we put into our systems, it’s not wonder our brains are miss firing!  Are we even thinking straight?  Then add on top of that, broken homes and omittance of family structure and discipline.  Then, topping it off with greed, arrogance and selfishness.  Yep a recipe for complete destruction.

I’m running out of answers for my little man.  If society continues on this path, then what’s the world going to be like for Kyle when he’s my age?  All I hope, is that he has learned right from wrong and holds true to the Catholic teachings (I’m not saying actions because again we are all human, whether you are church goer or not, whether you are apart of the clergy or not).  Hopefully by then, family life will have been restored and we will have entered a day of light.

We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel Lyrics

Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray,
South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio,
Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, television
North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Monroe,
Rosenbergs, H-bomb, Sugar Ray, Panmunjom
Brando, “The King and I” and “The Catcher in the Rye”
Eisenhower, vaccine, England’s got a new queen,
Marciano, Liberace, Santayana goodbye
[Refrain] We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire
No we didn’t light it
But we tried to fight it
Joseph Stalin, Malenkov, Nasser and Prokofiev
Rockefeller, Campanella, Communist Bloc,
Roy Cohn, Juan Peron, Toscanini, Dacron,
Dien Bien Phu falls, “Rock Around the Clock”
Einstein, James Dean, Brooklyn’s got a winning team,
Davy Crockett, Peter Pan, Elvis Presley, Disneyland,
Bardot, Budapest, Alabama, Krushchev,
Princess Grace, “Peyton Place”, trouble in the Suez
[Refrain]
Little Rock, Pasternak, Mickey Mantle, Kerouac,
Sputnik, Chou En-Lai, “Bridge on the River Kwai”
Lebanon, Charles de Gaulle, California baseball,
Starkweather homicide, children of thalidomide,
Buddy Holly, “Ben Hur”, space monkey, Mafia,
Hula hoops, Castro, Edsel is a no-go,
U-2, Syngman Rhee, payola and Kennedy,
Chubby Checker, “Psycho”, Belgians in the Congo,
[Refrain]
Hemingway, Eichmann, “Stranger in a Strange Land”
Dylan, Berlin, Bay of Pigs invasion,
“Lawrence of Arabia”, British Beatlemania,
Ole Miss, John Glenn, Liston beats Patterson,
Pope Paul, Malcolm X, British politician sex,
JFK, blown away, what else do I have to say?
[Refrain]
Birth control, Ho Chi Minh, Richard Nixon back again,
Moonshot, Woodstock, Watergate, punk rock,
Begin, Reagan, Palestine, terror on the airline,
Ayatollah’s in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan,
“Wheel of Fortune”, Sally Ride, heavy metal suicide,
Foreign debts, homeless vets, AIDS, crack, Bernie Goetz,
Hypodermics on the shore, China’s under martial law,
Rock and roller cola wars, I can’t take it anymore
We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire
But when we are gone
Will it still burn on, and on, and on, and on
[Refrain]
We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire

My little dog
a heart-beat
at my feet  ~Edith Wharton

They always say when it rains it pours.  Sometimes that’s the case, it certainly was this past weekend, starting Friday morning.

Let me set the stage.  I’ve been developing and organizing the Dog Gone! Scavenger Hunt all month, getting ready to launch our first Thrill of the Hunt scavenger hunt event in Shadyside.  So if you can image, there’s a lot of details and last minute items that need addressed.  All week I was unable to take the dogs, Scooby and Seven, for their daily three mile hike.  That’s my normal lunch break now-a-days.  Plus, keep in mind, Kyle was at his at Saint Vincent College.  My lunches were consumed with Kyle, going to pick him up, getting him lunch and taking him back for his afternoon sessions.  Then, the rest of my day and evenings, I was consumed with plugging away at the Dog Gone! Scavenger Hunt.  Busy, busy, busy week.

Then, Friday morning rolled around.  Naturally, I was up early with my head in my work, trying to wrap some items up before having to drop Kyle off at his Lego Camp.  I knew I had to make a trip to Shadyside and meet with the participating business owners before the work day ended, and I had to send brochures to the printers, pick them up and assemble all the Thrill of the Hunt bags for the participants before the day came to a close.  Needless to say, there was a lot on my mind and I was completely pre-occupied.  I’m not making excuses, just outlining the events of the day.

Roughly around 7:00 am, mom emailed me telling me to change Seven’s tracker, the battery was really low.  We use Tagg, which is a great service for tracking our freedom seeking dogs.  Only keeping a tracker on Seven, we’ve found that the buddies travel together so no need to weigh Scooby down.  My response to mom’s email?  “I don’t have time and I’m not planning on taking the dogs for a walk today, I have too much to do!”  Mistake number one!  Then around 7:30 am, Kyle was playing with my cat, Storm, on the porch and he had the front door wide open, without putting up the baby gate.  I was also going back and forth to my car loading it up with needed Thrill of the Hunt paraphernalia.

Then by 8:00 am, we both noticed we were two dogs short!  Around that time, I had to hurry up and update the Piper Reunion postcard and send it to press, since that was sneaking up on us; my friend Holly wanted to run hills and was calling; and mom called to ask me to bring her a large bowl to work.   Yikes!  Too much to do!  Not to mention I had to get Kyle over to his last day of Lego camp by 8:30 am and now the boys are missing.

Seven & Scooby getting some rest after the rescue mission was a success! Poor Seven still had those porcupine quills in his face. Tired pups after 3 days missing. 6/30/13

Right around this very hectic time, mom emailed me giving me the update on the already known missing dogs.  She saw his last check-in was in Ridilliatown, not far from our house, but his tracker died so we really had no idea where their actual whereabouts were.  My response?  They’ll come back.  Did I mention this was when I was in route, between Saint Vincent, to Latrobe and mom’s work?

You see the dogs have a track record of taking off, running through the woods for a few hours and then making their way back home after they are good and tired and completely muddy (Dog Gone).  So who would have thought they would have deviated off of the norm?  Certainly none of us did!  In fact, we thought they would show up on the porch before dark, ready to sit out there punishment under the kitchen table.  That’s were they go when they’re in trouble.  The thinner, crappy doggie beds reside under there, making them really suffer their punishments out. (sarcasm)

Well, needless to say nightfall came and left and no signs of the dogs!  I woke up Saturday morning around 5:00 am to get ready for the Dog Gone! Scavenger Hunt to find the house still a little empty.  I hate to say it, but when I talked to mom, who incidentally slept on the couch so she could hear are late night arrivals, I said, “I bet someone shot them!”  Mom agreed.  I know what a horrible thought!  I didn’t say I wanted that to happen, I was just trying to be realistic and prepare myself for the worst.  That’s what happened to my cousin’s dog when we were little, it was terrible!  Jack the dog, came back with half of his jaw shot off!

Speaking of shooting dogs.  That might sound like an over active imagination and not a present day reality, guess again!  When we were going around to the local neighbors where the dogs were once spotted, a lady told us that someone in Youngstown, near Latrobe Pennsylvania is known to shoot stray dogs.  She said they shot one before and wounded another!  Can you believe it?  I understand dog owners have to be in control of their dog at all times, but come on, things happen.  There is no reason to shoot a dog!  Maybe if it was bringing direct harm to another animal or person, sure for self defense, but just because they are loose and running around?  Even if they were on your property, shoo them away!  Don’t just shoot them!  What is wrong with some people?  Apparently, they have no heart and we need to say prayers for them.

Wishing I could have stayed to help with the rescue mission Saturday morning, Kyle and I headed into Pittsburgh for the Dog Gone! Scavenger Hunt.  Before I left I had time to make a missing poster and I distributed it to my social sites far and wide.  While we were in Shadyside, the irony of the situation hit me!  I was running a scavenger hunt for dogs, when ours ran away and were lost, called Dog Gone! Scavenger Hunt.  Not funny at the time, but has brought new humor.

My poor Seven. Did he put his face directly up a porcupine’s butt? At least he’s home! 6/30/13

The scavenger hunt went really smoothly and was well received by all the participants and business owners.  During the hunt, besides reaching out to our participants via social sites along with my sister, we were  also helping to spread the word, on our very own missing four legged pals.  I was taking calls, and checking Facebook, keeping in touch with my friend Tree who was following up on leads and touching base with my family.  Talk about a lot going on!

As soon as I got back to the area, I joined the search and rescue team.  Getting in the car with mom, we rechecked the the last areas the dogs were spotted, and a few areas we thought they might have gone through.  What made this so difficult was the location of our runaways.  They were running through mostly woods, even worse, mostly unfamiliar woods to me, making their appearance every now-and-again near someones house or a main road.  Even though it was extremely frustrating, each report brought a bit of hope.  At the start of this all, the last place we knew the dogs were located in Ridilliatown, early Friday morning.  Keep in mind it is now Saturday afternoon.

The sightings included:  Someone saw them together off of route 30 near Sleepy Hallow at 6:00 pm on Friday.  Someone saw them near Kingston on Friday around 5:30 pm.  Someone almost hit them with their car off of route 30 near Ligonier around 6:30 pm on Friday.  What?  How did they make it that far coming from Youngstown?

Well, later on Sunday when I hiked the woods in that area, I found out it didn’t take me long to cross the ridges through the woods, only traveling about four miles.  Piece of cake for a couple of four legged travelers.

Then God gave us another bit of hope, Dave Planinsek saw them off his property Saturday morning around 6:15 am.  Great!  They made the night.  He did say it looked like the black one, Seven was foaming at the mouth.  That would explain why the others who spotted our pups said the one looked like he had porcupine quills in his mouth.  My poor Seven!

Seven in the car after we found him, he was lost for 3 days & apparently met a porcupine on the his travels. 6/30/13

Saturday night was fast approaching and nothing, no sign, no word.  I even walked back in unfamiliar woods of Sugarbush, calling the entire mile in and mile out.  Once darkness completely took away my sense of sight, I reluctantly left the woods.  I will admit, it was pitch black and I had about three quarters of a mile to go just to get out of the woods and meet up with dad, who was on the quad.

We arrived at my parents house Saturday night, feeling completely defeated!  Especially knowing the dogs were going to have to spend another night in the woods and knowing that Seven was hurt and possibly Scooby.

That did it!  I had a new game plan.  I woke up early Sunday morning, we went to church the night before because Kyle had to serve mass, and packed my book bag.  I was going to hike all the woods in the area to try and find them.  Our logic, since no one had seen them since Saturday morning, they were hanging out in the woods.  They were injured, tired, hungry, scared and lost.

I packed up my .22 pistol, some food and water, first aide kit and a few other essentials.  I made sure my phone was completely charged so I could check my location on my GPS.  Mom was nervous since I have a track record of getting lost, (Directionally Challenged) but I had no qualms about walking around the woods.  I knew I’d pop out somewhere.  To play it safe, as long as my phone was on, Kyle could find me on Find Friends apps.  Not to mention I was using my RunKeeper app, which Tree and mom had my login information to track my last checked in status.

Breaking some of my RunKeeper records I continued on foot, while dad was on the quad and mom and Kyle were in the car driving around and checking with neighbors and putting up more posters.

This went on for hours on Sunday, it seemed like a lifetime.  When I would make my way to a main road, I would have mom and Kyle come and get me, to drop me off closer to start again.  By Sunday at 1:30 pm, I was with mom and Kyle in the car.  We decided to call dad to see how his progress was going.  When mom was talking to dad trying to outline our next plan of attack, possibly take a break for the time being, dad spotted Scooby!  We were in complete shock!  He called Scooby, and after Scooby recognized dad, he came running over to the quad, leaping up in his lap.  All dad was saying was, “Bring the car around and get him!”  I said, “Where are you?”  His vague reply was, “By the woods.”  Really?  Is this a joke?  “What woods?” I said.  Again, vaguely dad replied, “The ones we were by last night.”  Really?  Again, we were all over the ridge on Saturday.

Scooby just woke up from hours of sleep after being lost for 3 days. He was looking for his buddy who still was not found at this point. 6/30/13

Trying to get dad’s exact location proved to be as difficult as trying to find the dogs because he just wanted to talk to Scooby.  He was even asking our blond pal where his pal Seven was.

Once we picked up Scooby, who had a few porcupine quills in his face, that I plucked out, Scooby fell asleep in the car on the way home.  Then back we went to track down number two doggie delinquent.  Apparently, the one house saw them, just before dad got to their house while he was on the quad, and they tried to call the dogs over.  Scooby came to our good Samaritans, (to my complete surprise)  but Seven was scared and took off (even more of a shock, I thought the opposite).  Now for the first time in days, the dogs are separated.

We looked and looked, to no avail.  Finally, as we were ready to make another pass at the ridge in the car, we got a call from the same house who found Scooby.  Seven was in their yard!  Mom drove like lightening to get there.  Once I saw my obviously distraught, disoriented and in pain pup, I welcomed him with open arms.  He reluctantly came to me, but eventually made his way into the car, for our ride home.

Seven and Scooby are safe back home!  Seven spent Monday at the vets getting those darn porcupine needles out of his face.  I was going to try and remove them like I did once for Scooby (Scooby Meets a Porcupine), but Scooby’s weren’t in for three days.  Seven was also really dehydrated and starving.  I thought it be best to wait out the night and take Seven to the vet first thing in the am.  They weighed him and it seems he lost nearly ten pounds!  Poor pup couldn’t eat or drink or even sleep for that matter, for three days.

The boys were gone from Friday at 7:30 am and Scooby was brought home around Sunday at 2:00 pm, while Seven didn’t make it home till Sunday at 8:00 pm.  He also had to endure another night with the quills in his face before we could take him to the vet on Monday at 8:30 am.  He’s still not quite himself, but he is coming around, at least physically.  Scooby’s really stiff and his paw is proving to be hard to walk on, but he bounced right back.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to call in the sightings of the dogs, and those that tried to help completely strange dogs and unknowns owners!   Your efforts made the world of difference!

While everyone was extremely helpful, I want to give a big thanks to specific people.  One being my friend Tree.  She gave me all the updates of the reported sightings, posted on Action for Animals Facebook, responded back to posts and inquiries, tracked me as I walked through the woods so I didn’t get lost, sent us phone numbers and helped to remind me to keep the faith and reach out to my inner Wonder Woman!  Thanks Tree, you rock!  She was saying prayers and asking for Saint Francis and Saint Anthony to pray for us too.  Then there was mom’s friend Mary, who called all the police departments, local and state and reached out to specific key individuals in the area to spread the word and retrieve updates.  All of the Planinsek’s were most certainly helpful and patient with us driving around their property yelling for our delinquents, and walking and driving our quad through their woods.  The Seminsky’s went out riding around looking for beasts.  Renee Yazvec Hall’s husband and son drove around after seeing the posts on Renee’s Facebook page.  They also offered their services if we needed them, and truly meant it!  And not to mention the fellows from Frowen’s garage went looking with trucks and quads.  Thanks everyone, and those who I did not mention, some taking it upon yourselves to make calls and assist.  Thank you!

Although everyone in the surrounding areas were more than helpful, a big kudos goes to PJ Self and his family.  That young man, saw the dogs and let us know.  Then joined our rescue team on foot and ran through the woods and made a huge circle to look for Seven.  He actually ran.  Seriously, I mean he actually ran!  He even kicked up some deer, I saw them leaping like gazelles through Steiner’s field, while PJ ran along the tree line, miles from his house!  We never asked, he just wanted to help out.  Thank you so very  much!

Thinking about it now, I wonder if our boys learned a lesson?  Somehow I doubt it!  But for now they are safe and sound!

This post may not be very random, after all with the recent events of the Moore, Oklahoma tornado destruction.  On Monday, May 20, 2013 a devastating EF5 tornado struck down Moore, Oklahoma, with winds of more than 210 miles per hour.   This natural disaster caused at least 23 deaths, more than 100 rescued, 237 injured and as many as 20,000 families displaced.  According to Fox News, this tornado is placed in the same class as the deadliest in United States history.  The one who owns this title hit Joplin, Missouri in 2011.  That twister killed more than 158 and injured hundreds.  As per Fox News:

An EF-5 is as bad as it gets,” said Joe D’Aleo, co-chief forecaster for WeatherBell Analytics. “It’s equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane. It means winds were more than 200 miles per hour, and it means you have to be underground, because there will be nothing left above ground.

While reading about recent tornado destruction, I found some really intriguing information.  Now I am no weather expert, so I am hoping all this information is one hundred percent accurate.

• In the last 63 years, only 59 EF-5 tornadoes have touched down in the U.S.
• One-tenth of a percent of all tornadoes are ranked an EF-5
• Most powerful twisters cause 20% of all tornado damage & destruction
• United States has the most powerful tornadoes
• On the average, tornadoes only last a few minutes
• Every tornado is unique – its own color, sound, shape
• Tornadoes have been reported in every state during every season
• Most tornadoes occur between 3 pm and 9 pm – although they can strike at any time

Pennsylvania Tornadoes

• 1985 had the largest EF-4 tornado in Centre County (Moshannon Tornado)  – only 10 reported since 1950
• Since 1950 only 650 tornadoes reported in PA
• In Pennsylvania, a tornado bigger than EF-2 is rare
• There have been a tornado reported in every month of the year in PA
• The strongest storms happen in May
• Severe weather primary time in PA is from April 27th to September 5th
• The peak time of severe weather in PA is between July 1st through July 8th

Take from Weather Wiz Kids:

There are two big forces at work, external and internal.  We have very little control over external forces such as tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, disasters, illness and pain.  What really matters is the internal force.  How do I respond to those disasters?  Over that I have complete control.  ~Leo F. Buscaglia

During a recent visit to Parker Dam State Park, Fishing Toward Independence, Just Had to Take It to Parker Dam, we naturally went down memory lane.  As we fished and shot the breeze by the campfire, dad brought up the time the tornado went through Parker Dam.  I totally forgot all about that!  With the most recent tornado disaster hitting Oklahoma, I guess tornadoes were on our minds.  This tornado, that hit home and presented a miracle and a happy ending for a group of boy scouts, was the subject discussed.  Kyle listened as we shined a light on local past news.

Just to recap, on Monday, May 20, 2013 a devastating EF5 tornado struck down Moore, Oklahoma, with winds of more than 210 miles per hour.   It was such a tragedy of 23 deaths, more than 100 rescued, 237 injured and as many as 20,000 families displaced.  What really hit home was the elementary school that was leveled out by the massive twister.  Sure natural disasters are upsetting and horrible, but when you’re pulling children out of rubble, it strikes another cord with onlookers and tends to pull on the heart strings a little bit more.

(FEMA Photo)  Devastation from the EF5 tornado that hit Moore, Oklahoma on  May 20, 2013.

My thoughts and prayers are still with those who have lost loved ones and had their lives leveled in a single blow.

Moving from that natural disaster and reminiscing on another, the tornado at Parker Dam.

Fortunately, due to no loss in life and because of the remote location, most people don’t know a tornado even hit Parker Dam State Park in Clearfield County.  But it did!  On May 31, 1985 an EF4 tornado leveled about 100 miles of state forest with winds of up to 260 miles per hour.  It even pulled the water right out of the creeks.  Dad said, as far as he could see up and down the hills, trees were flattened.  “It was as if someone clear cut the woods” and left behind splinters in the wake.  “You could see all the way up and down the ridge.  It was something else.”

There were other outbreaks of tornadoes on the same day in Pennsylvania, and the one that hit Parker Dame was the longest lived, staying on the ground for a distance of 69 miles in an hour and a half, reaching Clearfield, Clinton, and Centre counties.  It was one of four EF4 tornadoes to touch down in Pennsylvania on that very same day.  A state who is no stranger to tornadoes, but not really accustomed to the natural disaster either, experienced a major change in the ordinary.

Parker Lake at Parker Dam State Park

Granted, the tornadoes that touched down in Pennsylvania don’t even compare to the Oklahoma tornado, yet the awesomeness of God’s had is still amazing.  Luckily, there weren’t a lot of people in the park when the tornado struck, with the exception of a few campers and a boy scout troop to tell the tale.

The really amazing thing was the zero death toll!  The tornado went right over the camp of boy scouts without touching them!  Granted it ripped off parts of the roof from the octagon shaped building, yet they all returned unscathed.  The boy scouts held onto the doorways and their troop leaders for support, while the massive twister hovered over them and ripped down trees and power lines.  I read an article about the 25th anniversary, commemorating their survival.   To that day, they commented on the locomotive sound that hit them fast and seemingly out of nowhere.  Without shortage of memory, they detailed the events from that day.  That is one of those moments that have stayed with them and always will.  I can only imagine!

Everyone credits the octagon shaped building the boy scouts were hunkered down in, for the reason of their survival.  They feel the way the winds were whipping over them and the unique shape of the building gave them safety.  Perhaps, but if God didn’t want them to live, they wouldn’t have had a chance, even from a sturdy structure.

The Octagon lodge the boy scouts hunkered down in while the EF4 tornado swept over them on May 31, 1985. They all survived!

It took rescuers days before they were able to rescue the survivors, because of their location and all the ground debris.  Frightful as the event was during the tornado and equally as chilling as their tales, I still love hearing those survivor stories!  They are full of hope and faith!  Not to mention, it puts everything in life into perspective.

Today, you can still walk through the recovering tornado ravaged woods.  Naturally, the trees came back, all at different rates, but nature took care of its own.  Parker Dam is another piece of heaven on earth with the green luscious woods, wild animals running free and creeks full of fish.  Yep, pure heaven, maybe with the exception of the mosquitoes.

I guess we’re all going back to camp and fish and just plain chill out.  Seriously, can’t wait!

Parker Dam History

Finding the origins of Parker Dam interesting, I thought I’d share some fun facts I’ve read on the state park.  Some information came from Wikipedia, and some I read on the signs at Parker Dam, and some from online articles.

Construction of the 968-acre state park really started in 1794 with the removal of trees, to eventually leading to the need to reforest the lands by the Civilian Conservation Corps.  During the Great Depression, in the 1930′s the real construction of the buildings and such began, giving us Parker Dam State Park, of Huston Township in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.

Surrounding the state park is the Moshannon State Forest.  Many critters call the park home including the ovenbird, American redstart, turkey, beaver (which I saw on my last adventure to the park), white-tailed deer, bears (which dad has hunted), coyotes, foxes, bobcats, porcupines (better not tell Scooby Scooby Meets a Porcupine) and elk.  Pretty much a stranger to Pennsylvania, I guess elk have settled in the remote areas of the local counties and are now among the inhabitants sometimes spotted there.

So now to the reason for the name, Parker Dam.  Laurel Run was dammed up to make the man made Parker Lake.   This 20-acre lake is usually the centerpiece of picnicking, fishing and even swimming on the sandy beach.  Yes, they have a small beach on the one side of the lake for families to cool down and splash around.  Sorry Seven and Scooby, no dogs allowed!

During fishing season, the lake can be outlined by many trying to catch their prize largemouth bass, various species of trout and catfish.   Evidently, the lake is open in the winter, once frozen over, for ice fishing and ice skating.

As I’ve mentioned hunting is permitted in designated areas of the Park as per the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Also something else I found interesting and didn’t know.  As per Wikipedia

Parker Dam State Park is the western trailhead of the Quehanna Trail System.  This trail is about 75 miles (121 km) long and meanders its way through the surrounding state forests. The Quehanna Trail connects with the Susquehannock Trail near Sinnemahoning State Park.  Backpackers are not permitted to camp overnight at the park. The trails are open to cross-country skiing during the winter months.

Everyone should visit a State Park!  You’ll be surprised at the peace nature can bring to the soul.

A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he knows something.  ~Wilson Mizner

Chad on the left, dad on the right and Uncle Sonny & Jeremy behind him on the left. At Shober’s camp near Parker Dam c.1987

Recently, my family and I took a mini camping and fishing vacation to Parker Dam State Park, just staying the duration of the weekend.  Evidently, we are going back in a few weeks but this time Aunt Nikki is gracing us with her presence.

Going there as a child, I enjoyed revisiting the area, revisiting forgotten memories.  The Schober’s, good friends of the family had a camp in that area, not far from the entrance to Parker Dam.  We used to go up there along with my Uncle Sonny and my cousins as well as family friends to camp out, fish and hunt.  It was always a lot of fun, camping with other kids, making mountain pies, catching fish, spotting bear and sitting by the camp fire.  This time my experience included setting up our temporary residence in lot #90 with our camper, the dogs, my cat and spotting a beaver.  Yep, even after all these years, still equally as fun!

The entire time, dad was reminiscing about us camping among the state park and all his hunting and fishing trips.  Out of nowhere dad would comment, “I got a big bear back in that part of the woods.”  or “We used to catch big trout out of that lake.” or “Ryan and I used to fish in that creek.”  Actually, it was fun to hear dad comment on all the activities I was not apart of, and the ones I forgot about.

Kyle really enjoyed hearing the tails, especially coming from his pappy.  Probably because it’s so unusual to hear dad go into a story, even though they didn’t include much elaboration, not like me and mom when telling stories.  Still, hearing the stores shoot straight out of dad’s mouth even captured my attention.  I could tell dad really enjoyed talking about Ryan, Kyle’s dad.  And we enjoyed listening.

Ryan & Chad wrestling at Shober’s camp. Near Parker Dam c. 1987

Dad reiterated a few times, (being an understatement) throughout the weekend about Ryan loosing his buck knife in the woods.  This seriously seemed to bother dad greatly because he mentioned it, no joke, at least a dozen times.  Apparently, Ryan went up to Parker Dam to hunt and wanted to take his brand new buck knife.  The one dad got him.  Dad didn’t want him to take the knife, saying he didn’t need it, however, Ryan had other plans.  While moving through the woods, it fell off of Ryan’s belt and was lost forever.  As Kyle and I were listening from the front seat of the truck, dad said, “He just had to take it.  I told him not to and then he lost it.  O, well, I guess he really liked that knife.”  Kyle gave me a sideways grin because Kyle does the same sort of thing, not listen to sound advice when he has his heart set on his plans.  Kyle’s notorious for taking objects on adventures that were advised not to.  I guess like father, like son.

The whole weekend dad would pipe up saying, “I wish I could find that knife.  I know about the area he lost it.  Ryan said he looked for it but couldn’t find it, course your daddy didn’t look so good.”  as he made eye contact with Kyle.  That’s true too, Kyle doesn’t look so good either when he is looking for something or tracking it down.  It would be right in front of his face and never see it.  Just like Ryan!  Later on, dad said, “Naturally I felt bad about him loosing his knife, I went and got him another one for Christmas.”  Kyle shot me the orneriest grin after that comment.  Dad does the same for Kyle!  Good old pappy has replaced so many items Kyle lost or broke over the years, and Kyle knows his pappy will always do it.  They are all peas in a pod!

So somewhere in the  968-acre Parker Dam State Park is Ryan’s buck knife, unless it found a new home.  Although, dad swears he knows the general location of the crime scene, again it could have ended up lining the pockets of another.  One day, I would love to trek into those woods, once hiked by Ryan, with a metal detector and see if I could find it.  Dad would die happy.  I could tell he would no doubt give it to Kyle with pride.

Sometimes its the little items that bring back the biggest memories and really put things into perspective.  Can’t wait for our next family adventure!

It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.  ~Mother Teresa

This post is dedicated to my cousin Chad Scanlon.  In loving memory of Chad, September 4, 1994 – May 25, 2007.

Chad Delier Scanlon, what a great inspiration!

This is a follow up to the Life’s Not Fair blog post.  After I wrote it, a certain someone came to mind, my cousin Chad.  He passed away on Memorial Day from a brain tumor, on May 25, 2007.  He was just 12 years old, about Kyle’s age.

Is that fair he didn’t have a chance to live his life?  Is it fair the family had to accept such an ordeal with the fight of cancer or worse, to loose a child?  Nope, but again it’s part of God’s ultimate plan I guess, even if we don’t understand it or really accept it.  So I guess life isn’t so bad when you spill your coffee or hit every red-light.

In all sincerity, I believe Chad lived a full life while he was with us.  How can you not growing up on the ridge?  The Scanlon family is a living testament to the type of person Chad would have turned out to be.  Jimmy, Marie-Paule and Sasha, Chad’s dad, mom and sister respectively, are all down to earth, good hearted folk.

The Scanlon’s and the Delier’s have always held their head high and never pitied themselves, nor did they expect that from anyone.  Nope!  They played the hand that was dealt to them and tried to handle it as best they could, even when Chad was fighting for his life and when he passed on.  Do they miss Chad?  Sure, everyday!  Everyday Chad is thought about, everyday they feel the grief.  Just like anyone who has lost a loved one, especially so young.  But they took this as an opportunity to help others while working through their pain.  They are the strongest of people, those that can move forward, face their grief and use it to help others, to reach out to those who need strength and support.

Chad & Sasha in their pj’s. 12/31/05

As a lasting tribute to Chad, they established the Chad Delier Scanlon Memorial Fund at the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County.  Every year the Scanlon family, and I mean the entire family, organizes the Chad Delier Scanlon Golf Outing at the Glengarry Golf Course in Latrobe, Pa.

Besides helping the healing process, which I can totally understand and relate to (ie the Aunt Heather blog), they support many of Chad’s activities.  Can you believe Chad was fluent in French, ever since he was able to talk?  Yes!  His mother, Marie-Paule is bilingual, being born and raised in Belgium.  I always thought that was so cool!  Maybe because je parle un peu de Francais.

Me, Jimmy & Marie-Paule Scanlon, Casey Olczak & Sasha Scanlon. The dream team! Chad Delier Scanlon Golf Outing at Glengarry Golf Course Latrobe. 2010

Chad went to the Holy Trinity Catholic School and he was a member of the church.  He enjoyed hunting and fishing.  What can I say?  All kids born into our family come pre-programmed for the outdoors.  Of course, I couldn’t speak of Chad without mentioning his love of jump rope.  Yes!  He was a member of the High Flyers Jump Rope Team.  In fact, while Chad was going through rehabilitation, he would work some jump rope into his activity.  Can I also mention he had a great attitude and never complained?  Never heard ‘It’s not fair.’

In addition to Chad’s activities, the Scanlon’s, raise money to help families whose own children are undergoing medical crises.  When I say the Scanlon’s, I’m referring to the immediate family and the rest of the family clan along with friends and neighbors.  Like I said, the Scanlon’s are genuinely good caring people.

It’s no secret, there are many more stories like Chad’s, but I’ve never heard anyone say ‘It’s not fair’.

Chad’s High Flyers Jump Rope Team. Sasha is in the back row on the far left & Chad is in the middle back row.

Instead of saying ‘It’s not fair’, do what you can to help.  Years ago, when I read The Book of Chad, I was pleasantly surprised to find out what the local friends and family did to help Chad and his family during Chad’s struggle.  This is amazing to me!  Family and friends got together to finish building Jimmy’s garage.  Yes, while the family was dealing with Chad’s sickness, friend and family finished building a complete structure!  The Scanlon’s came home to find a finished garage at the end of the driveway.  I bet that was an awesome sight!  Maybe it helped to shift their focus, even if it was for just a moment.  I’m sure it made Santa’s little helpers feel good to just pitch-in and do something, and I know Jimmy and Marie-Paule appreciated it beyond words.  Sometimes giving is completely unrelated, yet it means the world to both parties.

Kyle & Casey at the Chad Delier Scanlon Golf Outing at Glengarry Golf Course, Latrobe. Chad & Kyle share the same godfather!  2010

It’s easier said than done, and not everyone thinks that way or has the drive, motivation, resources or ideas to tackle their tragedy in the same manner, but there is much more to bringing comfort to others.  Instead of saying, ‘It’s not fair’ we should be saying ‘What can I do to help my fellow brother or sister?’

A few years after Ryan passed away, dad was back in the hospital.  Something about his oxygen in his blood being low, or something along those lines.   Naturally, I got a call from mom telling me to meet her in the emergency room.  On a side note, I walked in the room where mom and dad were, and dad was wearing a hospital gown for a shirt and he kept his jeans and boots on!  I almost fell over laughing at the sight!  Mom said he refused to get totally undressed, since they only needed his arms to take his blood pressure and such.  Only my dad!

Anyway, across the room from dad was a little boy, probably Kyle’s age at the time, two or three.  I’m not sure why he was there, but I do know he was sick, again the details were none of my business.  When dad heard about the little tyke, he immediately had my mom go and get the little boy a balloon and a stuffed animal from the hospital gift shop.  I know seeing that kid sick struck a cord with dad.  At that point, Kyle was always in and out of the hospital himself with phenomena, tonsillitis, ear infections, you name it, all respiratory issues.  We had a sick little man on our hands for quite some time.  I did peek my head in the room of the mystery boy, just to give the kid a thumbs up.  He was so happy over his spontaneous gift from an unknown source.  It made all of us smile.  And you know what?  The day was a little bit easier to take.

Chad helping his dad with building the beginning of the garage before he got sick.

Was it fair that Kyle was so sick for so many years or that little boy was in the ER?  No, but we are blessed that Kyle is healthy now.  Like I said, others always have it worse, like Chad’s struggle.  But I will admit those years of emergency room visits, made us all aware of the fears and battles other sick children tackle.  Let’s not forget, it helped Kyle to soften dad’s heart.  So much so, that he reach out his neighbor, literally, across the hallway to give back.  This time in the form of a milliard balloon and a stuffed animal.

You know I do believe Ryan and Chad are hanging out in heaven together, maybe casting their fishing lines side-by-side.  I also believe they are with my pap and Chad’s grandma, my Aunt Helen.  That’s how we are related, my pap and Aunt Helen’s dad were brothers, Jimmy’s grandpa and my grandpa were brothers.  Aunt Helen was another one of those great spirits we were all blessed to know.  Ryan had such a crush on Aunt Helen when he was little.  He used to say she was his girlfriend.  Maybe she’s sitting there too, fishing in the pool of heaven.

Me & Kyle working tickets at the Chad Delier Scanlon Golf Outing 2010

This year’s golf outing is on Saturday, June 15th at the Glengarry Golf Course in Latrobe, Pa., near Lycippus.  Every year the seats fill up fast, I guess that’s what happens when you come from such a large family.  It is a fun event!  All donations support the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help a child with a life threatening disease receive a wish; the Holy Trinity School in Ligonier; Hunt-of-A-Lifetime to help send a child with a terminal illness on a hunting trip; and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation for travel expenses to aid children in getting to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh for treatment.

Sasha & Chad setting up the train for Christmas

If anyone is interested in volunteering or donating, please let me know.  Or visit the on Facebook.  Show your support for Chad and the family just by hitting ‘Like’.  Some donate in the form of monetary contributions; some sponsor a hole, which we do in memory of Ryan; while others donate their time and some donate baskets and prizes to be raffled off during the golf outing.  It’s a very well organized event that I am blessed to be apart of every year.

I do want to give a special shout out to the Glengarry Golf Course.  They have been exceptional to work with and they have treated us wonderfully.  Besides going out of their way to make sure the day runs smooth, not that Jimmy and Marie-Paule need any assistance, but they are easy to work with and they genuinely want the day to be successful.

To really learn the full story of Chad’s brain tumor, the struggles and obstacles he and his family faced, purchase The Book of Chad.  It couldn’t be more straightforward and spot on and educational.

Terrorism has once again shown it is prepared deliberately to stop at nothing in creating human victims.  An end must be put to this.  As never before, it is vital to unite forces of the entire world community against terror.  ~Vladimir Putin

Yesterday was a typical Monday.  I went to work, got things done, maneuvering through the day like any other, waiting impatiently to leave and pick up my little man for piano lessons, then the Breaking News alerts went off on my phone.  Boston Marathon bombing!  What?  Are you kidding me?

Pulling up the news on my laptop, there were already articles and news stories of this horrific event.  Seriously, I was in awe and my mind was colliding with reality.  I know the tragedy off 9/11 was not that long ago, but I guess I got into a safe zone, I got comfortable with daily life, secure.  I’m really not sure why that is, I mean I know North Korea is itching to launch a nuclear weapon at us and let’s face it, the war in the middle east is far from over.  But as I read on, my security turned into uncertainty, then horror, especially when I found out it was an act of terrorism.

Yesterday, Monday April 15, 2013, the day when most American’s are rushing to get their taxes post marked, the world was stopped by an unnecessary affliction, to again innocent people.  At the finish line of the Boston Marathon, a shrapnel-studded bomb was planted and another 50 to 100 yards away.  The first explosion happened at 2:50 pm, roughly five hours after the marathon began.  Then, as I read through the uncovered information being uploaded as it was made available to the general public, there was a third explosion occurring near the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, several miles southeast of the marathon’s finish line, in Columbia Point Sector of Dorchester, around 4:15 pm.  What is going on?

All the eye witness reports were gruesome, commenting on missing limbs from the victims and reports of someone’s leg flying past them.  What a horrible sight!  As far as I’ve read, three people perished and 144 were injured.

At that moment, I just wanted to talk to my family, especially Kyle.  We are roughly 550 miles, about nine or ten hours from the incident, so it was not personal fear we were in any immediate danger, but it does makes you realize just how vulnerable we are and how quickly life can change.  I am a walking testament to that, that life can change drastically in the blink of an eye whether you want it to or not.  God’s the only one in control and I respect that.

Soon after taking in the news, I received a text message from Kyle saying he wasn’t feeling well.  My poor little man.  I called and talked to him, which is not the same as seeing him but I will take what I can get.  He said he had a headache all day in school and he felt nauseous.  Hearing his misery, I ended the conversation shortly after it started, allowing him to get rest, even though I wanted to continue talking to him.

After I hung up the phone, I wondered how I would explain this to Kyle?  How am I to convey the importance of physical fitness and the fun of a race in the face of this horror?  Kyle used to like to run, when he was too little to know any better I guess.  But times have changed and he has told me he doesn’t like to run and wants nothing to do with it.  I’ve been trying to sign him up for small races locally for years now, and he has been resisting.  He will certainly use this in his favor, not be smart, but sincerely because he would be afraid.  Living in fear is not one of my traits, but I’ll admit this will definitely stick in the back of my mind.  Considering the next big marathon is the Pittsburgh Marathon.  Maybe that’s what the bombers wanted, to just cause sheer fear and chaos.  They never asked for a ransom or voiced a political cause.  What is the reason?

Even this morning as I was reading the news and looking to see what new information was released, I found out that yesterday marked the 238th annual Patriot’s Day, commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord at the beginning of the Revolutionary War in Boston.  Was this the reason for the demonstration?  Or was it completely unrelated?

The read the FBI raided an apartment of a suspect in the bombing, but nothing concrete yet.  In fact, no one is taking credit for the bombing, not even Pakistani Taliban, who has threaten to bomb the United States in the past.

As I was writing this blog post, I received another Breaking News alert on my phone, “At Least 40 Reported Dead After Massive Iran Quake.  And so another day begins.  Prayers and thoughts go out to anyone facing tragedy, friend or foe.  God Speed!

When I was younger,  had to learn the fundamentals of basketball.  You can have all the physical ability in the world, but you still have to know the fundamentals.  ~Michael Jordan

3rd Place in the 2002 World Haidong Gumdo Championships in South Korea, Pyeong 7/2002

I know we just wrapped up March madness, but I do have a good story related to the season.  Please don’t be mistaken, I don’t watch sports, and yes that includes basketball.  Being a Latrobe graduate, basketball seemed to be the gym class activity of choice.  So I can certainly play b-ball, not well and not with the grace of our professional athletes, but I can dribble while running and shoot hoops.  The basics.  Actually, I find the activity of standing in front of a basketball hoop and shooting over and over again relaxing, not that I do it much.

Did I ever watch a live basketball game?  Yes I have.  When I was in high school, my friend Maggie’s mom took us to watch a basketball game at St. Vincent college.  Granted that’s not the big time, but I did have fun.  In fact, we were sitting in the front row on the bleachers and one of the players tripped, took flight and flew into the air and landed directly in my lap.  Being in high school and never watching a real basketball game before, made that experience all the more exciting!  I truly felt apart of the game and I did my part to assist, even if it was just cushioning a fall, even if I had no choice.

Over the years I was given tickets to basketball games but I was always busy.  Once when I was heading to Boston for a karate tournament, a good friend of mine offered me four tickets to watch two of the big six play or the final four or whatever. (don’t quote me on that, I do remember the season was approaching the end).  I would have actually taken him up on the tickets, except my Haidong Gumdo (sword) competition was taking place the same night and I didn’t want to miss that.  Placing third and being the only junior belt at the time and competing against black belts made that win all the more memorable.  Go me!

Haidong Gumdo (sword) training in South Korea with Master Han with a thousand year old sword. Bamboo Cutting 7/2002

Well, I think I’ve established that I am not a sports person and I pay no attention.  So now the anticipated story.  For a few years in my very early career, I worked as an assistant manager at a clothing store called Aeropostale.  At the time it was owned by Macy’s.  Periodically, we would have sales throughout the store.  Usually the sales and specials were accompanied by gimmicks.  The themes were decorated among the stacks and racks of garments as well as the front window displays.  The one year, corporate sent all the stores large basketball stickers.  We were instructed to stick them on stacks of cloths on the tables and on the displays and write the price of the item.  Simple enough, I can handle that, playing with stickers!  No big deal.  That is until someone questioned me on these themed embellishments sprinkled throughout the store.

Aeropostale was located on the upper level of Westmoreland Mall, where it remains today.  Just as I was walking toward the front of the store, a man was walking past and stopped to look in.  Nothing unusual, it happened all the time.  However, this gentlemen turned toward me and asked what’s with the basketball stickers.  At the same time my sales associate, Tony was within ear shot of me.  Tony was a sports fanatic, especially loving basketball.  He also knew I was not.  At that moment I took it upon myself to show my sports knowledge and answer the passerby-er.

Me cutting straw with a thousand year old sword, Haidong Gumdo (sword) training in South Korea 7/2002

With almost a cocky ‘I can answer that one’ type of attitude I blurted out, “It’s for the NFL!”  Would you believe I didn’t think of what I was saying and nodded my head like, ‘I know what I’m talking about’, when clearly I did not. The man gave me a puzzled look, looked around for another moment and just walked away.  I turned around with a huge grin on my face like I just did something good.  Tony on the other hand was trying so hard to hold in laughter I thought he was going to burst.  His face was all red and he actually needed a minute to compose himself before addressing the conversation he just witnessed.

Tony said, “Heather, the NFL?”  I gave him the world’s biggest smile of sheer pride, being truly proud of myself for knowing the answer and said “Ya March Madness! B-Ball!”  He busted out laughing and said “The NFL?  The National Football League?  You mean NCAA?”  As he was saying it, my self assurance was deflated and I was fully aware of what just unfolded and how stupid the entire conversation was.

We both had a good laugh.  No wonder that man was completely puzzled by my comment.  Personally, I didn’t care I gave him incorrect information and I looked like a knucklehead, because if he was so smart he would have never asked me in the first place.  I guess it just goes to show, watch where you get your information because no matter how confident or adamant a person is with their answer, they could still be one hundred percent wrong!