I had the pleasure of meeting Stephanie (and her fiance, Tom) by chance on Mike's Ride on March 12. Back in 2011, Stephanie did the Bike and Build adventure and shared this great synopsis of her adventure: The program is called Bike and Build: https://bikeandbuild.org. The program summarizes itself as "pedaling for affordable housing." The site does a fantastic job at explaining Bike and Build's impact and purpose but I'll provide a summary for you: It attracts young adults

Check out this great note I received today from my friend, Doug Oakley: "John this is me with my friend, Rich Patterson. Rich is 67 and just had a procedure for an annurism repair a few weeks ago. He is pretty fast. He just finished 2nd in the 60+ class today. Super nice guy."

Yesterday Madeline, Sarah and I ran the Susan G Komen 5k. It is a great cause that has touched so many of us. I was able to run with my two daughters and enjoyed every minute of it. Sarah and I ran together and Madeline ran with her friends. This is the second 5k for both of these kids and I am so proud of how hard they work to get to the finish line. It was all their idea to run it for charity and for an accomplishment for themselves. This is a picture of the three of us rac

My grandson, Zach hike Cullowhee Mountain with the elevation of 2,116 feet. Nice job kid! Let's all push our limits in some form of exercise this weekend!

The gentleman on the left is my best friend Scott Davis. When I was in 10th grade, my mother and I moved from Northern NJ to Greenville SC. This was a couple of years after my father had passed away. Quite frankly neither of us, were in a very good place, back then. The culture shock of moving from the NYC area to South Carolina, only contributed to the giant chip (boulder), I had on my shoulder. Scott had moved to Greenville when he was in grammar school from upstate New Yor

True friendship, to me, is a relationship beyond an acquaintance, business associate, or common friend. True friendship can traverse time, distance and other obstacles. I feel, best friends share a bond, not unlike, the best marriages. Why do I say that? The qualities I recognize in a best friend are honesty, even when it hurts. A confidant in whom you can trust. A person you want to have in your life, year after year, to rejoice in the best of times and to carry you in the w

I never tire of Tom. In fact, I hope for longer days only to be able to spend more time with him. It's rare to have that type of person in your life. Tom encourages you to be the best form of yourself. He is supportive, understanding, comical, artistic, and engaging. Most importantly, Tom embraces my character and enhances who I am as a person. I characterize myself as someone who seeks life's most simple pleasures and turns them into triumphs. Until I met Tom, I felt alo

Meet my good friend Dylan. I first met Dylan just a few years ago when I moved to Wilmington. When I first moved here I didn't know many people except for my cousin Jesse. Dylan and Jesse have been friends since they were kids. Dylan, being a very friendly and outgoing guy, quickly became a close friend of mine as I was looking for friends to spend time with in Wilmington. As my cousin has since moved away, Dylan and I have become closer. He is by far my closest friend and so

My grandma demonstrated every trait one would want in a best friend. She laughed with me, fiercely believed in my ability to reach my goals, and made some damn good tomato soup that could turn even the worst of days around.

Big shout out to Angela Taylor of Bangz Hair Salon and Spa for sporting her pink Converse today for Mike's Day. Thanks Angela! Looking great!