They Call Me Galvez

That video is 10 years old! It has been a crazy start to 2020. As a person with a disability and brain tumor survivor that lives alone, COVID-19 has greatly impacted EVERYTHING that I do. Through the organization, mAss Kickers Foundation, we’ve been able to connect with other survivors all over the world. However, with all the travel bans and social distancing precautions, international travel is not in the cards in 2020. Regardless if the travel restrictions end, taking people who were immunocompromised on long enclosed international flights AND staying in Air B&Bs/hotels is probably not a wise decision. The risk of getting sick is very high! Not a good idea, even with permission from a doctor. 2 years ago, I got sick after a mAss Kickers trip to Toronto.

Anyways, I wanna try something new. I’ve been using a mobility scooter AKA the “mAss Kicker Mobile” for years, and it gets me out and about in the community! It is really convenient using the mAss Kicker mobile in large airports! I am starting to use a manual wheelchair to go out and about. However, the chair I have is a a transport wheelchair and not built for self propulsion. On the positive side, I’m getting a vigorous workout! I think using a manual chair is fine in social settings, but I’m trying to figure out how to go grocery shopping in a wheelchair AND take the bus. (Since I can’t drive) Use a rolling cart strapped to the WC? Large bag/backpack? Suggestions?

Anyways, I’ve been cooped up in my place for 4 weeks now. Most people my age have already started families and have spouses and little “rugrats” to keep them occupied in this time of social distancing. I unfortunately live by myself. So practicing social distancing means A LOT of alone time in my apartment. I’m tired of watching TV/movies. I’ve done plenty of google hangouts, go to meetings, and zoom meetings. At the end of the day, I’m still alone and bored. You can only watch so much Netflix, Hulu, CBS All Access, and Disney+! I figure maybe I’ll start creating stuff again… writing, making videos, cooking?

I think I might start blogging again to alleviate my boredom… things are slow right now, anyone wanna join a writing club/group? We can come up with weekly topics… I thought 2019 was pretty bad, but 2020 has gotten off to a really weird start… let’s make the most of it and create something cool!

Visiting Canada has always been a fun escape for me. Growing up in Michigan, we would visit Toronto often to visit family in the summer. Occasionally, they would leave my brother and I there with our family for weeks on end. It was always fun hanging out with our Canadian cousins! I assume that this was done to give our parents a break and free daycare. Of course our Canadian cousins would conversely spend time in Michigan to give our uncles and aunts breaks. I remember anxiously waiting by our window for our cousins to pull into our driveway! At the end of October, I returned to Canada with 2 other Brain Tumor survivors. mAss Kickers Foundation has been all over the world. See some of the places we’ve been, below! It’s always fun connecting oncology survivors from different backgrounds! We were in Toronto last year and had a great time. This year we went to the Capitol of Canada, Ottawa. This time around, there were three brain tumor survivors on this trip. 1) Bryan, a long term pediatric brain tumor survivor, went on our previous trip to Toronto. 2) Dennis is a more recent brain tumor survivor, with almost the exact same brain tumor type/location: Meningioma at Cerebello-pontine angle (CPA)… just a decade later than 3) me, a 14 year CPA meningioma survivor . Dennis is just starting to get involved in brain tumor advocacy, so I was very excited to meet him! None of us had been to Ottawa, so this would be a new adventure for all of us in an unfamiliar environment.

The objectives of this trip were to:
1. Learn about the unique intricacies of navigating healthcare in Canada.
2. Present our individual survivorship stories to survivor support groups.
3. Learn more about the history/culture/attractions of Ottawa.
4. Connect with oncology treatment survivors in Ottawa.
5. Support unified international oncology research.
6. Give post treatment oncology thrivers a unique travel adventure to help them FIND THEMSELVES and CONNECT WITH PEOPLE who have endured similar journeys.

The weather definitely added a sense of adventure and uncertainty! Flights were delayed, layovers were missed, and it was colder than I expected. I have never enjoyed cold temperature (probably due to my Filipino blood), but I’m always willing to brave the elements for a unique experience. We tried to familiarize ourselves with the area the first day and patiently waited for the rest of the group to arrive. We ordered food the first day and hung out at our Air B&B the first night. We tried to plan out activities the second day by catching a hop on/hop off bus, but the company was closed for the season. We decided to just take a Lyft to Byward market to have breakfast and explore the area on foot. We ended up touring the Canadian Senate and going grocery shopping. Grocery shopping in different countries is always so interesting. It is always fun to see the different items in the stores. Later that evening, we did a presentation at the Ottawa Regional Cancer Center for the monthly brain tumour support group. Check out the pictures from the 2019 How To Kick Mass (HTKM), Ottawa trip Day 1 and 2.

The next day, we slept in a little and visited the National Gallery of Canada. I never really appreciated art until we visited the museums in Brussels. I learned about the geographic lines/shapes of Art Deco in Brussels. In Brussels, we actually went home/museum of Art Nouveau which got me thinking for the first time about art… I was always a big fan of natural history museums, but I now have a new found appreciation of art. I still don’t get modern/contemporary art, but renaissance sculptures and black and white photography are starting to grow on me. Check out the pictures from the 2019 HTKM, Ottawa trip Day 3

The following day, we went to the Royal Canadian Mint where they make the $1 coins (looney), $2 coins (tooney), and commemorative coins. We decided to check it out because who doesn’t find money interesting. Afterwards we did more exploration and found a Canadian pub to have lunch and Canadian beer. Dennis wanted to check out a spa after lunch, so he went on his own adventure while Bryan and I went grocery shopping for the rest of the week. Check out the pictures from Day 4.

We had the opportunity to attend a Canadian Cancer patient conference at the Shaw Centre, which is connected to the Shaw Centre shopping mall. We connected with many Canadian oncology survivor organizations. It was pretty cool learning about health issues in a different country! We grabbed a quick lunch at the mall and decided to check out the Ottawa Dia de Los Muertos celebration afterwards. I attended my first Dia de Los Muertos celebration in Houston last year. The event stuck with me because it is meant to honor loved ones that have passed on. I have befriended so many inspirational oncology patients that have passed, and it was starting to take it’s toll on me. My first exposure to Dia de Los Muertos in Houston finally gave me closure and a chance to symbolically “say goodbye”. The event is a celebration and FAR FROM scary or somber. Will definitely try to hit it up again wherever I am. Check out the pictures from Day 5

The final day that we were all together was a very busy day. In the morning, we went to the Notre Dame Basilica to attend a Catholic church service. Afterwards, we explored downtown Ottawa. We went sight seeing and grabbed lunch at a random pub downtown. We had some time to kill before an informal meetup with Canadian survivors so we decided to walk to the restaurant early and hangout. I was afraid that if we went back to the Air B&B we would be too tired to go out. I was very excited to hangout with survivors from Ottawa because I prefer meeting people in comfortable/informal settings. The last few trips, we’ve made it a tradition to do a candy exchange with survivors from different countries. hee hee hee… candy is my weakness. I think I have a bunch of cavities. Check out the photos from Day 6.

Dennis left early in the morning the following day, leaving Bryan and I in the Air B&B. The day was originally scheduled for shopping, but neither of wanted to do any shopping so we decided to stay in and try to finish all the left over food! HAHAHA! A lazy day was exactly what we needed. We watched a bunch of movies/Canadian television programs to unwind. The following morning we shared a Lyft to the Airport and parted ways.

The trip to Ottawa got the gears moving in my brain for the next trip. On all of the trips we have noticed one thing… regardless of background, experiences, everyone enjoys eating. Preparing food, eating food, grocery shopping, exploring the area, and meeting new survivors have defined these trips. I personally have enjoyed it when we prepare our own meals. I always enjoy going to grocery stores in different countries to see the different item that are sold. We’ve had success preparing meals in Canada and San Diego, but I wonder how that would translate on overseas trips where we are more unfamiliar with the local cuisine. Stay tuned for the 2020 trips! We are always looking for oncology thrivers to join us on future trips! STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT APPLICATION CYCLE!

Here are summaries of the international trips we’ve been on so far…
2013 Honolulu, USA
2013 Honolulu, USA recap

2013 Tokyo, Japan and Manila, Philippines
2013 Tokyo/Manila Recap

2014 Singapore, Singapore
2014 Singapore recap

2015 Brussels, Belgium
2015 Belgium recap

2016 Cape Town, South Africa
2016 Cape Town recap

2017 NO TRIPS

2018 Toronto, Canada
2018 Toronto recap

2019 San Diego, USA
2019 San Diego recap

2019 Ottawa, Canada

Another year has passed. I had surgery to removed a golf ball sized meningioma brain tumor at the cerebello-pontine angle on October 25, 2005. This was the day EVERYTHING CHANGED and I was reborn. For the first time in my life I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next and experienced true fear! It made me re-evaluate things. I remember calling the people closest to me before the surgery because I wasn’t sure if I was calling to say goodbye…

Surgery was extremely risky, but I needed that tumor thing (AKA “Amani Tumor” he was on my fantasy football team) out of my head! I survived the very risky 14 hour brain surgery, BUT I was left with some pretty severe physical impairments. I was reborn with a new attitude and a new appreciation for everything, I’m now officially 14… a “high school freshman”!

So much has happened since I was reborn. I’ve published 2 books, spoken at many interesting venues, traveled the world to talk about my experiences as a young physical therapist turned rehab patient with physical impairments, started a unique nonprofit, and met so many inspirational individuals around the world! While all of this sounds cool and exciting, I’ve also lost the majority of the hobbies I used to enjoy, lost contact with many of the friends that I used to have, lost my dream job shortly after getting it, lost my purpose/direction in life. My background in physical therapy has helped me navigate the scientific and medical aspects of my recovery, but I was not prepared for psychosocial ramifications of becoming a brain tumor survivor with severe physical impairments. I’m still adapting and learning new things in the process. Basically, I had to start EVERYTHING over from scratch, thus the “Rebirth”. My life is now dedicated to helping others: find their new path/direction after their treatments AND find a setting where they feel like they fit in.

These are some of the reasons mAss Kickers Foundation was created! On October 29, I’m traveling to Ottawa Canada for the first time with 3 other survivors to share our stories, hangout with survivors from Ottawa, and experience a new environment with fellow post treatment thrivers. Please contribute what you can to help other survivors discover something new!

Help me unite the world against all forms of tumors/cancer by donating what you can here:

https://tinyurl.com/2019HTKMOttawa

PASS IT ON!

Let me preface this post by saying that song still makes me laugh! I’m NOT a LFO fan. It seems like many of the popular entertainment outlets are deep into throwbacks to the 80s. You have TV shows like the Goldbergs, Wet Hot American Summer, and Stranger Things. Then there are movie reboots like GI Joe, Transformers, Pet Cemetery, Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Terminator. It is only natural to reminisce about good times, but I do not understand the strategy in rebooting a classic. Is it to create a younger fan base? Quick and easy “cash cow”. Why ruin a good thing? Nostalgia? Lack of creativity?

I find it funny because I vividly remember what it was like in the 80s. It was elementary school and junior high school for me. Those years were important in the formation of my identity. Sports, science fiction, movies, video games, and reading were the majority of my interests. That probably made me a strange kid. I think everyone feels awkward in that life stage. I was the same age as Kevin Arnold from the Wonder Years, but it was set in the 1960s. I remember thinking that me and Kevin Arnold were very similar. Of course he was much cooler than I was and actually talked to girls… Anyways, I religiously watched that show every week. Even though the show took place long before I was born, it hit a nerve with a lot of people because everyone can relate to that awkward transition from childhood innocence to young adulthood.

Transition periods seem to make great stories. Everyone can relate to the awkwardness of experiencing something new. I have more stuff in the works, so stay tuned.

I’m seriously wondering if I should get a get a new manual wheelchair. I think that I would benefit from a new chair because it would force me to be even more physically active. I discovered the Wijit lever propulsion system
a few years ago and more recently I discovered . the Nu-drive Air

I would use a regular manual chair, but I have difficulty propelling the chair with my grip/hands. My coordination is horrible. I wonder if using the Nu-drive Air will improve my coordination by strengthening the proximal muscles that control my tremors. I’m curious to hear what other rehab professionals think. I had an appointment with my PCP to get a script for a WC evaluation. I’m told this process will take anywhere from 3 to 6 months. Should make traveling easier… We will see what happens next…

Years ago in physical therapy school, life was so simple. Eat, study, sleep, go to gym, go to class, study for exams, take exam, celebrate finishing exam, watch sports or watch movies to unwind, repeat cycle. I was very focused on what I needed to do to be successful in grad school. September 11, 2001 changed everything. This is the first time I’ve talked it about since then and it still hurts. It marked the end of our innocence. It was the first major life event our group of friends came up against. Most of our friends from college were moving along and preparing for the next major transition. Some were in grad school, while others were “becoming adults” and moving up the ladder in the corporate world“. Most of my friends from college moved to big cities like LA, San Francisco, Chicago, or New York. There were still a few of us in Michigan. I tried to start fresh in LA, but I decided to come home and go to physical therapy school in Michigan. I’ll admit it was probably for the best because there weren’t as many distractions. On Sept 10, 2001 – the day before everything happened I went to a Detroit Tigers game with some of my classmates. We were right behind first base on the field. I have never sat that close to the field. We were in prime position to snag grounder foul balls. We all brought our baseball mitts with the hope that we would be lucky enough to snag one. I don’t remember the intricacies of the game, but I do remember cheering for a player named “Wendell” cause he had an extremely uncommon sports name and we probably had a few refreshing ballpark beers. Anyways, to our surprise we were able to snag a foul ball and were ready to bring our “trophy” to class the next day to brag about all the fun we had at the game.

The next morning, I remember waking up and going through my regular morning ritual before our first class of the day. My roommate usually lagged behind me. He was still on the couch glued to the news when I left, but I thought nothing of it. I’ll admit that I was the nerd in grad school who liked to get to class early and review my notes before the lecture. I can’t say the news of the first tower strike really hit me until I arrived at school and it was all anyone was talking about. I thought that it must have been an accident. Then we heard about a second plane crashing into the other World Trade Center tower. We were shocked. This definitely was not an accident! Someone orchestrated this! And then I got a call from my girlfriend from undergrad saying that our friend Christina works at the World Trade Center and no one had heard from her! That’s when the gravity of the situation hit me. It hit me hard. Our crew used to hangout at her apartment all the time. I lost touch with Christina after graduation, but my girlfriend at the time was still pretty close to her. I called my other friends in New York to make sure everyone was OK. Many of my friends from undergrad were in New York and we were updated about everyone. Another one of my friends from undergrad worked there, but he wasn’t at the office that day! I got scared when we didn’t hear back from Christina. She used to be the “moron police” whenever me and my buddies were acting stupid. Her look of stern disapproval instantaneously evaporated any thoughts of mischief in anyone caught in her gaze. For the first time in my life I was genuinely concerned with a peer’s well being. No one had ever been sick or had any major life crisis. Having a friend caught up in the reality of the situation made me realize that although we were heading in different directions, we started the journey to adulthood together from the same place with similar ambitions and roots. It made me wonder how we grew apart. After graduation, everyone goes in different directions. Everyone gets busy and it takes work to maintain those friendships, especially with the people who helped mold you into the person you become today. I lost contact with her my senior year of undergrad because we both got busy pursuing our own interests. I remember driving from Michigan to New York City a day after with some friends who probably felt the same. I’m not sure what we could actually do there, but I’m pretty sure it helped being around others that had similar feelings. People came to New York City from all over but most notably: Ohio, Michigan, Maryland, and California. All I remember was a silent 10 hour car ride to New York, but things got really somber once we got to the tunnel into the city. Seeing most of our friends from undergrad together made us feel a little better, but everyone was missing the one person that united us. We needed each other at that particular moment because it was such a confusing time. We had no idea what to say to each other. Sometimes a hug from a loved one or friend is all the talking we need. I remember going to the site and looking at all the pictures posted of missing people and the crowd of people searching for friends and loved ones. My heart dropped. I felt sad and confused how this could have happened. I remember the look on the faces of the police officers doing crowd control. They probably felt the same helpless because there was nothing they could do. I made eye contact with one officer. I could tell he felt the same feelings of helplessness. He let our group come up to the front of the barricades and pay our respects/ say our prayers.

Fast forward to 2019, I decided to symbolically fly on 9/11 back to Michigan to clean out my mom’s basement. As I sit back and recall all the emotions from that tumultuous week, I’m glad that there were people around so that we could go through the emotions together. I still miss Christina, but I’m sure she would be proud to see we are still there for each other AND how much we’ve grown since our days at “the apartment”.

Movies aren’t as scary as they used to be. It has been a LONG time since a movie really freaked me out or scared me. Sure, the “jump scares” still get me, but I haven’t been freaked out after seeing a movie in a long time. I saw IT: Chapter 2 this weekend, but the ending of the movie didn’t haunt me as much as the original TV Series did. Scary movies that are open ended and seem realistic used to scare me a lot. I’ve never been able to sit through the entire run time of classic horror movies like the original Nightmare on Elm Street, the Exorcist, and the Ring. Actually, the movie Scream freaked me out the most because it had the jump scares and was very “meta”.

Maybe the reason why movies don’t scare me is because they aren’t geared towards me. The scary movie formula typically involves a kid and something Supernatural. I’m not impressionable like I was as a kid. I am becoming cynical and question everything. I never understood willingly watching something that scares you and gives you nightmares. Movies are supposed to be an escape from reality. Why would I want to escape to something that freaks me out. That is why I’ve always preferred geeking out to a good sci-fi movie, cheering for the hero in an action movie, laughing at a silly comedy, or learning something new in an interesting documentary.

Well, I’ll try to blog more frequently. We’ll see what happens next. I have more exciting things in the works. Stay tuned.

Sports have been the one constant in my life ever since I was young. The highs and lows of being a fan/supporter of any sports teams connects so many people. I noticed that I would get so depressed after a big loss that it would ruin my weekend. I am still a die hard sports fan, but losing doesn’t consume me as much as it used to. I don’t get too emotional in front of people, but put me in front a team that I’m a fan of and I’ll have the vocabulary of a grumpy sailor. I needed sports in every major transition in my life because “cheering for something” was a great escape from the moments of uncertainty or the seriousness of new situations. I look back at every major transition in my life and there was always a big sporting event associated with it. Detroit Tigers win the 84’ World Series. Motor City “Bad Boys” win 2 NBA championships in the early 90s. U of M football wins National Championship in 97’. Detroit Pistons win another NBA Championship in 04’. Patriots win multiple NFL Super Bowls. The Golden State Warriors win multiple NBA Championships. The Houston Astros win the World Series in 17’. The Toronto Raptors win the NBA Championship in 19’.

My younger brother played organized sports (t-ball) before I me because I was too much of a comic book fan to start paying attention to sports. He was always the cooler one although I will always be the BIG BROTHER… HAHAHA! But once we started playing the same sports, we grew extremely competitive… especially through high school when we were on the same team pushing each other to excel. It is the thing that still defines us. Our competitive nature is what made us stick out and helped us to gain acceptance in a community where we were so different from everyone.

Sports and physical activity became a part of my identity. However, that identity was put in jeopardy when I was faced with some severe physical impairments after major brain surgery. Luckily, working as a physical therapist and physical therapy assistant has exposed me to some amazing stories of rehabilitation and adaptation. The core of my former career as a physical therapist was rooted in helping people learn how to adapt to their impairments and discover how they can thrive under new circumstances. This is the crux of mAss Kickers Foundation. MKF strives to achieve adaptation and self-discovery in tumor/cancer survivors and their loved ones.

I just “pressed the reset button”.  I had to take a little break from the oncology world, but I’m ready to jump back in the survivor advocacy game. This time around, I’m armed with the bitter taste of loss in my mouth. For the past 10 years, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting incredible post-treatment thrivers from around the world. Unfortunately, I have also experienced losing so many close friends to tumors/cancer.  That is why I had to take a break and try something new.  It pissed me off. I tried going back to grad school to approach the issue of post treatment thrivership from an academic angle.  I discovered that my post treatment impairments (and age) put me at a HUGE disadvantage in an academic setting with so many gifted colleagues in the program.  I thought I stuck out before, but now I felt like I was sticking out out for the wrong reasons.  I am not the same student I was in physical therapy school.  Somewhere along the line I became academically cynical. I didn’t enjoy the classes, I questioned why we had to do things, I had very little in common with my classmates, and then I became the guy in the scooter who needed help taking notes/needed extra time to take tests & quizes/ the guy you didn’t want to do group projects with.  I started feeling like a burden. My classmates on group projects didn’t trust whatever input I had. Sadly my disabilities are hard to hide. Going back to school was a challenge I needed to try because I was getting too comfortable where I was. It definitely opened my eyes to the plight of students with disabilities. I realized that many young brain tumor survivors probably deal with similar issues… making it difficult to attain higher education. It pissed me off. I’ve never felt so helpless to things out of my control, BUT I now have a greater understanding of the issues many survivors face in returning to school. Helping survivors figure out how to adapt to their impairments and become thrivers is something I can still do. Oncology thrivership has always been at the heart of mAss Kickers Foundation.  We want to empower ALL survivors and see them become leaders and powerful advocates for other survivors. 

mAss Kickers Foundation is already planning on going back to tabling at conferences and doing more presentations.  I have also realized that all survivors have a unique story that needs to be told. Our stories can benefit someone facing the same diagnosis or the challenges that come with that diagnosis. I’ve found that healthcare professional students are very receptive to hearing stories from people close in age to them. These stories resonate with students because they are typically identify with lecturers in the same social/life stages.

I’ve been in Houston for 2 years and I’m finally meeting other survivors! I didn’t realize how alone I felt without connecting to others with similar experiences.  Honestly, I was so preoccupied with academics that I ignored the fact that I was pulling away from people. Perhaps everyone feels like this at some point in higher education. I have more time now, so perhaps I’ll start blogging more frequently.

Realizing you can’t do something is extremely humbling.  Pursuing another graduate degree in a completely different profession with some pretty severe impairments was pretty ambitious!  I think that accomplishing so much after major brain surgery probably inflated my confidence and gave me a false sense of invincibility.  For the first time since my diagnosis I couldn’t figure out how to address my impairments… in an academic setting.  I have learned that the cognitive/short term memory impairments are an extremely difficult to overcome in a formal graduate school environment.  Impairments were easy to compensate on my own with my smartphone for note taking in meetings and a “lax” work environment.  I’m just not sure if I have the energy to pursue another degree knowing that there is someone out there who needs that extra nudge to become an advocate for tumor/cancer survivors OR more importantly help survivors find their own purpose post-treatment.  Maybe if I was 10 years younger I would have had the energy to both pursue another degree AND do advocacy work.  After careful consideration, I’ve decided to “punt” on the additional degree and shift my focus back to empowering oncology survivors with a proactive attitude (AKA “Kicking Mass”). I’m now understanding that I was spreading myself thin trying to go to school AND run mAss Kickers Foundation. 

While it has been humbling realizing that you can’t do everything, new interests have emerged.   In the past 2 years here in Houston, I have learned more about issues in disability.  Earlier this week I had the opportunity to speak on a panel at the University of Texas, Medical Branch in Galveston (BTW, cool beach city south of Houston) to discuss disability and healthcare.  It was only the second time I’ve spoken specifically about disability issues.  There are physical therapy rehab programs close to Houston, so maybe I’ll get more involved with them…  Check out the first time I’ve spoken about disability issues.  Disability advocacy is now on my radar and obviously near and dear to my heart!  Disability is very prevalent in the brain tumor survivor population and is an issue that many survivors are unfamiliar.  Maybe combining bout interests… Do many brain tumor survivors apply for disability benefits… Medicare/medicaid?

The move to Texas has definitely been an adventure: 

• moving here with Hurricane Harvey,
• dealing with scooter travel in heavy rain,
• going back to school after a 15-year break in a completely different profession,
• being the “old guy” in the classroom with the severe mobility and writing impairments,
• figuring out public transit,
• traveling in an unfamiliar environment,
• grocery shopping,
• learning about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),
• disability advocacy,
• and connecting with so many cool people! 

I have no regrets moving to Houston to try something different.  Experience is the best way to LEARN!. Probably not efficient, but I learn best through experience.  I’m continuing to meet amazing people AND I happen to live next to the #1 cancer treatment and research center in the world, MD Anderson!  While it has been very humbling trying to start over with so many obstacles, I have found new interests and positioned myself to make a bigger impact in “Post-treatment Thrivership.”  Take home lesson:  Determine what you can’t do, then “Do the Hell” out of what you can do.   Thank you Susan Tortolero-Emery, Mary Ann Smith, Christine Markhan, Lex Frieden, Vinh Nguyen, Roxanne Funchess, the Mirs, the Scotts, the Villatuyas, the Jacksons, the future Paddocks, and all the cool people I’ve connected/re-connected with in Houston.  Maybe I’ll start blogging again about the new adventures in Houston…  Do people even blog anymore?