Back in the USA

Back! Back home! Oddly enough...nothing has changed. All of these little universes go on every day around the world without anyone knowing. People get older and sometimes younger....skinnier and fatter...less aware and more accepting...but in a week they will all be the same again.

Been so busy preparing for our cross country trip that my journal took the back seat. So much to write about, I have decided to finally start a book. When we return from our national park extravaganza, I will sit at the computer all day and all night and write. Maybe something for the kids...talking trees and organic soil with a personality disorder. Not too sure yet. Until then, we're headed west.

Congrats Joelle on the amazing progress at Planet Verge! I am inspired and so excited for you...KUDOS! Ms. Smith sounds amazing on your stage!

Dan Auerbach at 2:04

I didn't want to get into these quick posts...but I had to have this video here and I am too exhausted from shooting video with Rick since the sun came up(for his Backpacker Gear Tester submission!)to articulate. This song, it makes me stare off into the distance and reminds me of what other people are going through that I have no idea how to handle. Very grounding. Plus, Dan Auerbach embodies some serious bluesy, rock that I LOVE! Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch check it out!

I'm Pretty Far Behind on My Prayers

A Monk who prays so much he left his footprints ingrained in the floor.

Farewell to MRG

The best team to work with, in the universe! You will be missed!

I never thought I would have a petition drafted in my honor...But here it is...http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/theresamrg

My family makes wine!

It's true! Every year, we make wine together in Bloomfield, NJ at the Colasurdo garage, under the grape vines with 25 cups of coffee and lots of homemade baked goods. It's breathtaking, some of the greatest memories and one of the most delicious traditions! Each year, we dedicate the blend of love and grape juice to a Colasurdo who has passed. Our 2009 bottle will be dedicated to my grandfather Frank Coalsurdo Sr....who, I never had the pleasure of getting to know. My mother, who's passion is family and cooking, seems to think her and her brother (Uncle Frank) would not do the written dedication justice. I beg to differ, but jumped on the opportunity to help add some color and fun vocabulary words to their thoughts. Here is a sneak peak at the upcoming label:

Mia Cara Famiglia,

When we were children, we weren't able to spend as much time with our father as we would have liked. We learned a lot more about him as adults when we shared a kind of long-lost friendship. His clear, blue eyes were entrancing, that of statued saint. You could get lost when he looked at you, and his smile would bring you back while his laughter kept you warm. Our father, Frank Colasurdo Sr. was born July 1, 1922 in Jersey City to our beloved Modesto & Carmela Colasurdo who came from Italy in 1921 to create the foundation for the Colasurdo's in America. "Frank the Plumber" was a gentle, modest, neighborhood gumba, who cherished our family with all of his heart. After World War II, he was married and fathered 3 precious children.

Our father was sent to heaven on July 29, 1974 and we continue to celebrate his life through our tradition. With the right amount of wine and spaghetti, our family tree has continued to grow rich with love, revelry and virtue that we can lend to our ancestors...the rock on which we are built, the foundation of hope and faith where we stand proud!
The legacy continues!

Salute e Cent Anni
The Colasurdo Family

If these Polar Bears knew sign language...

Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper get dual climate fingers this week for a thoroughly disappointing meeting in Ottawa on Thursday. Rather than coming forward with fightin' words on climate change, the two promised to talk about talking about global warming a "clean energy dialog" that commits senior officials from both countries to collaboration. Lame. To make matters worse, the two leaders spent most of their post-meeting press conference hyping up their desire to drop billions of dollars on technologies to make dirty energy sources like coal and tars sands "clean." -Grist's Kate Sheppard

Friggin Genius!

In order to improve on my blogging skills and try to get people starving for more posts at TrainToMexico, I've been frequenting other sites looking for things that turn me on. According to some study that Rick let me know about...geniuses are not born into genius. They spend time researching various experts in their field in order to achieve greatness. The Beatles, Einstein, Verdi, Beethoven, Little Debbie, etc. The average time spent studying....10,000 hours.

Recipe for Expert Status:

Ingredients:
10,000 hours of devotion
3 distracting ticks/habits
1 bottle of hair gel (substitute w/ hairspray, mousse, powdered wigs, etc.)
Pinch of your flesh
Cheese

Instruction:

1. While enveloping yourself in the art or trade you desire to perfect, develop 2-3 distracting ticks/habits. No more, no less. Similar to salt, wonderful to have a dash, but too much leads to funny faces at the taste test.
   
2. Devote 1 of the 10,000 hours to standing in front of a mirror (or into a spoon) searching for a hairstyle that will define your genius (make sure it works with a beard and/or hat). Feel free to use any hair styling products, but ensure success by being extreme. Do not settle for a healthy medium. Be either sickeningly dull or absolutely crazy.
   
3. Your characteristics will start to change in the 8,000th hour. Pinch yourself to make sure you haven't become a selfish, bastard who merely thinks they are a genius and is adored by all.
   
4. Cheese. Amount per serving is irrelevant, but I'm pretty sure cheese makes everything better...except Chinese food.


5. Be/Let cool. Serve to friends, family & estranged fans before growing a beard and/or wearing silly hats and retreating to an opposing island or country.

GENIUS!

A lot of the blogs I have been checking out are simply a collection of shocking videos and funny parodies embedded from Youtube. They are more of a critique and culmination of everything viral on the internet. They're entertaining. My hope is that I can come up with some engaging stories that take more than 30 seconds to read. Either way, I never thought of writing to live but rather, living to write (very cheesy, bit of a piss shiver, but it's true). I don't need a list of subscribers to read every post. If someone happens to read just one, perhaps have it accompany their coffee....If any one person remembers what I wrote and they pursue some kind of expression that they were putting off....If a complete stranger tells me they read one thing I wrote and just LIKED it...I will feel like a friggin genius.