Flashback Friday #26 - EPCOT

This weekend is Stephanie Boilard's birthday, my significant other, and we are planning on going to the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Oh, um I mean EPCOT, haha. As any Floridian would tell you a trip to Disney World is like an annual past time around here. We are pretty much the theme park capital of the world. When I was a kid my Grandpa Max worked as a greeter at MGM Studios (now called Hollywood Studios) and he would take my sister and I to all the parks every summer. We became Disney regulars at an early age and my love for theme parks has yet to subside because of it. Recently though I have been on a Universal kick due to the Harry Potter world opening a few years ago at Islands of Adventure. I was so wrapped up in the Harry Potter madness that I finally realized that I had not been to Disney since probably the late 90's! A lot has changed since then and I am excited to see it first hand in a few days time. It will be like I'm a kid again and that is what Disney is all about anyway. So bring on the fun and bring on the magic you Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow! Keep it REAL readers. (The 1989 EPCOT map shown was found at this website, Progress City USA)

Flashback Friday #25 - Swan House / Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Hello friends! Today I want to talk a little bit about my former home town, Atlanta, GA. I lived there during the core of my childhood years and I have several great memories from time spent at Braves baseball games, splashing around in the ring pop fountain in Centennial Olympic Park, eating chicken wings at the Raccoon Lodge, and especially building imaginary worlds with my sister in our own backyard. One of the great things about Atlanta is that it has a great collection of both old and new architecture. One of the prime examples of historic architecture is the Swan House. It was originally built in 1928 by Edward and Emily Inman who occupied the house all the way till 1965. The house and grounds were then acquired by the Atlanta Historical Society in 1966. It is maintained and kept open today as a 1920's and 1930's historic house museum, with many of the Inman's original furniture. The Swan House has also been recently featured in modern day pop culture. It served as the finish line for the 19th season of The Amazing Race in 2011, and in 2013 it was featured in the Blockbuster smash hit The Hunger Games: Catching Fire as President Snow's personal palace (see above photo I took in 2010 vs. scene from Catching Fire). It is so fun to be watching something like The Amazing Race or especially The Hunger Games (because I saw it in IMAX) and suddenly see something you instantly recognize! I almost shouted out loud in the theater when watching Catching Fire I was so excited. Keep it REAL!

Flashback Friday #24 - "A Page To Write"

Hello friends! Another Flashback Friday and another piece of writing for you to enjoy. I recently went to a spoken word event in downtown Jacksonville (who knew Jacksonville could be so hip!) and was able to read some old writings of mine. It got me thinking about them again and I wanted to share them with you. I already posted my story that I wrote about cities, so here is one from 2009 that focuses on writing itself! Hope you enjoy and Keep it REAL! (Photos from Cumberland Island, GA taken 2010)

A page to write yet so many memories to recount.  A page to contain just a portion of what you can create; yet only a page is necessary.  The mind can fill up endless amounts of pages.  It could go on forever, rambling about the facts of life and memories of old, but to withhold the mind in one page is to give order to the unordered.  The mind has no limits; save for the ones we think and come to believe we have.  The mind is free of all boundaries and borders; save for the ones we create for ourselves.  To create a page of writing, to pull forth a collection of words to fill the blank canvas from this limitless creative vacuum is a true task.  There are endless topics to discuss; with many more created every day.  There are endless possibilities stretched out before you when given a pen and a page.  Will you wish to write about your goals or your aspirations for the future with the all-powerful phrase “someday I will”?  Will you think of writing about what you did last night or what you plan on doing tomorrow?  Will you talk on philosophy, art, science,…….love?  Will you investigate your innermost secrets and dreams?  Or will you simply write about the here and now?  Your biggest fear may be, who am I to be creative, limitless, and talented?  Who am I to be so blessed?  But the real question is why not?  You are all these things.  You are creative, you are limitless, and you are talented, and a pen and page can help you rediscover this.  Let the borders of the page give you guidance and purpose.  Let the pen give you function and direction.  It’s up to you to decide what to do, but remember, there are endless possibilities stretched out before you, all you have to do is move forward.