What I learned on my French vacation.

1. Titties are proof that there is a Jesus and he loves us.
2. Someone should have told me to go to the Southwest coast of France when I was 16. Especially Lacanau.
3. I need to learn to drive a stick shift soon.
4. The people around there speak very fast regardless of language – French, Spanish, Basque, or English.
5. The amount of bread and cheese consumed per capita in France must be measured in tons.
6. The French are not a rude people; they just don’t really care for or appreciate other people. You can figure out the distinction there.
7. I can’t wait to see what happens next in pro surfing. The level of 16 year olds is already amazing.
8. Somewhere in France is a treasure chest of hot 22-year old women, but that place is not on the sleepy and beautiful coastline.
9. After my final night in Paris I think the may be that place I had considered in number 8.
10. I have to go back ASAP.

Seth Godin on the tribes we lead | Video on TED.com

Seth Godin on the tribes we lead | Video on TED.com

Great talk from Seth Godin. He's a legend. I would like to thank the almost equally legendary Le'Jay'de for introducing me to his work.

Legends Never Die

Heroes get remembered, but legends never die – George Herman “Babe” Ruth

Yesterday, when I arrived in Biarritz, I received an email from my mom letting me know that she was having to put the family dog to sleep after a year plus battle with cancer. Millennium Irish Crème, or Millie, was born on January 1st, 2000, hence the name. She was never thin. In fact, she was always quite the porker and from the early days she became affectionately known as Chubbs.

In many ways, Millie had the personality of the daughter that my mom never had and a granddaughter to my Nana – she was spunky and sweet and loved her food. She loved meat, especially bacon. She loved the vegetables my mom planted, evidenced by the fact that WE never actually ate said veggies, only Chubbs did. She was the Kobiyashi of dogs, able to eat massive amounts of food, and her ability to eat with divine swiftness will likely never be broken.

She loved her belly rubs until the very end. Although she had several tumors around her belly she was not afraid to flip onto her back for a good belly rub as she had so quickly every day of her life. She never lost her personality – a testament to the fact that the only thing that gets in the way of us living forever is our bodies’ failure to cooperate. She began to lumber a little more slowly for her ball, or dig around a little less, but the inquisitiveness (and constant appetite) never faded.

Chubbs had been sick for a while, but when she passed the doctor’s predicted time of survival I assumed she had just eaten her Wheaties and beaten the disease. However, she took a turn for the worse over the weekend and her time had come. It is a sad day for everyone who knew Millie.