From the photo everything between Francesca Battistelli and me looks fine, but pictures can be deceiving. I have heard from other artists friends of mine that she is upset with me for funny song I wrote for Britt Nicole to sing about Franny's Wedding. Let me be clear I love Franny and her music! I would never intentionally hurt her. I actually feel bad so I have decided I WILL NOT HAVE ANY MORE ARTISTS ON TOTAL AXXESS until Franny agrees to come on the show and let me make this right with her.
You can help get the word out. Here is the contact info for Franny. If you are a fan of hers or you like hearing from other artists on the show please reach out to her and encourage her to come on Total Axxess.
Sgt. Koop, who we have been sending care packages to in Iraq as part of Operation H.E.R.O.S, returned the favor and sent me a little Baghdad inspired gift. I am flying this weekend and think I might wear this on the plane.
You might have noticed his name is no longer on the list to send things to. That is because he is COMING HOME this month! We are all so excited for him and his family but don't worry Operation H.E.R.O.S will continue.
Josh Wilson was in Newark airport yesterday...waiting to change planes to head to India to do mission work for the next 10 days. There was a security incident that led to a lockdown and hundreds of passengers were delayed. A difficult and frustrating situation for a lot of people but Josh Wilson took it and made the best of it. The great Ryan Secrest even posted this video of Josh so who knows how many people might check him out now and get more than they bargained for.
Also check out this cool video of him doing amazing grace by himself.
My two favorite Christmas things are Egg Nogg and ham. So why not combine those two great tastes and create an awesome game for Natalie Grant in the process...and by awesome I mean disgusting!
Recently, a flight attendant for American Airlines snapped this photo of a grossly obese passenger who was so large that his body spilled out into the aisle, almost completely blocking it. Then the flight attendant sent the snapshot to airline officials, in order to persuade them to make it mandatory for grossly obese people to buy two seats when they fly.
Should obese people have to buy two seats or should a second seat be given to them by the airline. We'll discuss this on the show today but you can get your comments in now.
People are always seeing the face of Jesus in the strangest places, on toast or pancakes and now on an iron. Is this really how Jesus chooses to reveal himself to us and spread his message of love and salvation? Maybe it is and maybe I am putting God in a box but I think this stuff makes us as Christians look crazy. However I will admit this image looks better than most.
An Oregon wildlife park called Wildlife Safari has an attraction where elephants "wash" your car for $20. PETA's protesting the attraction because they say it's disrespectful to elephants. I'm no Steve Irwin, but I don''t think the Elephants look too humiliated. In fact they are probably laughing with each other saying "these dumb tourists think this is water, they have no idea I have a cold."
The last day of the 3 day is bitter sweet you are happy because your pain will soon be over but you know that for many the fight continues. There is a weird mix of joy and sorrow as people share their stories with you. That is a big part of the event. As you walk people ask why you are walking and the stories are both heart warming and breaking at the same time. The hardest part for me was when my wife started crying after she saw a woman with a shirt that said " I miss my mom." Their interaction between this woman and my wife was simply a tear filled, almost inaudible "I miss mine too."
Turnabout is fair play. My wife loves getting photos of the doctors working on me during the 3 day. She has even gone so far as to add in extra medical props for the picture. So Finally, Wonder Woman got a blister.
If you are not a fan of pink I would avoid the 3 Day. It is everywhere.
After 60 miles filled with laughter, tears and blisters we made it to our final destination: the closing ceremony at Turner field in Atlanta! This is always emotional.
This is always the coolest part of the event for me. Many of the women on the walk are survivors. Some were still weak from chemo but they walked. These women have a special place in the 3 Day. As they come into the closing ceremony they are surrounded by the rest of us and as a tribute each walker removes a shoe and raises it in their honor. This might even make producer Zach cry. For me water works are a given in this moment. We had 220 breast cancer survivors walking. Sadly, many of them were my age, and had once faced that fear of leaving their children far too early in life.
I did not have my video camera on the walk this year and I am a loser and only have the iPhone 3g not 3gs with video so, here is a little of the shoe ceremony from my last walk.
This year in Atlanta alone 2,200 people raised over 5.6 million dollars and since it's inception the 3 Day has given over 1.9 billion to fund breast cancer research and education. It really does go to show what a few motivated peopel can do when they set their mind or feet to it.
Feet Don't fail me now. Day 2 started off cold but dry with over 2,200 people putting one foot in front of the other.
Sadly the rest of me is as white as my foot
Ironically the blisters weren't my worst injury of the day. That came when my lovely wife slammed my finger in the door of the porta potty
One of the coolest yet saddest parts of the walk is the memorial tent. People who have lost loved ones will write a note on this tent and the tent travels with the 3 day from town to town. It is especially hard for me to be there with my wife and watch the full weight of the loss of her mother hit her and all I can do i hug her and cry with her.
As I read what my wife wrote it floored me. She singed it your BB. That is what her mom called her. Here is a grown woman who is a great wife and an amazing mother in her own right but she is also a daughter who's misses her mother terribly and would give anything to talk to her just one more time.
My wife, Mardi, and I do the Breast Cancer 3 Day every year in memory of her mother who I affectionately called "Crazy Myra." To say she was an amazing woman would be an understatement. You couldn't talk to her for more than half an hour without her telling you how good God was even in the midst of her brutal battle with this horrible disease. My wife walks to help keep her memory alive and to make a difference for others. I walk in the hopes that my wife, the love of my life, will never have to walk in those footsteps of her mom. That is a path no one should ever have to take. I walk for her and for the other great love in my life my daughter, Haille. I have seen what losing a mom to cancer does to a daughter and I never want Haille to feel that kind of on going hurt.
The good news, it wasn't hot. The bad new is...it wasn't hot because
it rained. By the way the reason the rain suit is so tight I have a
backpack on under it...I swear.
This picture was taken at about 6 miles and before the blisters. 20 miles down. Only 2 days and 40 miles to go!!!
