Moving On.....

First, thank you to all my friends and relatives who gave me so much support after my mother passed away. Especially my friends in the Saints of America, and Coach Robinson. It's amazing how such good friends can make a tragedy like this seem like nothing.

I also want to thank my grandpa, who is taking me in and now will be essentially my father. He inherited my mom's home and we'll live here in Ohio during the school year and at his home in Nova Scotia during the summer. My grandpa is a retired airline pilot and former Grand Banks fisherman. He's an onery cuss but he's a great guy. He's already taught me a lot about life in just a week. I have a feeling I'm going to learn a lot from him.

School started yesterday and I got a little angry because everyone kept giving me more sympathy. I don't need more sympathy because I'm passed it all.

Oh, who did I meet while with my grandpa in Nova Scotia? Robert DeNiro. I guess he has a cottage near where my grandpa lives (Herring Cove). My grandpa says they are best of friends even though Robert DeNiro is only there about a month the whole year. But Robert DeNiro is a terrific guy. I've never really been a fan of his, but I'll guarantee I'm going to go watch a lot of his movies that I probably haven't seen.

The people in Nova Scotia are very simple people, and very friendly. I felt like everyone had known me for my whole life. A lot of fisherman up there. I learned a lot about fishing in just a week. And next summer I hope to join a fishing boat as a deck hand just to see what that is like. I keep imagining THE DEADLIEST CATCH, THE PERFECT STORM, etc.

Physically I'm maturing very rapidly. I now have to shave daily. I'm actually letting my sideburns grow out down to my jaw bone. All the males in my family have a lot of facial hair. My grandfather is gray haired and full gray beard. He looks like an ole fisherman. LOL. I'm now just shy of 6' tall. I've grown six inches over the past 14 months! And I'm not that skinny little boy anymore either. I've bulked up, probably from working out at the Saints of America gym.

I joined the cross country team at school this year. The first workout, man, I defintely have a lot more respect for long distance runners. After about the 2nd mile, I was struggling. But I see cross country as something to help keep me in shape. I'm growing fast and if I don't work out and stay in shape I'll start putting on fat and extra weight. Most of the males in my family are overweight, even though my grandpa has done well to lose his weight.

Oh yeah, I ate a lot of Sea Bass, Swordfish, Herring and Lobster while in Nova Scotia. The people up there really know how to steam and cook fish. It doesn't even smell like fish. I've never been a big fish eater, but I really enjoyed the meals while up there. DELICIOUS!

That's all for now. Again, thanks to everyone for their support during the week after my mother's passing away. You all were wonderful. Thank you and God Bless.