The original rules for this award were that the recipient needs to perform the following duties:
1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award. 
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Give the award to 15 recently discovered worthy bloggers.
4. Contact them to make them aware of the award.

Our first date at Disneyland. Our very first photo together…ever.

1. I met my wife on Myspace. Yep, Myspace. Don’t believe me? We were both just checking the site out when she saw some of my goofy photos that made her laugh. I couldn’t read her message to me because I was staring at her photo thinking, ‘Who is this Cali hottie writing to me?’ Long story short, we talked for a couple months, I flew out to CA for our first date. Disneyland on Day #1, Catalina Island on Day #2. Flew back to NY on Day #3. Hardest goodbye and longest flight of my life. I had fallen in love with a beautiful California girl. The Beach Boys were right! So, I quit my job in NY, packed everything into my car that would fit and trekked cross-country to California to see if it would work. 5 years later we are still madly in love and have a beautiful little girl to prove it. I love telling the story, and while most people don’t believe it I swear it is all true.

2. I played rugby for 12 years and helped win two state championships in NY with the Finger Lakes Vikings RFC. We made it to the Sweet 16 my last year and I was pumped to score in each playoff game. I miss the game incredibly.

3. I am a published poet and have a couple residing in the Library of Congress.

4. I am an award-winning photographer and graphic designer. I specialize in portraits, wildlife and landscape photography. I do shoot an occasional wedding, but it is truly a passion of mine to capture amazing wildlife images. I used to do it strictly as a hobby, but a few years ago started doing it professionally. I love graphic design. Especially when it comes to designing material for the archery community. Keep your eyes peeled, you might just see some of my work coming your way soon.

5. I love to eat and chicken wings are my nemesis. They attack my waistline using delectable hot sauce which I fight back with hearty, chunky blue cheese. I miss the wings in NY. California restaurants make ok wings, but the Death Wish wings at Parker’s Grille in Geneva, NY are fan-flippintastic!

6. One of my favorite foods is a Nick Tahou’s Garbage Plate. What is a plate? Two cheeseburg, mac, homefry, everything, extra hot <– and that is how you must order it. In Rochester, NY it is one word. Twocheeseburgmachomefryeverythingextra hot. Allow me to explain. It’s a bed of macaroni salad and homefries in a large Styrofoam container. You slap down two uber-cheeseburgers. They cover them with mustard, diced onions and a bitchin’ hot sauce that your taste buds scream for. They throw in two large slices of sourdough bread with butter and serve it up. You then have to add more Tabasco to it to give it more heat. Ahhh, so delicious!! These are great hangover fighters, but are wonderful as a special meal. You can’t eat too many of these. High calorie, super greasy, and downright tear your gut out heaven, but once in a while they are worth it. Dammit, now I am salivating all over my desk. Napkin anyone?

7. I would gladly share the shirt off my back, or blanket in my trunk for someone in need. I have done it more than once and will do it until the day that I die. People can say what they want, but actually doing something about it shows true character. God has blessed me with more than I can take with me and if someone else can use something more than I am happy to share.
   

There you have it folks. I am sure that there are more interesting things out there about me, but for all intensive purposes this will do. I hope you all enjoy reading the blog and that you’ll participate in future discussions. Don’t feel that you always have to agree with what I say either. On the contrary, I love a good debate and I want to hear your opinions. Brian, thanks for the nod and I hope your blog keeps rolling strong! Cheers!