141/365
February 27, 2024
New York City, New York
I hoofed it again to the Datadog headquarters this morning. I took another route thinking I might see something different or my creative side might spark up. However, it was mostly tall, metal-framed buildings without the scenes of vintage New York City. A great walk nevertheless!
On the return walk, I hoofed by the famous Empire State Building. It is not the tallest or the newest, but it is iconic and ornate.
When leaving the office, I decided to walk to Brooklyn to visit one of my favorite brewers, Grimm Artisinal. I had to detour a couple of times—the product or refraining from GPS and digital maps. However, the experience delivered because I saw parts of NYC off the traditional footpaths.
140/365
February 26, 2024
New York City, New York
I woke up early, worked out, and when I returned to my room, I noticed a great sunrise showing itself through the curtains. Great way to start the week.
After cleaning up, I put on my walking shoes and made my way to the New York Times building for training. I didn't realize that when I booked my hotel, I'd be 3.5 miles away from HQ.
139/365
February 25, 2024
Somewhere Over, North Carolina
After an evening out with Chloe and Ellie, we all slept in a little bit before starting the day. Today is going to be busy. I leave for New York City to start my week-long onboarding, and Wendy returns from Chicago around the same time. We timed it so we’ll be passing each other in the terminal, so hopefully, there aren’t any travel hiccups.
137/365
February 23, 2024
Tampa, Florida
I took the girls today while Wendy readied herself for her trip to Chicago. She’s visiting our brother-in-law Stacy to celebrate his 50th birthday. This weekend is also the Daddy-Daughter Dance, so instead of opting for Stacy’s party or the dance, we put the vote to the girls for the final say. While it saddens me to miss the festivities with Stacy and the family, how the girls responded to their options warms my heart!
They both emphatically said, “Daddy-Daughter Dance!”
After dropping Wendy at the airport I went to Alafia to practice the jump-line again. After 18 consecutive laps, my confidence on bike is growing, and it feels great! There’s nothing like riding the trail as the designer intended. On the way there, I noticed an antique Rolls Royce parked along the state road. The scene looked perfect for a photo—under a mature tree, sitting area nearby, and in front of a plantation-style home.
We dropped by Aaron’s house in the evening for dinner, IPA’s and a cigar. It wasn’t a workday for me, but it sure felt like one!
134/365
February 20, 2024
Parrish, Florida
The legs were refreshed today, so they were well used over at Alafia State Park.
On the way back, I noticed an abandoned fuel stop on the north side of Wauchula Road in Parrish. As I was walking the ground, a gentleman on a Harley-Davidson dropped by, and we got to chatting. Initially, he was cautious about my reasons for taking photographs, but he soon relinquished his curiosity once I explained my project and showed him my vintage-looking camera.
133/365
February 19, 2024
Lakewood Ranch, Florida
Today, I spent time talking to the girls about money. While they don’t know it yet, in addition to their college saving plans, I have a couple of custodial accounts set up for them. Every week, we have a list of to-dos for them to complete. As the weeks roll on, I’ve shown them how helping us has accumulated savings in their accounts. Additionally, as they complete their in-home math and reading lessons, we take them to Target for an item of their choice (i.e., art supplies, toys, or other things). I aim to show them early on that not everything they earn has to be spent - to keep a long-run view of their savings and what that looks like over time.
Chloe picked up a Squishmallow. It might be the softest, plushest toy I’ve ever held. I photographed it on her bed, among her other favorites.
132/365
February 18, 2024
Lakewood Ranch, Florida
It rained all day. All. Day. Long.
It was fitting, though, because Wendy didn’t feel well and needed the downtime to rest. Sometimes, the bright sunlight causes you to feel guilty if you’re not outside—like you’re not taking advantage of the day. However, we leveraged the clouds to rehabilitate.
The family watched the new Disney movie, Wish.
130/365
February 16, 2024
Bradenton, Florida
Started the day rooting for Chloe and Ellie at their school’s annual Fun Run. With all of the digital influences that seek and contain our attention, I appreciate an event like this because it reminds us of the joys being outside, exercising with friends, and not heads down in our devices.
129/365
February 15, 2024
Wimauma, Florida
Today I dropped by AJ’s for my new bike. I went with a Santa Cruz Heckler SL with custom wheels and suspension. I’m not sure if retail therapy is a real thing or just an excuse for spend, but “New Bike Day” has me feeling good!
Immediately following, I dropped by Alafia for 17 miles.
On the way home saw two guys selling Tilapia on the side of the road. Chuck was more than happy to pose for a picture.
128/365
February 14, 2024
Bradenton, Florida
I took some time away from the trails today to rest up and allow some soreness to set in and recover. I walked Ripley for two miles and rode my bike over to Atria for coffee. Call it an active recovery day!
The afternoon had some disappointment. I developed three rolls of film, but the results were awful. It was awful for the second time in a row, despite refreshing the chemistry. The developed film was cloudy, with weird patterns of uneven grain in some of the frames. I had to step away from it and let the results be.
This weekend, I’m going to clean the scanner and refresh the chemistry, again. Fingers crossed for improved results!
127/365
February 13, 2024
Parrish, Florida
After my two-mile walk with Ripley, I went to the gym for some weighted training. 45 minutes later, I was back and home but still felt a little restless. I decided to pack up my bike and head off to Alafia for some more miles. It’s pretty amazing how much my riding has improved over the last three days. Despite being tired, it’s amazing how many techniques you can pick up if you pay attention to the bike’s feedback. I suppose that’s a great lesson for life: awareness and presence.
On the way to Alafia, I noticed a truck and a boat nestled behind a few trees on an unimproved road. I decided to make a quick turn and capture the scene. The owner of the home was outside fixing his fence, so I walked over and asked for permission. He was friendly and said it was OK, but paid no mind to what I was doing. I thought later about what the image could have been if I had captured his hands mending his fence.
126/365
February 12, 2024
Lakewood Ranch, Florida
After a late night watching the Super Bowl, we let the girls sleep in longer than usual. I’ve found that letting the girls wake up on their own helps them immensely throughout the day, especially at school!
Today was my last day at Cisco Systems. It’s bittersweet because while I’m sad to leave a great company, it’s time to move on and stretch my capacities in other ways.
In the early afternoon, I took to the trails over at Alafia State Park, and mustered nearly 18 miles. While I was using a motor-assist to help push my speeds higher, this park is a lot different than nearby, Balm Boyette. It’s condensed, more technical, and has a lot more BMX-style features that stretch your limits as a rider. I really want to spend more time here!
125/365
February 11, 2024
Wimauma, Florida
Woke early this morning and added 20 miles to my bike over at Balm Boyette. It was a warmer morning, so the dirt didn’t kick up and attach itself to my frame and tires. I am thankful for that, and because the trail conditions were nice!
For the last few years, I’ve driven through this town called Wimauma. You might as well call it “Little Mexico” because it houses a lot of immigrant families for nearby agriculture and other services. There have been a few times that I’ve wanted to stop but never brought my camera along. Today, I did. I noticed an old tire shop that caught my attention. Hopefully, the metering was right because the sun was starting to blast the side of the white building!
In the afternoon we caught up with our neighbors over at Adam and Kim’s house for the Super Bowl! While my team didn’t win, it was a great game and awesome to spend several hours with neighbors we call friends!
124/365
February 10, 2024
Anna Maria Island, Florida
I needed a few more hours of sleep last night, but the extra hours with friends did wonders for my spirit! After cleaning up the house, we stuffed our beach bag, grabbed Ellie’s friend, Lily, and we drove to Anna Maria Island for an afternoon on the beach.
Initially, I was happily seated in my chair, but after a while, I joined the girls in the 60-degree water. Sometimes, I just have to let go of any comforts and ideals ... and go for it! More importantly, to see what life looks like on the other side. The girls loved it too, so it made the experience all the better!
I swear, kids just don’t have the mindset of limitation. I wonder how parenting causes us to limit ourselves later in life.
123/365
February 9, 2024
Venice, Florida
I took another day to reconnect, leaving technology behind. Ripley gave me a look that she needed more than our usual walk so I took her to the dog beach in Venice. It was excellent, and I love seeing her swim, interact with other dogs and their owners. If there’s one thing that is unique about Ripley, she loves humans more than other dogs. Perhaps that’s more about the breed, but she goes the extra mile. She’ll sit at or on your feet and put her head under your hand, subtly encouraging you to massage her head.
Later, we had a few friends over for dinner, cigars, and a few IPAs. I cooked two 3.5-pound tomahawk steaks. Before I could ask our friends if they enjoyed their dinner, all of it was gone!
It was a great way to end the week.
