Sad Stuff, Happy Stuff, & Runspiration

Sad stuff: Today in the States is always a one for reflection. It’s 9/11. That was a sad day. Made even sadder through the fact that at the time I was a producer for a network that made training videos for first responders. I knew a lot of firefighters very well.

Years ago at a shoot. I had to get geared up for safety (and for fun).

Happy stuff: Many years later I was flown to NYC by a firefighter friend to make a video about the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. That was an amazing experience. We got to meet some great people from NYFD and shooting some cool stuff around the city.

Brooklyn in da house. Takin it to the bridge.

Fast forward a couple years and I got to produce another video about 9/11. I was also able to incorporate footage we shot in NYC. I’m really proud of this video (it even won an Emmy). Give it a watch if you have a few minutes HERE.

More sad stuff: I just learned that a old friend from high school has passed away from cancer.

He was a senior when I was a freshman. I always looked up to him because he was like all-state or something in Track, Cross Country, and Swimming. I also thought of him a lot because his freshman year of college he had an unfortunate incident which left him as a quadriplegic.

Brad

Happy stuff: It never slowed him down. He was always living life to the fullest and inspiring others. You can read his obituary HERE.

He would even come to our high school track meets in his wheelchair and cheer for us. Can you imagine a former champion runner, who was just permanently assigned to a wheelchair, instead of retreating from watching others run, but rather seeking them out?!? Amazing.

Some of my HS friends have been going on tribute runs this week and making makeshift memorials.

From a friend’s Facebook page.

I have many forms of inspiration, but to this day, there was nothing more of a “runspiration” than seeing him sitting behind the fence yelling encouragement. I still think about that on runs sometimes.

Me in high school.

OK, I hope I balanced enough happy stuff in with the sad. If not, then here’s a bunch of gifs of dudes getting hit in the privates: Enjoy (only if you’re immature).

How bout you? Do you love NYC? Any runspiration stories? Did I balance the sad/happy enough?

-Scott

Flula, St. Pats, The Mavs, Oh My!

So that was a jam packed crazy weekend, I tell you.  I’m still nursing this month long weird sickness thing, so I decided not to run, even the the Dallas Rock N Roll Half Marathon was a week away.  Due to this bug I haven’t been able to train properly for weeks, so I figure I’ll just not care about times and just have fun with it.  But even without the running or going to the gym, I still got a workout!  That’s cause I was lugging around video equipment as we shot a crap TON of footage for some videos we’re making with the great Flula Borg!!!!

Like our dope videos or we will fight you…in a non violent way.

Firsty off, you should know that this weekend was also St. Pats and my birthday weekend.  So it’s usually kind of a big deal to me.  But I skipped it all (mostly) for this amazing opportunity and I’m glad I did.  Yup, I skipped running, my soccer game, the crazy Dallas St. Patrick’s Day party, having a birthday party, all of it.  And I had an absolute blast doing it.  It was so great being around all of Flula’s creative energy for two straight days.

My friend, the amazing TV host Emily Reppert interviewing Flula for a segment we shot.  And yes, that’s a bedazzled fanny pack.

If you don’t know Flula, whenever you get a free day, spend it watching his hilarious youtube videos (vlogs, music videos, celeb interviews, autotunes, etc. etc.).  He’s also a sometimes DJ, hypeman, actor, live concert giver, poet, host, and author (he’s written two books – both in one day without using spell check).  You can find info here: http://flulaborg.com/

Shooting a episode of “Autotunes” on the Zamboni! He was singing “Ice Ice Baby” btw.

Anyways, now I’m in the process of editing, and videos will periodically be released.  But in addition to working with us, he was also interviewed a few times on 105.3 The Fan sports radio station, aaaaaannnnddd the Dallas Mavericks brought him in to meet his idol – Dirk Nowitzki – and shoot some videos for mavs.com.  And an extra cool part about that is Flula gave me an extra ticket to the Mavs vs Thunder game St. Pats evening.  I’m a huge fan and it was fun sitting a few rows behind Mark Cuban.

We lost the game to OKC, but hey, at least we don’t live in OKC. Kidding. No I’m not. Yes I am.

And the hits keep on coming.  After the game we went to see my friend’s band Graceland Ninjas!  This was for St. Pats since it was the actual day, even though it was Sunday evening.  These guys are a lot of fun.  They play cover songs as Elvis.  And when they saw me in the crowd, they pulled me up on stage to dance (as they sometimes do).  They also had the crowd wish me happy birthday.

I dance so radical, the camera can’t keep me in focus.

And get this!  They’re normal guitarist was unavailable, so who did they get to fill in – John Lefler!  He’s a great solo artist, but he’s best known for being in Dashboard Confessional.  If you know them, you know I’m not in their normal obsessed fan demographic, but I don’t care if mostly teen females are their big record buyers.  I heart them!  And to meet a member was icing on the cake of a crazy weekend!

He likes it when the girls call him Johnny. I like it when you call me maybe.

There is also a crap TON of stuff I didn’t include from the weekend, but my head is still spinning from all that happened.  It was truly a magical time, and I’ll take magical times anytime.  Even if it means mostly missing my birthday/st. pats weekend.  Let’s be honest, most of those weekends aren’t remembered anyway…thanks to Guinness!  So until next year….DANCE!

I’d be a giant in leprechaun village.