Blood Brother, Blood Sister     No comments yet

For just two days, I wish I could be back in Atlanta.

I’m not homesick, and I’m certainly not tired of Vancouver. There’s just something big going on Monday and Tuesday that I wish I could see with my own eyes.

Back in December I received a wonderful opportunity to follow a young local woman named Courtney as she flew to Los Angeles to meet an older man named Scott — a man whose lived she had saved a year earlier.

Scott was battling leukemia, had undergone chemotherapy, and had been placed on the bone marrow registry. Out of the 13 million people on the registry, Courtney was the only perfect match.

She donated, and she saved Scott’s life. On the weekend I followed them in December, Courtney and Scott got to meet each other for the first time.

Tonight on 11Alive News at 11:00, you’ll be able to see their story.

I learned so much from talking with and watching these two, but I think more than anything I came away with a renewed belief in what we as individuals can accomplish. I mean, Courtney’s bone marrow donation was a relatively simple process — much easier than the invasive surgeries of the past — and in taking part, she may have added years to Scott’s life. It’s inspiring because it’s so easy, and you can’t tell me one person can’t make a legitimate difference when you see the effects of what she did.

Courtney, meanwhile, continues to make a difference. Since her own donation, she has become extremely active in expanding the bone marrow registry list; she has organized several bone marrow drives, one of which will take place this Tuesday at Discover Mills Mall. I encourage you to attend and, more importantly, sign up; I have done it, and I only hope that one day I can be someone’s else perfect match and give the same gift that Courtney gave to Scott.

And in the meantime, I hope you get as much out of watching their story as I got from doing it.

One Day Till Departure: What I’ll Miss About Atlanta     No comments yet

One of my former co-workers in Buffalo is very fond of the following expression when someone leaves for an extended period of time: “This isn’t goodbye; it’s more like, ‘See ya later’!”

(I actually think she stole this from an episode of Fresh Prince of Bel Air – go to 3:35 in the clip – but that’s besides the point …)

Anyway, it’s with that sentiment that I thought about what I am going to miss while in Vancouver for the Olympics. It’s not “Goodbye” to Atlanta for sure; it’s only a three-week “See ya later”, which means the things I’m going to miss are more impulse-based than anything else. If I was leaving for good, I’d talk about the people and the greenery and the wide variety of neighborhoods in Atlanta. But I’ll see all these things — and people — again pretty shortly.

In the meantime, here are the Top 5 Things I’ll Miss About Atlanta during these three “See ya later” weeks (assuming I have time to miss anything, what with how busy we’re going to be out there …):

5. The Hawks — Full disclosure here: I am an NBA nut and a Hawks season ticket holder. While I’m gone, one of the hottest teams in the NBA will take on the Heat, the Mavericks, and three other opponents at the Highlight Factory. The only upside? The March/April schedule is even better, with the Lakers, Spurs, and Cavs all coming to Atlanta.

And, of course, at least I’m not missing the playoffs …

4. Waffle House — Perhaps this is a strange choice to see for Atlanta lifers (or those who live in the suburbs), but I have been hooked on The House ever since I moved here ten months ago. It’s a great, tasty stop when you’re on the go, and I’ll miss it, even while enjoying the sure-to-be tremendous cuisine in Vancouver.

3. 11Alive — Yes, score one for the home team here. Let’s just say this … without giving too much away, we have some great stories lined up for February and during the Olympics.

(OK, enough shilling … moving on …)

2. The DeKalb Farmers Market — It’s one of the area’s hidden gems (if you can call a place constantly swamped with customers a hidden gem). Talk about Olympic-like: I have never seen so many foods from so many different cities and nations under one roof. I’ll miss this place immensely.

And the #1 thing I’ll miss about Atlanta while I’m gone:

1. The people! — OK, I know I said I’d only mention the people in more of a “good-bye” setting, but I must include them here. Take it from someone who’s spent most of his life in the North — Southern hospitality is beautiful and very real, and I have appreciated the warm welcome I have received throughout my first year here in Atlanta. I’ll miss it for the coming three weeks … but I’ll be back.

This will be my last entry before departing … see you in Vancouver!

Don’t get distracted!     1 comment

I had a nice visit at 11Alive yesterday. I got to meet all sorts of new people, and hung out with my friend Josh, who helped make my website and my blog. That’s him over on the right. It took a while to get him trained to sit and smile on command, but we pulled it off.

My friend Dennis also was on TV with me, and he talked about what to do if your friend (the one with paws, not the one with feet) has trouble doing his or her business outside. I was going to tell you about it, but instead, why don’t you just watch the video? It’s not too long. I promise.

I wish I knew more about what happened, but I decided it was more important for me to take a nap, as you could see at the end of the video.

Keep an eye on my page; Dad took a little video of me at home, learning how to not eat the Christmas decorations. We tried to post it yesterday, but it didn’t work right. Maybe Dennis can help train our computer, too.

My Latest Visit to 11Alive!     1 comment

Wow, that was great! I came to 11Alive yesterday and got to see all of my friends in the information center, and got lots and lots of people to pet me. It helps being cute.

My friend Dennis, who Dad calls my trainer, took me around on a leash to help me get used to wearing one and being a good dog. That meant no jumping up on people. I love to jump up on people, so this wasn’t so awesome, but it’s okay. If no jumping except when told is part of being a good dog, I guess I can handle that.

My friend Shawn, who’s a producer at 11Alive, took some pictures of me on his cell phone. I’m still waiting for him to send them to Dad, but when he does, they’re totally going in my official photo gallery.

I wish I could’ve run around outside, but it wasn’t going to happen. Too rainy and wet. I think I like keeping my paws dry.

Anyway, if you didn’t get to see me on TV last night, that’s okay, because Dad’s friend Josh showed me how to embed video onto my blog:

If you want to embed it, all you have to do is click the fourth icon from the left (the little picture of a piece of paper with the end folded over) and you can embed me on your blog too! Or you can e-mail me or post links on your Facebook.

Oh, that reminds me: Chris, who works on 11Alive’s website, made a Facebook group for me! If you’re on Facebook, please join it. I’m going to get on Facebook really soon, I promise, but I’ve just been so busy and haven’t had time!

Okay, that’s all for today. Have a good weekend. I know I will!