Cancer.Touches.Everyone

I Am 2 Dogs 2000 Miles

Since the conclusion of the walk I've been bouncing around all over the place starting blogs, fan clubs, and websites, too.  Two reasons for this; first I'm a lightening rod for novel thoughts and innovative ideas.  I was born this way and rarely a week goes by when I'm not climbing the conceptual walls.  Ginger has a placard in her house specifically for me that reads, 'Go Fascinate Someone Else' since she has historically almost always been on the business end of my ideations.  

Second, its seems apparent to me now that some of them were designed by my subconscious mind as a distraction from accepting, internalizing, and processing Murphy's loss.  I joked that after I returned from my fast last year I sat down in front of a spreadsheet to list all of the projects and ideas I had.  Three sheets later, I still wasn't finished probably making me the busiest homeless guy ever.

I have been working tirelessly since then on multiple fronts all, in their own right in furtherance of my life's mission and as extension of the walk.   The Homeless Chef was spawned from the many meals I made for host families to thank them for their kindness and generosity.  Finding Fuzzybutt Four was conceived by me to help find homes for other rescued Pyrenees once little Indy came into our life.   

For a long while now I intended to phase out 2 Dogs 2000 Miles because that journey was over.  Evolve it into the Fuzzybutt Fight Club or one of the other sites I launched to become the central console for my efforts to eradicate cancer. 

But managing so many projects mostly on my own has exacted a tremendous toll on me and it's time to focus.  

Although I loved every second of life on the road I never considered myself a hardcore hiker or adventure junkie.  That's reserved for guys like Jonathan Stalls whom nature custom designed specifically for that. 

Yes, yes... I knew we would have future adventures like 2 Dogs 2000 Beers or 2 Dogs 200 Golf Courses I hadn't figured out what came next yet.

But I realize now after all of this reflection and introspection and the tragic circumstances in between, this story shall continue as it began.     

I am 2 Dogs 2000 Miles and walking across Japan is Chapter Two.  

Some of you were curious why I've chosen the Rising Sun next and I'll address that in a future blog.  But for now to simplify and focus, some changes must be made.  

1. My personal Facebook page, 2 Dogs 2000 Miles will continue.  However I have about a thousand people waiting to be my friend as it is my personal account.

2. The 2 Dogs 2000 Miles Group on Facebook will also continue . This will be the only authentic FB for now.  We may have to convert to a fan page rather than a group but  we'll deal with that when we get to it.  Thank you for everyone who has been keeping the group alive and I will have a stronger presence there going forward.

3. Fuzzybutt Fight Club and the 2 Dogs 2000 Miles fan pages I'll be phasing out and posting for everyone there to move over to the aforementioned group.

4. This blog will be my own personal and professional public blog.  I'll post things about cancer, the foundation I started - 2 Million Dogs events; but expect recipes, adventures, and social commentaries here as well.  If you only care to learn about developments in canine cancer and comparative oncology, please visit the foundation's website 

5. The only other blog which will carry forward is Raising Indiana though there  will be changes there, too and to learn about those please read about them here

Finding Fuzzybutt Four and the Homeless Chef won't be, however, as I am winding those down. Although I'm tremendously appreciative of everyone's involvement, I just don't have time for them.

6. The Rock, The Ripple, and the River.  The book has been the greatest consternation and lack of clarity for me since the walk ended.  It plagues me still.  Part one, the first of the trilogy, is complete but I'm thinking now that the documentary should take priority as Jesse, my partner and DP and I have been working tirelessly to get it to a film festival for next year.  This may change.  Hell, it may change, then change back, then change again.  All I can say with absolute certainty is this story, its past, present, and future will be told. 

Midnight Me

In all truthfulness, I haven't written here much or often since Murphy died or really had any desire to do so.

It wasn't until a recent conversation with a friend that I began to understand why. She said that she loved talking to me late at night - the 'Midnight Me' - because I was stripped of everything except innocence and passion. Well she said some of that anyway, the rest I'm sure I extrapolated.

But she's right.

You've been there for me and my boys throughout all of this but I haven't been there for you. It was out of fear and uncertainty (I'll get to that later) that I stopped sharing our lives with you in any substantial way.  I only shared that with a few people.

But that ends now.

I Never Liked Fortune Cookies

The pseudoprognostications, trite sayings, and the randomly generated lottery numbers just never incentivized me to waste my appetite on them.  Especially when Crab Rangoon is on the menu.  

And yet for some curious reason, while noshing at a unremarkable Chinese restaurant in New England close to the finish line of our walk, I cracked one open and ironically this was what was inside.

I didn't share it with anyone then, I just taped it to the inside of a steel business card holder that my sister-in-law gave me years ago in which I housed my ID and other important emergency info throughout the duration of our walk.

But tonight is the 4 year anniversary of when we launched 2 Dogs 2000 Miles and this fortune cookie is what I reflect on most.

I am thankful for everyone who helped us along the way.  More so for those who have stuck with us throughout it all and this announcement is for you.

I have begun the planning phase for our second 2 Dogs 2000 Miles walk. This time it's across Japan from the Southern most main island, Kyushu to the Northernmost, Hokkaido: Cape Sata to Cape Soya with the fuzzybutts, of course.  

We will walk the ends of the world until and when it's cancer free.