March Photo Shoot

A few months ago I met a local photographer. We established a good relationship and two weeks ago we met up to do some work together. Her name is Kim and we both wanted to take some photos to add to our portfolios. Our creative minds got together and here are some of the results.
I'll be using a few of these for my promotional materials and new website.

Quote of the Day

I'm really inspired by quotes, comments and music lyrics. I've decided to start adding some of my favorites to the blog on the days that I'm having writers block or nothing really interesting to type about. Here is my first and be on the lookout for more!

The only way to predict the future is to create it! (author unknown)

East Coast Visit

Last month I was in Ohio to see some of my friends and also took a side trip to South Carolina to see my grandparents, my mother, my brother and my sister. Here are a few pictures from my trip.

My mom with her aunts and my grandfather

Me and my grandmother

My mom and my Aunt Emma

Me with my grandfather and my brother

Me with my family

My grandmother got all dressed up for my photo of her

Collecting Bling

Kelly and I have done a lot of running the last two months. One of the perks from our races are the medals you collect. We got a medal for completing the marathon. A few weeks later we got a medal in the mail that says "39.3" on it. It's a medal for running a half-marathon and a full marathon in back to back years. The 39.3 represents the total mileage from both races. Finally we collected a medal for participating in the Ragnar Relay. The medal has a "beverage" opener built in!

Video from my brother

My brother has been experimenting with some video editing programs. Here's something he worked on for me and Kelly. Enjoy

Want a Better Life?

A good friend of mine sent me an e-mail the other day. I thought I would share it with all of you! .......Thank you Maribel

Tips for a Better Life

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you need to.

3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.'

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants, and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blue berries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & amp; walnuts.

6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive, present moment.

8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone or anything.

11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

12. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. Nor do you have to prove that you are right.

13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

14. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

17. Forgive everyone for everything. (Include yourself.)

18. What other people think of you is none of your business.

19. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

20. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick or hurting. Your friends will. Stay in touch!!!

21. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

22. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: 'I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.'

23. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

Ragnar Relay

Last weekend Kelly and I participated in the Ragnar Relay. It's one of several relay races help around the country. We ran the race with a team made up of friends and their friends. The twelve of us ran over 202 miles. The "Del Sol" race began in the mountains of Arizona and finished in the Phoenix suburbs.

Our team "The Rum Runners" completed the race in a little over 32 hours. Each team member ran 3 legs of different lengths and difficulty. When you get to the end of your leg, you exchange a bracelet with your teamate and they run the next leg of the race. Each team had two chase vans to keep track of their runners. Kelly ran a little over 14 miles. I clocked in just under 19 miles. Their were over 250 teams with a variety of themes and ability levels. Teams began the race at different times based on their predicted finishing times. The first team left at 7AM Friday morning. The last team left at 4 PM. Our team started at 8 AM. There were a few teams that finished the race in under 24 hours! Amazing!

The race was a lot of fun and we look forward to running in it again in the future!

For more information, click on the link below.

Ragnar Relay

New Website Page

Many of you know I'm represented in the College market by Coleman Productions. The company is owned by the David Coleman. David is known as "The Dating Doctor." The movie "Hitch" was based off of his talks and performances. The company has a new webiste. One of the new updates on the website is David giving each of his speakers/performers and personal plug.

Here is the link to the site. Enjoy!

Coleman Productions

Happy Birthday Melissa

Today (March 5th) is my sister's birthday. Happy Birthday Melissa!

I got to see her last week whenI was in South Carolina. It was good to see her! Have a great Birthday Melissa and good luck in the Navy!

Frankie

Happy Birthday Kelly!

Kelly and I in Dominica in December

Today is my girlfriend's birthday! For the first time since we began dating, we are together on her birthday. The last two years I've been out of town.

Being President's Day weekend, we've been able to spend some quality time together. She got a great gift by having the day off from work. I made all of Kelly's gifts this year. I really hope she likes them. I also grew my hair out for her. It was only two weeks worth of growth, but it was a lot to me. I wimped out and cut it off before taking a picture. Sorry Everyone!

Kelly I hope you enjoyed your Birthday and Valentines Day weekend! I love you! Frank

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope you enjoy the day or weekend with someone special or the people who are special in your lives.

I'm keeping it pretty simple this year. Spending some quality time with the woman I love. Did I mention her birthday is two days after Valentine's Day! Wow double whammy! I'll have to thank her mom and dad for that one!

We're doing some "little things" that are special to us. I'll write more about them in the future. Just know that you don't have spend a ton of money to enjoy this day.

Have a great day everyone!
Frank

University of Akron

On Monday, February 23, 2009, I will make a brief visit to Ohio. I will be speaking at the University of Akron with my good friend Rodger. We will be speaking/performing at 8:00 PM. I'd like to invite all of my friends in the area to come and watch.  I'll really enjoy this opportunity because I attended Akron as a student and I'll have the chance to see some really good friends. For more information, click on the link below.

Zips Programing Network

Pandora Radio

Recently, I've had several friends turn me on to Pandora Radio. It's an automated music recommendation and Internet radio service created by the Music Genome Project. Users enter a song or artist that they enjoy, and the service responds by playing selections that are musically similar. Users provide feedback on approval or disapproval — which Pandora takes into account for future selections.

You are creating your own radio station that only plays songs you enjoy listening too. The site is great to listen to while you're at work, sitting in a coffee shop or waiting in the airport. Anywhere  you can get internet access. 

Click here to go to Pandora's Website

The Cruise

Bathrobe Party with the Newlyweds, Ramonita and Raul

One of the nightly towel creations from our cabin steward

Sunset on the Caribbean

Dominica

The Lido Deck

Formal Night

Antigua

Fishing trip in St. Kitts

The Bride and Groom...Ramonita and Raul

Safety Drill with Kelly's Parents Night #1

Town square in Ponce, Puerto Rico

Zip Line Adventure in Barbados

San Juan Puerto Rico

St. Lucia

Our boat, the Carnival Victory

Kelly and I went to Puerto Rico on December 12th to celebrate the wedding of my friends Ramonita and Raul. After the wedding we joined the wedding couple and their families on a seven day Caribbean Cruise.

This was my first cruise and I can’t wait to go on more! You get first class treatment, nightly entertainment and everyday you wake up at a different island. Our cruise stopped in St. Thomas, Dominica, Barbados, St. Kitts, Antigua and St. Lucia. We enjoyed all of our stops, but we were most impressed with our time and shore excursion in Antigua.

Below are several photographs and stories from our trips. Enjoy! More photos and stories coming soon!

The Power of the Internet

If you don’t believe in the power of the internet, read this e-mail that I received from a woman who was a complete stranger about two months ago. She is a voice over actress for commercials. She didn’t receive payment for her work for Applebees, so she performed a search on the internet for information on the commercial. I was in the commercial for Applebees last year. I posted the information on this blog. She found my blog and contacted me. The rest of the story is below:

Hi Frank,

Hope you and your girlfriend have a Happy New Year!

I'm really writing to say THANK YOU for keeping a blog. Thanks to your blog mentioning the Applebees (which led me to find out that it was running on the Internet......), I received a check for roughly (Large Amount Omitted on purpose).

Thought you'd like to know that your blogging can have significant outcomes!

Have a succesful 2009!

K

Our First Marathon

Kelly and I ran in and COMPLETED our first marathons. . The main word is “completed.” We ran in the PF Chang’s Rock and Roll Arizona Marathon
A marathon is definitely hard work mentally and physically. If you ever decide to compete in one; “check your ego at the door!” I also learned that the first eight miles of a race turns a city into the worlds largest urinal! Too much fluid in peoples bodies and not enough bathrooms when nature calls!

Frank, did you do? How long did it take?

I finished with a time of 5:12:48. I am a competitive person and wanted to run my race in four hours and thirty minutes. I was on pace to hit that goal until my body became a part of the decision making process. I started to get some calf cramps and my quadriceps began to lock up around the seventeen-mile marker. I did what I could but had to walk a lot of the last six miles. I was able to loosen up my legs for the last half mile and ran across the finish line at five hours, twelve minutes and forty-eight seconds! I quickly gave my marathon retirement speech to my friends who were waiting for me at the finish line. After icing my legs and getting some first aid attention, I headed back to the finish line to wait for Kelly.

Race temps hit 78 degrees, so she had leg issues just like me. Her hips locked up and limited her running around the same point at me. Kelly kept moving though and walk most of the last eight miles of the race. She race across the finish line too. She finished in six hours and twenty three minutes. 6:23 She finished the race and is already talking about running in the race again next year. She would like to train a little differently and plans on improving her time. I’ve told her that I will be there as her number one supporter and possibly ride a bike along side of her during the race.

Approximately 10,000 people signed up for the marathon. Only 6600 finished! 26.2 miles of road running takes a toll on the body!

Kelly and I would really like to thank our friends from who supported us during the race. Brian, Teresa, Caden, Cole, Chad, Tracy, Holly and Karen thank you for either running with us, cheering us on and providing cold drinks along the race route.

My good friends from Ohio…..Brian, Teresa, Tracy and Chad.

Kelly finishing the race. Woo hoo!

This sign was made up by my friend’s Teresa, Brian, (their sons) Caden and Cole. They were in town to for the race and for Brian to help coach is Team in Training running team. Brian ran a total of 28 miles!

Here are a few pictures of us at the starting line and are starting corals.

Me, Kelly and our friend Holly (She finished in 4 hours and 15 minutes)

Race day. Wake up at 4:00 AM. Get to the parking lot at 5:00 AM. Get bused to the starting line at 6:00 AM. Wait for the race to start and take pictures until race starts at 7:40 AM

The 44th President of the United States

President Obama

The United States really surprised me on Election Day 2008. I didn’t vote because of race, but it was inspiring to see that face on the television screen. It was great to see so many people who put race aside to vote on a candidate they believe can lead this country. I just happened to be a black man. Seeing Barack take the oath of office and being our President was like seeing the new Pope. It’s not what you expected or were used to seeing.

In November I posted my feelings about voting and let everyone know whom I voted for. Two months later, Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States.

I had to work on Tuesday, but any time I got a chance, I found a television set or a computer to read or watch anything I could about the newest President of the United States. To be honest, I still can’t believe it. My girlfriend talked about having a new sense of hope with our new President. I told he I had goose bumps and shed a few tears.

I remembered watching the news on election night. A US Military Officer in Afghanistan said Election Day was the first time he truly believed the Constitution…”All men are created equal.” Tuesday doesn’t make this completely true. Many groups still aren’t competing on the same levels, but it’s a little easier to believe you can when you see someone with a background closer to yours hold the highest position in the land when you’ve never seen or thought of it before.

Being a Black American male it felt really good to see a face that looks similar to mine all over the media as the President of the United States. I have spent the last fifteen years working with people telling them anything is possible. But, when I talked to friends several years ago about the possibility of having a Black or a Female as President of the United States; I didn’t know if I would ever see it happen. Those scenarios where only seen in movies or on television shows.

This blog entry isn’t about politics. It’s about the possibilities for the future. After Tuesday, a lot of people won’t have an excuse to excel or achieve their dreams, no matter how impossible those dreams may appear. People can’t use any of the following excuses:

I’m multi racial
I’m Black/African American
My father left me
I can’t afford school
I can’t be President
I’m not rich
I had family pass away due to diseases
I’m too young

The United States is made up of so many unique and different types of people. Living in Arizona and traveling around the country. I noticed how much this election was and more importantly wasn’t about race. I saw young and old people supporting Obama. Rich and poor. People who said, “I believe he is the best candidate for the job,” versus talking about his race.

The media has made a big deal of this incredible day in history and they should.

The United States made a big step forward on January 20, 2009. The United States is always taking about being the land of opportunity and the land of diversity. But you never really saw it in high positions of authority. I hope Tuesday is just the beginning of opportunities for other underrepresented populations. I can’t wait to see our first female President, a President of Asian Heritage or a President of Hispanic Heritage. I know this won’t happen over night, but I really hope Tuesday shows people that the impossible is possible. If you believe in what you’re shooting for, take the proper actions and when things seem at there lowest you stay determined.

Barack please do a great job. You’ve been a great role model so far, but your journey has just begun. You have the pressure and weight of a nation on your shoulders. You have 200 years of politics to deal with. Congratulations on being the first Black President. You’ve made history! Now you are going to be judged as a President and a leader. You’ll need substance not history to keep people going during these tough times!

Happy New Year (Very B’lated)

My best friend Scott made is yearly New Year’s pilgrimage to the “Valley of the Sun” to hang out with me and golf as much as possible!

Kelly and I celebrating New Years with some friends.

Hello Everyone! This is my first blog of 2009! I can’t believe it’s taken me almost a month to blog. My life is always busy and crazy, but the Holiday Season and the first part of the month were even busier. I will do my best to catch everyone up over my next several blog entries. I hope everyone’s New Year has gotten off to a good start!

I didn’t have blogs for the first part of the year because I was spending some quality time with Kelly; I had to work a busy schedule at the Phoenix Zoo; I had friends come into town to visit; I’m finishing up the chapter to a book and I just finished several magazine articles. Did I mention I was training for a marathon too! Wow! I’m tired after reading this!

I would like to say Happy Birthday to the following “January Birthday Babies”

Brian
Robyn
Jim
Ramonita