That Lucky Dog

Hey there friends, boy do I have a story for you today.  Last Friday night was the first game of the season for the Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team, and they had their opening game in the new Barclays Centre in Brooklyn New York.  Naturally with Miles and I, being from Ky, and being huge fans, had to go.  Miles decided to treat himself and bought a really good ticket on the 20^th row behind the basket.  The night of the game he got decked out in his UK tee shirt and hat, and a pair of white skinny jeans; with me in his pocket we all set out to enjoy an evening of college basketball. 

Dog cheering on Cats what has the world come to

Barclays centre AKA the house that Jay Z built

Upon arrival at the stadium, the girl who scanned our ticket informed us we were going to have to be moved.  I could see the hair raise on the back of Miles neck as he felt the precious ticket he had purchased threatened by this mysterious “moving.”  We proceeded to the table we were directed to.  Once there, we explained what we were told to the gentleman behind the table.  He looked at us, then at our ticket, and then he agreed that they would have to move us, but he said they were going to upgrade us!  Now Miles was a little more excited.  He leafed through a stack of tickets and said, “how about I put you on the side of the court in row 1 seat 1?”  Well we about fell down from shock as adrenaline rushed through our body, this was too good to be true.  With our new ticket in hand, we advanced to our new seat. 

The seat was awesome!

 The next big shock was to come right before the tip off of the UK Maryland game.  The stadium was filling with fans as we reveled in our front row seats we were approached by one of the entertainment promoters for the arena.  The girl informed Miles that they needed a Kentucky fan to compete in a contest on the floor, and asked if he would like to do it.  Now Miles has never really been described as good at basketball, and I could see the apprehension play across his face, but I could also see excitement and the thirst for adventure.  After thinking for a second he agreed.  Just a little bit into the first half he was taken from his seat, and escorted back behind one of the baskets.  At the under eight minute media time out the promo team took the floor.  This was to be a shooting contest; the contestant could shoot a layup worth one point, a free throw worth three points, and a three pointer worth five points.  After each shot attempt the contestant had to change shooting location.  Miles waved to the crowd as he was announced and then took his position at the layup marker.  He had expressed a fear of getting over agitated and shooting a brick for his layup, but later explained that due to modeling experiences and being in front of crowds he became calm on the floor.  The buzzer rang and he put up his first layup… and it went in!  Bouncing excitedly out to the free throw line, he executed his second shot attempt.  The free throw went in as well.  There was another layup and another free throw that were completed, and a three pointer and a free throw missed, in the remainder of the 30 seconds alloted time.  This gave Miles a total score of 8 which was enough to make him the winner, for which he received a nice gift card.  He also became a minor celebrity of the Kentucky crowd and was congratulated by many wonderful fans, both at the game, and at Jack Demsey’s, the official UK bar in NYC. 

Miles shooting ball on the Barclays centre court during a UK
in front of 18,000 people!!

Upon hearing the story retold at the bar Vinny, the owner of Demsey’s, expressed dismay that Miles had not been wearing a Jack Demsey’s UK shirt on the court.  To this Miles countered that he still didn’t have such a shirt, the oversight on both parts was hastily corrected.  So all in all Miles and I pretty much had the best night ever.  You could even say we together are a lucky dog.  Also for the record this is probably the only situation where you will find a dog cheering for a bunch of cats, but hey UK is special what can I say. 

With all this being said there are two things that made both Miles and I extremely proud that night.  The first was the fact that UK did pull off a win on their season opener, but the second is far more important.  The day previously, the UK basketball team had hosted a fund raiser telethon to raise money for hurricane sandy relief.  Before the game the basketball team, on the behalf of the University of Kentucky, and the state of Kentucky, presented the New York Red Cross with a check for one million dollars.  That is something that can make you very proud of where you come from and what you stand for.  Thank you to my home state for making that positive change in the world and the Kentucky Wildcats for facilitating that positivity. 

A $1,000,000 check given by the Kentucky
Wildcats to the New York Red Cross

Miles and I had a lucky night

GO BIG BLUE!!!

-SM-

Please comment, favorite or subscribe to the blog, and friend spike on Facebook, if you have not already. His page is http://www.facebook.com/#!/spike.miller.106
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New York Street Art

Hello there, wonderful friends.  The last post, about Miami, put the blog over 1,000 views, and I think that is awesome.  I am so honored and excited that everyone enjoys sharing in experiences enough to keep checking them out.  Today, I have decided to write my first post about one of the most amazing places I have had the privilege to experience.  New York City has been my home for over three years now, and I think it is an awesome place, full of adventure.  Today I am going to start sharing my city with you. 

A couple of weeks ago, one of Miles best friends, whom he works with frequently, moved his studio to Brooklyn.  On the Tuesday before we trekked down to Miami, Miles finally had time to go and check out the new studio.  The studio was awesome, but that is not the main story.  We disembarked the subway at the Morgan Ave stop, the area was a very run down looking part of Brooklyn.  Walking to the studio though, we all happened upon a hidden gem, one of those reasons Miles and I love this city so much.  Here we are tucked away in some industrial area we have never been before, and all of the sudden we come across these amazing graffiti murals on everything; the kind that are art, not a destructive eyesore.  It was really beautiful to walk along in the gallery showcase that had been created for the enjoyment of each and every passing pedestrian and motorist.  True to form, we took some pictures to share with you all.  Hope you enjoy them! 

 

 

 

 

-SM-

Please comment, favorite or subscribe to the blog, and friend spike on Facebook, if you have not already. His page is http://www.facebook.com/#!/spike.miller.106
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I’m in Miami…my Friends

 Last Tuesday was dreary and cold, none the less Miles and I were out wandering Manhattan; suddenly Miles got the call for adventure.  His agency called to tell him that he had booked a job for Penguin Clothing, in Miami FL!!  He was scheduled to depart the next day, we were off on adventure again, it felt good.

The perfect spot to chillax

The next morning we left for the airport, exited the subway and got on the Q33 bus to Laguardia.  This particular vehicle was driven by none other than the Mario Andretti of bus drivers.  He accelerated and juked around the narrow streets of queens; his horn punctuated more as a comma than as an exclamation point.  The rest of that day, however, went pretty much as expected.

The next day Miles was working, shooting, from nine to five, after this we departed back to the hotel we stayed in and tested out the pool.  It was the perfect temperature, thus providing us with entertainment for a little while.  After this we wandered around a nearby mall, then enjoyed dinner and some drinks at TGI Fridays, what can I say, it was within walking distance. 

Sitting in the sun with the statues outside of Perry Ellis International

We returned to the studio the next morning for another nine to five.  Today however there was a twist, the governor of Florida was speaking outside our door.  This left us with an option, either stay locked in the studio for the duration of the speech, or take an hour and a half lunch break.  An hour and a half at the Doral Hooters was one of the best lunch breaks ever.  One of our crew, who was said to be an expert in such matters, claimed that it is one of the best hooters in the world, and I saw nothing that hinted to the contrary.  Everyone was overflowing with personality and service was on point.  After this we returned to the studio and finished out the day.  Immediately after that we went and caught our plane home. 

Sitting on Miles work for the day

Miles office

We would both like to thank Perry Ellis, and Penguin Clothing for the chance to work with them, and Dani, Miles badass agent, for getting us the opportunity. 

-SM-
Please comment, favorite or subscribe to the blog, and friend spike on Facebook, if you have not already. His page is http://www.facebook.com/#!/spike.miller.106
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The Adventure Continues

Hey there friends, so out of the blue Miles is going to be jet setting again tomorrow and thus I will be joining him.  If anyone would like to speculate as to where in the world the magnificent duo of Spike and Miles are off to, well we could have a pretty fun guessing game here. 

Day 16

The aftermath of last nights pirate raid.

It’s the final day.  The start was like any other, but the underlying dread of the trip being over and all of us having to return to real life is nearly palpable.  We were off the river before noon, and soon had all the equipment broken down and loaded.  Now we all had to ride in a van out the longest gravel road that I have ever encountered.  The van rocked and swayed, bounced and banged, as it hurtled through the dusty one hundred plus degree desert air; and you wonder why dogs get car sick.  We reached the first town and you could see by the long faces that everyone had left their heart back on the river. 

Everything seemed to move so fast back in the real world.  We had not seen anything faster than the birds for over two weeks, all of the sudden we were being passed by biker gangs doing 80MPH, it was disconcerting. 

Reflecting back, the trip was amazing beyond words; the company equally so.  I would like to take this time to say thank you to everyone, it was an absolute pleasure spending time with you. 

What a great crew to spend time with!!

-SM-

Please comment, favorite or subscribe to the blog, and friend spike on Facebook, if you have not already.  His page is http://www.facebook.com/#!/spike.miller.106. 

Day 15

This was the last full day on the river for our crew.  It consisted of a lot of miles to travel, and no real rapids to run.  Everyone is in good spirits, though we are also a bit melancholy about the trip ending soon.  We pulled into camp at an early hour, so we took the rest of the day for a celebration of our trip. 

Almost immediately the corn hole was broken out.  We all divided up into teams and started playing, while all the chairs were like up for spectators.  The competition at this point was stiff; we had all gotten very good on our trip.  We all rotated in and out playing, while Will and Carson took initiative and became celebrity sports announces for the night.  They had us in stitches as they commented on the chemistry of the teams, and the personal challenges of the players. 

After dinner, we became something out of a bad pirate movie.  Zac and Amanda remembered that on a previous trip there had been a 12 pack of beer buried on the beach; despite there being a good amount of perfectly good beer in the boats, this phantom pack became the obsession of camp.  Paddles were taken from the duckies and used as makeshift shovels.  Holes started being delved into the sand in numerous places.  After about half an hour Tom, who had been digging furiously, unleashed an alarm of victory.  His hole was immediately descended upon by the treasure hungry horde.  We discovered he had indeed unearthed a six pack; it was not however the one we were looking for.  This discovery served to redouble the efforts of the other laborers who returned to fervently digging.  We, unfortunately, did not find the pack we were seeking, but it was a good night none the less.

Our pirate band

-SM-
Please comment, favorite or subscribe to the blog, and friend spike on Facebook, if you have not already.  His page is http://www.facebook.com/#!/spike.miller.106. 

Day 14

That is a big wave

Lava falls, as seen from a half mile away

Today was planned to be a long boating day, actually the rest of the trip will be long boating days in order to reach the takeout on time.  However, today was also the day in which we encountered Lava Falls!  Lava is the biggest rapid on the river.  Now for me, after Crystal Rapid being such a disappointment, I was apprehensive to allow myself to build Lava up too much.  I needn’t have worried.  Lava would live up to the hype, and more.  From even four hundred yards away it sounded like a jumbo jet at takeoff power.  We first scouted it from a great distance; there were large ledge drops and a very large wave at the bottom.  Even from where I stood the wave was huge.  If anything on this river was going to flip our raft, this was going to be the one.  Tom took the oars for the run and did a masterful job of lining us right into the meat of the rapid.  We bounced and bobbed, smashed and crashed, we hit the last wave, we went vertical, and we came through in one piece; it was EPIC!  Of the rafts the only casualty was a broken oar. 

Tenny was the last to go in her ducky; she bounced and bobbed, crashing through holes and up waves that dwarfed her tiny craft.  She flashed in and out of sight all the way through to the last wave.  For a couple seconds we didn’t see her and then all of the sudden her entire boat shot up out of the wave like a breaching whale.  The little raft hung suspended for a minute and then as if flipping a coin and losing it tipped backwards and flipped.  That is the only time I have witnessed a boat flip end over end. 

What would a pirate ship be with out a figurehead?

After the rapid, we joined in the namesake tradition at Tequila beach; then ventured on our way.  Later in that day we earned the reputation of the pirate boat.  We learned to use our umbrella to catch a nice tailwind thus becoming far faster than the rest of our fleet.  Then much later in the day, Tom feeling in a rowdy mood, decided to raid one of the near boats.  The craft of Carson, Brendan, and Will became the unsuspecting target.  Tom’s rowdiness however, met its match in the sheer force of Brendon.  They both ended up in the water on two different occasions, but it made the afternoon more exciting.

Brendan and Tom in the water

Tom storming the enemy

-SM-
Please comment, favorite or subscribe to the blog, and friend spike on Facebook, if you have not already.  His page is http://www.facebook.com/#!/spike.miller.106. 

Day 13

Debating climbing the waterfall or not

One arch which we did see

Today, we started off with a canyon hike from our camp.  There was a small trickle of water that flowed in the bottom of the canyon, after hiking for half a mile we happened upon a small waterfall.  At this point the group split, half climbed up the falls, and ventured forth in search of an arch; the other half stayed below the falls, and enjoyed some relaxing time.  Miles and I, always being in the forefront of adventure, chose to decline the climb, and instead relax for a while.  While others were off on merriment and adventure, we were adventuring down the path of philosophy.  We wandered along the verbal path, entertaining a conversation pertaining to the necessary changes in the future mindset of humanity, with the goal of creating better life on earth for everyone. 

The sunset

Camp life

After a while, everyone joined back up and we struck out upon the water.  It was a hot, uneventful day, but enjoyable none the less.  There was more enriching conversation, and simple, pure, enjoyment of the moment we were all in.  Excitement did strike briefly in the late afternoon.  Tenny, unbeknownst of the mortal danger which lay all around on the river, got momentarily complacent.  Her small ducky drifted just a little bit too close to the raft which Miles and I occupied.  There was a momentary flash of movement on our raft; suddenly Miles was airborne and sailing straight for the side of Tennys ducky.  There was a huge splash, a shrill squeal, when the dust settled Miles had succeeded in capsizing Tennys craft, and dunking her into the water.  Complacency on the river can have deadly consequences.  After that we all paddled off into a gorgeous sunset.

-SM-

Please comment, favorite or subscribe to the blog, and friend spike on Facebook, if you have not already.  His page is http://www.facebook.com/#!/spike.miller.106. 

Day 12

The stream on our hike

The river today we an easy stretch, there were some rapids but nothing to get really excited about.  However, there was a really cool side hike which we endeavored upon.  It was comprised of a nice flowing stream with numerous rocks and ledges, which created beautiful pour overs, and mini waterfalls.  The path along this mesmerizing stream seemed, at points, as if it were something from a childhood fairytale.  There was a natural tunnel which delved through the rock, and an arch created of grape vines. 

Fairytale arch

Fairytale tunnle

Ever since we had first arrived in this wild outdoors, Miles had been bound and determined to catch a lizard.  He had also failed to do so because of their blazing speed and agility, combined with the overabundance of hiding places for them.  Upon his return to the boats, however, Miles got a lucky break.  One poor unsuspecting lizard had, apparently, taken an unwise step, thus hurtling it into the water where it was out of its element, literally.  This allowed miles to easily catch the poor creature, thus saving the little lizards life, and fulfilling his desire to catch one of the creatures. 

Me with the lizard Miles caught

Near the end of the day we also encountered an unsuspecting swimming incident.  It was Mike’s birthday today, but the beer was, somehow, on our boat.  Miles obligingly dug out the desired beverage, and we closed the distance between the boats in preparation for an exchange.  As Russ prepared himself to receive the pass, Miles readied to throw it.  Miles performance was genius… and abysmal; the can careened carefully through the air.  The arc was beautiful, it looked perfect, it was short.  Russ, in a heroic attempt to save the birthday beer, leaned forward to attempt to complete the catch.  With his delicate balance on the raft abruptly disturbed, there was one brief second where he looked up.  The look was one of shock, and realization of immediate introduction to something undesired, wide eyes and blown out cheeks; then he was in the water.  Thus Russ joined the elite ranks of the Grand Canyon, Colorado River Swim Team, by sacrificing his body to save a Miller Lite for the birthday boy.  Happy birthday Mike!!

-SM-

Please comment, favorite or subscribe to the blog, and friend spike on Facebook, if you have not already.  His page is http://www.facebook.com/#!/spike.miller.106.