It's 10:22 on a Friday Night and we are all in bed. Eighty miles of skating over the past two days certainly pays its toll on the body...not to mention the 94 degree heat, the humidity, and the golf ball sized mosquitos. Carson's knees hurt, Streich's shins hurt, my right calf hurts, and Orto's knees, hamstrings, heels, feet, back, glutes, and head hurt.
The emails and donations have really started to pick up over the past few days. Keep them coming. All of your letters, notes, emails, well wishes, and donations really pick up our spirits when the sun gets too hot or the hills get to steep.
We are visiting a therapeutic horseback riding ranch outside of Charleston tomorrow, so we should have some interesting stories to follow. Hopefully, we will be more successful riding the horses than Striech was riding the surfboard today.
A big thank you to the Heinlen family for dinner tonight and their hospitality.
Till next time,
Dan T.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Rolling for Autism Comes to Dataw
After meeting up with Dan, Sean, Carson and Jason briefly in Savannah and Charleston I was excited to host them for the day at my mother's house on Dataw Island located just outside of Beaufort, South Carolina. They arrived shortly after 3pm having completed forty miles of rollerblading in 90 degree weather and humidity which some believe to be unbearable. After Dan polished off the entire plate of brownies my mother had baked for them the guys began the task of attacking the oversize laundry bag stuffed to the brim with dirty socks, under armour gear, and someone’s very special pair of orange underwear. With the multiple loads of laundry underway, we were off to the pool. A few curious residents came over to talk about their trip including a proud Union alum and a lady who may have taken a special interest in Carson, she may not have been Jenny McCarthy but I heard no complaints.
Although raising money for autism is the number one goal of this great adventure, apparently spotting an alligator was also on the top of the list of things to accomplish during their 2,000 miles. I hadn't been gator hunting for about three summers when I took the 4 and 7 year old brothers I was babysitting but I was happy to help out anyway I could. We left Jason to relieve his "two week golf itch," traded in their rollerblades for golf carts, and set off to find some gators. Our mission was a success. The first lagoon allowed Dan to play tough guy which entailed throwing pine cones at a gator, its size...about three feet long. With that baby alligator officially traumatized we figured it was better to move on and avoid a run in with its parents. However this did not stop any of us from trying out our luck with the creatures lurking around Dataw; for example when Sean did a little trespassing to get closer to another gator baby or when Carson offered up his shoe to allow for me to smack a gator in the face (why the only girl stood up to the challenge I’ll let the boys explain). Gators were the main attraction of our golf cart adventure however we made a little visit to rearrange some people’s crab traps, check out the marina and recklessly drive the golf carts into one another after which Carson announced he will never ride in a motor vehicle with me ever again. We found Jason on the golf course perfecting his swing and tried our best to distract him, which included Dan’s own PG-13 version of a sports fan streaking across the green, however Jason held strong.
Overall, Dan, Sean, Carson and Jason had a long and full day putting forth a tremendous effort on the road working for a great cause and I couldn’t have been happier having them join me at home even if just for one day. I wish them the best of luck the rest of their journey and anticipate great success from Rolling for Autism and from each of them individually in the future.
Gretchen Olney
Although raising money for autism is the number one goal of this great adventure, apparently spotting an alligator was also on the top of the list of things to accomplish during their 2,000 miles. I hadn't been gator hunting for about three summers when I took the 4 and 7 year old brothers I was babysitting but I was happy to help out anyway I could. We left Jason to relieve his "two week golf itch," traded in their rollerblades for golf carts, and set off to find some gators. Our mission was a success. The first lagoon allowed Dan to play tough guy which entailed throwing pine cones at a gator, its size...about three feet long. With that baby alligator officially traumatized we figured it was better to move on and avoid a run in with its parents. However this did not stop any of us from trying out our luck with the creatures lurking around Dataw; for example when Sean did a little trespassing to get closer to another gator baby or when Carson offered up his shoe to allow for me to smack a gator in the face (why the only girl stood up to the challenge I’ll let the boys explain). Gators were the main attraction of our golf cart adventure however we made a little visit to rearrange some people’s crab traps, check out the marina and recklessly drive the golf carts into one another after which Carson announced he will never ride in a motor vehicle with me ever again. We found Jason on the golf course perfecting his swing and tried our best to distract him, which included Dan’s own PG-13 version of a sports fan streaking across the green, however Jason held strong.
Overall, Dan, Sean, Carson and Jason had a long and full day putting forth a tremendous effort on the road working for a great cause and I couldn’t have been happier having them join me at home even if just for one day. I wish them the best of luck the rest of their journey and anticipate great success from Rolling for Autism and from each of them individually in the future.
Gretchen Olney
Thursday, July 5, 2007
RollingForAutism Stats
Hi Friends,
Just a brief update; its late and while a few weeks ago, my late night stamina was that of a college student... Now, I can barely stay awake past eleven after a day of skating.
Some stories to come tomorrow morning. In the meantime, here are some interesting stats to date regarding our efforts.
240- The number of miles skated.
80 - The weight of the pitbull in pounds that chased us for nearly 500 yards.
34- Emails to RollingForAutism today. Things are heating up.
27- The number of media appearances we've had a mere one week into our trip.
This means two things; first, our media team is doing a great job.
Second, and more importantly, we are succeeding in acheiving our
goal of working towards promoting autism awareness.
16- The number of strokes Orto took playing two holes on the golf course today.
A par three, followed by a par four.
8-We saw eight aligators during our South Carolina golf cart gator hunt this
evening. Details to follow.
4- The number of blisters on Orto's right foot.
2- We've eaten two home cooked meals since we've left. Thank you Diana and
Jennifer.
1- Minutes before I fall asleep.
Check in tomorrow.
Bests,
Dan T.
Just a brief update; its late and while a few weeks ago, my late night stamina was that of a college student... Now, I can barely stay awake past eleven after a day of skating.
Some stories to come tomorrow morning. In the meantime, here are some interesting stats to date regarding our efforts.
240- The number of miles skated.
80 - The weight of the pitbull in pounds that chased us for nearly 500 yards.
34- Emails to RollingForAutism today. Things are heating up.
27- The number of media appearances we've had a mere one week into our trip.
This means two things; first, our media team is doing a great job.
Second, and more importantly, we are succeeding in acheiving our
goal of working towards promoting autism awareness.
16- The number of strokes Orto took playing two holes on the golf course today.
A par three, followed by a par four.
8-We saw eight aligators during our South Carolina golf cart gator hunt this
evening. Details to follow.
4- The number of blisters on Orto's right foot.
2- We've eaten two home cooked meals since we've left. Thank you Diana and
Jennifer.
1- Minutes before I fall asleep.
Check in tomorrow.
Bests,
Dan T.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Happy 4th
I want to take the opportunity to wish everyone a safe and happy Independence Day. We appreciate all of the emails, postings, and well wishes. Its great to hear from everyone.
Keep the donations coming...we've been able to see some great programs that are really providing some special services to individuals impacted by autism. I cannot wait to support these great programs and the people they help.
Again, Happy Fourth!
-Dan T.
Keep the donations coming...we've been able to see some great programs that are really providing some special services to individuals impacted by autism. I cannot wait to support these great programs and the people they help.
Again, Happy Fourth!
-Dan T.
Day 2 in Savannah
Yesterday in Savannah involved meeting with children at the Matthew Reardon Center courtesy of Hellen. Seeing the joy that was brought to the faces of these children by our appearance and news about our project was unbelievable; it really confirms every reason for this journey. While at the Matthew Reardon Center, also, Sean and I spoke with a WTOC news anchor about our project and our future endeavors. After that we returned to the hotel for a quick nap before hitting the pavement for another 40 mile day. It was a rather uneventful skate, only coming across two dogs that even made haphazard attempts to chase us. We were prepared this time, however, with some weapons of our own if the dogs did chase us down this day. The roads that we skated on were nice and smooth with relatively little traffic. We skated past a beautiful country club and I wanted to hit the links quite badly. The most eventful occurrence during the day was when a local heaved a metal tire pressure gauge directly past my head and dorve off yelling. I was furious, but there was nothing I could do.
This morning was more of the same as yesterday, a rather uneventful 20 miles of skating. Today my knees hurt badly, but the guys were there for support and helped me along for the entire trip today. We saw another beautiful golf course on our way today and I wondered to myself where the courses like these are near my house. The crew wrapped up 20 miles, and at a feverish pace (20+ miles in 90 minutes). I don't know how much longer I can keep up paces like that, but I will certainly try and see how things go.
Jason O.
This morning was more of the same as yesterday, a rather uneventful 20 miles of skating. Today my knees hurt badly, but the guys were there for support and helped me along for the entire trip today. We saw another beautiful golf course on our way today and I wondered to myself where the courses like these are near my house. The crew wrapped up 20 miles, and at a feverish pace (20+ miles in 90 minutes). I don't know how much longer I can keep up paces like that, but I will certainly try and see how things go.
Jason O.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Savannah Day One
Hi Friends,
Before reading this blog, please read yesterday's posting by Sean....
Yesterday's dog races were certainly eventful. I am the first to confess that I am the slowest skater among the four, and therefore, probably the easiest feast for a hungry pit bull. However, Sean noted that by the end of the day, it seemed interesting to him that the other boys were all sprinting frantically and I seemed to remain cool while being chased by the dogs. Well, to clear things up, unlike the other four skaters, I am not scared of miniature poodles. While the first dog certainly was viscous and probably hungry for "rollerblader," the miniature poodle that chased us across the finish line was friendly, playful, and cuddly. I was behind everyone not because I am a slow skater, but because I stayed behind to pet the nice puppy.
We arrived at Savannah early this morning to appear on Fox's morning show, "am Awake." Carson and I sat in the living room looking set fielding questions from the morning show anchor, Trish with Sean and Orto watching from the station's waiting room.
We next headed to Savannah's Jewish Center to play floor hockey with a group of campers. Orto and I captained the "Sharks" along with six teammates, and Sean and Carson played for the "Cougars." After a hard played game, the sharks prevailed by a goal. A great time was had by all.
Our last stop of the day was at Smooth Smoothie Shop in downtown Savannah. Lynne Javetz organized the event, and it gave us the opportunity to meet several local families impacted by autism. These events are always special, as it gives us the chance to speak with the kids, parents, and siblings of individuals from each area impacted by Autism. A big thank you to Susan from Smooth for putting on the event. If you're from the Savannah area, make sure to check out her place on Wright Square.
Heading out for a bit...
Bests,
Dan T.
Before reading this blog, please read yesterday's posting by Sean....
Yesterday's dog races were certainly eventful. I am the first to confess that I am the slowest skater among the four, and therefore, probably the easiest feast for a hungry pit bull. However, Sean noted that by the end of the day, it seemed interesting to him that the other boys were all sprinting frantically and I seemed to remain cool while being chased by the dogs. Well, to clear things up, unlike the other four skaters, I am not scared of miniature poodles. While the first dog certainly was viscous and probably hungry for "rollerblader," the miniature poodle that chased us across the finish line was friendly, playful, and cuddly. I was behind everyone not because I am a slow skater, but because I stayed behind to pet the nice puppy.
We arrived at Savannah early this morning to appear on Fox's morning show, "am Awake." Carson and I sat in the living room looking set fielding questions from the morning show anchor, Trish with Sean and Orto watching from the station's waiting room.
We next headed to Savannah's Jewish Center to play floor hockey with a group of campers. Orto and I captained the "Sharks" along with six teammates, and Sean and Carson played for the "Cougars." After a hard played game, the sharks prevailed by a goal. A great time was had by all.
Our last stop of the day was at Smooth Smoothie Shop in downtown Savannah. Lynne Javetz organized the event, and it gave us the opportunity to meet several local families impacted by autism. These events are always special, as it gives us the chance to speak with the kids, parents, and siblings of individuals from each area impacted by Autism. A big thank you to Susan from Smooth for putting on the event. If you're from the Savannah area, make sure to check out her place on Wright Square.
Heading out for a bit...
Bests,
Dan T.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Man's Best Friend....Not Today
“You don’t have to outrun the bear, you only have to outrun your friend”
The fourth day of skating began on a hot Georgia morning. While Dan, Carson and I strapped on our skates to start the journey, Jason held down driving responsibilities. It was shaping up to be a good day and for the first mile of our skate, everything was fantastic... then it happened. As we approached the first driveway of the day, we heard something moving in the bushes. As I looked to my left, I saw something sprinting at me...and the chase was on.
I cannot recall the type of dog that emerged from the bushes; lets just say it was big and headed straight for us. We took off in a frantic sprint. I must take a moment and be thankful for the 20 some odd years I have played hockey, as my ability to skate lightening fast helped me in this dilemma.
I almost forgot, when I say we took off in a mad sprint... well two of us did. Unfortunately, being the fastest skater on the team is not a prerequisite to play goaltender in ice hockey. Everyone knows Dan was a goalie in college, and therefore, not exactly the fastest skater on the ice. As Carson and I escaped, the dog bit at Dan's ankles for about fifty long yards. Fortunatly for Dan, he escaped with both of his feet still attached.
The remainder of my skate turned out to be fairly eventful. I had the last driving shift of the day, and therefore, was delegated the responsibilty of filming the boys as they crossed the finish line for the day. I sped ahead in the red rocket (our van) so that I could film the boys coming at me as they finished the last mile. I parked the van, picked up the camera, and looked through the lens. It appeared as if the boys were in an all out sprint. My initial reaction was that the camera was set on fast forward...it wasnt.
I thought to myself that their blistering pace was a little fast for the last mile of a 30 mile skate. I looked again, and sure enough it was another dog chase. As expected, Carson led the pack with a brisk pace, followed by Jason who was screaming like a little girl, and poor goaltender Dan bringing up the rear.
In all fairness to Dan, he didn’t seem to be skating that hard. Quite possibly he was fed up with dogs, it was the 5th chase of the day (4 dogs, 1 coyote). Maybe he was thinking of turning around to challenge the dog, but I doubt it. Only Dan could tell you what happened. Email him (dan@rollingforautism.com), he won't say anything to the three of us...
It was an interesting day and tomorrow is sure to bring more excitement. Make sure to read the blog tomorrow, as we have an interesting day planned in Savannah, Georgia.
Thanks and hope all is well
Sean S.
PS.
Does anyone know why dogs are not chained or fenced in Georgia? Please post a response to our blog if you have any ideas!!!!
The fourth day of skating began on a hot Georgia morning. While Dan, Carson and I strapped on our skates to start the journey, Jason held down driving responsibilities. It was shaping up to be a good day and for the first mile of our skate, everything was fantastic... then it happened. As we approached the first driveway of the day, we heard something moving in the bushes. As I looked to my left, I saw something sprinting at me...and the chase was on.
I cannot recall the type of dog that emerged from the bushes; lets just say it was big and headed straight for us. We took off in a frantic sprint. I must take a moment and be thankful for the 20 some odd years I have played hockey, as my ability to skate lightening fast helped me in this dilemma.
I almost forgot, when I say we took off in a mad sprint... well two of us did. Unfortunately, being the fastest skater on the team is not a prerequisite to play goaltender in ice hockey. Everyone knows Dan was a goalie in college, and therefore, not exactly the fastest skater on the ice. As Carson and I escaped, the dog bit at Dan's ankles for about fifty long yards. Fortunatly for Dan, he escaped with both of his feet still attached.
The remainder of my skate turned out to be fairly eventful. I had the last driving shift of the day, and therefore, was delegated the responsibilty of filming the boys as they crossed the finish line for the day. I sped ahead in the red rocket (our van) so that I could film the boys coming at me as they finished the last mile. I parked the van, picked up the camera, and looked through the lens. It appeared as if the boys were in an all out sprint. My initial reaction was that the camera was set on fast forward...it wasnt.
I thought to myself that their blistering pace was a little fast for the last mile of a 30 mile skate. I looked again, and sure enough it was another dog chase. As expected, Carson led the pack with a brisk pace, followed by Jason who was screaming like a little girl, and poor goaltender Dan bringing up the rear.
In all fairness to Dan, he didn’t seem to be skating that hard. Quite possibly he was fed up with dogs, it was the 5th chase of the day (4 dogs, 1 coyote). Maybe he was thinking of turning around to challenge the dog, but I doubt it. Only Dan could tell you what happened. Email him (dan@rollingforautism.com), he won't say anything to the three of us...
It was an interesting day and tomorrow is sure to bring more excitement. Make sure to read the blog tomorrow, as we have an interesting day planned in Savannah, Georgia.
Thanks and hope all is well
Sean S.
PS.
Does anyone know why dogs are not chained or fenced in Georgia? Please post a response to our blog if you have any ideas!!!!
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