Stumblin’ Along will be about some of the things I’ve seen while stumbling through NYC. I’ve been taking a mass amount of pictures besides Bar Fronts during my #GuinnessChallengeSeason to capture moments. Well, those weren’t just throwaways, they all have a story behind them. As I also mentioned previously, @YouTheReader if you see a (Freestyle) something to keep in mind moving forward, there may not be much sports content depending on what I see along the way.
Okay, some of these walks in between each pint have been freezing like the one at Central Park last Sunday. I enjoy walking around the city though and @Mom don’t worry I’m layered up with Yankee gloves.
While Stumbling Along, I’ve seen so many things that while doing this from a writer’s lens have changed the way I think of things. I don’t really like the term “content creator” because some people may read that as being an “influencer.” @YouTheReader believe me, I still get influenced but the content that I used to take in and let sit in my head to forget, now gets posted or written down so I can remember. Meeting so many new people and having conversations with strangers who’ve now become acquaintances has bolstered my confidence in a good way.
I found joy, something I will touch on later this week in one of the Pint&Pen&Paper’s coming up. The You & I isn’t necessarily about anybody in particular, it’s more so my old self and who I’m working to become.
I’ve been going with the Tommy Shelby Peaky Blinder Haircut (1/2 on the sides & short trim on top for years now), but I’ve finally let my beard grow instead of shaving every other day. I do want it Noted that I prefer my clean-shaven look because it makes me look younger, but I have to live with the fact that There’s Something in The Orange beard & Paddy Hat that makes me stand out every time I walk into a pub for a Pint with a Pen & Paper.
Maggie Rogers
Maggie Rogers was born April 25, 1994, in Easton, Maryland, U.S. Her father worked at a Ford Motor Company and her mother was a former nurse, now an end-of-life doula. She started playing the harp at age 7 and by the time she was in middle school also learned the piano&guitar. By the 8th grade, she started writing her own songs. In high school, she played harp in the orchestra, sang in the choir, joined a jazz band, learned banjo and became interested in folk music, and taught herself how to program. Her mom played her artists such as Erykah Badu and Lauren Hill, two great lyricists with souls, which she infused with her own interest in folk music. (Source: Wikipedia)
She attended Berklee College of Music where “Rogers participated in a five-week program, where she took part in a songwriting contest that she eventually won. ‘That gave me a boost of confidence to start writing more’.” (Source: Study International) Next up was the New York University, where she submitted her first album called Echo, which secured her admission. While at NYU, she started her own band called Del Water Gap with singer-songwriter S. Holden Jaffe, before the two decided to split because they wanted to do their own thing. They released a song called “New Song”, which I will keep in my Back Pocket for as long as possible. She had her own Fairytale in NYU when the song “Alaska” was played in a Master Class for Pharrell.
I love watching this clip that went viral because you see a college kid who is a bit nervous about how Pharrell, a musical genius in his own regard, will react. Once Pharell is floored by how good the song is, you can tell Maggie’s confidence grows a bit more in real-time. Maggie Rogers was nominated by the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards for Best New Artist in ‘20, where she fell just short to Billie Eilish - another talented young singer.
I’m glad I heard about Maggie Rogers before she was even nominated for a GRAMMY. I love listening to her music because it’s easy to tell she sings with her soul. Not that she needs any publicity from Week to Week Notes, but I’m sure there are some @YouTheReaders sports fans who may not know much about her Fairytale in NYU. As she continues to produce phenomenal music with her soul, my bet is she’ll receive a deserved GRAMMY Award sooner rather than later.
Maggie Rogers however is my second favorite Maggie. The top spot goes to…
@MaggieDavisHair
Ladies in the Rockland area, is your hair stylist a bit outdated? Looking for a switch-up? Go see @MaggieDavisHair ASAP to get your hair all “did-ed” right.
There’s your free plug kid, run with it if you want!
Balto
Balto was a Siberian Husky who became famous for leading a team of sled dogs during the January 1925 Serum Run to Nome. There was a very serious diphtheria epidemic in Nome, Alaska that had the deathly potential for children. There was medicine (serum) 674 miles away in Anchorage, Alaska. @YouTheReader they had aircraft back then, but it was too cold for the engine to start. Out of alternatives, Alaskan officials decided that using multiple sled teams would be the only way to get the serum from point A to point B.
Due to the brutal Alaskan winter weather (high winds & -30 to -50 °F), Balto and his team were only supposed to go 25 miles from Bluff, Alaska to Port Safety. When they arrived at the port, the final leg of dogs wasn’t prepared to go because the mushers who were supposed to lead the final stretch assumed Balto’s team wouldn’t make it. They were sleeping in Port Safety as Balto headed his pack for all 55 miles down the home stretch. All of the serum was intact and it saved many children’s lives in Nome, Alaska. For Balto’s team effort, a statue was erected for him in Central Park on December 17, 1925. Balto was in attendance for the ceremony. (Source: Case Western Reserve) I’ve seen the statue before, but as soon as I stumbled into it this go around, I made sure to get a picture and wanted to tell a bit about the story of why a dog has a statue in the Greatest Park in the World.
Oh yeah, Gunnar Kaasen should get a bit of mention for being the musher, @YouTheReader I got distracted by the good boy.
Not only did Balto have a statue made for him, 70 years later his story was told in cartoon form. Some of the voices over for the Univeral Pictures film include Kevin Bacon, Bridget Fonda, Jim Cummings, Phil Collins, and Bob Hoskins. I grew up watching this movie on VCR over&over&over&over again. It definitely propagandized my love for dogs, but as a newborn, I was lucky to have grown up with the sweetest German Shepherd Mutt named Cheyenne. She was my grandparent’s dog who wouldn’t hurt a fly unless the fly was chasing after a Wiffleball in the backyard. I’m very fortunate that my first real-life dog experiences were with Cheyenne, but it makes sense why she was the way she was, my grandparents raised her.
I understand not everybody is a “dog person” but hopefully this little bit of the Week to Week Notes gives you some perspective of why I love all Man’s Best Friends.
Thanks for reading! I’ll be back tomorrow full of sports with a Monday Mock & More.