On the Road Again

Well, this week has been a great trip. On Monday evening, after the trip to the NC School of the Arts, Cathy spoke to students at Salem College...just a stones throw from the NCSA. Tuesday morning and lunchtime were filled again at Salem College. I must thank the members of BADU(Black Americans Demonstrating Unity). Even at a lunch program, which can be a very difficult time to draw a crowd, we had a great crowd. Thank you Salem College!!! Then came Wake Forest University. You guys did a great job of welcoming us and we really enjoyed our time on your campus. Today was a day of old friends, good food, and memorable advice.
Cathy and I met up with a great friend, Ryan(this is an official shout out!)We had time to rehash all our old tales of embarrassment and enjoyment. Ryan, Cathy, Stephanie and I all had lunch with some friends(hey Aunt Mary) at the Macaroni Grill...props for the lobster ravioli. Oh, and if you ever get lost for a hour driving through the streets of Greensboro, remember that a map is only your friend when it is right side up...how I came upon this knowledge is not important.
Tonight Cathy spoke at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Again, it was a great group and an entertaining audience.
As I sit here in my hotel room in Greensboro, NC, the view from the 18th floor looks very much like a pinball game with the dark sky and the multi-colored lights of the city that often are only appreciated when you can look from above. Hmm...a pinball machine...that leads me to my final point. I think the biggest thing I learned this week is this...
Life is not predictable. Sometimes without realizing it, I find that I get frustrated with all the unanswered questions in life. But, really, life is like the pinball machine right in front of my eyes tonight. As the cars zoom through the streets, from above those cars become the pinballs. At ground level, I can predict when and where they will turn...but from above, I can't tell where they will end up. Sometimes it's better to just keep pushing the buttons on the machine. Only when you stop pushing is the game really over.
Thanks again to the North Carolina School of the Arts, Salem College, Wake Forest University, and the University of North Carolina Greensboro. We had a great trip and we are looking foward to next visit. A special thanks is in order to Dr. Susan Opt, Chair of the Communication Dept. at Salem College for housing Cathy and I this week. North Carolina was a lot of fun. So...
On the Road Again.
-Nicole

Hey......here's to NC School of the Arts!

Wow what an awesome day!! We just got back to Susan's house.....it's 10:15 but we are all so jazzed sleeping is not going to come easy. The students put on a spectacular show tonight. It was an interactive art exhibit and play. They had all sorts of stations, the first was a time line of AIDS in the US, they had incredible photos and facts and they also compiled a series of original news clips that were playing. The second section was a wall of beautiful photos of people who were then portrayed in the play. The third station was a tribute to Tori Dent, she was an incredible poet who died of HIV last year. Her poetry was used as the back drop for several of the stations. Next there was a white pedestal that a young woman dressed all in white stood on. She was surrounded by pictures on silver elastic cords from the floor to the ceiling. She was viewing each photo as if to remember a loving memory. The next station was a young woman in red with a wall of red ribbons that she was assembling again ceiling to floor. The last station was an interpretive dance performed by two young men it was the story of the fight against the disease and eventual death of the characters. Finally the play was called the "Support Group". The cast spent the last month visiting local groups and patients and created an incredibly real production of what a support group is like.
After all the performances I spoke. The audience was electric with awesome questions and wonderful interactions. I was so honored to be there tonight and to meet such great kids, faculty and staff. A huge thank you to each of them and the members of AIDS Care Services who also attended tonight. I will definitely be looking forward to coming back next time.
Hand and hand we all make the difference.
Cathy

We made it to North Carolina

Hi folks. We are now in Charlotte, NC. Tomorrow we will continue on to the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem. The students of the NC School of the Arts have created a play based around Cathy's visit to the school. We are really excited to see the show(Break a leg guys!) So far the trip has been pretty smooth. The temperature is in the mid-thirties...teeth shattering cold to us native Floridians. We planned on a hot tub session at the hotel tonight, but as neither of us has any blackmail material on each other, we will not be indulging tonight. One thing we did notice on the road...Cathy's Scion is the modern day Beverly Hillbillies' wagon rolling up the coast. Cathy and I found it quite amusing that we have not seen another vehicle that resembles the navy box. People stared...we smiled...fun was had all around. That's all for now.
-Later Gators, and Noles(Cathy)

Time Change

Oops, I haven't changed Cathy's computer clock. It is not 5:12pm. It is 8:29pm. I just thought you should know. Ok, really...night night all!
-Nic

Greetings from South Carolina

Hi everyone! We're off to see the wizard...ok, we've spent all day on the road. If you haven't already guessed from my oh so original movie reference, it's Nicole typing. Cathy and I are in South Carolina passing through on the way to the Tar Heel State. Five schools in four days...(dramatic pause) we can do it! Well, after a whole day in the car rockin out to Sheryl Crow, The Beach Boys, and of course various country tunes that I so passionately serenaded to Cathy, we are ready to call it a night. Before I leave you, here's some homework...Cathy has informed me that her middle name is excruciatingly embarrassing. Therefore, I NEED to know it! If anyone can help me on my quest, please contact me so that I may use it repeatedly in conversation with Cathy. Thank you very much. Have a good night. -Nic

Welcome to my new site

Hi everyone!! I'm glad you have stopped by to visit my new site. I have to say a huge thank you to Nicole for putting this all together, and to Shawn for helping with the logistics. If you know me, then you know I am not to technologically inclined. So this is all new to me. I am going to do my best to keep you all updated on what's going on both with my speaking tours and with Friends-Together events.
This weekend was a big event for us..........Travis turned 19!! So as many of us that could go went to Orlando to help him celebrate! All my "kids" are growing up....I feel so old!
This week I will be helping my Florida Southern students prepare for sexual responsibility week. So come back and visit and I will keep you posted on the details.......
Love and light,
Cathy