Doors Open

It's been a while since one of us posted, so for those who haven't heard the latest, I thought I'd give a little update. John has Ridin High open for the season and boards are flying out the door. Will and Meredith did an amazing job keeping things going last year while John was out of commission, and as John has recovered, the shop is exactly where he wants to be. He continues his rehab, working with his doctors to overcome and compensate for the areas of his brain that were injured. Fortunately, his ability to help people find the right board for them is just fine. John- wishing you a successful season!

The end of November...

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and yes Michael from concrete wave I did read the article you wrote about me and life is much different than before. Had three people from the hospital at the shop and we went over the poster I made in the hospital. Glade to be back and can't wait to xc ski this winter see you all soon but please leave me a comment if you have something to say or else my blog is done !!! Big John

Happy November and Halloween...

Hope everyone has had a great weekend and enjoyed the holiday. In the best way the last week has been great, good friend in from San Francisco and he has taken me and my mom out for dinner twice and breakfast once thank you Jonah! I've had a nice weekend with a good friend since the Halloween till now starting with my dinner number for the fourteenth time at Leunigs on Church St. Once that night came, I wore the costume I was injured in the longboard costume with mom's hat and walked out with an oldschool skate board and the right necklaces. First was the party in Winooski at my friend Michael from Flatbread Pizza and a great costume crowd had a DJ spinning and a nice crew for me to remeet while telling a few stories and listening to others. Then we left the party and locked the car and went to Sound of Urchin at Nectars. Once the music stopped and I saw some great people and then went up to Metronome and had a nice conversation with Kaitlyn Whalen and learned about her father got sick after my injury. She was going to the party at Olivias in Stowe but the party got cancelled begood for the cause of what happened to me and she visited me in the hospital before heading off the next day to Boston with the rest of the skaters doing their part in the event. Maybe I was supposed to go with them or drive her down but that would have been my last trip without the fall but it was now learned that I was her father #2. She was crying me some tears telling me how life has been strong with her me and her father and what her mother did when she was no longer married to her father. How age through twelve and fifteen was ruff on her, much love for her Tom from dad 2. Then left with Anaii and Katelyn in a cab after Travis Card got me my skateboard from inside Nectars. After the drive back Anaii went back downtown to get her bicycle and rode back while I stopped to talk to K and was lying next to her in the bed and after back I went back downtown but stopped at 3 Needs and had a drink with Amanda and Sara. Talked to some others and got a taxi back to my house and woke up Mom so she could talk to the two about dinner on Monday, looking forward to tomorrow night.
We had lunch with Sara the next day before driving my truck down to Ken's farm down in Shoreham and got to see his new house getting worked on. After talking about how he is building his house good we then took took a trip down to his barn and got to see all the tractors and wood for his house and he gave me a pump for my vegetable oil which needs some work. Next was a drive down to the sunflower field and found a lot of birds eating the nuts off good flowers and a small look later and the oil was too late. We then went back to the barn and took some pictures of him and mom and friend of his Bill. Put a few boards which was his in for my sauna and roped them in the back of my truck. A little after leaving people were leaving the house tool spot and closed but we were 10 minutes late so I changed the filter for the veggie oil and was good for the ride home. Talked to mom about the project up at UVM for tomorrow and went to bed and got enough sleep to wake up the next morning to wash the truck.
By the time we got to the shop by 10:30 we started packing the bed with a lot of stuff for the free demo day we were part of at the basketball team fifteen minutes minutes late. We then set up and put the three thousand ams up and running and got everything set up with Kristin and a friend of hers for the event. Kyle Anger was the DJ Strain and did a lot of spinning and helped with his longboarding. The only he was down to was the manager Will Deming of Ridin' High, and he took a nice walk with me to the top of Mount Burlington where I fell and hurt my shoulder. I've only lost to Will once up on Smuggs and plan on beating him next time on July 13th of 2008, so if your fast be up there and your going down ! Hopefully this time I have a good helmet and leather on me to show everyone how I ride. Next summers great event! After the event we went down to the shop and to the vets in Mallets Bay Vet for mom's dog and then to my buddy who owns five houses place for a visit with Mike D... I'll be able to stay at his place soon but couldn't this weekend as he told me and mom we could ?
Then on Saturday we went to Maguals for breakfast and had a great meal with with mom who made me go to the hospital after the vet and as I told her my shoulder was not broken and she learned again how I live life. Great things we all do especially talking with mom and she finally took me to Higher Ground for a show that seemed a little work for the 25 yr old music player. Good music but I then got a ride down to Red Square but actually to Half Lounge where I saw two great friends Akaai and Joe Blecka and two good looking girls from New Hampshire. Thank you for the ride and I got to sleep in till 9;45 this morning which was actually 10:45 but today was earlier, thanks fall. Today was a great day and after some pancakes already made with NJ blueberries the rest of the day went well. After working at the shop with SF friend coming to buy two boards and helmit we then went to dinner with Ashley who works at Nectars, again thenks two Single Pebble. Well back to the hospital for tomorow but note till late in the day at first by 12:30 pm and then hopefully to the yurt this weekend with dad to work on the sauna. Well talk to you all soon and feel free to leave me a message and feel free to leave me a message at my phone number, 802 355-2447.
Big John who lose an additional 35 pounds to be medium john !

Thanks to all who made to my Harvest Party ! ! !

What a great party we just had over in Keene, N Y and such a yurts me and my friends have over there. The Farrell brothers were there and I saw both of them Andy and Nick and thanks Nick for reminding me that I helped you put your door on the newest Yurt built in 2003. Thanks to all who came out and helped me start to finish the sauna, it worked on Sunday afternoon and I did not wear any clothes that night. All the work was done with my father telling everyone what to do and done really well! Thanks again and hopefully everyone can read this and know how much I love everyone, respect...

love and peace,

Big John

The Big 30 (by Rebecca)

Great article on John by Lauren at the Burlington Free Press: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071017/NEWS01/710170309/1009/NEWS05

Happy Birthday, Bro!!!!!!

John's Travels by Rebecca

Until last week, I hadn't seen my brother since my last trip to Burlington in early August. I'd spoken to him frequently, so I knew he was massively improved since I'd last seen him lying unconscious in the hospital. But, it was just amazing to see him leaning out my sister's apartment window, waving and calling down to us. Dinner that night included John, our father, Rachel, Julian, my husband Madhu and my little boy Leo (7 months old). We laughed and talked and enjoyed each other's company and toasted to his amazing force of life (not to mention amazing medical support) that brought John back from the brink. Little brother, you are amazing! I know it would be more fun to just forget about everything and go back to your old life, but please keep doing your work and respect your limits. Much love, Rebecca.

Feels so great to be out of the hospital ! ! !

How head injury can change your life? My first injury came to me at 2 years old when my ankle was fat down to ankle knuckle. Next at 8 yrs old and at the family farm in Massachusetts called Brookside I tore my shoulder open on a milky machine. First my tshirt got called and pulled into my shoulder and open came to me, my dad's cousin Russell hit the machine off. Cut my tshirt off and drove me to a hospital in Fitchburg. Then a little older I had a cut to my left leg after rowing across the lake in the Adirondacks behind a club in St Huberts and after taking a row back and waiting for a half hour bus back to the club. Then Dad walked to get the car and drove me a half hour to the hospital in Elizabethtown to have it sewn closed and get rid of any bad stuff. Then after than that leg was better I broke my femur skating out of my buddy Sean's driveway in Wall Township New Jersey. This was the only time I had to spend a long time in a hospital almost eight weeks in a H that told me I'd be better in 3-4 weeks! Since then I broke my other shoulder at a friends house and was taken to Plattsburg for them to fix my clavicle taken and paid by the Farrells because I could not afford it. Thanks to the Farrells and opening me to the world of the YURT's. Since then I have broken my Right arm twice, the first time snowboarding in Lake Tahoe at a resort. I had climbed out a half hour to back slide and hiked well, at the bottom I hiked out of where I rode and didi not stapp myself in really hard and fell where the trail went from steep to flat. I got up and rode to the bottom and found the ski people who brought me in and told me I'd half to wait for an ambulance which I had a ride and got to the hospital quick. What would have cost me near thirdy thousand only cost me less than a thousand cause its how I live life as a poor guy. last thing was a broken in New Jersey was the same arm in a skatepark off NSG exit 124 and drove myself back to Vermont to have it fixed at the Burlington hospital. Since then all injuries I've taken by myself except for this last one where I fell too hard on 108 near Smuggs and now have to think about killing part of myself, my brain and how to ride better. Right now I think about equipment and a helmet that will protect my head because the next time I hurt myself will be too long.
Hope to see all my friends at my birthday party next Wendsday October 17 at higher Ground, please buy your tickets now because I want the big room ! ! !
Thanks and I hope to see you all there...

Big JOHN who wants to be medium John