120-We're Going To Miss You Mama Bear... I was quite nervous as I slowly rolled up to my lady interest’s home in Grand Blanc. It was a quiet sub, houses showing the similarities of a common builder but the lights were on and welcoming. I had no idea what to expect meeting her family, her parents especially made my palms sweat. After opening introductions, I realized that I was going to like this family—"Mad Dog” and “Mama Dosh” were
108- Who The Heck Am I? My name is Christopher Adams, or if you know me from Project Forty, I go by Topher. I have been volunteering with Project Forty for the past 3 years, helping with Backyard Adventures and Co-guiding trips. I was invited by Matt to join his ministry, starting full time starting this January (working part time now). I am currently living on the island of St Maarten with my wife Courtney while she pursues medical school.
102-The Real Adventure In The Race! “Five… four… three… two… one. Goooooooooo!!!” The fourteen individuals in front of me quickly dispersed on foot into the wooden landscape devoid of the fresh green growth that is just waiting for the final Michigan snow to come and go. Brown leaves crunched beneath the feet of the teams who decided to abandon the packed down dirt of the well-traveled paths at Seven Lakes State Park. There were six teams of 2-3 each who
101-Bold, Brave, Short, And Even Shorter The soggy ground sank in around the fresh rubber rand of my new black 5.10 flats, which I baby since they are my first pair of new street shoes in nearly a decade. Pushing my OCD to the back of my mind I trailed my middle son Z, who’s excitement to jump into the basketball game with the neighborhood kids could barely keep him from running. The local park at the that connected our
96-How Open Is Open? I motioned to my wife as to keep silent as my friend was still sharing his difficult circumstances at the moment. I took a scrap of paper from my make-shift desk and quickly scribbled, “Can I invite him to stay down here a couple of nights?” I never really imagined when I was a teenager that I would be inviting guys into my home for days; that seemed like a high school thing—spending the night at
92-The Longest Weekend I could hear the rhythmic pulse of my tires on the expansion joints within the concrete of I-475 as the now familiar exits passed me by. The drive to Flint has become shorter and shorter since my mind can now travel to a different location rather than scrutinizing the words on the signs to ensure that I don’t get lost or go the wrong way on a one way. It’s been two months of house hunting, and
88-Just Go Look For Rabbits! Call John. Do I even have his number? Okay, call Dale then call John. Don’t forget to follow up with last months donation calls… maybe it’s too soon. I don’t know. “Dad, will you play Legos with me today? I’m hungry.” Okay, lunch. Quick Lego time. Work on my updates. “I said I’m hungry!” I quickly shift gears and turn my glance from my open planner to the dented refrigerator, marked with every chair that
85-I'm Sure I'm The Only Man Who Has Ever Fallen On A Bicycle! The warm summer air sucked into the pump and then was forced into the rubber tube that makes a mountain bike the perfect vehicle to get your body down a single-track dirt trail littered with rocks and roots. I tried to maintain my cool-guide-status but internally I was excited to have the AID Mountain Biking crew together for their first training session—feeling good about the group, mostly
84-Are Sprinkler Systems Political? My feet nearly glided over the edges of the steps leading to the Project Forty office to grad my Tentsiles, webbing, a rope ladder (all common household items at the Foss residence); then skipping steps on the return to maximize speed. Even the mosquitos buzzing my ankles, looking for a good place for lunch could not deter my drive to stack these tents higher than the last test run. The ladder teetered under my feet, which
75-Remember That Time When...? “When I bought my first motorcycle my buddies and I took our bikes to the pit. I had a street bike, had no idea what I was doing, but they said, ‘Kenny, ride that thing to the top of the sand hill!’ I jumped on, not really knowing much about motorcycles, took off and as I hit the bumps on the hill I grabbed the throttle tighter then making me go faster. I was completely out
