In this vlog, the narrator wraps up a 28‑day travel and marathon series with a bonus day that recounts the final leg home from New Orleans. The monologue blends observations of New Orleans’ tourism‑driven service culture—highlighting both disappointing staff interactions and standout locals such as rickshaw drivers, a Hard Rock Café employee, and a helpful bellman—with commentary on the city’s visual decay and missed opportunities. The narrator also details personal family challenges: Tammy’s ankle injury, her subsequent pain, and the supportive roles of sons Carson and Grant, especially Carson’s emergent leadership during a medical incident. The segment reflects on the marathon experience, noting Grant’s renewed enthusiasm for running, the family’s pride in the “Finisher” medal, and plans for upcoming races. Interwoven are logistical notes about a problematic data plan, a brief road‑trip description through Alabama and Louisiana, and a light‑hearted closing about filming. The tone oscillates between critical, nostalgic, and hopeful, providing a personal, reflective closure to the series.
Chapters
Monday morning, it's time for coffee. Coffee. Coffee. Our day in New Orleans is off to the start that we've experienced the last 3 days, and that is, for a town that is dependent upon tourists, they sure do hate them. I mean, my gosh. And the young people here are just so, I mean, devoid of passion. It's sad. We were in Starbucks, of all places. Starbucks, they usually have really, you know, happy, excited people. Just monotone, darn near dead people who are just pissed off that they're serving us, I guess. I don't know, but it's really sad because it's a fun place to be, but the people aren't having very much fun. We were just commenting a second ago, there's something special about the word finisher. I mean, just the fact that you finish. Most people don't ever finish. I think I'm a little unfair on all of the people in New Orleans. We have had a lot of bad service, but I'm reminded that yesterday we had two great rickshaw drivers. They— I mean, I would have never thought of using those things. But they were great. They were a lot of fun, and they took care of us, and they were patient with us with Tammy's foot. And so those folks really should be recognized. And of course, Gumby at the Hard Rock Cafe was great. He was a ray of sunshine. But other than that, we really— am I missing anything, anybody? The people that helped me. The people— oh, of course, the people that helped Tammy at the race, but they aren't really New Orleansers, I don't think. Well, maybe they are because they're probably local paramedics, so they were certainly nice and helpful. And I think that, you know, a lot of the volunteers on the racecourse, and to be fair, the bands, you know, coming out and supporting us, and all the people that were on the road supporting us. The people of New Orleans are great. I think it's the service people I have an issue with, which is odd because this town is about service. But we've had a a less than stellar experience at the Astro Crown Plaza with the exception of Monique at the front desk this morning. And who? The bellman. Oh, and the bellman this morning? The bellman this morning was just friendly, but he didn't help us. Oh, the bellman that did bring our bags in, and I've forgotten his name unfortunately. It started with a D. I had it 2 days ago. But he was quite friendly and helpful. But boy, the rest have really left a lot to be desired. It's been a disappointing trip at the Crown Plaza. I will tell you that the young lady at the hostess stand at the restaurant ought to be fired, fired, fired. She is just flat-out rude. I didn't— I was just asking a question, she wouldn't even look me in the face, and she cut me off before I ever even had a chance to answer a question or ask a question. So that cost them a couple hundred dollars, because I'm sure that dinner would have been a couple hundred dollars. I'm glad we didn't eat here. But other than that— oh, croissants are good here. If you want a croissant, they're good. It's sad. I mean, there's been lights at the end of the tunnel, but they've been snuffed out by debauchery, by drinking, by smoking, by mean people. It's just— it's been a sad city to me. And as much as I hate to say it, I mean, There's been nice things here and great people, but it just, it's a depressing city to me. Why can't I? I can do whatever the hell I want. I've got my own video channel. This was Grant's prize at the Brooks Run Happy Village, and he's decided that it's a chick magnet. He wants to hang on to it. Not really. Cool theaters. Cool theater. Tattoo place. Tattoo parlor. Is that a church? Yeah, that's a heck of a church. So this was the coolest area we ran through, I thought. I just thought that— get that. Yeah, this was beautiful. This is beautiful. Café du Monde, that's where you're supposed to go to get a beignet and coffee. Look at the line. Look at the line. Isn't that amazing? Hello! Dad did a good deed and moved a board with holes, uh, with what was it? With a nail sticking straight up. Somebody was gonna definitely get a flat tire from that. So he did a good deed, the good deed of the day. I think I hacked off the bus driver, but you know, so be it. It would seem to me that somebody would come in here and buy up these, you know, these stretches of homes and renovate. I mean, it looks like some have But I would just think that these would be showplaces and that they'd be highly desired. I'm sure they're highly desired already, but you just look around and it's like nobody really goes the extra mile. It's just kind of like getting by. It's all decay. Yeah, it's very— to me, it's very sad because it's just— there's so much opportunity here, but I think that the people here just are not opportunity-driven. Simple as that. They're just not. Here's my houses. I finally found them. Oh yeah, there's two of them. Wow. But, but Grant and I both— the three— and Grant, I really enjoyed this little spot right here. Yep, the bright purple. Yeah. Oh, that was nice. Those are nice. I'd live in those. I know. Very cool. I'd live in the green one. Yep, very cool indeed. And this is pretty through here, you know. It's a beautiful area. It just would seem to me that everyone would do that as opposed to just let it all rot. Yeah, it's just— then you got right next to it, there you got the American Federation of Musicians and you got graffiti all over it. It's pretty. I'm coming to believe that it's not a New Orleans thing, it's a Louisiana thing because Tamika and Slidell wasn't very nice either. That would be great, that would be great. I have found one bright spot and that is the Schlotzky's in Slydelt. Very, very nice people here. So cool! Love going over the data plan. My only option is to pay a little more or pay a lot more. It's an option. I'm reminded that the fact is I shouldn't be upset about my data plan. We have a perfectly good data plan. The problem is I had a lousy internet provider until I fired them last week and I had to use data from my cell service in order to be able to have internet. That's why we're going over our data plan has nothing to do with the data plan and everything to do with a lousy internet provider. So I just did a little experiment and, um, drove 26 miles, 26.2 miles, just finished it. It took us 21 minutes. It's a long way in a car. Yes, and for you math whizzes, I am speeding just a little bit, so sue me or give me a citizen's arrest ticket, I don't care. I found there are things in Alabama that I do like. But one of the things I like best about Alabama is leaving it. Goodbye, Alabama. Hello, Georgia. Got home not long ago. It's a long drive, especially with Tammy having her ankle in pain. And then of course, the other places where she fell started to hurt her knee and her thumb where she cut it. Just a lot of discomfort for her. And we got her some crutches along the way so she was able to get in and out. And when we went to lunch, I was just reminded of the compassion Carson— both our boys, but in particular, in this particular case, Carson— has. He really, you know, he just— you could see it on his face, the concern he has for his mom and the condition she's in. I know that yesterday when she fell and he was with her, that he took kind of a leadership role and really was thrown into a situation he hadn't been in before. And they put her in the ambulance and they didn't tell him what was going on, and then they're telling him all sorts of things on the outside that she has to— that he has to watch for with her because they thought she hit her head. Just really a tough time for him, and he really stepped up and did a good job with it. And then of course, you know, both the boys, just the way they care for their mother, really, it makes a dad proud. Makes me realize just what a great job she's done in raising them and, and just what great people they are. It is Monday evening, Leap Day, February 29th. I guess you would call this what, a bonus or an epilogue or whatever about our 28-day journey. This will be the last video that I do on this topic. I am going to continue to do videos, but I'm going to change it a little bit going forward. But to wrap up the whole 28-day journey, and of course the, the extra day today, we got home today. A long day driving back through the state of Alabama and across a little bit of Louisiana, and we got home this evening. Tammy, of course, is recovering with her bad ankle, and it looks terrible tonight. It really does. But I think she's okay. I just think it's going to take a week or so to, you know, to recover. Looking back on the marathon and the whole journey, really, you know, Grant asked me today what I thought, and it was exciting for me to see Grant to have a little bit of a twinkle back in his eye about running. We're both dreading running tomorrow morning. It's kind of like, gosh, haven't we already accomplished what we set out to do? And we have, but there's so much more to do, and we don't want to lose that. So we're going to get right back on track tomorrow morning and start running again, get back on our proper eating plan and things like that. We are surprised, or at least I am, I'm surprised that I did accomplish this, that I did get through it. And it was interesting because when Grant asked me what I thought today and I said I was surprised, it never surprised me. I never expect— I didn't expect that I wouldn't make it. I fully expected I would be successful, and yet now I'm surprised that I've done it, and I really don't know how to reconcile that. Than just to say that it's, um, it's an interesting journey, and I, and I've enjoyed it very, very much. It's been very fulfilling to see my son accomplish something that he set out to do essentially 5 years ago, and to get through it and to have that medal and to know that for the rest of his life he'll be called Marathoner and he'll be called Finisher. And that's really, really enjoyable for me. And so we're just looking forward to the next journey. We've got another marathon in a couple of weeks, and and I'm sure I'll vlog about that. And I'm sure I'll vlog about Tammy and Carson and their journey in completing the Peachtree Road Race this year. And that wraps it up for day 29 now, bonus day of 28 days. It's been a great journey. I'm sorry, I didn't know you were filming. It would seem to be that— there it is. Thank you. They're all afraid of me. You're, you're covering me. I am, aren't I? Isn't that perfect? I'm going to start over. Shh, I can't tell Tammy I'm videoing her foot while she's asleep. It's really swollen.
