SYLVESTER WEDDING WEEK!

Hello All,

It has been quite a week but I wouldn't have had it any other way!  After departing Minneapolis, I made my way east to Boston for Pete and Amanda's wedding!  During my travels, I was able to catch up with some of my closest friends that I don't get to see much of these days.  I caught an incredible concert by my friend Jenna, and was able to spend quality time with my family.  I really couldn't have asked for anything more.

Many of you reading this know or have at least heard me talk about my pal Pete.  (He likes to remind me he has had the most guest appearances on my blog)   We met 15 years ago in the halls of B.C. High.  He is the product of one of the most incredible families I have ever known.  Mr. and Mrs. Sylvester, my hat is off to you both for raising some of the kindest and most entertaining men and women to have ever walked the earth.

The wedding was beyond spectacular.  After a gorgeous ceremony, the reception was one for the ages.  Pete's youngest brother Bubba gave a best man speech that I will fondly remember for the rest of my life.  One of the all time greats.  Also, it was probably a good thing the wedding was held at an estate set back in the woods.  If the public had caught a glimpse of the debauchery taking place on the dance floor, some of us would have had to post bail Sunday morning.  Shirts were being ripped off and dance moves were being executed that would have made the Kardashians blush.

Amanda, per usual, you looked like you belonged on the cover of Vogue.  The thing is, you are as beautiful a person on the inside as you are on the outside.  So kind and easy going. Although pint sized, you hold your own just fine against Pete.  We LOVE it when you get the big guy to hush.  We have all tried unsuccessfully for years to put him in his place and enjoy watching you do it with ease.  Thanks for having me be part of your wedding day and best of luck with the new job.  Can't wait to see you again soon!

Pete, simply put, I would not be where I am today without you.  You have taught me many of life's most important lessons that I just couldn't get on my own.  You have challenged me to be a better man, brother, entrepreneur, adventurer, and have helped me make many of my dreams come true.  You have always led by example and serve as role model to me.  I know marrying Amanda on Saturday was the best day of your life, but I want you to know that it was also one of the best day's of mine.  I am very proud of you.  You are a class act and I love you like a brother.  Thanks for everything and I look forward to growing old with you. 

Mark/Chops

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days

DON'T THINK I'D HAVE RECEIVED A DIPLOMA THAT DAY WITHOUT THIS INCREDIBLE FAMILY.  MAY 2001. THANK YOU SYLVESTER FAMILY

LOOK WHAT I FOUND! WE PROBABLY WEIGHED 200LBS COMBINED.  GETTING A LIFT FROM THE GROOM ABOUT 12 YEARS AGO.

BILL AND ME AT THE RED SOX GAME IN MINNEAPOLIS CELEBRATING HIS 30TH!

MINNEAPOLIS TO BOSTON FOR PETE'S WEDDING!

HOTEL ROOM SOMEWHERE IN PENNSYLVANIA

CAUGHT UP WITH THE BIG GUY DAN COBBAN TO CELEBRATE GRADUATING FROM B.C. HIGH! PROUD OF YOU MAN

JENNA BORTOLOTTI IS CRUSHING IT ON STAGE AT HER SHOW IN BOSTON!

HANGING OUT AFTER THE SHOW WITH THE FUTURE GRAMMY WINNER!  GREAT SHOW JENNA!

DINNER WITH SUE AND PAUL! TWO OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE PEOPLE.  WISH I COULD SEE YOU TWO MORE.

THE NEWLYWEDS PETE AND AMANDA SYLVESTER!

NICE WORK PETE!

MEET RAYLEE, MY NEW BEST FRIEND!

FIRST DANCE FOR THE MARRIED COUPLE!

THE LOVELY JEANELLE AND ED DANCING WITH THEIR DAUGHTER RAYLEE

ABOUT TO GET OUR DANCING ON!  TWO OF B.C. HIGH'S ALL TIME GREATS, NICKY AND PETE!

PRETENDING TO BE THE GROOM PER USUAL

PETE AND MRS. SYLVESTER DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY

9TH WHEEL ON THIS DATE!  WHAT A GREAT GROUP.

KEV INTRUDING ON THE BC HIGH PICTURE PER USUAL!

MY MAN DAVE PEACH JUST DROVE THE 320YRD PAR 4, AND IS NOW GOING FOR THE HOLE IN ONE!  BIG TED IS ON DECK!

DAD EN ROUTE TO BEATING BOTH DAVE AND ME HANDILY

AMONGST GIANTS!  I'D HAVE INCLUDED A PICTURE OF ME GOLFING BUT I SPENT MY DAY IN THE WOODS LOOKING FOR MY GOLF BALL

MOM HAS GREEN THUMBS.  I HAVE 10 THUMBS.  TAKING HER CLASS ON GARDENING!

MOM IS A MAGICIAN WITH FLOWERS AND THE YARD.  I AM A THORN IN HER SIDE.

RELAXING WITH THE BIG SISTER BEFORE HITTING THE ROAD TO OKLAHOMA

HITTING THE ROAD

Hello All,

This morning I have left Minneapolis for a quick stop on the East Coast.  Heading to Boston to celebrate one of my best friend's getting married! BC High pal Pete Sylvester is marrying the lovely and beautiful Amanda.  Wouldn't miss it for the world.  Then, after touching base with our disaster response team in New York City, I will be deploying to join my partner in crime Dan Hoeft, who is currently in route to Moore, Oklahoma to begin implementing our tornado response efforts.

WWW.NECHAMA.ORG

An incredibly joyous occasion.  And one of life's unexplainable heartaches.  

My heart is with you Pete and Amanda.  My heart is with you OKLAHOMA.

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days

Mark/Chops

CATCHING SOME WAVES IN SAN DIEGO WITH GROOM TO BE.  SO PROUD OF YOU PETE.

YOU DID WELL PETE SYLVESTER.  AMANDA, GOOD LUCK WITH HIM!

CAN'T WAIT TO GET TO BOSTON.  CAN'T WAIT TO GET TO OKLAHOMA.  MY HEART IS WITH YOU BOTH

UNDER QUALIFIED AND OVERCONFIDENT: STORY OF MY LIFE?

Hello All,

After a 3 week flood response deployment in Illinois, I have made my way to southern Minnesota. While here, I have been doing some prep work for NECHAMA's next deployment and will begin some chainsaw training in the morning.  This is probably long overdue.  It will be nice to no longer have to pretend like I know how to use a chainsaw.  That was getting hard to fake.  This will also come in handy as it is quite likely that the next storm I respond to and lead field teams for, will be in response to a TORNADO, as that season is upon us.

As the weeks have gone by out here, I have really fallen for the Midwest.  It really is just a different way of life here.  I love Boston.  Always have, always will.  However, there is just something to life out here that is leaving a lasting impact on me.  I don't know what it is, but I know it isn't the cheese curds or 16 inches of snow Minneapolis just got last week.  

In the past week, I have learned how to skydive.  Not just jump out of a plane.  I had that down pat, but actually learned how.  Learned how to ride a horse??  Start off by giving treats to Sophie.  A little kick got Sophie to walk.  Clucking sounds with my tongue got a trot.  Making kisses had her running.  I think that's all there is to it, right?  Next up?  Riding a bull.  Dead serious.  That will be FANTASTIC.  Dan also showed me how to change the oil.  A small step for mankind certainly, but a huge step for a McGilvery man.   We are pros at driving the car to Jiffy Lube and asking nicely for someone else to do it.

Mark/Chops

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days

I DON'T HAVE A CLUE WHAT I AM DOING OTHER THAN HOW TO JUMP OUT.  I HAVE THAT DOWN PAT!  DIDN'T STOP ME FROM PRETENDING LIKE I KNEW WHAT I WAS DOING.

A LITTLE F SCOTT FITZGERALD AS THE SUN SETS ON LAKE CALHOUN, MINNEAPOLIS, MN

ME: 5 QUARTS OF OLIVE OIL?  DAN: DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING.  

PUTTING A YOGA MAT ON SOPHIE

GIVING SOPHIE TREATS PRIOR TO BOARDING.  NEVER BEEN ON A HORSE BEFORE BUT THAT'S NOT ABOUT TO PREVENT ME FROM RUNNING HER LIKE IT'S THE KENTUCKY DERBY

AT THIS POINT I AM HAVING A FULL ON CONVERSATION WITH MY HORSE ASKING HER NICELY TO RUN UP THE HILL.

IM THE COWBOY ON THE LEFT.  TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH A PROFESSIONAL RIDER

SOPHIE GAVE ME A PASS ON MY AWFUL COWBOY ATTIRE. I AM NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO WALK TOMORROW 

600+ SANDBAGS WEIGH APPROXIMATELY 30,000 POUNDS

Evening,

Today my pal Dan and I made our way over to Jack's house.  Jack is 75 years old and had 30,000+ pounds of sandbags surrounding his home like a fortress. They served as a final barrier to keep the flood waters from destroying his home and actually did the trick for the most part!  But it was time for them to go.

Today's project kind of reminded me of my youth, when my brother Brian and I would go out to shovel snowed in driveways in Boston as children.  We would show up to a big driveway and my jaw would drop in disbelief, thinking there is no way a human or two could accomplish the task at hand.  Well, back in those days I'd usually quit halfway through the job and walk home crying.  That, or just go through the motions as Bri did most of the heavy lifting...  Highway robbery that I received $$ for the driveways I watched him shovel.

20 years later...  

There were 600+ sandbags surrounding the home!  One by one, this two man wrecking crew got these things to the street!  After that last bag was hauled out, I grinned from ear to ear.  It felt amazing!  I don't think I quit or cried this time, but I guess Dan is the judge for that.

Great team effort today.  Hauling 600+ 50lb sandbags.  6 year old Juan surprising us with bendy straws for our drinks during water breaks!  It was the most adorable thing I have ever seen!  Jack's grandson Tim for keeping us entertained.  And Jack, our homeowner, for sharing some stories from yesteryear, and lending us his John Deere, as we are continuing to help out the rest of the street this upcoming week.  

I love the Midwest.. If only there was an ocean and some mountains out here.. I might never leave

I'll sleep well tonight.

Mark/Chops

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days

1 SANDBAG DOWN!

2 HOURS INTO IT!  APPROXIMATELY 200 SANDBAGS DOWN! 2 MAN WRECKING CREW!

4 HOURS LATER WITH SOME HELP FROM OUR NEW FRIEND TIM!  600+ SANDBAGS TAKEN TO THE CURB! 

TOTAL TEAM EFFORT.  6YR OLD JUAN KEPT US ON OUR TOES CATCHING TOADS AND RUNNING HOME AND BACK TO SURPRISE US WITH STRAWS DURING OUR WATER BREAK!

OUR HOMEOWNER JACK.  1955 IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE!  UNBELIEVABLE!

END OF A GREAT DAY IN THE FIELD

HELLO CHICAGO

Hello All,

This past week, I finished up a week's worth of flood response work south of Chicago.   Dan, Irv, and myself put in over 150 hours in the field, helping both disabled persons, and economically strapped families recover from the damages left behind from the flooding along the Illinois River.

Dan and I then packed our gear and have moved north of Chicago to continue our response efforts in McHenry County, IL.

With our day of travel, we managed to make a quick visit to Chicago!  Here, we were fortunate enough to catch up with some old friends, make some new ones, and see a bit of the city in the process.  Millennium Park, Wrigley Field for a Cubs game, Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, and Dan's favorite, Uno's Pizza.  

Thanks to all that contributed to the progress we were able to make towards recovery this past week.  Thanks to our hosts in Chicago.

Mark/Chops

The Future Is No Place To Place Your Better Days

FINISHED OUR LAST FLOOD RESPONSE JOB IN MARSAILLES, IL.

MY NEW PAL CAROL.  HE BROUGHT MY FLOOD RESPONSE TEAM LUNCH EVERY SINGLE DAY LAST WEEK.  LOVE THI GUY!

I GREW UP DREAMING OF A GREEN JACKET.  THIS, A GIFT FROM A HOMEOWNER WE HELPED LAST WEEK.  ABOUT 4 SIZES TOO BIG BUT LOVE IT! 

WINDY CITY!

MILLENNIUM PARK, CHICAGO

DAN PONDERING IN FRONT OF THE BEAN

IN HONOR OF THE RECENTLY RELEASED TIM TEBOW

THERE WAS SIMPLY NO WAY I WAS GOING TO TRY DAN'S PIZZA.  LOOKS LIKE A COMPOST PILE IN A PAN.  THE FAMOUS UNO'S IN CHICAGO 

PERHAPS MY FAVORITE EXHIBIT AT THE CHICAGO MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.  I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO DRIVE ONE OF THESE

TAKING THE GREEN JACKET TO WRIGLEY FOR A CUBS GAME!

TAKING IN THE GAME!

GREAT FRIENDS! GREAT BALLPARK!

POST GAME BEVERAGES.  MANAGED TO FIND SAMMY BOY TOO!

AT THIS POINT, I HAD NOT SHOWERED IN DAYS.  NO CLUE HOW I GOT ASHTON'S ATTENTION AFTER THE CUBS GAME.  MY MOM SAYS I CLEAN UP NICE... DINNER?

BACK ON THE ROAD.  HEADING NORTH OF CHICAGO TO CONTINUE FLOOD RESPONSE DEPLOYMENT