The past few days I have been commuting between Kingston and Belleville Ontario working for my brother Brad (aka ‘bubs’ or ‘zola’). 

Just recently my brother became the proud new owner of his very own 2006 1450cc  fat-boy Harley Davidson, something he has always dreamed of. 

Brad on his new wheels.



Me.

I will never forget the smile on his face as he revved the engine for the first time, (Zola was appropriately dubbed the ‘ice man’ as an infant by our parents). We spent a lot of time at the gym and reminiscing old times when he wasn't busy showing me the ins-and-outs of being a real-life bad ass. GPF FGP. 

On our way to get sushi on Sunday my brother decided to call our Aunt to check in on our uncle who has been battling a number of serious medical issues. I feared something was gone that could not be replaced by the tone of his voice. Luckily, I was wrong. He continues to fight. 

There are few men who know how to confront their own mortality with the strength and dignity as my Uncle. I admire his spirit.  

I have now come to terms with the fact that within every relationship lies its ultimate demise, and that every connection is perfectly engineered to meet its own end. By embracing this harsh reality, I have gained a greater appreciation for those dear to me. 

The past month and a half I have a shell of my usual self.  I haven’t been training as I should be, helping my teammates as much as I could be, or treating myself with the respect I deserve. That all ends today. 

Experience has taught me that there is no later, and that the later is in fact now. I vow to make the most of the time alloted to me on this earth. 

I believe.

Here are some pictures from work.

Typical warehouse. 

Had to stop to take this pic. TIME IS MONEY. 

Beautiful sunset.  

Tribute Beard.

Although there is no way to predict how the trials and tribulations I encounter along this journey will affect my future, the underlying sense of adventure and self-discovery is too much for me to deny.

I hope that by completely dedicating myself to this path that I will be able to see past the pleasantries of financial comfort and embrace the fulfillment that lies beyond the accumulation of material possessions and fruition.

Whether or not this journey will equate to great success or failure in the eyes of others is irrelevant to me. I am determined to explore both moments of growth and adversity with the same commitment.

Even though I have only been keeping a blog for a short period of time, I have always felt it was necessary to record my story.

The words and images I have tattooed on my body serve as a constant reminder of who I am, where I come from, and the man I aspire to be. This is their story.

Back Piece - The sacred heart in the middle of my back was my first tattoo. My nanny often carried a card with St.Jude and the sacred heart on it in her pocket. When she passed she left me her bible, the card was in it.

I am my Brothers Keeper - My brothers have always supported me regardless of if they agreed with my choices or not. We all have this tattoo.

Through it All - A reminder to stay true to myself no matter what.

Chest Piece - I have the portrait of two of the greatest people I have ever met tattooed on my chest, my Nanny and Grandpa.  I love and miss them deeply.  

Steeple - This was purposely tattooed over my heart due to the fact that I believe that spirituality and faith are found within ones heart, not in any formal place of worship. I do not believe in any form of organized religion.

'Onoshobishobi Ingelosi' - taken from Bryce Courtenays novel, the Power of One. This represents a beacon of hope and inspiration.

"Sink or Swim" - This tattoo serves as a reminder to always give my best, to never back down or give up no matter what.

Side Piece - This tattoo is nowhere near finished and needs a lot of reworking and touch-ups. The overall theme is that things are not always as they appear to be and serves as a reminder to not judge people based on their appearance. I have a mother, priest, and business man represented in "hell" and a biker, street-worker, prisoner, and school girl ascending towards "heaven". 

Knees - The script translates to "The Keeper of Brothers". Again, I chose to have the skulls within the roses to represent that sometimes negativity and darkness can be found in the most beautiful places.

09 08 08 - The day I lost the dearest friend and greatest inspiration I have ever known, I miss you brother.

 BELIEVE in the POWER of ONE. 

Today is my much needed day of rest. I've been training hard all week and really excited to get back in the fight game. We are in the final stages of signing a fight scheduled for late November. As soon as everything is made official I will make an announcement.  

Nothing too exciting went down this week. A lot of training, naps, and reading. 

There is a lot of laundry to be done today. As much as I dislike lugging my sweaty and smelly gym bag all the way down the street, there is a laundromat right beside my favourite all you can eat Sushi restaurant. As soon as I get everything together I'll head down to Baldwin to clean my gear and stuff my face. I love Sundays.

Last weekend I had a much more productive day off, I spent the day rock climbing at the Boiler Room Climbing Gym in Kingston with my brother and friend Slim.

There are over eighty different climbs at the Boiler Room ranging from 5.1 to 5.12 difficulty levels. The gym is also home to Canada's highest indoor climb known as the Chimney, standing at 100 feet tall.  

Climbing Crew. Myself, Brad, and Slim. 

Me struggling with a grip. 

Brad working his way up the wall. 

Slim and Brad figuring out the knots.  

Almost there. 

Slim, most valuable climber of the day.  

Brad on one of the trickier walls.  

PS I think I left my shoes and shorts in the parking lot when I put my bag down to take pictures. If anyone found them please let me know!