You are I are Southerners; born and bred. We are rough, tough, and dangerous. So while Mommy buys groceries on Saturday mornings, you and I go look for trouble… I mean, adventure.
This past Saturday we decided to climb some mountains around our neighborhood. Both of these “mountains” were technically large piles of dirt that had been pushed in piles while the neighborhoods were being developed.
I actually filmed some webisodes of my show Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest on them…
On our way up the mountains, which were very steep, I let you lead the way- so if you stumbled and fell, I could catch you.That’s exactly what happened at one point.
And on the way down the mountains, I led the way- again, I could catch you if you started sliding.
We noticed there was a 3 or 4 foot deep trench that was dug out leading up to the base of one of the mountains. You immediately decided it was in your best interest as an explorer to jump across this trench, back and forth as we journeyed.
I was very surprised at your ability to jump across these wide trenches. You are quite agile!
After a couple hours of traversing across the unpredictable landscape of suburban Tennessee, we decided to finish off the morning by throwing rocks into a huge mud puddle in the parking lot next to where I parked my Honda Element.
When I asked you what your favorite part of the morning was, you replied, “What we’re doing right now.”
I took that as a compliment. Despite the high-octane excursions we had just encountered, you could appreciate the time we just stood there next to each other, throwing gravels into water, watching the mud stir up in the water like storm clouds.
But you had one more idea in mind before we left to go back home and help Mommy unpack the groceries from Sprouts:
“Daddy, can we drive through that puddle?”
My dependable and paid-off 2004 Honda Element with 155,000 miles and a salvaged title is only worth $500 at this point. So I figured, what’s the worst that could happen?
The answer: just the need for a car wash.
And that, ended up truly being your favorite part of our morning together.
As of today, I’ve officially been a vegan for 3 years. (And a vegetarian nearly 4 and a half years- and kosher for over 7 years.)
Boy, that title is a loaded cannon, isn’t it? I offer so much hope for other people who suffer from those same “incurable” medical issues as I did for all those years, but then I pull up a wild card no one is interested in seeing.
So for the past couple of years now, I’ve been getting new emails on a weekly basis from people telling me they are desperate and will do anything to cure their eczema and/or dyshidrosis.
I always assure them immediately that I indeed was healed of this disease and have remained free of my condition (along with being cured of sinus and allergies issues, and acne, and headaches), and they can be too.
Then I offer to teach them to become a vegan like I am, to cure their condition the same way I did. Most people never reply back after that.
My motivation in publishing this post today is this: I will simply be emailing those people a link to this from now on when they reach out to me.
I am convinced that most people who suffer from eczema (dyshidrosis), sinus issues, pet allergies, acne, and headaches will be quick to talk about how desperate they are for a cure, but then they aren’t willing to do the one thing that would cure it: Rid themselves of all consumption of animal products; plus artificial ingredients and preservatives.
So for those few people out there who truly are desperate to do anything to be cured, I invite you to watch this video I made. It breaks down the 5 major steps necessary to becoming a successful vegan.
I am happy to answer any questions for anyone who is curious or considering becoming a vegan; after you’ve watched my video, of course.
It was April 2012, which was 3 years ago, that I become a vegan. Since then, I have learned most people are skeptical of my lifestyle.
That’s okay. Because here’s what I know:
A) My doctor confirmed I am healthier than most people who sees who are my age; and that, yes- I am getting the proper nutrition (including protein) that I need. Not to mention, I am on no medications at all.
B) I no longer have eczema (dyshidrosis), sinus issues, pet allergies, acne, and headaches like I did for all those years. In other words, it is not a coincidence that happened only right after I became a vegan.
C) After years of consuming no meat, eggs, dairy, artificial dyes, chemicals, or preservatives, I’ve never felt better or been healthier.
I serve as living proof to the skeptics. Feel free to comment or ask questions, but only after you watch my video.
I feel like there was this cliché storyline in 1980s sitcoms where the husband buys his wife a new vacuum cleaner as a gift, only to learn that gesture upsets his wife.
The moral of the story in these sitcoms is this: Men like to receive useful tools as gifts, women do not.
For a husband to get his wife a new vacuum cleaner, it has to be completely unrelated to her birthday, anniversary, or any other expected time to give her a gift.
However, it is my observation that men actually like to receive useful tools during these gift-receiving opportunities.
Maybe it’s not the best example, but with my 35th birthday coming up in a couple of weeks, my wife helped me get a brand-new Canon Powershot G7 X camera. (I pitched in a couple hundred dollars, as the price was beyond the budget of a typical gift.)
As a blogger, I see a camera as a work tool; yet it’s the one thing I really wanted. Men like receiving tools as gifts.
At the same time, our nearly 8 year-old Bissell vacuum cleaner finally saw its final day. So my wife looked online at Target and discovered we could buy the updated model for only $75. So we did.
I’m the one in our household who does the vacuuming every weekend. I noticed immediately how lightweight and agile it is. My wife has tried it out as well and agreed completely.
And it’s amazing to us that we purchased it for only $75 atTarget!
By the way, Bissell is not endorsing me in any way to do this review. They were not even aware of me until I Tweeted them this story today.
After filming 22 webisodes of Jack-Man from May through October of 2015, I decided to take a break from that and create a new web series; one that is specifically designed as a kids’ show, as opposed to the sci-fi super hero sitcom format of Jack-Man.
My idea was to create a show in which my niece could watch and be entertained by on YouTube. So I began combining elements of entertainment I thought would be appreciated by a 4 year-old.
Think of my new show, Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest, sort of as an updated version of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, but that is more outdoors based.
In Webisode 1: Annie the Anteater, Uncle Nick helps consult an anteater who has been bullied by Freddie the Fox.
The show always begins with me introducing the audience to an old trinket that I just found. In the first webisode, it’s a harmonica.
I taught myself a few riffs the day before I filmed, and decided to record the theme song based off of my experimentation.
Another ritual is that I remind the viewers how to do my “enchanted animal call” before I put on my puffy vest.
Once we arrive outside in the Enchanted Forest, I lead the viewers in officially doing the enchanted animal call, which then invites an enchanted animal to the scene.
These first couple of webisodes feature the theme of bullying.
My plan is to continue featuring my son’s stuffed animal collection as the characters in the forest.
Webisode 2: Rocky the Raccoon introduces another forest creature who Freddie the Fox has teased.
My dream is to one day host my own kids’ show on a television network. This is me building my dream.
In Webisode 3: Freddie the Fox, Uncle Nick confronts the culprit.
For the next batch of webisodes, 4 through 6, I added not only a new song (“Animal Hat”) but also a segment where I try to guess which color the viewer is thinking of, while I play the drums. (I also play the guitar on camera now, in addition to just the harmonica as I did before.)
After the indoors portion of each show, I then take the viewer outdoors to my Enchanted Forest (the woods of Fort Payne and Mentone, Alabama) for a magical adventure, featuring talking animals.
I filmed 8 webisodes during my 3 day Christmas vacation last week, with help from my dad and brother-in-law serving as camera men. (That means I soon will be releasing even 5 more.)
During that time, I took advantage of the fact that the area was experiencing a flash flood. I based these 3 (of the newest 8) webisodes around that, making that the overall story arc for them.
In Webisode 4: Betsy the Bunny, I must rush to the rescue as Betsy the Bunny gets trapped in a tree alongside a rushing waterfall (Little River Falls in Fort Payne, AL).
Next in Webisode 5: Tiny the Turtle, I must save Tiny the Turtle before his home is swept away by the flood (DeSoto Falls in Mentone, AL).
And in the final segment of this “flood” story arc, in Webisode 6: Scuttles the Skunk, I must help Scuttles the Skunk move forward in his life as he deals with the aftermath of losing his home in the flood as well.
I designed the outdoors segment of each webisode to be a good mix of action, adventure, and psychology. However, the first (indoors) part of each webisode is designed to engage the viewer in creative thinking.
Sure, right now, Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest is just getting off the ground. But I am committing to this show. I am not giving up until I reach my goal of taking my show to the big screen: the TV screen, via a major network.
I believe that I have the talent, skills, creativity, charisma, and personality to host my own TV show on a major children’s network. This web series is my way of proving it to the world.
Webisode 7: Paulie the Puppy– When Uncle Nick decides to hike a new trail, it leads him to an empty old building and a mysterious barking sound.
Webisode 8: Pokey the Pot-Bellied Pig– Uncle Nick must figure out a way to cross the river to save the little pot-bellied pig who is stuck on the other side.
Webisode 9: Ralph the Red Panda– While hiking later in the evening, Uncle Nick discovers a rare animal as it begins getting dark outside.
Webisode 10: Slither the Snake– Freddie the Fox gets trapped by a hungry snake at the top of a large rock. It’s Uncle Nick to the rescue!
Webisode 11: Barry the Bear– When a scary-looking bear is soon in the Enchanted Forest, Uncle Nick decides to investigate; leading to a lesson about not judging a bear by his cover.
Barry the Bear was first introduced 4 months ago in my other series, Jack-Man:
My main hobby right now is to crank out as many webisodes I can of my new web series, Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest.
It is my hope that eventually my show will catch on and that I can get enough traffic to gain the attention of the talent scouts for major networks like PBS, Nickelodeon, Disney, Animal Planet, and the Discovery Channel.
My agenda with each webisode is to provide innocent and engaging entertainment for children who are watching YouTube on their parents’ smartphones.
As part of my plan to quickly build the library of my newest web series, Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Kingdom, I am now shooting new webisodes during my lunch breaks at work.
One of my coworkers just happens to be one of my most faithful watchers, so I didn’t really have to twist his arm in order to convince him to be my camera man/assistant director on these “during our lunch break at work” video shoots.
He and I shot two webisodes; during one 60 minute period.
First is Webisode 12: Beanie the Bat, where Uncle Nick serves as a real estate agent to a bat who likes to live in trees; with a sort of “House Hunters: Animal Edition” style of plot line.
During the shoot, I sliced my hand on the tree I was climbing. I just wrote it into the script.
The other webisode we filmed is Webisode 13: Petey the Possum. There is no doubt this is one of the most stand-out webisodes of Uncle Nick.
Very close to where I work, there is a drain tunnel the same height as me. I decided it would make the perfect setting. I am so pleased with how it turned out.
Not only do I feel the plot line is captivating, but the tunnel itself is intriguing because it’s a rare event to get a tour down into something so mysterious.
I’ll say this; I wouldn’t be willing to walk in there alone.
I feel my Uncle Nick series has so much potential and that kids would really like it if they watched it. But for now, it remains undiscovered in the corner of YouTube.
But that doesn’t stop me from continuing to grow my collection.
Uncle Nick has plenty more up his sleeve!
From January 22nd to the 24th, I filmed 6 webisodes of Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest. Similar to the way I filmed 4 webisodes after the Christmas 2015 flash flood, I took advantage of the weather condition, making it the plot line of these half a dozen webisodes.
And starting with Webisode 18, I introduce a fun new theme song as well as a new animal hat…
I got to the point where I pretty much just keep my camera, tripod, and Uncle Nick costume in my car with me; in order that I can always be prepared to shoot an episode on the spot.
Good thing I was ready on Friday, January 22nd, when the blizzard kicked in. I have a coworker, Shane Moore, who is quick and faithful to help me out with some of the shoots.
So he served as my camera man and assistant director for the first 2 webisodes of the blizzard story arc.
In Webisode 14: Baby Bear, family members get separated during the beginning of the blizzard. It’s up to Uncle Nick to reunite them!
In Webisode 15: Haley the Husky, we are introduced to a poor little homeless Husky who is stranded out in the middle of the snow storm. Uncle Nick must find her a new home to get her warm.
The remaining 4 webisodes of the blizzard story arc were filmed Saturday and Sunday morning; just me and my tripod.
Webisode 16: Piper the Penguin shows a poor penguin who is frozen to the ice. Uncle Nick must find a place to keep her safe until the other penguins return.
In Webisode 17: Lenny the Lizard, Uncle Nick must resuscitate a lizard he finds who is literally freezing in the river.
Then in Webisode 18: Pinky the Pig, Uncle Nick encounters a sleepwalking pig, who is headed towards a frozen lake.
And finally, in Webisode 19: Fluffy the Frog, Uncle Nick must discover, and uncover, a frozen frog on a log.
February was a big and busy month for filming new webisodes of my children’s adventure/fantasy series, Uncle Nick’s Enchanted Forest.
After December’s flood story arc, and then January’s blizzard story arc, February presents a new story line, beginning with Ground Hog Day in Webisode 20: Gordon the Groundhog; where it is revealed a villain will be arriving in the Enchanted Forest.
Next in Webisode 21: Bruno the Blue Jay, the predicted villain, Demetrius the Shadow Caster, turns 5 of the animals of the Enchanted Forest into pennies.
From there, Bruno and Uncle Nick continue to team up as they discover other mischief that the Shadow Caster caused, while trying to find a way to turn the pennies back into animals.
They encounter in Webisode 22: Bernie the Bear, they meet a bear who is trapped underneath a tree that the Shadow Caster pushed down.
After that in Webisode 23: David the Doggie, Bruno and Uncle Nick find the defenseless little doggie who is separated from his Mommy, also because of the Shadow Caster.
So in addition to turning animals into pennies, the Shadow Caster is also pushing trees over in the Enchanted Forest.
In Webisode 24: Benji the Blue Cheetah, Bruno and Uncle Nick finally get some answers at the top of the Enchanted Mountain when they encounter the legendary blue cheetah.
From there, Uncle Nick and Bruno journey closer to saving their friends, but first pi
ck up two new friends…
In Webisode 25: Baby Bunny, they discover a tiny animal who decides to hitch a ride with them.
Then in Webisode 26: Sylvester the Snake, they must rescue a shivering snake from a mountain top, on the way down to the Enchanted Pond.
Finally, in Webisode 27: Steinbeck the Stegosaurus, the animal reunion occurs as the coins return to their animal state!
Coming up in Spring 2016, a new sidekick will be introduced when Magellan the Mouse finally catches up to Uncle Nick.
I’m really looking forward to that because it will mark the beginning of me using an actual puppet instead of a stuffed animal.
The funny thing is, I purchased the puppet using a gift card I received from Ben Wilder, the person playing Demetrius the Shadow Caster!
I know this might seem strange, but since moving to Spring Hill in January 2015 over a year ago, our family hasn’t stayed in town for the whole weekend- with two exceptions when we were snowed in and physically could not get out of our cul-de-sac.
With Mommy being 8 months pregnant, we decided it would be a good idea to purposely not leave the Spring Hill city limits. The less unnecessary running around, the better. (Usually we drive to Alabama for Easter, but again because of how pregnant Mommy is, we didn’t- for the first time ever.)
It’s pretty common for us to make the 20 minute drive to Cool Springs/Franklin on Saturdays. But this time around, I bought our groceries and dinner on Friday on the way home from work. That eliminated the temptation for us to leave town the next day.
So therefore, everything we had to get done on the weekend was able to occur in Spring Hill. Mommy got her “before I have the baby haircut” just down the street, while you and I explored the creek flowing around our neighborhood.
And on Easter Sunday, you and I got to see Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, on its opening weekend. Meanwhile, Mommy had several hours to chill out at the house.
But in the midst of all that, we made a point as a family to spend time together hanging out in the city we live in; where springs and hills are plentiful.
On Saturday afternoon, once you woke up from your nap, we headed over to Sweet CeCe’s because A) Mommy was craving ice cream, B) therefore so were you, and C) they have vegan sorbet there that I can have. We were very pleased!
Afterwards, we visited a walking park that we’ve been seeing in the distance every Sunday on the way to church. But finally, we checked it out.
It was one of my favorite weekends for us as a family. Staying in town all weekend is great!
With your sister Holly on the way in a few weeks, I’m pretty sure we’ll get to stay in town all weekend for most weekends for the next couple of months.
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