On The Fly

In this episode, Noirmoutier: An Ocean Between Us, Gone in a Moment. Sometimes love waits half a century for its moment — and when it finally arrives, time doesn’t stand still; it disappears. The moment I stepped off the train in Nantes, it felt like time froze. There she was — my cousin Michèle — waiting on the platform, arms waving desperately. When we finally embraced, the fifty years that had passed between us disappeared in an instant. The melody in her voice was the same, but softer than I remembered. We both shed tears of joy that only come from love long overdue. “I’m so happy you are here,” she whispered, her voice trembling.   Thank goodness for the translation app on my phone, because the conversation began immediately — fast, fluid, and unstoppable. The Frenzy of Catching Up As we drove for about an hour to the tiny town of L’Épine on the Island of Noirmoutier, the words kept tumbling out. Michèle and her husband, Alain, are the most gracious hosts — but my new challe...

✈️  In this special episode: Paris – the End of Silence Sometimes, connection arrives in the most unexpected form—not through grand gestures, but through a quiet voice carried by technology. In a Paris apartment, I finally understood my family’s words . . . and felt my mother’s presence in every sentence. Since I was a little boy, France has been both a beautiful and frustrating paradox in my life. Every six to nine years, my mother, Mauricette, would take my brothers and me back to La Rochelle to visit our French family. The moment we arrived, the air would fill with a sound I loved but couldn’t share in—the rapid-fire, musical rhythm of French. My aunts, uncles, and cousins would warmly sweep me into hugs and kisses, their words flowing like a lovely melody I couldn’t quite catch. I’d smile brightly, trying to communicate with my eyes and hands. But as soon as we stepped off the plane, my mother and her sister-in-law, Joséan, started talking animatedly. They were gone, chatting h...

“When I get older Losing my hair Many years from now Will you still be sending me a Valentine? Birthday greetings bottle of wine?” . . . The Beatles. Podcast - When I'm 64 . . .  With this pandemic still raging losing my hair is not the issue. It's not being able to get out. This summer vacation (2020) has come to a screeching halt. We canceled our trip to France and were still navigating restrictions. Lately, I’ve been reflecting back on childhood memories. What prompted that you ask? Well, one month from today is When I’m 64 comes true for me. A rather fortuitous time to reflect it seems. I slid down the chute on the 229th day of the year, August 16, 1956. It was a Thursday in Angouleme, France. My father was an MP in the U.S. Army, from rural Illinois. And within three years he moved our small family back to the midwestern town of Cuba. One of my most vivid and fond early memories was the challenge and freedom of that first bicycle. Mine was a red, single speed 26 inc...

“J'ai trouvé des trésors” (I’ve found some treasures). These were my first words (via FaceBook Messenger & Google Translate ) to my cousin Marie Claude Papot in La Rochelle, France.  “I have over 60 years of letters, postcards, photos, and notes written in a hand I cannot read, can you help?” “C'est une bonne idée!” Came her response. I’ve dubbed this “Project Translate.” It’s been over a year now since my mother ( Mauricette Ball ) passed away. Frankly, I'm ashamed to say she was the only connection to our French family. During a recent visit home I decided it was time to finally clean Mom’s house. It was obvious after almost a year none of my siblings wanted the responsibility of dealing with Mom’s belongings. Can’t say that I blame them really. All the years my parents lived in that same tiny house in the small Midwestern town of Cuba, IL. she saved everything (tucked neatly away in places you’d never suspect). Turns out I’ve uncovered bundles...

Peter Sagan claims stage two of the 105th Tour de France following an uphill sprint win in La Roche-sur-Yon, 182.5 km (113.4 miles), after another hectic finale involved a major crash on the final bend and yet more splits in the field. Ah, Summer! Bicycling magic is renewed for millions when the voices of Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen, Bob Roll, and Jens Voight grace the television airwaves broadcasting  Le Tour de France  (Le Tour). When you have the audacity to believe you’re an accomplished bicyclist, tune into NBC S N Sports broadcast of Le Tour in July (July 7 - July 29, 2018), this year on YouTube TV. Quickly humility sets in. This year marks the 105th Anniversary - 21 stages, a total distance of 2,898 kilometers (1,874 miles), and only two,  yes two , rest days - of this classic race that tours the French countryside with the finale in Paris on the Champs-Elysées. Bicycling magazine lists a few fun facts about Le Tour; racers will consume 16...

“ Mark Cavendish claimed stage one of the 103rd Tour de France at Utah Beach as he out sprinted Marcel Kittel and Peter Sagan to take the first yellow jersey of his career.” Ah, Summer! Bicycling magic is renewed for millions when the voices of Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen, and Bob Roll, grace the television airwaves broadcasting  Le Tour de France  (Le Tour). If you have the audacity to believe you’re an accomplished bicyclist, tune into NBC SN Sports broadcast of Le Tour in July (July 2 - July 24, 2016). Quickly humility sets in. This year marks the 103 rd  Anniversary - 21 stages, a total distance of 3,535 kilometers, and only two,  yes two , rest days - of this classic race that tours the French countryside with the finale in Paris on the Champs-Elysées. Bicycling magazine lists a few fun facts about Le Tour; racers will consume 160,000 calories during the three-week tour. 200 bottles of water or drink mix (depends on the temperature) per race....

Team BMC 2015 Team BMC wins the team time  trial  by one second in  stage  nine! Ah, Summer! Bicycling magic is renewed for millions when the voices of Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen, and Bob Roll, grace the television airwaves broadcasting  Le Tour de France   (Le Tour). When you dare to believe you’re an accomplished bicyclist, just tune into the NBC SN Sports broadcast of Le Tour in July ( July 4 - July 26, 2015) . Very quickly humility sets in. To date, the riders in that race have ridden nine grueling stages, with an average distance of 186 kilometers, that’s 115 miles per day. This year is the 102 nd  Anniversary - 21 stages, a total distance of 3,360 kilometers, and only two,  yes two , rest days - of this classic race that tours the French countryside with the finale in Paris on the Champs-Elysées. Dare I say it – Le Tour can inspire even casual riders, take your bicycles from the back shed, dust them off, inflate their tires...