The Facebook addiction challenge!!

Hi gang!!!!!
   I know I know way to long for me not blogging but I needed a break! I also got off the grid from Facebook for a week just recently! I've got to tell you I am addicted! I started my sabbatical from Facebook last Friday just to unplug regroup and see if I could just drop it. Wow what an eye opening experience!! First I was ok for about an hour or so and then I wanted to check on something and I couldn't! I got a notice on my email about something someone had tagged me in and I was going stir crazy not being able to look!! :-) I new I was in trouble! :-) Then I had a notice of someone that was having problems with their mom and it was killing me wondering if I had missed something very personal for a dear friend. This experiment was taking on a whole new challenge for me. So I decided to head to bed, this was only the first day, and I was starting to go through withdrawals! The next morning I dragged myself out of bed and without even thinking I clicked into Facebook because I had notifications. so yes I cheated one day into the trial and I'm already kicking myself not believing I had any self control. Just a matter of habit or was there something deeper? Was there something in my life I was missing and Facebook was a replacement for it? Did I lack excitement in my life and needed to see other exciting adventures? Then I thought to myself no your life has been exciting, so it wasn't that but what was it then? As I went through the next day I had impulses to click on that icon that beckoned me from my pocket where my phone was but no I was strong and determined it was not going to get me again!! :-) The next day I was in the same boat I clicked into it out of habit first thing in the morning! But this time I caught myself and banished that demon inside wanting me to look at my notifications!! HaHa I thought to myself, See who has the power now?? :-) But then I looked at the growing number of notifications!! I'm at 65!! It was killing me not to click on them!! I made it through the whole day, so I'm two days down and I had only cheated twice!! By the third day I had gotten good at thinking about other things and filling my time with other things as well. I started to see how much time I wasted on just flipping through the posts and started to understand something about myself, and that was keeping on task with things I had planned in the day. Once the fourth fifth and sixth day went by I knew I had beat my addiction but man was I missing my friends on facebook! Was that part of the addiction or was I just lonely missing my friends? One thing I did get was time to think about my Reidspirations and come up with some uplifting thoughts to help others. That's when it hit me that not only was I missing my friends but I was missing the possibility of helping someone in the smallest way, maybe putting a smile on their face, or give them a helping saying that might brighten their day. People have said so many great things about the Reidspirations that I didn't want to quit them as it just might help someone for that day. So with the week being over and the experiment completed, I just have to say I missed Facebook and yes I am an addict, but for all the right reasons!!! If anything it woke me up from a long sleep from blogging and I will be blogging every Wednesday night again! So tell your friends to friend me for the Reidspirations and to follow the blog and hopefully I make a Reidspiration you can relate to!! If you haven't taken the Facebook week away challenge, I highly recommend it, you just might fond something about yourself too!! Later gang!!
Ken

Bobsled update #5

 
Big News!!!!!!
 
 
        Well gang I cannot believe it is almost time to go to Canada!!! So many things have happened and it is all because of you that I am going to compete and represent the United States!!!! Because of you I have been able to raise around $1,500.00 to go and thanks to some very big donations towards the final days I have met my goal for the trip to Canada!! Thank you all so much!! Melanie Jordan Perry finished it off last night with a big donation, thanks so much Ms. Mel!! And then I got even bigger news! I got a donation from a very special lady by the name of Deb Donoviel Harper, she cashed in some of her frequent flyer miles and got me round trip tickets to Calgary Canada!!!!! I about fell out of my chair when I heard what she was doing for me!! That saved me a 12 to 13 hour trip having to drive up to Canada!! I am truly blessed to have such great friends in my life!! I am so stoked and pumped up to go, there are butterflies upon butterflies as I get ready too embark on this great adventure. Again none of this would have been possible if it was not for you, and I thank all you from the bottom of my heart! I leave on Monday the 10th of November and will return on the 23rd hopefully with some new bling!!! I will try to take as many pictures and videos that I can will try to post updates as much as I can!! 

Bobsled Update #4!!!

Bobsled update #4

      Hey gang here is the update for this week!! Well we got a really big boost Saturday night from a very good friend of mine and friends her amazing groups of Angel Hands and Children and the Earth!! They held a fund raiser for the two groups and I was invited to go as a guest of Ms. Deb Donoviel Harper to a casino night and banquet. I was excited to go and help her two great organizations. What I didn't know, is she said we have a celebrity with us, and announced that I was selected to be on the Adaptive Bobsled team and I was going to Canada to represent the United States in a bobsled competition. She asked me to come up and explain about the selection I was honored to explain about the selection and she even asked me to announce my gofundme account, website and blog. I was extremely happy that she had recognized me like that to the group. But after I was done explaining I went to leave and she said no Ken you need to stay here cause the friends of the two groups have raised $500.00 to go towards your trip to Canada!!! I was overwhelmed and very appreciative of their kind donation, a little embarrassed, but honored at the same time! To date that is around $1250.00 that has been donated of the approximate $1500.00 I was hoping to raise for the trip to Canada!!! I can't thank you enough for all that have helped me make this dream come true!! I never in a million years would have ever thought that I would be able to possibly represent the United States of America in competition as a 50 year old!! You're only as young as you feel or is that as stupid as you feel?? Either way I'm going to Canada Baby!!!! Now if you're wondering, yes I could still use some help with the remaining balance and unforeseen expenses for Canada and the future trips to Europe, so if you could, please go to my gofundme account under bobsled fees and donate or you can contact me directly at 801-458-7981.
     I know a lot of you click in to see news about my bowling but I guess I have become a two sport athlete and right now the Bobsled and winter is kinda the primary sport right now. Not that I'm not still bowling, because I am, or at least I'm trying!! :-) The lanes have changed the shot on me and it has kinda confused me a bit, or at least that's my excuse!! Me and the Grantman are still competing with him consistently kicking my butt!! I think he has won the last five weeks in a row!! I think someone needs to practice and his name is not Grant!! :-) Well Grant shot 157 120 147 for a 424 to my pathetic 126 106 131 for a 363, kinda crushed me to say the least!! Good bowling buddy! Well gang got to go until next Wednesday for the update and please if you can help please, do I appreciate you all!!
Ken 

Bobsled update #3

I was selected and will be going to Canada!!!!!

    Yes,!!!! I got word today that I was selected and will be going to Canada to represent the United States in the North America Cup Race!!! Totally stoked about this and really honored to be representing my country in competition!! Now I know I have asked you to sponsor me and to those that have already donated I can't thank you enough!!! For those that still would like to help you can go to www.gofundme.com and look for Adaptive Bobsled event fees Kenneth Reid. If you have any problems contact me or if you want to just donate directly to me give me a call at 801-458-7981. So pumped up for this, thank you, thank you, thank you, for all of your support. I still need around 500 to 600 dollars to help cover hotel travel and food, but anything you can help me with I will greatly appreciate!!!! I go on November 10th for training and practice and we race on November 22nd! Still have a little time so if you can help please do!!!
Ken

Bobsled update #2

Bobsled Update #2

    Hey gang here is the bobsled update for this week!! Major things have happened and I'm not sure at this time if I will be going to Canada or not!! :-( The organizers were not expecting such a huge turn out from the United states and have stated that they do not have enough sleds to accommodate all the athletes and have limited each country to three sliders each in amputees and parabob. We had ten athletes that have registered from the United States, four amputees and six paras, and they are only going to accept three amputee sliders and three parabob drivers, which I am. That means one person from the amputees won't get to go and three people from the parabob's won't get to go! Talk about a rollercoaster of emotions!! I spent money on getting my passport, registering for the USABSA, and have used part of my sponsor money to do so. I will be so let down if I'm not able to go and have done everything I have done to prepare. I just hope my supporters will understand. If I don't get to go my contingency plan is to offer refunds to all that have donated, if they don't want me to refund their money I hope they would let me use the money to sponsor me to bowl in the Las Vegas Invitational Wheelchair Bowling Tournament in December. Of course I would rather slide for our country in Canada but if not that's what I hope to do. I can't thank you enough for all your support and encouragement on this journey and we will just see what fate has in store for me! The selection committee is meeting tonight and I'm supposed to find out soon and will let you know as soon as I do. :-(
Ken   

Bobsled update!!


       Bobsled update!!

   Hey gang I have officially signed up and sent my papers in for Calgary, Canada for the Parabobsleigh training and race!! It will be in November and I will get you the dates as soon as they are confirmed! Such a rush and unbelievable opportunity!! Thank you for all your support especially my bowling league members who raised 147.00 Tuesday night to help me get to Canada!! Thanks to all of you that have helped me by donating to my gofundme account I can not express the overwhelming appreciation I feel for each and every one who has made a donation to help me fulfill my dream! We will see if the race we had in Park City Utah was a fluke or not but being the defending champion has been an honor!! I will post updates every Wednesday night and keep you informed. If you have not donated and still want to help you can still go to my gofundme page and just put in adaptive bobsled event fees and my account should pull up. And if you don't want to do it through the computer please give me a call at 801-458-7981! Thank you thank you thank you!! So excited to get on the ice!!

Adapative Bobsled team member!!

    Hey Gang! I will be blogging on my bobsledding adventure every Wednesday night keeping you all informed about my bobsledding experiences!! It was an honor to be asked to join the Adaptive Bobsled team out of Park City. We are going to have a Texas Holdem poker tournament I believe on the 1st of November to help raise funds for our trips we are planning to participate in. Right now we have Canada, Park City, Austria, and Switzerland on our radars with hopes to attend all. As you know this will not be cheap to travel that much without help and sponsorship! I need your help! Please help by donating directly to me or go to my Gofundme account under Adaptive Bobsled. I still need to raise about $4,000 more to attend as many events as I can. I appreciate all who have donated already and can't thank you enough for all of your support, either contact me at 801-458-7981, or email me at pbakenmr@msn.com and let me know if you can help. Thanks again, it's because of you that I am able to fulfill this dream!! We start sliding again hopefully in November so I need your help as soon as possible!
Ken
Kenneth M Reid