Listen up!

It has come to my attention that some of you have been talking about me and spreading some information that is untrue. Every once in a while I get messages on my PERSONAL Facebook account from people wanting to discuss feet, sometimes mine specifically, in an erotic or fetish like manner. Every time I have to tell them that I have no interest in feet as objects of desire. Generally these people are middle aged men that are much older than me. This also raises the second disclosure that I apparently need to address. So, here are the two rumors that I apparently need to dispel. The first: I have absolutely zero interest in feet as sexual/erotic objects. In my mind they are simply a very important part of my body that I have a respect for and try to treat well. People ask me if I feel "powerful" or "cool" or "hot" and the answer is always no. I simply feel comfortable. I go barefoot because it is healthy and because I like to. It has no deeper meaning to me, no symbolism, no protest, no erotic nature, it's simply a lack of shoes and the natural way. Still, people will find my personal account and ask me these fetish sounding questions and let me announce this publicly for all to see, I do not have a foot fetish and it honestly makes me very uncomfortable when people talk to me as if I do. If you have a foot fetish that's your business, and that's fine, but please, know that I do not view the foot with any sexual connotation at all. It's simply what I use to move. The second issue: Due to the fact that the people messaging me in this way are almost always middle aged males, I suspected there might be some speculation that I was gay, but I'm used to that in the real world anyway. I was just informed today that there has been some discussion about me and some of you actually have come to the compulsion that I am gay. This is something I'm used to, but let me take this opportunity to say that I am a firm supporter of gay rights and marriage equality and have many close gay friends. I believe the state has no place to outlaw recognition of the love of two consenting adults and that love in all it's forms is a thing of beauty. With that said I am a heterosexual. The fact that I support marriage equality means I believe in love over law. It has nothing to do with sexual orientation. So here's the simple version, I like being barefoot, but don't have a foot fetish, I support marriage equality, but am straight. If you've messaged me this way, know that I have no negative feelings toward you, but that is not who I am and please respect that. Thanks folks!

The Hobo Vacation

This is a term that I have come to use to describe my brief zero budget get aways. Generally for three day periods, I live outside and just focus on having fun and being alive.

These are among my favorite activities after my first one last summer.

It's a delightful experience and I highly recommend it to anyone that has the time. It's basically urban camping.

The first real hobo vacation was a three day excursion to Block Island

We wandered around for three days relaxing and just having fun

My brother, a very skilled skimboarder, was able to use a piece of a door we found as a makeshift board. He was able to use this piece of driftwood as if it were a real skimboard.

We befriended several cats we named Hobo Cat, Nameless Cat, Third Cat, and Different Cat. 

Next was the stay at the Ruin, an abandoned fort once used for target practice, but now vacant.

This wild island fortress served as our home for only two days, but I hope to stay for longer soon.

Naturally, several miles from shore, the stars were absolutely breathtaking.

We made our camp in one of the archways.

With no obstructions, the sunrise was absolutely superb.

With the sun lighting up the fort, it was time for some climbing.

We didn't let our distance from civilization and dead cellphones get int the way of adventure.

Something I had said I would do for quite some time is sleep in the bridge.

The views were quite beautiful from my original planned sleeping place.

However later that night the driving winds and temperature near freezing necessitated that I move.

I took shelter inside the counterweight where I had a fairly warm place sheltered from the intense winds outside. To say that I slept well would certainly be generous, but it was relatively comfortable.

I awoke to the all too human sounds of paddles in the water. It was the crew team, I'd guess from Brown. They start at an all together uncivilized hour, but they were fun to watch. 

With light I left the bridge around 8am, and have yet to sleep there again, but I plan to over the warmer months, perhaps for several days. 

My most recent trip was just a few weeks ago. One of my favorite places to visit is the tunnel. 

At the far end, there was a pile of railroad ties. I saw potential.

I started stacking them to create a tower. 

by the second night I had a structure that was around nine feet tall with a loft bed. 

The final day was mostly relaxing and some additional securing of the structure. 

I like to think that just because this might not make money, it is truly satisfying in a way that is unmatched by more traditional endeavors. Besides, it leaves me more creative, energized, and inspired so that I can be more productive and happy in my career and life in general. 

Barefooting is easy
Barefooting is good for you
Barefooting is NOT illegal
Join the revolution
GO BAREFOOT


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Gourmet Heaven Providence RI.

When making a salad for my lunch between my classes and job, I was rudely and unreasonably interrupted by a manager at GOURMET HEAVEN in Providence RI. He told me it wasn't healthy for them for me to not wear shoes. I guess these people eat off of the floor? Barefoot or not the floor of a popular establishment is not somewhere I'd make my meals. This man thought it appropriate to not only tell me to leave, not listening to the fact that he was unlawfully asking me to leave, but to not allow me to even check out. 

I asked him if he was just going to waste the salad. He said no that he was going to eat it. Hm...so not only did he prevent his company from making a few bucks, he ate for free...now I'm not sure what their employee food privelages are, but at some places that looks an awful lot like stealing. 

This man forcibly removed the tray from my hand and took the food for himself. This is absolutely dispicable and I let him know that. He seemed absolutely confident that he had done nothing wrong...


Well...I have jumped onto the company's facebook page and left this. Just as I was in there legally, there is nothing illicit about exercising my power of free speech to inform the company a member of their staff had thrown me out in a most unsavory way

I would ask you to read the post on their page and if you have a facebook please consider leaving a comment on the post showing them that I'm not alone. 

https://www.facebook.com/gourmetheaven

for those of you without a facebook account here is the post:

"I visited your Providence location today to get lunch before I went in for work. I have been shopping there since my freshman year of college, three years ago. Everything was business as usual until I was interrupted at the salad bar by what seemed to be a manager of some sort. He told me I could not eat there without shoes. I wasn't eating there. I was getting food and taking it to go. I asked him why and he cited a non existent state law regarding a requirement for patrons to wear shoes when in a food establishment. There are no signs on the door to indicate a policy. 

Let me be perfectly clear. THERE IS NO HEALTH CODE OR OTHER LAW REQUIRING FOOTWEAR IN ANY ESTABLISHMENT. IF THERE IS NO SIGN ON THE DOOR THERE IS NO POLICY. BY REMOVING SOMEONE FROM SAID ESTABLISHMENT THEY ARE BREAKING THE LAW AND COMMITTING DISCRIMINATION.

I informed this man that there is no state or federal regulation regarding this issue. He stubbornly refused. He told me to get shoes and come back. I don't wear shoes for health reasons. Something I informed him even though I was under no obligation to discuss my medical requirements as I was in violation of NO regulation. He still insisted that I had to leave. I told him I would complete my purchase and leave. He still refused to budge from his legally indefensible argument. Not only did he tell me I could not pay for the salad I had made at the salad bar, when I asked him if he was just going to waste it, he physically TOOK it from my hands, and walked away with it. Your business won't be making any money off of that will it? This man had no right to take something forcibly from my hands and guess what, it definitely constituted unwanted touching aka Battery under Rhode Island law.

"Battery involves unwanted touching. Whether it’s a shove, punch, or even a finger poking the chest in an instigating manner—all of these could be considered battery."

Attached is a correspondence between a citizen and the Principal Sanatarian. It makes it abundantly clear in black and white plain english that there are no laws around this.

Your employee had no right to remove me from this establishment, no right to forcibly take my food, and treat me this way.

This was a despicable and warrantless violation of my rights. I have come to expect more from Gourmet Heaven in the last THREE YEARS I have been shopping barefoot at your location. This man's conduct was unprofessional and illegal. I don't want to have to deal with this in the future. I am now going into work and then another class with no food. I wont be able to eat until dinner time. So thanks to your employee, I am going hungry today and your business lost out on ten dollars."

I will print out health code flyers and I am going to stand on their corner, within my rights, and hand out flyers to anyone going in there who will take them. This man needs to be know that such blatant discrimination will not be tolerated.

If they delete my post I will repost it. I will not be censored, I have the right to make my thoughts known. 

Thank you all for reading!

What I've Been Up to Lately

Photo heavy post...sorry...

Well folks, I had quite the up and down past few months. We had our crazy storms, Sandy and Nemo. My area was hit...but whenever people asked me how we did, I told them: "Better than New Jersey." Not exactly in good taste but very little of my humor is. Anyway, here are some pictures.

The storm came in phases, the tide came first, then a break, then the storm, and then high tide again. The storm passed and we went kayaking through the neighborhood by moonlight.

Exploring the aftermath was quite different. It was pretty trashed around town. 

 In the hardest hit section of my town, Misquamicut, I joined in on a cleanup day one of my high school classmates organized. 

On newyears eve, I set my record for the longest time in the snow. I was in the snow for eight hours making a snowman for my friends School. They were competing in the Rose Bowl. 

Nemo was quite eventful as well. Certainly less damage by far but with the lack of summer warmth. 

 Though the turning point was my spring break in the last week of February. I took a trip out to Stanford University and it was an absolute blast. Those crazy genuises taught me how to have fun again. Back from my vacation, I am now taking more classes than ever and happily working at my job. Sometimes what we need is a good vacation!

I also rode the plane barefoot...but I can't seem to find any pics around...but I'll see what I can do to locate it. Hopefully I'll find one.

Anyway, naturally I have been up to my old antics of urban exploration. I got to see some wonderful mills lately. I actually got to finally revisit the Potter Hill Mill. This place, I kid you not, is the single coolest and most dangerous mill I have ever had the pleasure to visit. In my area it is very uncommon for there to be any machines still in a mill. This one still has yarn on the looms. It is a superbly rare sight and an awful waste. Mismanagement aside, this place is unique in its beauty. 

Sorry for the photo heaviness of this post...but there has been quite a lot of things going on. The funny part is, I have barely scratched the surface of the events of the past few months. This however will do. 

Thanks for reading folks!

Barefooting is easy

Barefooting is good for you

Barefooting is NOT illegal

Join the revolution

GO BAREFOOT

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