THEY LIKE ME...THEY REALLY LIKE ME

ah shucks you guys are making me blush.....or is that still the after effects of the chemo.......i really don't think i could ever stop completly.......it is such apart of my being these days.....my trip through the corn fields of iowa has reinforced to me how beautiful this country is.......seeing those cows munching on the grass was so peaceful to me.......( the fact that i wanted a omaha steak after passing my 2,000 one had nothing to do with how i felt)......seems to me that everybody should take a ride through iowa someday..........it smells so clean (except around the cows).........oh yeah speaking of cows...sold a heck of alot of shoes while i was there ...well brad did most of the work(get it our footwear is made from cows) .....great job brad....a pleasure to hang with you.........gotta go ..steaks just about done .......p.s has anybody not seen what an amazing team the mets are this year..............

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CLOSER TO MYSELF

i am still feeling real good from last week and i left that photo up to keep me smiling.....went to the met game tues night and they won with a walk off homer.....chris and my bros were by my side and i thought my son was gonna crush me after the hommer to win.......i realize in those moments i am still not 100% and have to turn it down a little......i dragged all day wed and was in bed early wed night........don't know why i am telling you all this but i guess it stll hits me sometimes as to what i went through...and where i am going......when i think about it only being about 4 months ago that i had the surgery it boggles my mind...it also boggles my mind that i used the word boggle......oh well off to trade show on sunday...beautiful downtown shendoah iowa...corporate home of brown shoe fit,,,,,if you sneeze you drive right past it........(if your lucky)......anywho still need to post the rap song and poem that was written in my honor....but that is for another time.....coming up on 1 year anniversary on being diagonsed....oct 13th........i was thinking i will end my "walk in the park" blog then ............but who knows what i will begin that day.......stay tuned my beautiful friends and family

TYE DYED SUPRISE

..................let me start by saying that i have the most amazing family a man could ever ask for....kindness was bottled by these relatives and always ready to be served...chilled or warm it is all i would ever need to drink.......what started out months ago with trying to figure out a date that all the "cousins" could get together to the actual drive to new jersey (getting lost again even with a gps sytem and two extra humans to guide the way)......to driving up the driveway of my beautiful cousins loraine and donny..(ok donnie is handsome) home.......thinking it was our typical family get together....i knew this would be special because most of them read my blog every day and lived the journey with me and it was going to be "good for the soul" to see and feel their hugs.....as we turned the corner of their driveway i heard my favorite grateful dead song playing (ripple) i knew we were going to have a real good time....but never did i expect to see the sight i saw that day........it was a sea of pink tye dyed shirts...cousins wearing afro wigs...all in my honor.......all out of love......all for one...truly one for all.......( turns ou all the hand made ..hand dyed shirts did not start out pink but when they washed them to stop them from bleeding thay kinda ran together) it was like a flaming breast cancer awareness moment only it was for me......the photo above only tells half the story ..the day was filled with music i love.....( not a single complaint from the sinatra crowd)....food i really love knishes..chicken....bean salad.....home made italian ices....cookies...cake......beer.....pulled pork..beer......brownies........ice cream...beer.................i know i forgot something oh yeah everthing except the beer was made by one of my relatives......the highlight of the day is when you have a pome written about you from my uncle vinny..... i am honored to have one written for me ( i will post it this week)...man oh man did he nail it on the head....my writing pales in comparison to his and was honored to have him think of me so fondly,,,,,,,,ok just when i think i cannot be suprised anymore my nephews luke and gabe (who are next to me in the photo) wrote and sang (and played drums) a rap song to me........it is the highlight of the day...........thank you family......aunts and uncles thanks for being great role models growing up .........i only hope i have been able to be the same for all your grandchildren whom i love and hold so dearly............barbara......loraine...diane......steph.......jan...christopher.....anthony........you have the most beautiful familes and "continue to bless me with your undying love and support throughout my journey.......you have made my "walk in the park"...........remarkable......you all are park of my "post-op" recovery......saturday i was the "luckiest man on the face of the earth".......tom

TODAYS MAIL

just received a letter from my hospital asking me if i wanted to attend classes on post cancer seminars........i thought about it for a minute and was thinking about how everyone i know has been there for my post cancer treatment and i have the greatest support team anybody could ever have..so i passed....i will try to offer my support to anyone who needs it.......on sept 28 our family will be walking in the "light the night walk" at hofstra university that supports the research to help find a cure for leukemia if anyboby wants to join our team in this walk i will post the sign up sheet soon......we march as surviors and friends........we are so close to getting rid of certain types of leukemia that i could taste it...imagine that ....in my lifetime my beautiful daughter Casey with be free of this burden...........i will live to see that day.........we will live to enjoy that moment.................drinks are on me when that happens........peace for now.........can't wait to see my cousins this weekend......................enjoy the concerts casey and chris.........out for now

HOME ON THE RANGE

i like to consider my home like a ranch only without the cattle,rolling hills,big fences,a place to tie up my horse, a well on the property (you get the picture)....but a place to ride up upon after a long road trip and a place to settle in after landing in the sunrise.....getting onto my horse...errr car and riding through the rolling road called the southern state parkway.......pullin up when i turned onto my block it was almost like i rode under the big wooden sign posts that used to identify the big ranches of the old west.......i felt like i was bringing the cattle home (billy crystal quoted curly in city slickers "there's nothing like bringing the cattle home") only that cattle was only me getting back to the ol homestead and into my bunk to settle down and shake off the jet lag that our cowboy of old never really felt.....i am sure as i sit here and type to hundreds of people at once that some of those old cowboys are sitting up there watching us run around this planet, getting from salt lake to nyc in just under four hours and are wondering how i could possibly not stop and sleep under the stars tonight and watch the most natural light show in the world...that sun that has now set and melted in the sky.....and will rise over us to offer us the light of a new day...........a new day for peace on this planet..........lets keep the rockets asleep for a little while .............to all i know thank you for all the love and affection as i slowly get back to where i once was and thanks for the prayers to my family in one of the most difficult times we have had..................tell someone you love them today.......it's good for the soul..... tom.."the last of the brooklyn cowboys"

trade show heaven

we are having a great trade show....this is an amazing market......everyone is into a healthy lifestyle......but everyone has a beer in their hand around 4 pm......show party had the band flock of seagulls..(80's) party band and they were a blast..........michele decided not to eat and had a liquid dinner last night and got vip passes to g-love.......kent and i ended up playing guitars in his room and had a magic night......we ended the set with a song called satisfied mind.........fitting ending to a great day......errr night.................peace tom....oh yeah craig still has not shut up............love ya

greetings from salt lake city

well i am back out on the road.....thanks for all the well wishing and prayers....i felt them through the screen........we will carry mathew with us always...........went to park city tonite for a good meal with good friends and great wine,,,,,,,i expect a very busy show and love the action..............michele and her crew worked hard getting the booth set up and i am forever grateful for that...............i will keep in touch......the show must go on.................tom

greetings from salt lake city

well i am back out on the road.....thanks for all the well wishing and prayers....i felt them through the screen........we will carry mathew with us always...........went to park city tonite for a good meal with good friends and great wine,,,,,,,i expect a very busy show and love the action..............michele and her crew worked hard getting the booth set up and i am forever grateful for that...............i will keep in touch......the show must go on.................tom

SAD NEWS

the trade show was a huge success and i was on top of the world.....friends and co-workers were happy to see that i was back to my old self again (almost)...customers were smiling as was the competition...you see it is not only about the shoes in our industry and everyone proved me right...........right down to the multi-brand-jam-band that performed in the hotel suite...it was my return to glory so to speak........however that world came crashing down with one phone call from family......my nephew and godson Matthew Cheffo Nowicki was killed in a tragic accident at the young age of 22 ........matthew was the son of john (Nor) and rosemarie whose photo graced my blog only two entries ago.......although rosemarie is my first cousin i have always considered her like a sister because when my parents passed on it was with rosey and her family that took us in and we lived like brother and sister...Nor is and will always be one of my best friends...and brother -in law......the pain that our family is feeling now can only be explained as devastating......my sister lost her son ..my best friend lost his son and i lost my god-son.......I was chosen to read the eulogy at the service and i will always honor and cherish that moment as long as i live....Matthew blazed a trail through life and he will be missed...he will be missed by all .........he also leaves behind two beautiful sisters who loved and adored his way of life......I love you Matthew....you will live in my heart........forever.....uncle tom.......

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

THE side of willie nelson tour bus & back stage at a willie nelson/grateful dead concert..that's willie in the flesh
Like willie says.....cant wait to get on the road again.....but i have to admit i am a little nervous about leaving the santuary of my home......i am excited about being surounded by my dear co-workers and road warrior friends i have an amazing group of friends in my industry........i know thay are just as excited as i am to be back out there......there is something about trade shows that cannot be duplicated any where else....i swear there should be a reality tv show about them......but back to me for a second.....this is a huge challenge and one that i am ready for ..it's like riding a bike you never forget how....but if you take a spill on one it takes a little while to be comfortable again....that is how i am gonna feel ..........but i proved it to myself by going back to work full time on june 1st earlier than i expected.....i worked through my chemo treatments for the most part .....so gosh darn it there is no reason that we will not have a KICK BUTT TRADE SHOW IN LAS VEGAS ......AFTER ALL THEY DON'T CALL ME VINNY VEGAS FOR NOTHING................................ so far 20-22-35 are the roulette #'s last chance to pick a number.................happy birthday paul.......could not have done this without your love and support....................see you when the wheels touch down.....will report in from vegas........cell # 1-516-946-1134........ and don't forget to light a candle for all the injustice in the world......may it light the way for all the see ....tom

pRETTY COOL WEB-SITE

my cousin roe and johnny nor .......many moons ago.....we had a get together at their home tonight.....thanks for a real good time..
click on the site below.....type in your birthday and year and it will give you pretty cool stuff www.paulsadowski.com/birthday.asp here is only a part of what it says about me....................... As of 7/27/2006 12:05:32 AM EDT You are 52 years old.You are 629 months old.You are 2,736 weeks old.You are 19,150 days old are 459,600 hours old.You are 27,576,005 minutes old.You are 1,654,560,332 seconds old. pretty wild stuff.......anyhow my dear friend ronnie came "home " from new mexico to visit......a few of the old gang got together and had a blast down memory lane............smiles all around.............no tears on this night........we will always be friends.....no doubt about it................... my aunt gloria was there....we told her stories about what used to happen in the basement .........i swear aunt gloria it was incense ......what a great reason to be alive.......old friends and budwiser..................yahoooooooo...tom........love ya johnny nor.......

MY GRASS IS BLUE.......................

david grisman
Saturday.......Forecast was calling for wind....grey skies.....heavy rain.....um what to do ........sue was on the way to the city to spend the day being pampered with her girl friends as part of her birthday presents.......i know...... call casey and see if she's up to still go to the blue grass festival on long island....but before i do the phone rings...hey pops what are we doing..i said if you make it over here we will go........well i'll be a philly cheese steak we went.....it was so windy the cheese from the cheese steak sandwich casey was eating blew into her nose....the music was fun...the beer was...er...not serving beer ?..at a blue grass festival ..what else is a man to do ...get your hand stamped and head to the pup between sets.......David Grisman was the feature act and he is one heck of a mandolin player..............glad we went best $5.00 bucks i spent all week...................( the cheese sauce on caseys nose was worth it).......and oh yeah all the pickin and grinning and dancin in the rain was a blast.....you might say...the blue grass was all wet......thanks sk for turning me on to blue grass..................health wise ...energy comes and goes......like i have been saying...."learning to live with my new body"....and trying to not push it to hard......heading to vegas next sunday....excited to get back on the road....biggest shoe show in america,,,,,,all my pals will be there for my victory tour............... true test of my stamina........please e-mail or send in comments your favorite #'s for roulette...i will play them all on one roll thunderbyd@aol.com

YOU LOOK GOOD TOM

HARRY CHAPINS GRAVE SITE
I think when people see me for the first time since it all started going down they are a little shocked as to what i look like..i mean i still am a little skinny .. but i sorta look the same.... a little grayer ( but a touch of gray kinda suits me anyway)...a little wiser......but still have that mischievous shit eating grin these days ) and i am doing everything possible to gain weight......i mean tonight i had a sundae at carvels...if you never had a sundae at carvels you have no idea as to what you are missing....when i was a young brooklynite we used to walk to 57th street to the local carvel...i always had the same thing.....chocolate ice cream...Marshmallow sauce........peanut toppings.......now here i am a half a century later and i still am having the same exact thing at carvel...i mean it brings back so many good memories that everytime i have one (only my second one this entire summer) it reminds me of those summer nights in brooklyn.....that sundae never made it passed 58th street on the way back to 63rd.......well tom carvel...thAnks for the memories........with a cherry on top..............please enjoy every sandwich....as warren zevon used to say

HEAT WAVE

WILLIS CARRIER....INVENTOR OF THE AIR-CONDITIONER
kind of a cool phrase...heat wave.....what is it exactly a wave of heat ? ....never really stopped to think of it but i do know every once in a while a phrase pops up and i analyze it (just look at the first part of analyze) and it strikes me funny....anyway it is brutal out and i hope all off you have a way to cope with it.......i never could figure out what people like daniel boone did without air conditioning i mean was the planet cooler then or are we just a bunch of babies...got to give the guy credit who invented air conditioning..love to shake his hand (if it's not to cold) because i assume he's dead by now....i wonder if there is air conditioning wherever he ended up ....oh well here's to WILLIS CARRIER the inventor of the air coditioner here's the skinny on that......The 'Apparatus for Treating Air' (U.S. Pat# 808897) granted in 1906, was the first of several patents awarded to Willis Haviland Carrier. The recognized 'father of air conditioning' is Carrier, but the term 'air conditioning' actually originated with textile engineer, Stuart H. Cramer. Cramer used the phrase 'air conditioning' in a 1906 patent claim filed for a device that added water vapor to the air in textile plants - to condition the yarn.

HARRY CHAPIN

OH IF A MAN TRIED TO TAKE HIS TIME ON EARTH AND PROVE BEFORE HE DIED WHAT ONE MAN'S LIFE WOULD BE WORTH I WONDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THIS WORLD......harry chapin
sunday marked the 25th anniversary of harry chapins death...a good dear friend called me from st.louis to inform me of that fact and i am forever grateful for that....you see harry was a inspiration to me in the way he conducted his life beyond music...he started long island cares and donated much of his money and time to feed the poor....he was headed for a free concert when he was killed on the long island expressway in a terrible car crash that has left us missing one of our own for a long time......it turns out that harry is buried in a local historic cemetery and my friend from st louis ...lee porter asked if i would go to the grave site and take a picture for him so he could put it up on a musical tribute site of a concert of harrys..i had a hard time finding the grave site but with some help i located it........however on the way to the cemetery as i was pulling in .....a harry chapin song came on the radio and i knew i was suppose to be there today........my friend bill michaels and i planted some flowers and paid our respect to a great humanitarian.....after harry's death i got to be friends with sandy his wife and i know that harry and i would have been friends had he taken his van that day instead of the volkswagon on that last ride on the LIE..............oh the choices we make....the above photo is of his tombstone and gravesite and it speaks for it's self................................fridays concert was as expected and more...a wonderful evening with casey and her new found friend dan......................... thanks to lonnie and marcia for saturdys bar-b-q and alan & donna for the event on sunday...... i love you guys...i am finally full ..............................keep on rockin

BREATHE

every once in a while ya just gotta breathe......you know just suck in in and blow it out.......i mean really pay attention to it.....it is kinda nice to be able to do it without even thinking about it but when you really ..i mean really think about it, it is mind blowing how amazing it is........the way i figure it that breathing is probably the most important thing we do all day (other than eating ) and we can get by without eating for a few days ...just try that with breathing..Sorry charlie...a few minutes tops and it's off to never land ..so i vote today when we take a breath......we enjoy it and never take it for granted.........as faith hill says........JUST BREATHE..........another concert friday night....bob weir and rat-dog ..........radio city music hall.....i hope the rockets don't show up.........see ya on the flip side................................................tom...."still breathing "....cheffo

WORLD CUP.....AND THE METS

being of italian descent i was strongly rooting for team italy the whole way ...yep even against team usa.....i was rooting for them for my grandpas (both of them) and for all my relatives born in italy......it was one of the few days that i strongly felt my heritage rear its head and take claim....proud of the team and the results..i wonder if the french team would take heed to my coaching philosophy that playing and having fun is why you do it................not............................switching gears .....went to a mets game saturday with my dear friend stewart ( joe blow fame) and his son tanner ...mets kicked butt and we had a blast....thats two days in a row that i had to use public toilets with my new bladder.....It's a trip but hey i did it and survived to tell you all about it..........live goes on................tom "italiian stallion" cheffo

"Playing inThe Band"

well my friends i did it ....casey and i went to a concert last night to see phil lesh (grateful dead fame) and friends....the seen (inside joke on the spelling) was exactly as i expected it to be......lots of love in the air and smiles on the faces.....hippies young and old dancing to the music ..you give a hippie a flat surface and that's what you get....dancing...even i was able to shake my bladder a little.......not a bad vibe in the place except a security guard who told casey to stand behind the line to dance and she said "hey i am with my pops and he's sitting right here"..ya gotta love her she takes no crap from anyone...even me........it was during the show when joan asboure was singing "Sugaree" and trey from phish was playing with rob and phil and i look out over the water that i realized how lucky i was to be there......it was an amazing moment for me.....it reminded me of that saying that was passed on to me..."life is not measured in how many breaths we take...but what takes our breath away"......my friends i was breathless last night and not just from the dancing............so let's do the math.......$150.00 for two tickets......$100.00 for some grateful dead blankets from little hippie.....gas to the show...$20.00.....dancing with my daughter....priceless...............able to tell all of you about it....breathless .........peace out .....tom...

KEEP ON ROCKIN IN THE FREE WORLD

i do not know about all of you but i am feeling pretty darn good these days......i have found some of my old energy again and an milking it for all she is worth......i realize that i have been to the valley below and now i have climbed to the top of the mountain again.......look i am no fool i know that this life will always be like the roller coaster "the cyclone" in coney island full of highs and lows.....twists and turns....creaking old wood like the bones in our bodies.....breath taking excitement and a journey of unknowns.. but if i was put on this planet to help point out that it is a gift to be here,,,,,,, so be it...........my dear sweet family and friends...having you in my life is a gift..........one that i cherish daily...and that my friends why i am so glad i will be around to keep climbing to the top and enjoy the view.....it is so much better than it was at the bottom.........tom ................................my heart goes out to susan k,karen m, and their entire family after hearing of the loss of their brother-in-law Chuck....his brave fight will always be his legacy ........the family he left behind will always keep him in their hearts ...tom

Happy Birthday........ America

would like to take this time to wish everyone a happy 4th.......Between the hot dogs and the fireworks we should remember our forefathers who
risked it all to become free.......isn't it sad that because of winning the war we were granted freedom.....freedom is another word that is on my top ten list.....i cannot even imagine not being free like so many other people in the world......peace should lead to freedom......every person....every country should be free..............let the flags of freedom fly.......be safe....enjoy the red white and blue this week...we earned it.......to all my retail pals......long may the lines at the registers ring.......tom