quite possibly the coolest family in the world

The value of a good friend is more priceless than the worth of all the riches in the world

Chad Bordes


So I had the rare opportunity to hang out with a great friend John Melder and his wife Jane and Maddie. All I can say is that I am speechless. I left there with the biggest smile on my face. They live down in Scottsdale and i made the 15 minute trek down in my rented xTerra (which by the way is a very nice car, lots of power and comfortable to drive). Upon arriving at their door, i was greeted by two joyful dogs, a boxer and a boston terrier. Both of which were super sweet. John then greeted me with a hug as well as his wife Jane and daughter maddie extended a handshake.

I met John through a mutual friend John Gunter back in 2001 in vegas. I had just finalized my move to California after separating from my ex wife. I got a call from John Gunter saying that they were in vegas and that i should come out and hang with him since i hadn’t seen him since 1997 when i moved to Colorado. I told him i was tight of cash because of the divorce and the move and he said, “just take what cash you have and come out and see us, we will cover your gas”. I think this may be the start of where i decided to live for the moment and not worry so much about tomorrow. I said what the hell and packed up my gear and headed out. I left San Diego at 6:30 or 7:00pm and got to vegas at around 12:30 or 1:00 am. The boys were tired but the welcome was large

I slept in the same room as Melder and Gunter and they made the room as hospitable as possible. In the morning we woke up and began our terroristic raid on the strip. We partied first night all over the strip but ended up in Mandalay Bay. John Melder and I spent the whole night talking and to give credit where credit is due, he is an amazing talker and landed some honeys under our wings, one of which was diggin my chili. We had a great trip and everyone ended up leaving on Sunday. At that point my relationship with Melder was solid and I have always appreciated his friendship...i digress

So last night was fantastic. Jane fixed a bad ass cajun meatloaf per the Paul Prudhomme receipe. Maddie made some amazing mashed potatoes and Jane also cooked up some fabulous green beans. I love home cooked meals and because i don’t get them that much, i really appreciated the meal and the company. John is such a great dad and Jane is a fantastic person and mother. Their daughter is so polite and the family has tons of fun. I have been negative towards family and having children, but after seeing how fun being a family can be, it has changed my perspective.

I am so appreciative for friends in my life. I am thankful for all the experiences i get to share and am thankful that I am making this journey in a healthy fashion every day. I love life, i love friends, and i love this journey. thank you to the Melder family for some amazing hospitality. You guys are the best...