Last night I couldn't sleep. I stayed up late rereading a report from Children's Hospital that has hung over our heads for years. Between her seizures and the cyst on her brain that keeps regrowing, the assumption was my daughter would never see her fourteenth birthday. She's survived multiple brain surgeries, intense bullying, and self harm to make it to this moment. 

Today we celebrate her graduation from high school.

Let's be honest. At the point grades are done, yearbooks signed, and parties planned, it's really over for the seniors. Now it's all about the parents getting to see their precious child, all grown up, walk across the stage to get that piece of paper. I have waited for this moment for a very long time.

Happy graduation day Maymay. May it be filled with the things that make YOU happy.

And truly, that's all that matters.

Maymay had the best time at Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con. She met some spectacular people and got to live a piece of her dream and interview people for her blog. She was very impressed by the people who sought her out to get a picture with them! When I asked Maymay what she thought of the event, her response was simply, "These people aren't judging me".

 That says it all.

6/21/14
I knew today would be more crowded, but I was not prepared for the amount of amazingly cool people we'd come across!

6/20/14
We had the most incredible day! There were some spectacular people and Maymay was thrilled to get pictures with them.

The greatest TV show of all time is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This is not up for discussion or debate. It is fact. When Maymay found out that her absolute favorite character, Spike, was here...well, she was VERY excited to speak with him. Luckily, James Marsters is one hell of an awesome guy and was more than willing to spend some time talking with Maymay about Buffy, and life in general. He was willing to answer any of Maymay's questions and treated her with complete respect.

Maymay: What was your favorite part of being in Buffy?

JM: So many parts were wonderful. I'm a genuinely nice guy. Getting to drop my own personality and give in to the jerk underneath was incredible. You have to choose to be nice. Everyone has a moment, like in traffic, when you just want to  give into the jerk side. But you have to choose to be nice. When they called action, I got to be a jerk. And I got to mess with Sarah Gellar. That was fun.

Maymay: My mom liked Angel best, but I liked Spike the best.

JM: You have terrific taste in vampires, unlike your mom. 

Maymay: I watched Buffy every morning before school. It made me feel better because Buffy was so tough and could handle the bullies. It made me feel ready for school. (She told him some of the things she's had to deal with in school.)

JM: It's tough being bullied. You don't deserve that. Do you know that? (Maymay nodded her head.) You don't deserve to be treated badly. No one does. I was bullied, and so was Sarah. It's the worst. I'm sorry you went through that. You ever hear of Gene Roddenberry? (Maymay nodded.) Well, he was right. You have to have hope. Don't give up hope. Don't give up. You can't give up on yourself. You're incredible. Remember that. People think you can pick on someone because they are different or smaller. I'm tough. I did most of my own stunts. Sarah could've killed me at any time. She's small, but tough. It's about training and believing in yourself. Always believe in yourself.

They talked for a few more minutes and James gave Maymay a huge hug before we left. He may have become famous for playing a ruthless blood sucking vampire, but James Marsters is a class act.

Maymay was honored to have a moment with Lou Ferrigno. He is a body builder who has won the title of Mr. Universe twice, and an actor best known for his role as The Incredible Hulk.

Maymay: What do you think about the new Incredible Hulk?

LF: I like him. I do. I think I was better, but I do like him. What I don't like is all the CGI. I did all the acting, now it's CGI. I think the direction they are going with all the CGI takes a lot away from what the TV show accomplished.

Maymay: Thank you for talking with me.

LF: No problem. Thank you.

Comic Book Men is an American reality television series airing on the AMC network. It is set at Kevin Smith's comic book shop, Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash, in Red Bank, New Jersey. Maymay got to talk with these great guys from the show: Ming Chen, Michael Zapcic, and Bryan Johnson.

Maymay: I know you know everything about comics, but if you had to pick just one as your favorite what would it be, and why?

MC: Avengers #216. This was the first comic book I ever got. I was six years old and my best friend in first grade gave it to me. It means a lot to me.

BJ: Alpha Flight #106. It just speaks to me.

MZ: Definitely Avengers #151. I really like the artist. he retells the Avengers story. It's great.

The guys were nice enough to joke around with Maymay for a little while. These guys were insanely kind and made Maymay feel like part of their group for a few minutes.

It's not everyday you get to talk with a Power Ranger. Yep, a real live Mighty Morphin Power Ranger! Jason David Frank was a really nice guy and spent a few minutes having a really nice conversation with Maymay about power rangers, comic con, and Berry.

When you think of 80s movies, you think of this guy. Ralph Macchio was in two of my favorite movies from the 80s, The Outsiders and Karate Kid. Maymay was very excited to get to spend a few minutes talking with him about his role in Karate Kid.

Maymay: Did you like being in Karate Kid?

RM: Yes, very much.

Maymay: How hard was it it learn karate?

RM: It was difficult, but I had a background in dance. I was a dancer first, and a lot of karate is knowing the moves. I was well trained, really well trained, but it really hurt! Karate is tough and getting hit hurts. A lot. I don't participate in the sport anymore, but I do support the mind set and philosophy.

Daniel Cudmore is a Canadian actor and stuntman. He is perhaps best known for his roles as the mutant Piotr Rasputin/Colossus in the X-Men film franchise, and as the Volturi Felix in the Twilight Saga films.

Maymay: How much fun was it to be in X-Men?

DC: A blast! It's always hard to get a job as an actor. To get a job like this one is a dream come true. This is a blast!

Maymay: Can you tell me about Colossus?

DC: He's the best. He's one of the strongest X-Men and his body is made of steel. Yeah, he's invincible. 

Martin Kove was in some pretty terrific movies including Rambo, Karate Kid, and the television series Cagney and Lacey.

Maymay: Of all the movies you've been in, what's your favorite?

MK: Karate Kid. Loved it. I really enjoyed Wyatt Earp. Loved The Gambler with Kenny Rodgers. That was a four hour mini series on TV, but I loved it. I really enjoy playing real people. In the movies when you can play a real person, it's a lot of fun. It is just great playing people that were real. I really liked White Buffalo. Those were my favorites. Oh, and Cagney and Lacey. I had a great time doing that show. It was great.

Maymay: Thank you very much.

MK: You're welcome kid.

Samantha and Britney from Wired 96.5 are the most kindhearted and wonderful ladies that you could ever be lucky enough to meet. To call them friends is an honor we don't take lightly. 

Meeting a Teenage Mutant Turtle was a lot of fun! Brian Tochi was Leonardo in all three TMNT movies. Brian and Maymay just laughed and talked for a few minutes, and then she asked him the question she was dying to know the answer.

Maymay: What was it like getting to be a TMNT?

BT: It was great! I wan't the first actor for the role. The first two actors didn't work out, and third times the charm. I got the role. I got hired, and I loved it. It was really neat. I loved the reaction form the audience and friends. It was great. Yeah. I loved it.

Rob Paulsen is one of the most sought after voice actors, and a genuinely nice guy. As Maymay walked up he greeted her as an Animaniacs saying "Hello Nurse". Maymay couldn't stop laughing and they spent a few minutes with Rob doing different voices and Maymay laughing hysterically. He then spent some time talking with Maymay and getting to know her a bit. He seemed to genuinely care what she had to say. He asked about her bear, graduation, and she opened up to him and shared a few things. It was incredible.

Maymay: What's your most favorite thing you've ever done.

RP: Next to meeting you. Let me say I'm so proud of you! Congrats sweetie. I mean it.

Maymay: Thank you very much. (She couldn't stop smiling.)

RP: hmmm. Well, other than meeting you, my favorite thing would be my son. I've done a lot of really cool things, but getting to be a TMNT when my son was young, well, that was cool. I was Raphael. Then as he got older, I was Donatello. That's pretty cool. To have my son see me as a TMNT. So, I'd have to say my two favorite things are meeting you, and being a ninja turtle when my son could enjoy it.

Maymay and Rob spent a few more minutes talking. He is an amazing talented actor, but more importantly, he is a genuinely amazing person.

** The picture is actually from Saturday. I somehow managed to lose the original picture of Maymay and Rob from Friday. Maymay decided to ask him on Saturday if she could please take another picture. This incredibly generous man not only said yes, he came around the table and gave her a huge hug. She spent the rest of the day on cloud nine and told anyone who'd listen that she made a friend. 

Jeffrey Reddick is best known for creating Final Destination, which spawned four successful sequels, Lions Gate's thriller, Tamara, and the remake of George Romero's classic, Day of the Dead. Jeffrey spent about thirty minutes talking with Maymay. He is also quick to laugh and made Maymay instantly comfortable asking him questions about writing movies and horror movies in general.

Maymay: Of all your movies, what was the hardest one to write?

JR: Definitely remaking Day of the Dead. The idea I sold to the studio isn't what the final movie wound up becoming. It became something completely different than a remake and I think fans of the original appreciate that.

Maymay: What was the easiest movie to make?

JR: Tamara! Tamara was the easiest movie to write. It has scares, but it's more of a family friendly type horror movie. it was just fun to write and I think it came out that way too. It's not as dark as most horror movies, it's just...fun. 

Maymay and Jeffrey spend time discussing horror movies in general. Jeffrey was fun to talk with and obviously loves what he does. he was more than willing to teach Maymay the differences in the genre and even made her want to see her first horror movie!

Edward "Eddie" Theodore McClintock is an American actor who has starred and guest starred in numerous television shows. He played the role of Secret Service agent Pete Lattimer on the Syfy series Warehouse 13.

Maymay: What was your favorite part of being Pete?

EM: My favorite thing is that the line between Pete and I is very blurry. It wasn't acting. It was more real. All I had to do was go in and memorize lines, and I could be myself. I love that Pete is a man and has responsibilities, yet he is such a kid. You don't see the main man as being childlike anymore. I like that Pete could be a complete child,but still be completely responsible.

Eddie spent some time talking with Maymay and being a bit silly. He grabbed her phone to take a selfie and managed to make Maymay feel like a friend. Eddie McClintock is a class act.

Jeff Breden just might own the coolest car in the world. He owns the Batmobile. This beautiful piece of machinery took three years to build and even has police pulling Jeff over to take pictures. Can you blame them? This car rocks!

Maymay was checking out all the uber cool artists, and this guy stood out. Philip McNulty is a South Jersey native that makes some pretty amazing graphic art. He also had a wonderful conversation with Maymay about following her dreams and don't let anyone ever tell you that you can't do something. Philip is talented and inspirational! Check out his website. You'll be glad you did.  http://animatedphil.weebly.com/

Tom Felice of Berlin, NJ is a huge fan of the General Lee. So much so that he spent two years restoring this 1969 Dodge Charger to perfectly resemble the iconic ride. Both stars of The Dukes of Hazzard have been inside this car and autographed the car.

Troy Krichmar spent $9000 and five months working with a few friends to turn his Jeep into this Jurassic Park dream machine. He even raised money and participated in a charity race to support Camp Sunshine. His friend Frank, who is pictured with Maymay, said they also do parties and private functions.

SHOW HOURS
Thursday, June 19, 2014 - 3pm - 8pm
Friday, June 20, 2014 - 12 noon - 7pm
Saturday, June 21, 2014 - 10am - 7pm
Sunday, June 22, 2014 - 11am - 5pm

LOCATION:
PENNSYLVANIA CONVENTION CENTER
1101 Arch St.
Philadelphia, PA 1910

Maymay and Berry were lucky enough to have a conversation with Harvey Pollack. This amazing man has stories to tell! He proudly showed off his 4000 t-shirt to Maymay and explained that he has worn a different t-shirt everyday for 4000 days. He also is the king of basketball statistics, and a complete joy to talk with.

To donate shirts to Harvey’s quest, send them to his attention at:
Wells Fargo Center
3601 S. Broad St.
Philadelphia, Pa. 19147

Harvey Pollack is One of a Kind
January 24, 2013 by  Jon Marks

PHILADELPHIA – “Now wait a minute.” 

That’s your cue that Harvey Pollack is about to launch into a story. And he’s got a million of them.

The man who’s been more symbolic of the NBA than even the logo — since he’s been around since the very beginning – has a mind that never stops. Just ask him one simple question and be prepared for a detailed answer so complete it will make your head spin.

His first job? He remembers like it happened yesterday. Names. Places, Starting salary. Even though that was nearly 70 years ago. No, it’s not uncommon for older people to remember events of the distant past, but many forget what they had for breakfast that day.

Harvey? He remembers yesterday, today and probably even tomorrow.

In other words, not your average 90-year-old – or in his case, 32,872-day-old as his T-shirt proclaims, one of the Guinness Record setting bunch he’s been wearing for nearly 10 years.

Known as “Super Stat” to most, Pollack has been at the forefront of pro basketball’s statistical advancements since he began keeping them in 1947. The triple-double? Thank Harvey for that, which he never fails to remind Magic Johnson.

Plus-minus? Blocked shots? Minutes played? In fact, anything you can glean from a boxscore comes courtesy of the man who’s lived in the same house in Northeast Philadelphia for 56 years.

Quite simply, Pollack is every bit the Philadelphia institution when it comes to basketball stats, as the Liberty Bell or Betsy Ross’ House are to American history.

“I’m in 13 different Halls of Fame,” Pollack says proudly, proceeding to run down the list which ranges from his high school (Simon Gratz), college (Temple) and American Legion, to the Philadelphia Big Five, Jewish Sports Hall, and of course, the big one named after the original Dr. J — James Naismith – in Springfield, Mass. “I never would’ve dreamed having a life like this. My brother was the one who took me to all the games.”

And once he started, Harvey’s never stopped or showed any signs of slowing down. “I had bypass surgery in 2002,” he recalls. “I think I missed three games.”

Hear that, Andrew Bynum?

“It just comes naturally to me,” he continues. “You follow the ball.”

HARVEY POLLACK: 3000 T-SHIRTS AND COUNTING - 9/21/2011

Sixers Director of Statistical Information Harvey “Super Stat” Pollack has recorded several stunning figures over the course of his 65-year career.

Although the NBA Hall of Famer is best known for writing the “100” sign held by Wilt Chamberlain after his landmark 100-point game, Pollack’s notoriety for a very different number is boosting his profile, too.

3000. Then 3001, 3002, 3003, 3004, and as of today, 3005.

Pollack has worn exactly 3005 T-shirts over the course of the last nine years – a different shirt every day – in his quest to be entered into the Guinness Book of World Records.

This journey through T-shirts began on June 28, 2003, shortly after the death of Pollack’s wife.

“While she was alive, as fast as I wore T-shirts, she washed them and they were back in my drawer the next week,” Pollack explained. “I never knew how many I had.”

Once she passed, he ventured down to the basement to retrieve his well-worn shirts, counting them to see if he had enough to wear a different shirt each day from the following day, June 28, through Labor Day.

After two straight days of wearing a T-shirt to the office, a Sixers coworker jokingly suggested that Pollack aim for entry in the Guinness Book of World Records. He decided to call the Book’s office, and found out that no one had yet tried to set a record for the most number of T-shirts worn on a consecutive, daily basis.

3005 shirts later, Pollack is well on his way to getting his name in the Guinness Book of World Records. He maintains his record by keeping a spreadsheet of the date, shirt number and a brief description of what is on the shirt, and receives new shirts weekly from numerous supporters.

But keeping his record going isn’t Pollack’s only focus. He is also diligent in giving back to local and international communities who are in need of clothing. From the Salvation Army to Haiti in the wake of their earthquake, Pollack has donated 2900 of the more than 3000 shirts he’s worn, and he’s looking for another “worthy organization” to whom he can give the next batch of 100 T-shirts.

So what keeps Pollack going?

“I’m not going to stop, because I have people who’ve given me shirts to wear,” he said. “I’m not going to let them down.”

Maymay: I can use both my hands.

Me: um...ok.

Maymay: I learned today I'm left handed with some things, right handed with others.

Me: That's pretty cool hon.

Maymay: I guess I am amphibious.