Latest news with #Butch
Fox News
3 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Woman feared dogs, then began trekking all over the world with newly adopted pup
Once terrified of dogs, German adventurer Heike Pirngruber is now walking the globe with Butch, a flea-covered puppy she rescued in Mexico that's reportedly become one of the most well-traveled dogs on the planet. Together, the two have crossed continents by foot, canoe, motorbike and tuk tuk, news agency SWNS reported. Pirngruber, 53, adopted the Australian cattle puppy in 2021 while she was staying in a beach hut in Baja California, Mexico. Butch was just a month old, malnourished and alone when she found him. "I never really liked dogs when I was a kid," Pirngruber of Heidelberg, Germany, told SWNS. "But the first moment I had little Butch in my arms and knew he was mine now, I couldn't believe how I felt." Her fear of dogs came from years of solo travel — seven of them spent cycling around the world. She was often chased by aggressive strays, she said. But her perspective began to change after a chance encounter at the beach hut. She had cooked grilled chicken when a street dog, later named Max, appeared at her door, SWNS reported. Initially hesitant, she was convinced by a friend to feed him. The next day, Max returned with two companions, Brownie and Pushy. She began feeding them regularly and slowly shed her fear. Later, when a local tried to give away a litter of flea-ridden puppies, Pirngruber made a life-changing decision. She chose Butch and took him on the road. "Nothing was the same anymore," she said. "And I had no clue how this little puppy would change my life." She added, "He's my best friend. I love this guy to death and it's awesome. I've never regretted picking him up and taking him with me on my travels, especially as he wasn't treated very nicely." Having Butch by her side changed more than her travel routine, according to SWNS. "With Butch, I always have someone there. I am never alone. I have such a connection with him and I'm happy with him." A former camera operator for ZDF (Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen), Germany's biggest broadcast station, Pirngruber has been traveling full-time for more than 12 years. She has visited 104 countries across every inhabited continent. Originally, she'd planned to cross the Americas by donkey in 2020, she said, followed by a break in Baja California in 2021. "With Butch, I always have someone there. I am never alone. I have such a connection with him." But after adopting Butch, she scrapped that plan and chose other ways to continue their journey. Over the next three years, they explored the Americas together on foot, by canoe, motorcycle, and tuk tuk before flying to Madrid in April 2024, per SWNS. After a brief return home, just her third visit in 12 years, she quickly realized that life in Germany no longer felt like hers. She was pulled back to the road. "Now, I love my freedom, I love living day-by-day, I love not knowing where I am staying each night or where I can pitch my tent. It's such a thrill," she said. Since then, she and Butch have walked through Spain, Andorra, France and Italy, before sailing to Greece. As of Nov. 2024, they'd crossed five European countries. "I choose where we go, mainly day by day. There are times when we want to get away from civilization and be by ourselves, and then other times I'm sitting in a square trying to get some contact with others, either in person or through my phone." "I love living day-by-day. I love not knowing where I am staying each night or where I can pitch my tent." She added, "But I'm not a planner, and that's the fun in it. It's about experiencing new places. I love culture. I love to understand the planet." She carries only the essentials she needs, she told SWNS: camping gear, a stove and pot, a camera, first aid supplies, and medicine for Butch. "Less is more," she said. "Carrying less is more freedom. It's always a burden having more." Despite occasional challenges, Pirngruber said her experiences have been overwhelmingly positive. "Ninety-nine percent of people are nice, and overall, I've had some great encounters with people," she said. "It's a safe world to travel in, in general."
Western Telegraph
26-05-2025
- Business
- Western Telegraph
Sip N Sea in Saundersfoot is thriving since opening
Sip N Sea was opened in Saundersfoot on August 17, 2025, by Hugh Drynda. Hugh ran The Snug in the same village for two and a half years but stopped running the popular pub in January to focus on his new business venture. Hugh's mother, Micaela Scudamore said: 'Things are going really well. We are going from strength to strength. We have been well-supported by locals and non-locals alike. 'We cook everything homemade, and people absolutely love our breakfast. We have a great reputation, and we are one of the top cafes on Google for Pembrokeshire. We have also introduced live music, and we have Sky Sports. 'It's Hugh's pub but I help him out. Everything has been very positive. Hugh is purely focused on Sip N Sea now and we are doing everything we can for the business to become bigger and better. 'We are going to keep on doing what we're doing. Our reviews speak for themselves. We are here for the long run not the short run. We are looking forward to summer, but we are already really busy, and we will be here when things get even busier in the coming months.' Sip N Sea is a café/restaurant from 9am to 3pm and a bar from 3pm to 11pm. The business has 36 reviews on Google and an average rating of five stars out of five. A review from this month (May 2025) wrote: 'Thoroughly enjoyed the Mexican evening tonight. Fish tacos were superb (my favourite tonight) and the pulled beef nachos/tacos were also delicious. 'As always, a great atmosphere here and the friendly faces make all the difference. A lovely evening and so nice to have something different. Great value for money. Will certainly be back." Another review from the same month added: 'Called in for breakfast the other morning. A really well-presented café-bar with helpful, friendly staff. 'The breakfast and vegetarian breakfast were exceptional with my partner saying the vegetarian sausages were the best she had tasted. Loved the presentation and quality of the food. Definitely returning when we are in the area.' Meanwhile, a review from two months ago (March 2025) said: 'Hugh. Thank you & your wonderful staff for making our stay in Saundersfoot a special week. The food was great, music with 'Butch' was fantastic & the atmosphere was great. 'It was nice to be part of the sing along with the locals, who made us feel so welcome. Thank you for looking after us so well. We will be back. Shirley & Lofty.'
USA Today
08-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Rickie Fowler needed a good tune up for PGA. He's getting one at 2025 Truist Championship
Rickie Fowler needed a good tune up for PGA. He's getting one at 2025 Truist Championship FLOURTOWN, Pa. – Rickie Fowler needed a tune up. Good thing that his longtime coach Butch Harmon happened to be in Florida recently to look under the hood, and during Thursday's opening round of the Truist Championship, Fowler was firing on all cylinders. The 36-year-old Fowler birdied six of his first seven holes at Philadelphia Cricket Club's Wissahickon Course and closed with a birdie at the last to shoot 7-under 63, tied with Collin Morikawa and Sepp Straka, and two strokes off the lead held by Keith Mitchell. Fowler is coming off a disappointing season by his standards, especially after winning in 2023 and being selected for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. When asked to grade his 2024 season on the 'Son of a Butch' podcast, hosted by Butch's son, Claude Harmon III, Fowler didn't sugarcoat it: 'About an F,' he said. 'I didn't think you were going to say that,' Harmon III said. Fowler reconsidered: 'D-.' The first half of the 2025 season hasn't been much better. Fowler has recorded only two top-25 finishes this season in nine starts and ranks No. 121 in the FedEx Cup standings. He's slipped to No. 125 in the world and sits No. 64 in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings. The 2012 Truist Championship winner needed a sponsor exemption into this week's 72-man signature event as well as another one for the PGA Championship next week. But during a two-week break from the Tour, Fowler played in The Harmon, a four-man team event held at The Floridian. Playing as a plus-5 handicap, Fowler was the 'A player,' Butch, 81, as the 'D player,' and their team won. They played a practice round and a competitive round together in the competition and afterwards, Butch gave Fowler his stamp of approval. Fowler said he bent his irons a degree up before the tournament began because they were leaking right and his wedges were dialed in, setting up several short birdies, especially during the run of circles on the card from No. 4 through No. 7. Fowler shot 29, his fourth sub-30 for nine holes on Tour. He cooled off a bit on the back nine but his chip caromed off the flag at the par-5 15th and he rolled in the 6-foot birdie putt. His lone hiccup came at No. 17 when he failed to get up and down from a greenside bunker, missing a 12-foot par putt. But he bounced back with an 11-foot birdie at the closing hole and waved to the crowd. After rain earlier in the week, the course was receptive and minimal wind presented conditions for birdies galore. Mitchell, who is playing on a sponsor exemption too, birdied half the holes and shot a career-low 9-under 61. "This golf course is as classic as it gets, traditional. The weather was just absolutely perfect today. So it didn't really have much going to make it play harder," he said. "Being able to take advantage of it today with the weather was exactly what we were trying to do." Mitchell has been the king of the first round this season. The 33-year-old former Georgia Bulldog has shot 64 or better five times this season on Thursday. He's recorded four straight top-20 finishes, including a T-2 at the Corales Puntacana Championship. Mitchell, who ranked first in SG: Tee to Green, birdied four of his last five holes to cap an impressive bogey-free day. Denny McCarthy was sharp too, ripping off five birdies in a row to post 8-under 62. It didn't hurt that his putter was scalding-hot, topping the field in Strokes Gained: putting. In fact, his favorite shot of the day wasn't one of his nine birdies but rather the 22-foot par putt he canned at No. 16. As he waited to be interviewed after the round, a TV showed one of those putts falling in, bringing a smile to McCarthy's face. 'Cool. I always like watching myself make putts. It's good mojo, good osmosis, I guess,' he said. 'Yeah, it was a good day. Obviously I like watching myself do good things.' McCarthy also experienced good vibes at this old-school gem originally designed by A.W. Tillinghast (and later renovated by Keith Foster), who also built Baltimore Country Club, where McCarthy's brother, Ryan, is a member. 'A lot of holes out here remind me of BCC. I've played Baltimore Country Club a number of times, and I really like that place. So when I come here, I see a lot of similar visuals off the tee and how the greens are,' McCarthy explained. 'I played really freely, really committed, liked how my mindset was, and produced a good result.' How is Rory McIlroy doing at the 2025 Truist Championship? Reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy, playing his first tournament as an individual since completing the career Grand Slam, averaged 335 yards off the tee and shot 4-under 66. McIlroy was asked to describe the feeling he was chasing at Augusta National and is seeking again. "I guess the best way to describe it is it's like a combination of trust, commitment, acceptance, and joy, all sort of mangled together," he said.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man accused of setting APD motorcycles on fire appears in court
Less than one week after the official opening of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, one of the protesters appeared in court. John Mazurek is accused of setting fire at a police precinct in 2023. Channel 2's Steve Gehlbach was at the Fulton County Courthouse, where there were around a dozen demonstrators outside while Mazurek was in court. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Based on the proceedings, it doesn't look like Mazurek will be going to trial any time soon. An attorney for Mazurek and a prosecutor told the judge they're still negotiating a plea deal and need more time. Prosecutors said a jury trial is a last resort. TRENDING STORIES: Man accused of setting APD precinct on fire in July 2023 arrested, Atlanta officials confirm APD patrol car set on fire in southeast Atlanta neighborhood, police confirm 'This is not the way:' Atlanta mayor, police chief respond to attacks on training facility 'So we're not going anywhere, the defendant's on bond,' an attorney said. Mazurek, 30, was arrested for first-degree arson. While he's out of jail, he's wearing an ankle monitor. He was arrested for the 2023 attack on an Atlanta police precinct where multiple APD motorcycles were set on fire. Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said when he was arrested that the fires were more than just a harmless property crime. 'We are very fortunate that we did not stand in front of you in July to note the passing of an Atlanta police officer due to an arson attack,' Schierbaum said previously. Outside of the courthouse on Monday, a small group chanted and held up a banner reading 'Free Jack.' Even after the official opening of the training center last week, the 'Stop Cop City' protesters said they're not going away. 'We can still push back on the general militarization of the police,' one protester said. 'Butch,' who didn't want to give his full name, said the legal process is the punishment for Mazurek but wouldn't address if they thought torching police vehicles was appropriate or not. 'We think they're making extravagant charges, don't think they have a clear idea who the suspect is,' Butch said. 'So they're pinning it on one person.' Mazurek's defense attorney told Channel 2 Action News that they're still waiting on a ruling from the judge about motions argued in 2024. She said those should be done in the next two weeks and reset the next hearing in the case for the last week in June. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Business Insider
02-05-2025
- General
- Business Insider
My parents gave me a feminine-sounding name. My family made fun of me until I changed it.
I grew up insecure about my name because it didn't seem as masculine as others in my family. It didn't help that my cousins and uncles didn't let me live it down. I changed my name to my great-grandfather's, and my parents were shocked by my decision. I grew up feeling insecure about my name. Most of my male family members had masculine names like Butch, David, and Apollo, but I was always the bud of the joke with the name Amarilis. Being from a large Italian family meant frequent get-togethers, and whenever we met, my cousins and uncles never let me live it down. These jokes played a big role in lowering my self-esteem and made me believe everyone I encountered would always make fun of my name. Ultimately, it made me introduce myself using my surname, Giovanni. Even so, everyone would ask, "Is that your last name? What's your first name?" and I learned to shrug the question off completely. My parents combined family names to make mine up Needless to say, I was never proud of my feminine name. When I asked my mom why she chose the name in particular, she said I was their last child, and she and my dad decided to combine a few family names and came up with Amarilis. Despite the frustration it caused me, they saw nothing wrong with it and thought it was a beautiful, unique-sounding name. In passing, I'd say that I would change my name in the future, and my parents would emphasize that they wanted their children to be proud of where they came from. That would be the end of the conversation. Everybody else saw it differently. What I was doing didn't matter; my name preceded my gender. When sending job applications, most potential employers automatically thought I was female and responded with "Ms. Amarilis." I was particularly taken aback when I once received a letter saying, " I'm happy to see a female rising to the occasion and wanting to take on a heavy-duty construction role." Often, showing up to an interview meant hiring managers were surprised that I was a middle-aged man and would comment on it. At these points, I realized people would always determine who I was before meeting them, and my name didn't help. I decided to change my name I spent a lot of time dealing with the unhappiness that came with my name until I met my wife at a work seminar. She was the first person who didn't crack jokes and advised that if I wasn't really happy with my name, I should consider changing it. After all, happiness was a personal choice. During our conversations, I realized there was no reward for subjecting myself to a name I struggled with. After a while, I decided to apply for a name change. I didn't know anything about the process, but I learned that I had to file a petition with the court in my jurisdiction, attend a hearing, and obtain a court order. Thereafter, I updated relevant government agencies about my name change, including the Social Security Administration, the Department of Motor Vehicles, financial institutions, employers, and insurance companies. Then, I attended a court hearing to present my case. The process took a year and a couple of months, but once completed, I had a new name — Nathan Giovanni. The name I chose was sentimental because it belonged to my great-grandfather, whom I had an amazing relationship with. To honor his legacy, I thought I'd continue his name. My parents were angry at me My parents had an adverse reaction to my new name. While I had spoken about changing my name through the years, I think they never thought I would do it. They cursed me out, threatened to disown me, and didn't talk to me for over a year. My decision shocked them, especially because the names your parents gave you are highly regarded in Italian culture. According to my dad, changing my name embarrassed the family and ruined the legacy. My mom spent months crying, and it took a lot of push and pull before they talked to me again. I had a tough time trying to explain myself because I value my parents' approval, but I realized I subjected myself to what my family wanted without considering the things that made me happy and whole as an individual. I'm glad I met my wife, who inspired me to put my feelings first. My only regret is that I didn't change my name sooner.
