Back At It

Three years ago, to the day, I began a weight-loss program that was to change my life -- or at least my stature. I was fed up with the size at which I'd lived virtually my entire life up to that point and was determined to change that reality. The goal was to lose 66 pounds in the next year. I put no specific time requirements on myself other than to lose it by the end of the 2007 calendar year.

I lost 63 in 6 months.

When I got so close to my goal, I relaxed and never tasted the finish line. Noooooot quite. For the better part of two years, I kept it off really well. I went to the gym every day regardless of how tired I was and was able to get all new clothes. Out of the doubles and into the Xs. I was pretty happy about that.

But then I slowly began to put it back on.

I went on a cruise with one of my best friends. I'm not sure if any of you have been on a cruise, but it's basically a boat full of "free" food that's accessible at all hours of the day or night. After a couple of adult beverages, a piece of tasty pizza sounds pretty good at 2:00 in the morning. I was able to do some damage control following that weekend, but I could feel it sliding a bit.

Then I moved out to Chicago, which doesn't have a 24-Hour Fitness, so I was left to run on my own instead of lifting and using the machines. Turns out the machines were good at keeping stress off my knee because after about a month of running 3 miles 3 times a week, my right knee began to ache. So, I stopped. And the gaining started.

I've probably gained 20 since I moved, which is unacceptable for me. I refuse to go back to that size. It cannot happen. That is why, with the help of the sturdy weights at the World Gym, I will be losing the last 40. This time, there is a goal...May 7th, also known as my 28th birthday. It's ambitious, but definitely feasible.

Goal weight by 28.
My new mantra.

I've done it before. I will do it again. And even better this time.

Geniuses

Nike, that is.

In anticipation of the hype surrounding two of their top sellers playing each other on Christmas Day -- namely, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James -- Nike decided to bring back the Kobe/LeBron puppets from last year's playoffs. Their missed opportunity at a Finals showdown became some of the funniest commercials out there right now. Throw in Lupe Fiasco as Blitzen and KRS-One as Santa and you have three instant classics.

Enjoy...








Merry Christmas Blitz!

Who Stole Christmas?

Wow.

Almost a month since my last post. It was a while. I'll most likely get into all of the reasons as to why I couldn't post another day, but for now there's something much more important going on...we have a birthday to celebrate!

That's right, the Big Guy's Son -- well, kinda -- is having His birthday in less than two hours. And while I'm definitely excited for that, I'm not so much pumped about all the other stuff...the materialistic me me me of this season has become much worse than I remember. It saddens me.

This day, Christmas Eve, used to be my favorite day of the year. Not because the next day was the day I'd get to open my presents or because my favorite Christmas special was being broadcast on television. There was something palpable about Christmas Eve that doesn't seem to be there anymore -- a certain crispness in the air that I haven't felt in a few years.

My cousin Catrina got me some Grinch boxers to sleep in (and believe me I will), but I don't know if he'll be able to steal Christmas this year. He may shimmy down the chimney and tiptoe across the hall, only to find that everything's been taken already...by greed, selfishness, petty feelings and an unsatisfied consumer base.

Perhaps I'm the fool. Maybe I'm the one who bought into the sales pitch disguised as Christmas cheer and was wrong the whole time. Perhaps that "smell of Christmas" was really just pine trees on ever block. Who knows.

If anything good does come from it, I hope it's the realization that without Christ, there would be no Christmas anything. No trumped up stories about Santa or Pere Noel. No reindeer with bright red noses who would be pretty useful in Oklahoma right about now.

Maybe it's a blessing in disguise. If so, then praise be.