Diet Update: Grip Style

Today is a great day, since I woke up this morning to find out that I am down to 325. It has been a tough hill to climb, but ever since I rededicated myself to a new diet plan its been going great. The diet I was first on was way too tough.

On my old diet I had stopped completely stopped consuming everything that is considered bad for you such as burgers, pizza, and burritos. Trying to stick to only consuming sandwiches and fruit every day was beginning to suck! I really started to think about the long run and how in the world was I going to keep it up.  There was no way it was going to happen.  So I did some research and found that every diet program such as Jenny Craig's and Weight Watchers focuses on one main thing, portion control.

So that's what I am focusing on now.  I'm focusing on how much I eat and better choices instead of staying away from everything that's considered bad for you.  It's all about portion control.  Lets face it, we will not stay on any diet if we are limited to carrots and celery sticks every day. So with that in mind on my new diet, I allow myself to have a burger or some pizza. I try to be smart with my food choices, for example I will order a turkey burger instead of a regular beef burger, and when I order pizza, I get thin crust pizza and have two maybe three slices.

The one diet that worked for me was a diet that I created myself back in 1997. I lost 40 pounds during the summer by just cutting back on thinks like soda, bread, and other greasy food. At that time I was playing basketball every day, but taking all that extra calories out is what really made a difference.

So its another day of the diet, lets see what happens from here on out. The goal is be at least 319 or under by the next diet update.

Read more »

Posted in: diet update,Grip Johnson,personal stories,The Talent

President of Czech Republic Steals Pen! Hilarious! Must see (VIDEO)

No one should really care if the president stole the pen or not (relax people!), but you can't help but laugh at the fashion that he did it in, straight up gangsta like, "yeah I'm being recorded and I'll still take yo shit and what!"  HA!

Check out the video:

Read more »

Posted in: Chub Johnson,News,The Talent,World News

Yellowstone Super Super Volcano!

So, as I was cursing around my Twitter updates I came across this story on Yellowstone National Park titled, “Yellowstone Super Volcano Bigger than Thought!” Of course, my immediate reaction was to read the story. I mean, come on, if you are familiar with the history of Yellowstone National Park you would jump on it right away as well, if you are not familiar click here for our video on the topic (cheap plug! Lol).

Read more »

Posted in: Chub Johnson,News,News Facts,The Talent,World News

Serial Story Tuesday (I'm Still Behind Haha)

I wanted to have part 8 up on my own blog by today, but unfortunately, I was having issues with my left wrist the other day and I wasn't supposed to use it too much. So, typing/editing was out of the question. I hope to get it up by Thursday and if I do, I'll try and post it here as well.  But, here's the one part you are missing! Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Muhhhh: A Zombie Love Story

part 7

Hearing those nearby crackling of leaves made every hair on my body stand up. I stood there, forgetting about my zombie boyfriend and wanting to hide in some dark hole where no monster could get me.
Jack stood in front of me, his gun now pointing towards the threat of whatever was coming near us. To say I wasn’t scared would have been a lie. Sure I was scared. Anyone who said they weren’t scared were either really stupid or a zombie, and if that the case, well, then, you had nothing to worry about.  As much as stumbling around like a brainless idiot with drool and blood dripping out of your open zombie mouth sounds like a party (okay, so maybe that’s a lie..), I wasn’t about to join the zombie club.
In my moment of panic, I didn’t notice that Zander had moved away. Jack noticed. He gasped and kicked my leg so I would look over at where Zander now stood. I had no idea what was going on? What was he doing, standing there where the noises were coming from? Was he going to join them and feast on me and Jack like a buffet or was he going to protect us? I was naïve to think the latter, but that idea sounded a lot less painful than the first. What can I say? I’m an optimist at heart.
  
    “Zander? What are you doing?” I whispered.  I’m sure if Jack had a free hand, he would have clapped one over my mouth pretty hard. Lucky for me, he didn’t.

Before I could say anything else, a low, strange sound filled the air. It sounded almost like a our dog, Sandy, who would growl every time a stranger came to our house.  I looked around, not seeing any dog around. Then, it hit me. It was Zander.
I was learning something new about zombies every day. I glanced over at Jack who looked just as confused as I was. He glanced at me and I knew what he was thinking. Zombies don’t growl. They don’t say anything other than their usual moan. Maybe Zander was infected with a different strain of whatever made all of those people into zombies.  It just gave us more questions than answers.
If Zander had fur like a dog, it would be standing upright by now.  His growl became even more menacing. Maybe that was because it was a zombie growl.  Obviously, I was no expert on these things.
Another zombie appeared at the edge of the river. She stood there, wearing a tattered blue dress and a nametag on it with the name “Pamela.” She looked really familiar. Where have I seen her?
She took a slow stumble forward in her tan knee high boots. I gasped as I imagined her crossing over and eating our faces off. I liked my face the way it was. I backed away behind Jack who still stood there with the shot gun held tightly in his hands.
In an instance, everything changed. Pamela smelled our presence and lunged towards us. Before I could get a scream out, Zander lunged at her. It was almost like watching a wrestling match between two hungry zombies.  As they both turned on each other like animals, Jack began to pull at my sleeve. He wanted to sneak away while we had the opportunity. I was torn. I was scared and wanted to go home, but I wanted to make sure Zander was going to be okay.
I didn’t get a choice in the matter. Jack started to pull me away almost violently as we made a mad dash for home. I protested, feeling my heart getting heavier and heavier with the thought of Zander getting hurt.
Jack wouldn’t hear my protests until we made it to our yard. Only when we made it to our front door and it was locked behind us did he let go of my arm and turn to face me. Utter exhaustion and fear hit every bone in my body and I slid to the floor, tears rolling down my cheeks.
I could hear my parents talking loudly in the kitchen. Loud music was playing upstairs by our little sister.  It was like it was before the zombies came. It seemed so normal that there was no way Zander could be out there as a zombie fighting another zombie. He did it for me.  I had a zombie bodyguard. I was like Whitney Houston and he was Kevin Costner. Well, if Kevin Costner was a zombie, of course.
The thought of that made me smile and I wiped the tears from my cheeks before my parents could see them. At dinner, everyone asked what went on in the woods.  Lucky for me, Jack couldn’t say a word. He was always a horrible liar. When my mother asked us that question, he just ducked his head down and stared down at his empty plate.

    “It went alright,” I said, quickly, not wanting to give anything away.

    “Well, did you get anything?” my father asked, wanting to get straight to the point.

I looked at Jack who shook his head. I smiled. “We didn’t have an opportunity.”

Before my parents could say anything else, a loud series of knocks sounded at our front door. It sounded pretty urgent, whoever it was.

    “Who in the hell could that be?” my father asked, throwing down his napkin.

He walked into the living room with everyone following behind. We were all curious to know what was going on. It reminded me of when we first found out about the zombies. Chub and Neil both stood at our door that fateful evening with guns in their hands, blurting out everything. Chub seemed more excited at the possibility of becoming a zombie hunter. I think he wanted to be like the guys you see in zombie movies who swoop in to save the rest of the surviving human race. Unfortunately, I was learning real life is nothing like the movies.
It was almost like deja vu to see Chub and Neil standing outside our doorway again. They both looked pretty confused but excited.
  
    “What’s going on?” my father asked, cautiously. He began to peer behind them for some sign of another wave of zombies coming at us.

Chub shook his head. “ You are never going to believe what we saw.”

    “Excuse me?”

    “Seriously, you have to follow us.”

The sense of urgency in his voice made my heart clench in my chest. My hand immediately went to the necklace around my neck as I imagined Zander.

    “You’ll never guess who we saw out there,” Neil said.

    “As a zombie,” Chub added, nudging my father on the ribs.

Oh, crap.

Read more »

Posted in: serial story,serial story tuesday,The Talent,Zombies

Serial Story Tuesday on a Saturday (Yes, I'm Behind..)

So the past couple of weeks I have been a horrible blogger/writer. Usually, every Tuesday on my blog, The Undeveloped Story, (and this one), I post an installment of my latest serial story called Muhhhh: A Zombie Love Story. Well, I got behind last week and that threw me off this week, so I haven't been too punctual with posting the story on the day I'm supposed to. I am two parts behind on this blog, so I'm going to post one part now, another part on Monday and then on Tuesday, we should be all caught up! If you are new to reading this story and want to catch up from the beginning, head on over to my blog by clicking on the title of my blog above and searching for the title of the story. You can also read a synopsis of my story there! Let's get started!

Muhhhh: A Zombie Love Story

part 6

    “Let’s go.”

I didn’t give my brother any time to back out. We grabbed a few necessary weapons and rushed out the door. I stopped in my tracks as soon as I saw Chub and Neil standing out there beside Neil’s truck. They looked over at us as soon as the door slammed behind Jack. I cringed. Didn’t he know how to be sneaky?

    “What are you two doing?” Chub asked, looking at the guns we held in our hands.

I swallowed and Jack sighed. Of course he wasn’t going to be of any help here.

    “Well, um, you see, Jack wanted to go hunt, so I thought I would help him. You can’t go out there alone, you know,” I said, making sure I smiled brightly.  My mom always told me my smile could win anyone over.

Neil didn’t seem fazed by it at all. He crossed his arms in front of his burly chest and leaned against his truck. “Do your parents know about this?” It seemed like he already knew the answer to the question by the way his blond eyebrows arched across his forehead.

Before I could reply, my mother walked outside and looked at the group that had formed in the driveway.

    “What’s going on?” she asked, wiping her hands on the apron she always wore.  “It’s too dangerous for you kids to be standing out here for so long.”

    “That’s what I thought,” Neil murmured under his breath. I glared at him and shook my head.  He wasn’t helping.

Chub stepped in. “It appears your kids want more experience hunting down those zombies. I can’t say I blame them. The more you know, the better prepared you’ll be.”

Our mom looked over at us with a look of concern. “But they never go out with at least their father. I’d rather they not go alone.”

    “Dad isn’t always going to be with us 24 hours a day,” I said. “Besides, Jack is now the best hunter in the family. I need the practice.”

The few moments it took for my mom to speak seemed like torture to me. The longer we waited, the sooner it would get dark, and that was a bad idea. I didn’t want to be out in the woods at night fall. That’s when people messed up and got killed.
Jack went over to our mother and put his arm around her, silently assuring her that we would be okay. Finally, she took a deep breath and nodded.

    “But, only for a couple of hours,” she said. “I mean it, okay?”

We both nodded and Chub laughed. “I knew you would cave in, Mary,” he said. “You couldn’t say no to those faces.”  He held up his hands when my mother shot him a dirty look. “Hey, if those kids need anything, they can just text me or something and I’ll help them out. It’s good that they are trying this on their own.”

Before my mother could say anything else, I grabbed Jack’s hand and waved goodbye to everyone else. We headed out into the woods, knowing that the three we left behind were watching us intently.  I kept getting a bad feeling that we may be followed, but I tried to push that aside. I had to stay focused on the task at hand. I needed to find Zander
Of course, the walk was silent. Jack kept looking around as we went, making sure we weren’t surprised by the side. With every crack of a twig nearby, Jack’s hand on the gun tightened.
After what seemed like forever, I was about to give up the search.  It was no use and what did I really  expect to happen? Zander to see me and instantly turn back to who he was before? It didn’t work that way.
Jack sensed my frustration and put his hand on my arm to stop me.  I did and turned around to face him. The look on his face said it all. There was no point to this.
Maybe he was right. Maybe this was just a useless and stupid decision on my part.

    “You think we should just give up, huh?” I asked.

Jack nodded his head in response. The wind started to blow and I pulled my blonde hair into a ponytail. I didn’t want to give up, but I didn’t want to go too far. We had  no idea where we were even going.

    “You know how to get home, don’t you?” I asked, looking around at where we ended up. I didn’t recognize anything. Everything started to look pretty eerie.
Jack nodded his head again. He looked at me for confirmation to go home and I had to nod slowly. It was getting late and my hopes had disappeared.  Before we could start moving again, Jack’s head turned to the left. He cocked his head and listened intently.  I tried to do the same to know what he was hearing. I didn’t hear anything.

    “What do you hear?” I asked and that caused Jack to clap a hand over my mouth, shaking his head.

I shut up and waited for Jack. He looked pretty serious as he stood there with the gun ready in his hands. I had never shot a zombie before, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to do so.  That zombie used to be a person, too. Just like Zander used to be a person. Wait. What if….?

    “It could be Zander,” I said, pushing past my brother without thinking.

If Jack could talk, I’m sure he would have said something extremely nasty at that moment.  I felt him rush to my side, mentally cursing me along the way. I paid no attention to him. I could feel Zander nearby. It had to be him.
We came across a river and Jack pulled me hard on the arm, yanking me backwards. Before I could protest, he shook his head and pointed to the far side of the water. There he was, swaying like he always did.  I glanced at Jack who stood there, staring at Zander. He seemed in disbelief at what he saw. Him and Zander were friends and now there he was, not the same Zander we knew and loved.
I had to get close to him. I had to touch him. There was something drawing me close to where Zander stood, even though the dangers could be waiting for me. Jack kept close to me, keeping the gun raised.

    “He won’t hurt me,” I whispered.

Jack’s eyes narrowed and I sighed. “I just know, okay? Zander would never hurt me.”
Zander stood still as we got closer. He looked over at us with those beautiful eyes of his that now looked empty. But, I knew he was in there. He had to be.

    “Hey, Zander, it’s me again. Remember me? Meg?” I asked, slowly. I was only a few feet away now. I was almost close enough to touch him.

    “So, Zander, I know that you may be confused right now, but it’s okay.” I smiled. “Because I’m here now and I want to help you. Will you let me do that?”

He never blinked. Zander just stood there with that same empty expression on his face. I could feel Jack tense up behind me.  I wish he had felt the same comfort I did when I was around Zander.  There was nothing to worry about. How I knew this, I wasn’t too sure, but I wasn’t about to argue with this voice in my head.
Without thinking, I brought my hand out closer to him. Zander kept looking at my face as I reached even closer. Jack tensed up even more, but I was still confident at what I was doing.
Keeping my eyes on his face, my hand finally made contact with his hand. My heart felt like it was about to pound out of my chest, but Zander made no movement to hurt me. He looked down at my hand and then back at my face.
His mouth opened and my breath caught in my chest. What was he about to do? Jack brought the gun up closer with his finger on the trigger.
It wasn’t necessary.

    “Muhhhh.”

What did that even mean? I almost smiled at the sound, but kept my composure. “What
did you say?” I asked.

It was almost as if he answered my question. “Muhhhh.”

I started to laugh. I really wanted to throw my arms around him and hug him so badly, but I knew that I shouldn’t. That was pushing it.

    “Muhhhh.”

I like to think that meant I love you in zombie talk. Maybe I was going to need a zombie translator.
I was too deep in the moment to hear the crackle of leaves nearby. I was too focused on Zander to notice what was coming towards us.



*To be continued

Read more »

Posted in: Love,serial story,serial story tuesday,The Talent,Zombies

Why I Like A Certain Music Festival

The weather here in Missouri doesn't appear to like me very much as of late. On Saturday, lightning hit my house and knocked out my internet connection and phone line for a few days (luckily, the power still held strong..). So, I haven't blogged or really written anything since Saturday.  But, let's talk about something else, yeah? :)

I've been asked so many times what inspires my writing. I'd have to say that it's music. Most of the time, I can't write if some kind of music is playing  in the background. Sometimes, I need to evoke a certain emotion that maybe a song can help get me to. So, yes. Music is very important to me. I tend to lean more towards the rock genre (whether it be punk, hardcore, alternative, metal..yes, I do listen to metal lol).

So when I found out a few of my favorite bands were playing at Warped Tour this year, of course I had to get tickets. If you don't know what Warped Tour is, let me try to explain as best as I can. It's basically a punk rock music festival that travels all across the country throughout the summer. It's an all day event and it's an awesome hot, sweaty day. In order to survive the heat, you have to drink several bottles of water and continue to coat yourself with sunblock (unless you like the lobster look...). It's where people are free to be who they are and not get judged if they have an "emo" haircut or a green mohawk.  People walk around with their tattoos showing the individuals they are. It's fun to be able to enjoy the music with people who appreciate it just as much as you do. Around the area I live in, it's all country music. People don't know even know the bands I'm talking about. If they do,  it's rare.

On August 3, I'll be making a trip up to St. Louis, Missouri so I can let go of all the stress the past year has brought and have fun. I hope everyone reading this takes the time to plan a little trip and do the same. You have to have some fun, you know haha. But, I understand if a punk rock music festival isn't your thing. :)

Have a great weekend! Oh... and check out my blog, The Undeveloped Story, later on tonight for part 6 of my serial story, Muhhhh: A Zombie Love Story. I wasn't able to post it on Tuesday because of, well, those pesky internet issues.

Read more »

Posted in: Entertainment,music,personal stories,serial story tuesday,The Talent,weather

April Fool's Day Memory by: "El Jefe"

I actually posted this last year on April Fools Day.  Due to its popularity, I am reposting it for this year.  Enjoy:



Today is  April Fool’s Day!!!  I love it!!  A friend emailed me this list of office pranks.  I highly recommend that you try a few of these. These pranks are funny and harmless.  Remember, always use good judgment when playing pranks on coworkers (especially your boss).#10 - Clipped

Make some photocopies of a paperclip.  Then put them into the paper tray of the copier and watch your coworkers going nuts trying to find the paperclip stuck somewhere in the copier.#9 - Taking Notes

Replace the victim’s pens with pens that have caps super-glued to them.  Another alternative includes painting the tips of pens or pencils with clear nail polish. When they try to write, none of the pens will work.  The nail polish can be later removed by dipping tips in polish remover.#8 - What Do You Want?

If your phone system has conference calling, you can prank two coworkers at once.  First, call the first coworker’s extension, then quickly call the second coworker and conference them in. Then listen to them argue over who called whom!#7 - Human Voicemail

Have coworkers persistently call the victim asking for Larry (or any other name as long as there is no one by that name in the office).  Leaving voicemail for Larry works as well.  At the end of the day, call them and ask:  “Hi! This is Larry! Do you have any messages for me?”#6 - Who’s Calling?

Leave a note on the victim’s desk that “Mr. Lyon” called for them (Mr. Behr also works) and wants to be called back as soon as possible.  Make sure to include the phone number of a local zoo as the call back number!#5 - Can You Hear Me?

Tape down the hook that presses down when the handset is in the cradle so when the phone starts ringing and they pick it up, it will keep ringing.  For an extra effect, put a little piece of scotch tape over the microphone of the phone receiver.#4 - It’s Possessed!

If you have a wireless mouse, plug the receiver into your coworkers computer (leaver their mouse plugged in).  Then periodically, as they are using the computer, use your mouse to slightly move the cursor on their screen.   If you have two coworkers’ computers in close proximity, just switch the cords around randomly (mouse, keyboard, monitors, etc.) and watch the coworkers go crazy trying to figure out what’s going on!#3 - Roller Coaster

If a coworker’s office chair has a lever that adjusts its height, tie it with a piece of cord underneath the chair in its adjusting position.  Once the victim sits on the chair, it will slide all the way down, but as soon as they stand up, it will rise back all the way up.#2 - Important Papers

Take random papers from the recycling bin (it doesn’t matter what they way but it is better if they look important) staple pages together in random order and put them in a coworkers desk file drawer or their mailbox.  For better results, make a memo sheet (or a post-it) that says “Confidential” and watch the coworker going nuts trying to figure out what it means.

#1 -  Let’s Prank’em!

Send a coworker the e-mail below (Just don’t click on the link unless you want to spend 10 minutes closing annoying popup messages).  It works like magic if the victim is a known prankster.  They will most likely fall victim of this prank while thinking they are about to prank someone else!  In our book, this makes the following the funniest office prank of all:

Copy-paste and e-mail them the following message:

 Hey, can you help me play this prank on someone in the office? This is hilarious, check it out:http://www.resumark.org/blog/funniest-april-fools-day-prank.html



Good Luck!!!
 

Read more »

Posted in: Aprils Fools Day,Jokes,Miscellaneous,personal stories,The Talent

El Jefe - Diet Update

Good News Everyone!  My diet is going well and I would call it an early success!  Remember, I started out at around 207 and as of today, I am down to 199. 

You probably want to know how I have done it.  That seems to be the big question these days.  I am waiting for Richard Simmons to give me a call and ask for some advice.  Maybe even the guys from "The Biggest Loser" will want to know my secret!

Anyway, I made three very simple changes that everyone can do:
1.  I am starting to eat a lot less.  I used to eat till I got full and then tried to finish my food.  I kept going.  Now, If I feel close to full, I stop, even if there is still some lasagna on the plate, I am done.
2.  I am eating my big meal of the day at lunch instead of dinner.  This helps immensely as now I am not going to bed with a lot of food in my stomach that won't get burned off and stored into fat.  This is a big change.
3. I am the Boys soccer coach at my high school.  This year, I am running with the team more often and taking part in alot of the drills.  This is helping me burn calories.  You don't have to be a coach though -- Just get out there and start walking, running, exercising.

I will keep you posted!  El Jefe

Read more »

Posted in: diet,diet update,health and fitness,personal stories,The Talent

Diet update: Grip Style

So its been about a week from my last update and I can honestly say I've feel that I've done pretty well. As I was getting ready to get on that scale I was pretty confident that I would be at the same weight or I lost some pounds. I walk up to the scale and I look down to see that I have lost two more pounds. Now its not much but I did hit my goal of being getting into the 320's by my next update.

Read more »

Posted in: diet update,Fitness,Grip Johnson,personal stories,The Talent

MLB Opening Day Preview (Video)

Read more »

Posted in: Grip Johnson,MLB,Opening day,Preview,sports,The Talent

Weight Loss Update! Chubster!

Ahhhh the fine Tuesday mornings when I know that stepping on the scale is definitely not something I want to do.  I truly love those Tuesday mornings!  NOT!

I knew this weigh in was not going to be pleasant. 

Read more »

Posted in: Cantina El Chub,Chub Johnson,health and fitness,personal stories,The Talent,weight loss update

Why The French Hate Americans

When I lived in Mexico, I knew about 10 Frenchmen who were studying at the Tec (The School Where I worked and studied for my Graduate Degree, Also called ITESM.) A friend of mine was dating one of them, so I went to some of their parties, hung out with them from time to time, and even played pick up games of soccer with them.

Read more »

Posted in: Contributors Thoughts,personal stories,The Talent

OOPS! - I Should Have Stayed Sick

El Jefe here with another diet update.  Not a good one either.  Since I have been feeling better, I have been eating better.  Despite soccer season starting and playing with the team in practice, I have actually gained a couple of pounds over the past two days.  I am at 205 Lbs.  I was going to run today, but we got three inches of snow last night so screw that!  I really need to move back to Texas or maybe Arizona or out to Cali with the Write Guyz so I wouldn't have to worry about snow and cold weather.  This really blows!!!

WTF!?!?!  I have to get serious.  I have to change my attitude and focus on losing weight!   I am thinking of doing something drastic...I just don't know what yet.  When I figure it out, I will let you know.  And don't worry, it will be earth shattering!!!

Read more »

Posted in: diet update,health and fitness,personal stories,The Talent,written post

The -istas

I wrote a thing on my blog, El Blog de Steve , over a year ago about the overuse of the suffix -ista on everything.  Luckily, after that post the use of the word seemed to drop off.  Maybe people are listening to me. 

Well, I think it is time for a reminder!  Over the past week, I have heard various -ista terms used by friends, colleagues and on TV.  I bet I have heard -ista at least 12 times in a week.  Come on people.  Because of this, I am sharing my original -ista article with the readers of The Blogg Pound.  Maybe you all can help me spread the word! 

I have been more than a little annoyed recently with the adding of "-ista" to the end of everything (i.e. fashionista, Bookista, anythingtodowithpolitics-ista...etc.)

At first, I thought it just meant someone that was an expert on the subject that appears before the -ista.  Well, I have to admit I was a little wrong (And I am rarely wrong, so make a note of this moment -- It probably won't happen again for a few years).

Anyway, I have found that this term -ista means that you are someone who is into/obsessed with whatever comes before the "-ista". You are not necessarily an expert, just obsessed with it. 

OK, so who came up with this thing?  How did it get into the English language?  Heck, -ista isn't even "English" but rather used often in Spanish (I am a Spanish teacher, so I know these things)

There are a couple of things that bother me about this new colloquialism. The first being that it exists at all.  Sounds kind of stupid to me. If it must exist then why does it not include ALL interests. To me, it would appear that all "-istas" are women concerned with their particular demographics. Hence the -ista ending.  It is a feminine ending (the -a is used for females, if it was male, then it would be an -o)  So, why not us guys?  Are we just not qualified to be -istas?  Think of the possibilities!

Photo source:
Eduwonk.com

...a Journalista.

Photo Source:
kungfuculture.org

...a Kung Fuista

Photo Source:
Collegecandy.com

...a Chickista.

Photo Source:
Gawker.com

...a Chucknorrista.

Photo courtesy:
imdb.com

...a Dudeista.














Just Think of the Possibilities...It is endless.  That means it is going to be overused in the near future.  I am already sick of it.  And Please don't call me a Blogista...

Read more »

Posted in: jimmy kicks,personal stories,The Boss,The Talent

Trying To Let It Be

It's been sort of a rough few weeks for me. I guess maybe I should explain a little. You see, around four years ago, I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. I tend to suffer from moderate to severe panic attacks in sometimes random situations.

I've always been sort of a nervous person. I get that from my dad. There's a history of mental illness in my family ranging from OCD to anxiety disorder. My older brother  suffered from it before I did and so I saw how hard it was for him. It wasn't something I wanted to go through, but I did. Okay, I still do.

When I was in college, I went through my first bout of the anxiety disorder. I would find myself at home during weekends or breaks and that's when the attacks really hit. It seemed like when I was alone or had nothing to do when the brain took over and a panic attack would hit. I still remember my very first one. I was sitting in my bedroom in the very spot where I am typing this post. All of a sudden, I started thinking about everything that I had to get done and all of these negative thoughts hit me. My heart started racing and my whole body started to tingle. My chest felt heavy like I couldn't breathe. I remember waking up my mom and of course, she didn't really know what to do for me except try to talk me through it. Sometimes that helps, sometimes it doesn't.  After awhile, I decided to go to therapy because I was pretty exhausted from the recent insomnia that hit and all of the panic attacks. They can be pretty draining.

A few years later, I guess I've learned to control them on my own. Although, the other night, I was at the movies with my friend and my brother and yeah.. a panic attack almost completely hit me. Why? Because I was sitting there and my brain took control again. I was thinking about student loans I had to pay off and with me being unemployed at the moment, that can be a little frustrating to figure out. But, near the end of the movie, I walked outside and got some fresh air.   Was it embarrassing for me to have to do that? Yeah, but that's just the way it goes sometimes. I can't help it.

A lot of people suffer from a mental illness of some sort. Some people don't like to talk about it because there's always a stigma that becomes attached to it. I've had people back away from me after they learn I suffer from anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. It's almost like they feel they are going to catch it.

Here are some things I would tell people who may not understand people with mental illness:

• It's not contagious
• There isn't an off switch for us (so telling us to just stop thinking about the bad things isn't really helping)
• We're still human beings (so treat us like one)
• Inform yourself about a mental illness a loved one might have so you can understand a little about what they are going through
• Sometimes all we need is just someone to talk to. Even if you don't have the answers. We know you don't have them. 

The current book I'm working on deals with self-harm (ie: cutting, burning, scratching, hair pulling, etc.). I want to give a voice to people who may not feel comfortable speaking up for themselves. I want people to know that it's okay to talk about it. That you're not alone. Because it can feel awfully lonely when people shut you out for some "issues" you might have.

Like the great Beatles once said: "All you need is love.. love is all you need."

If you have any questions about my type of mental illness (maybe you know someone suffering from it), feel free to ask me. I don't mind answering questions about it.

Read more »

Posted in: jimmy kicks,personal stories,The Talent

Diet Update - El Jefe loses Weight!!!

Nothing like being sick to lose weight!  Just a quick diet update.  I got sick last Thursday and still do not feel 100%.  I had actually gained a couple of pounds up until Thursday, but over the last 5 days, I have lost 5 pounds.  Probably because I hate eating when I can't taste anything.  I have bucket-loads of phlegm and mocos going down my throat.  Tonight was the first real mean I have eaten since Friday lunch.  Anyway, I am at about 204 right now.  Well on my way.  I need to get sick more often.

Read more »

Posted in: diet update,health and fitness,personal stories,The Talent

Ready To Read Another Serial Story Installment?

Sorry, I haven't really been doing much updating here. I've been busy with writing and trying to work on my own blog. But, here I am, ready to post another installment of my new serial story. If you missed parts 1-4, you can hop over to my blog, The Undeveloped Story, and read it there. :) Let me know what you think!

Muhhhh: A Zombie Love Story

Part 5

    “Meg? What’s going on?”
My mother repeated her question as I stood there with the shot gun feeling pretty heavy in my hand.  My family looked down at the gun and then back at me, expecting an answer.
    “Well, it’s a pretty funny story…”
Chub cut in with a smile on his face. “You see, I needed some help chasing off a zombie, so Meg here decided to help out.” He patted me on the shoulder. “You raised a nice kid here.”
Everyone looked at me again. I nodded my head slowly. “Yeah, that’s it.  My assistance was needed. Good thing I stayed home, huh?”
The only one who didn’t look convinced was my father. “Wait, you needed help, Chub?” he asked. “You never claim to need help when I offer it. But, you need assistance from an 18 year old?”
The attention was then put on Chub who didn’t seem to let the phase him in the slightest. He shrugged and placed the rifle on his shoulder.  “Maybe if you were nicer, I would enjoy having you help me.
    “Being nice doesn’t kill zombies.”
    “Well being grouchy doesn’t help me,” Chub said with a smirk. “Watch it, old man. I’ll slap the face off your face.”
With a wink and a slap on my dad’s shoulder, Chub walked off to his house, a slight swagger in his steps.  My dad shook his head and muttered something that sounded like, “Like that would happen.” He walked off into the house, leaving us to gather up the supplies and put them in the house.
After dinner, I sat up in my room, thinking about what happened that day.  Even though he had changed so much, I knew that the zombie I saw for the past few days was Zander. It had to be.  My eyes went over to the photograph of me and Zander at our high school graduation. We were both so happy to be rid of the place we felt was prison. We had all of these great plans.  During the summer, we were going to go backpacking through Europe with a few of our friends. Zander always wanted to go to Europe especially Scotland.  Being the romantic that he was, he always told me he wanted to get married there one day. I envisioned us getting married at some old but beautiful castle with all of these green fields surrounding it. Then, when fall came, we were both going to head to New York City where he was going to major in Pre-Law at NYU and I was going to go to film school. We started searching for apartments, groaning about how expensive and small they were, but inside we were excited to be getting out of North Carolina. It was all coming together.
Then, the zombies came and destroyed all of that.  During all of the chaos that happened at the beginning, Zander’s whole family disappeared. I knew something was wrong because Zander wouldn’t have left me. If he was running away from all of this, he would have taken me with me.
My parents sat me down and told me to move on. They told me to let him go because he was gone. They feared the worst and he wasn’t coming back.
Well, they were wrong. He did. Unfortunately as a zombie.
I smiled sadly. I guess nobody saw that one coming. Not even me.  Now what was I to do? I just couldn’t bear the thought of anyone killing him. The image of my father and Chub going on their daily hunts made me grimace. It could easily happen and I had to make sure it didn’t.
I had to be honest with myself. My boyfriend was now a zombie. Perfect, I thought. Just perfect.
A week went by and I didn’t see Zander. I would wait up at night by my bedroom window, hoping he would show up beneath it again. After the fifth night of another no-show, I started to get worried. Whenever my dad came home from his hunts, I would ask him if he had killed any zombies and if he had, I would ask him to describe them. He would always give me a weird look and shake his head.  He never described Zander and for that I was thankful.
The next day I knew I had to get out there and look for him, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to sneak out by myself. I needed some help. I needed an accomplice. Who better than someone who wouldn’t talk?
I pulled Jack aside after breakfast and said, “I really need your help.”
Jack gave me a look that I knew said, “I’m not interested.” But I wasn’t going to hear that.
    “I’m serious, Jack. It’s important. Please?”
Finally, he sighed and nodded. He raised his eyebrows, wanting to hear more about what I needed.  I knew I had to confide in someone. There was no way I could do this by myself. Plus, I was going to drive myself crazy if I kept it to myself. Maybe Jack could give me some advice. Of course, it would be in his own silent way, but it’d still be advice.
After I told him that I found Zander, his blue eyes widened. He shook his head in disbelief.
    “It’s true,” I whispered. “I saw him. There’s just a slight catch..” Jack looked at me, his eyes now narrowed. I took a deep breath. Here we go. “You see, he’s now a zombie.”
Jack shook his head almost violently.  He mouthed “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
    “I’m not kidding. Please, Jack. Please help me. I have to know for certain or it will drive me crazy. If it’s him, I don’t want anything bad to happen to him.”
My brother whirled around and grabbed a piece of paper and a pen from the stand nearby. He started to write something down furiously and afterwards he shoved it in my face. I read:
  
There is no way that it’s Zander. He’s gone. Let it go. Even if it is, you can’t do anything about it. He’s a friggin’ zombie, Meg.  You can’t have an attachment to a zombie.  You’re going to get hurt and then it’ll be my ass. No way.

I ripped up the piece of paper and threw it in the trashcan. “You don’t understand, Jack. I’m going to do this whether you help me or not. Wouldn’t it make you feel better if you were there? Jack, it’s Zander. Come on. I’m sure he remembers me. He has to.”
Jack rolled his eyes and sighed. He nodded his head slowly and I grinned.
    “Great. Let’s get going.”

Read more »

Posted in: Love,serial story,serial story tuesday,The Talent,writer,writing,Zombies

Chub Weightloss Update!!

Although today is not the official weigh in day, I couldn't help myself and decided to weigh myself this morning.

Weighing myself one day in advance can be heartbreaking sometimes.........
But it definitely wasn't the case for me this morning!!!!!!!!!  Today I weighed in at 375lbs.  I lost a total of 3 lbs last week.  I know a lot of people look at three pounds and pretty much scuff at it, but I am very proud of my three pounds.  I am currently at a total weight loss of 17lbs.  Grip and I started our weight loss challenge on Jan 3rd 2011.

I know someone my size could lose weight a lot faster, but I am okay with the pace I have going for myself.  I don't have the need to starve myself, or go all crazy at the gym.  All I've been doing is making sure I make conscious choices of what I put in my body, as well as the activity I do throughout the day.  In addition, on the weekends I try to go out with my wife a little bit more.  Whether it be just to purchase groceries or look around at the mall.

My goal is to be under 350 by the time June comes around.

Chub Out!
www.thewriteguyz.com

Read more »

Posted in: chub diet,Chub Johnson,personal stories,The Talent

SOCOM 2: FLASHBACK FRIDAY (CHUB JOHNSON)

Read more »

Posted in: Chub Johnson,personal stories,Socom 2,Socom 4,The Talent