I Wonder

Hey All,

Hope the holidays and all the festivities are treating you well!!!! Me…I’m all SHOPPED OUT! Today’s blog title is brought to you by Kanye West. It’s a song I’ve played for a few years now and always had in my backpocket for a blog like today’s.

So with that…here goes…

Ten Things I’m pretty sure I think.

1. I really think that sometimes good things fall apart…so better things can fall together.

2. To the "throwback" lady in the jean jacket, and full length jean skirt that hit me with HER shopping cart and promptly gave me the finger…um…”1985 called, they really….really would like you back.” Plus that perm you had…oh dear. Too easy.

3. As I stated before, been called “Retardedly Optimistic” and now a new one to add to the stable…”Persistently Annoying,” but I think both are pretty damn cool descriptors...and for the record neither were used in a demeaning manor. At least I didn't take them that way.

4. Surprisingly…not watching TV has been one of the better decisions I have made in quite some time. Total pages written since December 1st thru December 17th....347. That's a lot of stuff in 17 days.

5. I love mockumentaries. They are some of the best shows and movies out there. (See Parks and Recreation, The Office, Modern Family, Best In Show, Reno 911, Total Drama Island) just to name a few.

6. In case I haven’t said it lately…Tracy Morgan is one of THE funniest guys on the planet. On 30 Rock, he’s just too damn funny. I could watch him on that show any day of the week. If you can hear me NBC (1^st. Hire me. 2^nd get a Tracy Morgan/Jordan app for the iPhone.)

7. Funniest quote I’ve read this week, not by Tracy Morgan:

a. “So you met her? What was it like to stare into the eye of Satan's butthole?" Ron Swanson…Parks and Recreation (This singlehandedly MIGHT be one of THE greatest quotes of all time. I am still laughing at this. GENIUS Parks and Recreation, and even better execution by the actor who plays Ron Swanson)

b. Same episode…”Everytime she laughs an angel dies” again courtesy of Ron Swanson Parks and Recreation.

8. Chipotle…you are the greatest source of food ever. I love you…so much

9. I need to go and buy new notebooks, and archive the 4 dozen or so that are currently sitting on my desk.

10. A rearview mirror is just that. A way to look back on things from our past. I’ve decided to break my mirror and never look back at anything. History…is history. Always keep moving forward.

The story behind the contract – After years of pursuing writing on my own and trying to get my foot in the door, I decided to do something different, which brings on the term “Persistently Annoying.” Basically…and this might sound bad…I hounded this poor guy and practically begged him to read my sample spec script. Which…he finally did and about an hour after he read it, he called. Wasn’t expecting that. Really I wasn’t. Usually you get the “F” off or the “we are going in another direction” or the ever awesome and classic line of "never contact me again," but he didn’t. He called and asked me to send him something else. Which since I was sitting next to my computer I was able to send it out right away. An Hour later in my e-mail I had an agency contract of which I printed and read about 6 times and then finally signed Wednesday afternoon.

So what does that mean for me?

1. I have an agent! Although my contract doesn’t kick in until 1-1-11. (I wanted to write that…lots of ones)

2. I have deadlines to submit new spec scripts (A spec script is a script based off of an existing show (Grey’s Anatomy, Rescue Me, Community, Parks and Recreation, or any TV show that aired in the 2010-2011 season…only current shows). My spec script was a Grey's Anatomy episode.

3. Any great TV scripts will be pushed up to the respective shows for consideration for production OR a possible job on the staff. Neither is a guarantee to happen. I am currently rewriting my sample based on some recommendations.

4. I will get to write feature movie scripts and then submit them as well, so I am going to rewrite a few that I have.

That’s it. Whatever nonexistent social life I had before will now be spent hunkered over a pen and paper. This is what I’ve wanted since I was 12 and I’ve got my big toe in the door and I need to pry it open and step in.

To the following Artists –

1. Katy Perry 1 and 2

2. Rhianna

3. Fly like a G6 girl

4. Justin Beiber

5. Sarah Bareilles

Please, Please PLEASE Stop making catchy songs!!!!!!!! I can’t get you all out of my head.

Tracy Jordan 30 Rock Quote of the week –

“I’m saying the Disneyfication of New York is over, everyone. At the stroke of midnight, your Lexus is going to turn back into a hot pile of rats fighting over a human finger.” Tracy Jordan.

Things that REALLY make me laugh:

Leroy Jenkins - Best video ever, watch until the end.

Movie of the Week - Um..Tron 3D. Duh. Jordan and I saw it…and I was literally blown away. So freaking awesome. Of course we watched the original Tron a few weeks ago, and he loved it. This movie…might be one of THE best movies of the last year. The visualization. The story. The acting. The effects. Amazing. I mean. Wow. I am pretty sure I’ll see it again a few times. I love that movie. If you have some time….go see it. You will love it. I promise you. I haven’t steered you wrong.

By the way...Daft Punk...you did an AWESOME job on the soundtrack. Well done. Loved every second of that...plus you Cameo'd love it.

The end of the blog is here. I don’t have many plans during my three weeks off. Writing and Christmas stuff, and for sure not giving a damn about work. HA! I hope you all have a great Christmas holiday and that it’s spent with family and friends and all that blah blah. Thanks for reading, keep smiling, and God bless you all!

King of Anything

Hey All,

I needed to blog, so for me that makes two in the last few weeks. I’ve apparently got the blog bug again. This week’s blog title is brought to you by Sara Bareilles. Love this song. Love her. She is a very talented artist and most of her songs are catchy. This is one of them. Plus this is a very well done video. Always a fan of great video’s. So with that, here goes the blog...

So whenever I have surgery (September 13th this year) related to my cancer treatment from two years ago, it’s sort of mandatory that I have to do therapy sessions since it is related to that. Great. I have no problem with that as I seem to learn a lot. This week’s 10 things are what my therapist thinks. One from each session I had to attend with the last session being the day before Thanksgiving. And I love my therapist, she’s actually pretty funny.

Ten Things My therapist thinks. My opinion in italics.

1. Apparently I am retardedly optimistic about everything. I see the positive in everything and apparently that can be detrimental to our health, especially when we never expect bad things to happen. My unprofessional opinion is…she’s wrong. I see the silver lining in everything, even when there seems to be no hope at all. Um…for the record as I told her…I’m here as a result of something “bad” happening, and I lived thru it. OPTIMISM at its finest.
   
   
2. I use humor as a defense mechanism. Fact. I can’t help it. I think that it’s better to laugh than to fight.
3. Apparently I don’t get angry as most people do. That is a problem as well according to her. Um…yeah this is true. I don’t see the point in being angry. It’s a waste of time. See number 2.
4. I should be more confident in every aspect of my life. Yeah…she’s right. Apparently confidence is sexy or something like that.
5. I have the imagination of a 12 year old and that it is overactive. A little too overactive for a man my age. I wasn’t even offended. I took this as a compliment. She said it wasn’t meant to be a compliment. Again…I laughed. It’s still funny as I type this. This might be the coolest compliment I’ve ever received. Ever. Not even a joke!
6. That I don’t take enough risks. I have taken a lot of risks. It seems that when I do I get burned. But 2011 different year for sure, I assured her of that. Might be the most important year of my life.
7. That I’m too trusting. Um…yes and no. I do trust people and get burned more often times than not. I can’t change who I am.
8. That I’m a dreamer. A big dreamer and maybe I should try to live in the real world. I’m a dreamer. However, should I just settle for ordinary and accept what life has given me. No. Instead I choose to dream and work towards them. Besides…the real world sucks from time to time.
9. That I’m too competitive. Um…guilty. I am competitive enough to fight people, or yell at friends over video games…it’s an epidemic.
10. That for a middle child, I don’t fit the perfectionist mold, yet I strive for it. I know that perfection can never be achieved, but who says I can’t work toward it. I want to be perfect in some areas of my life especially my writing and being a parent, and making the best of each and every day.

December to Remember – I spend most of my time writing, watching TV and thinking. I think a lot. Like a lot a lot. I workout, spend time with Jordan and I repeat this cycle over and over. December is going to be different. Like really different. I don’t know why but I can feel it. I think for the most part it has to do with some decisions I am making.

1. Goodbye Television - Any of you that know me knows that I watch TV a lot. In the office, at home, at the gym. All of it. I now look at it as a major hindrance to doing what I need to accomplish. So December 1^st off with the TV.
1. Side note: This will not apply to football. I have to be able to watch football. Rest of it…off. Will not watch anything else that’s for sure.
2. This may kill me.
3. I have to do this in order to move forward.
2. Out of the house more – I refuse to be a recluse as I have been. I’ve spent a considerable amount of time with my couch, and I need to get out and see the world.
3. Finishing the two scripts I’ve been working on before December 31^st. Get those out of the way.
4. Aiming to hit the gym 27 of the 31 days of the month with the exception of the Holidays.

I can do this.

Goodbye – It’s never easy to say goodbye to a person, place, thing, dream, or something you hold dear. In fact it is probably the hardest thing any of us have to do. So I’ll say this in short…In the time that I had I enjoyed every moment. It was by far one of the greatest periods of time in my life. I will always be grateful for the time, the fun, and the memories. My life is better for the experiences and I’ll never forget how my life was enriched. God Bless, you’ll be in my prayers.

TV Show of the week – Community. One of the best show’s you're probably not watching. Humor in every show. I mean at least 5 or 6 truly laugh out loud moments. In two seasons they’ve had some truly memorable shows. Three of my favorites:

1. Season 1, Episode 23: Modern Warfare – for One reason, they took a paintball episode and turned it into one of the BEST episodes of television anywhere. I dare you to watch this episode and not laugh out loud. Truly great television.
2. Season 2, Episode 6: Epidemiology – Another great episode of TV. Since vampires are all the rage, they went the zombie route and made a truly phenomenal episode of zombies. Loved every minute of this one. Truly epic.
3. Season 2, Episode 9: Conspiracy Theories and Interior Design – if you’ve ever been an imaginative kid you know that building forts is the best thing ever. But they took it to an entirely new level and made it school wide. As you can see in this clip…sometimes you only get three farting strikes. See the whole episode here.

Side note: They are doing a claymation episode this week. AMAZING. I'll have to watch it in January. Stupid self imposed TV ban...

Movie of the Week - I love animation. I mean it is just simply amazing. Sometimes you just sit back and enjoy a great movie. Tangled is that rare Disney movie that really makes you laugh out loud hard. I know Disney is known for animation but lately Disney hasn’t been banging out too many hits (Dreamworks and Pixar and Fox Animation Studios have all had the bigger hits lately) but trust me…if you want to see a truly funny/great/well cast movie. Check out Tangled. You will not be disappointed. Loved every minute of it.

The end of the blog is here. Always good to clear out the brain. I hope that you all had a great/fantastic/awesome Thanksgiving holiday. It’s my favorite holiday and it did not disappoint as usual. I hope that you all have a wonderful week. Thanks for reading, and God Bless.

Lost One...

Hey All,

Wow…it’s been nearly 10 months since I last blogged, for me that is a LONG Time a really long time. Of course things don’t always go as planned, but that’s the way life is I suppose. So with that, here is the return of the blog….Today’s blog title is brought to you by Jay-Z ft Chrisette Michele. You lose some, you win some...Story of a Champion.

Ten Things I’m pretty sure I think…

1. For all my Alaska Airlines friends, we lost a great man in Lamont Sims. He was one of the best people I had ever had the privilege of knowing. His laugh, his willingness to help people whenever/wherever. Just a kind gentle man. For a man with such a big heart, it sucks that his gave out too soon…It was great to see all of you a few weeks ago, just sucks it had to be under such dire circumstances. Seems too many people that I know have passed away in the last few years. Sad Indeed.
2. If you want to move forward in life, sometimes you have to let the past go in order to make positive steps forward. Regardless of what the past is, sometimes it hinders you from doing what you need to do.
3. Been spending a lot of time writing lately. I have a new TV pilot I want to shoot, actually 3 new pilots. I have the first episode of each complete and am currently thinking about casting options and trying to secure the means to shoot/edit all three soon. Now in intense rewriting phase. I think I can shoot one pilot each month starting January.
4. Been a recluse lately. Work. Home. Gym. Work. Home. Gym. Work. Home. Gym. Not much else besides that. Such an exciting life.
5. Dallas. Cowboys. = Huge Disappointment. Not sure how you go from “Alleged” Super Bowl Contender to lackluster 1-6 season. The only D in Dallas now stands for Defeated or Done, or Dumbasses.
6. Not sure why it took me so long to discover it, but Netflix is one of the best things ever. Seriously. Logged a lot of hours watching shows and stuff. Been a revelation to discover how awesome it is.
7. I truly believe they will find a cure for the common cold before they ever find one for a broken heart. And that necessarily doesn’t have to do with love or relationships either.
8. Still not sure what God has planned for my life, but I’m still waiting. Seems that I’m just in a holding pattern right now. I am happy, and that’s all anyone can really ask for.
9. If I never had an appreciation for the gym, I definitely do now. I love going to the gym and getting a good workout in. Results are starting to show a bit, pretty happy about that.
10. Can’t believe its November…damn this year has flown by fast. Almost too fast.

Goals – Won’t be setting any this next year. It seems that when I make a bunch of them, I flame spectacularly. I had a chance to review the ones I set for myself earlier this year and as of today, none have really been accomplished. So this next year is an experiment. If I don’t set any goals, I won’t be disappointed by the outcome at the end of the year if not one of them have yet to be achieved. That doesn’t mean I’m turning into cynical pessimistic guy, but more like realistic, nose to the grind stone, serious optimistic guy. A new approach, but sometimes you have to make changes in your life and in yourself to move forward. Time to move forward. Big Time…in so many areas of my life.




The Block of the Writer – Or commonly referred to as Writer’s Block. Recently went through the second longest stretch of it (13 Days without writing, longest is 27) and to snap out of it (of course I had to with 2 feature movies to finish and 3 TV pilots to rewrite) I just stopped thinking about it. Of course my apartment is now spotless from cleaning nearly every nook and cranny. But it sucks! I mean it literally sucks to not be able to write when that’s my primary focus. Thirteen Days (Don’t ask why, but this movie always seems to snap me out of it)…you’ve saved me yet again. And the inspiration to write has returned…and I desperately needed to be inspired.

One of My Next Projects – is one I’m pretty excited about. Ever since I was a kid I wanted to host SNL and someday that may come true, but until then, I am going to produce/direct/write/ and even have a starring role is called “Short Order.” It’s a half hour sketch comedy show much like “In Living Color.” (1, 2, 3, 4) I have written about 75 sketches, all original or spoofs of current things. I figure the pilot will probably have about 8-10 sketches which means I will shoot anywhere from 12-15 sketches. Pretty excited about this one. There are some sketches that are pretty edgy but funny, some that are racial, some that probably will offend…but the purpose is to make people laugh and there are some really funny ones. Stay tuned.

Time Off – Down to that time of the year again where I haven’t nearly taken enough days off and am being forced to take a lot of time off at once. So starting December 17^th I won’t work from that day on until January 4^th. Still carrying over 5 unused days off to next year. I should stop bunching them up….wait…no I shouldn’t it’s pretty awesome to have that much time off at once.

TV Show of the week – Guess who’s back! THE Human Target is back! YES! If you haven’t seen this show, Hulu has a few episodes up, and I have to admit…I’m biased, but this show is pretty good. It’s about a spy that is adaptable to any situation. As a spy should be, but Mark Valley stars as Christopher Chance. Chi McBride and Jackie Earle Haley also star. Premieres November 17^th only on Fox, and Hulu, and any other bootleg sites. Also…for a phenomenal show from AMC (who seems to keep banging them out (Mad Men) check out The Walking Dead. Hulu has the premiere episode and this show is awesome. I mean it. (Only Available until November 23^rd)

Movie of the Week - Megamind. Haven’t seen it? Probably should. Might be one of the funniest animated movies to premiere in quite some time. I laughed a lot. The kids should enjoy it and if you don’t have kids, well you’ll enjoy it as well. If not….Due Date is an equally funnier alternative as well. For all of you Harry Potter enthusiasts, be sure to check out Deathly Hallows PT 1 this weekend. Looks like Harry Potter is going out with a bang. (giggity).

The end of the blog is here. Been a while since I wrote one, kind of feels good to clear the ol cranium. Sometimes when I’m writing a lot, my brain gets jumbled and I’ve been needing to empty it out for a while. Probably why I had the aforementioned writer’s block! Hope you all have a great day! Thanks for reading, keep smiling, and God Bless.

Mr. Blue Sky

Hey All,

The month of February is upon us. Oh boy oh boy oh boy, I am 30 and I am excited about this. Actually excited is an understatement….I am freaking ecstatic. Most people I know freaked out about their 30's...I embrace it! Today’s blog title is brought to you by E.L.O (Electric Light Orchestra). This song is the theme song for my 30’s. It will be all blue skies in my 30’s and I for one am ready for those. This is one of those songs that if you hear it and can’t be in a good mood…you have serious issues,

if you've never listened to any of my song titled blog themes, this is one you should take a few minutes to listen to....seriously. So with that, here’s my 30th Birthday blog, the first for the next decade....

Ten Things I am looking forward to in my 30’s….

1. Seeing Jordan grow into a respectful, courteous, and chivalrous young man.
2. Hopefully getting married again and this time it lasting, I already know who I want….and she knows I want her.
3. Possibly having at least 1 more child
4. Winning an Oscar. Don’t laugh, it will happen.
5. Quitting a boring office job and working for myself.
6. Traveling the world one continent at a time
7. Buying a house
8. Trying to stay fit and in shape
9. Enjoy life a little bit more than I did in my twenties
10. Try not to make the same mistakes that I have done before. Learn and grow from them

Ten Things I would like to learn in my 30's

1. Spanish
2. How to dance. I possess limited dancing skills
3. How to be a little more organized
4. A new hobby
5. How to enjoy the moment a little bit more
6. To learn to face my fears...minus snakes as they will always be a fear, heights are o.k.
7. To listen better
8. To understand people a little bit better
9. To appreciate what I have
10. To become a much better writer

So I made it…to my thirties. If there ever was an age I was looking forward to, it was this one. So many people are not fortunate enough to make it this far, and I thank God that I am able to have made it this far. A lot of the problems in my twenties were brought on by me, I cannot blame anyone else for the things I have done. I take full responsibility for whatever happened to me in the last decade. This decade…I know it will be much different. I can only control things in my life and I need to try and make things better. There are things I want, and I know I have to work hard for them both personally and professionally. There is only one person I want, and I have her and I am going to do everything and then some to keep her. I have two little boys in my life and they too matter more than anything and I will do everything in my power that I can to keep them happy as well. Life will be better and I will do everything in my power to ensure that it is. Nothing will bring me down. Just…blue Skies from here on out, and if a cloud pops up from time to time, I have an umbrella and will still be looking to those blue skies.

I don’t consider it…getting older, I got better. Marcus 2.9 is gone and now upgrading to Marcus 3.0. Considerable upgrades here including: Better Dad 3.0, Better Boyfriend 3.0, Workslacker 3.0 Platinum Version, Writer 3.0, Thinker 3.0., Dorkiness/Nerd 3.0, Funny 3.0, Awesomeness 30.0 (no that isn't a typo). I am not sure that those upgrades can be purchased in stores, but I got them and they are awesome!

I finished writing my book, which I stated last blog, however, there is this word count that is killing me. I am currently at 20,000 words and finding that there isn’t much else to say. But I do know that most novels have a minimum word count of 50,000. That does not discount my novel into being purchased (there are currently two literary agencies wanting to read it) but I do need to add considerable words and chapters to this book. So I will be doing that in the next week or so.

For those that were there....my birthday party was a smashing success, and is by far THE best party i have ever had. Many thanks to Vanesa for throwing such a wonderful party!!! It was a night in which I really do not remember much. I got pretty drunk, which in itself is an understatement because Vanesa had to carry me up the stairs. Yes that drunk, and I apparently was chugging from the vodka bottle and not small swigs either. Pictures will soon arrive. Luckily I woke up with no hangover, just a slight headache. Way to end my 20's.....

What else is going on….hmmmm….not much. Off all week. Taking the day today to go and enjoy a nice Birthday, although most of it will be alone. Movie and whatever else I can think of today. Just want to enjoy this day my own way. Oh yeah…once everyone has posted their photos of my birthday party night…I am going to do a musical montage of that day.

TV Show of the week is John Doe. It was a show that aired on FOX and it only aired for one season, but it was actually pretty good. I loved watching all 21 episodes. You can check out the first and only season here.

Movie of the Week is actually the Hurt Locker. I watched this movie last week…and loved EVERY single minute of this movie. It might be THE best movie of the year. No offense to Avatar, but The Hurt Locker is just simply amazing (Note: Avatar is as well, I have seen both versions, regular and in 3D). I love war movies and this one is no exception, it might be THE defining movie of the last decade. Check it out, it’s awesome. Opening 10 minutes….spec-freaking-tacular.

Song of the week is Imma Be by the Black Eyed Peas. Another great song by one of my favorite groups. It pretty much also sums up how my 30’s are going to go…..

Name of the week is Anthonesia (Pronounced (An-toe-nee-sha). Just another “Great” name in a long list of great names. I really wish people would consider the humor factor when they choose their children’s name.

Drink of the day -

The coming days -

• Wednesday – Well…I am 30 today, so I am hitting up Denny’s, the movies, Cold Stone, and the Keg Steakhouse for dinner. All of which give free stuff on your birthday. There are a few other places I am going to, but those are the main ones.


• Thursday – I have no plans. I am off. Sleeping in and writing.


• Friday – still no plans. Sleeping in for sure. Catching up on some shows via Hulu.


• Saturday – No plans.


• Sunday – Valentine’s day. OMG! I have waited for this day, I swear if I don’t give Vanesa her gift soon my head may explode. Plus I think we are going to our friend Sheena’s Valentine’s Day party.


• Monday – Back to work. Awesome. And by Awesome...I mean damn.

The end of the blog is here. Time to move to the next level in life and the upgrade to 3.0 is complete. I am ready for it, been waiting for this for a few years. I hope you all have a great day! Thanks for reading, keep smiling, and God Bless.

Rain Drops keep falling on my head

Hey All,

The month of February is upon us. Which means, I am nearly 30, a number in which most people freak out, but....I am very anxious for that to happen. Today’s blog title is brought to you by Burt Bacarach as I think it sums up my twenties perfectly. So with that…the final blog of my 20’s….

Ten Things I liked and Disliked about my Twenties -

Liked about 20 – I got a new car. Which was pretty cool.
Disliked about being 20 – My brother Michael mysteriously moving into my apartment while I was in Seattle for a month, and then refusing to leave. Oh, and Alaska Air Flight 261, we all worked there…terrible.

Liked about 21 – Um…biggest party to date. Nearly 200 people showed up. Also went to Vegas and won nearly 5,000 on my birthday. Epic.
Disliked about 21 – 9/11. Terrible, tragic, sad.

Liked about 22 – USC. Best. School. Ever
Disliked about 22 – Living out of a suitcase, but even that was fun at times.

Liked about 23 – Having a child and getting married, and finishing USC
Disliked about 23 – Getting Married, yes both a like and dislike....

Liked about 24 – Getting into a much better department at work
Disliked about 24 – Enrolling at DeVry because my job said my Film Degree wasn’t sufficient enough for a “business”

Liked about 25 – Going to Hawaii
Disliked about 25 – Still being Married

Liked about 26 – Getting the biggest raise I have gotten to date…its was ginormous.
Disliked about 26 – Nothing.

Liked about 27 – Divorce was final
Disliked about 27 – Paying all of the bills on my own

Liked about 28 – Several Vegas Trips, and my 10 Year High School Reunion, beating Cancer twice
Disliked about 28 – Getting cancer twice, and getting my apartment robbed. Awesome.

LOVED about 29 – Met THE most amazing woman ever, this is not a joke.. Lived the dream of making a film.
Disliked about 29 – The death of my brother, and the fact that the film was never finished, due to some actors.

So my twenties to me….weren’t that great. Lots happened that were good, but I feel a lot happened that weren’t that great. If I had to really sum up my twenties…I would say I am glad to get it over with. I am fortunate to have made it to my 30’s (still a week away) because so many people are less fortunate to do so. I am excited to see what the next decade brings.

I finished writing my book. It took me just over 8 days, but it should top out around 112 pages in Word which will translate to about 150 pages in book format or so. I feel like James Patterson (dude writes a new book nearly every 2-3 weeks) To say it was difficult to write…understatement. It was needed though, I needed to get all of that out. In the process of typing it up now, which as I go, I am adding more and elaborating on it. Should be done typing it sometime this week or early next week.

What else is going on….hmmmm….lots of nothing. I am focusing on what I can do to make my life better and those that I care about. That’s really where my focus is right now. I refuse to allow my 30’s to be like my 20’s, so I am very focused on improving my quality of life. Nothing will stop me from reaching my goals right now.

TV Show of the week is LOST. Season 6 kicks off tonight, and many people are looking forward to it. You can catch up on the first 5 seasons here.

Movie of the Week is Up in the Air. George Clooney is such a wonderful actor. I love the guy. Too bad he is starting to look older, but he gives a good performance (as usual) in this film. Just one of the best actors of our generation.

Song of the week is Sexy Chick byDavid Guetta Featuring Akon. This song is everywhere lately and I am sure it will be playing Saturday when we are out and about for my 30th.

Name of the week is Tikeba. Because…we just can’t make this stuff up. Not sure how people come up with names, but they certainly are humorous to me.

The coming days include a busy 8 days…

Tuesday – Well, the pretend work day is here. So right now I am just blogging and catching up on other things…oh and looking for stuff for Saturday.
Wednesday – “Working at home” which means I am not working….most likely typing up my book
Thursday – In the office, back to pretend work. My dad comes to town for a few days
Friday – no plans, maybe a nice dinner with my girlfriend to start the weekend off
Saturday – Busy, busy, busy….start off with a flag football tournament, then a nap, then going out for my birthday. Of which I take no responsibility for the pictures it may produce as I am assuming I may be intoxicated before I arrive. Vanesa…we may need to hire someone to carry me up the stairs….
Sunday – SuperBowl Sunday...GO COLTS...more specifically Go Peyton Manning! Also, not sure where we are watching it. I actually really am just hoping I am coherent enough to experience it...after Saturday nights parties...
Monday – Off, going to enjoy a nice week of my 30th birthday, so I am not working at all.
Tuesday – Lil C’s 4th Birthday! Exciting! And another off day for me.
Wednesday the 10th – My actual birthday, a day full of doing nothing. Blog day as well and it is currently titled Mr. Blue Sky (the theme of my 30’s, and such a great great song) and will include many predictions for my 30's....

The end of the blog is here. It’s going to be a wonderful/awesome/amazing week. I am excited about the next phase/decade of my life. I am excited about where it’s headed. Hope you all have a great week, be safe…and God Bless.

Merry Happy

Hey All,

Hopefully you all are doing great…that life is treating you good. Today’s blog title is brought to you by Kate Nash. The blog format…has changed a bit, so here goes…

Ten Things floating around my brain…

1. January was pretty damn fun. So many events and places and people packed into this month….and this is just the beginning of the year!
2. I am not nuts…regardless of how many people think so
3. I love playing on our flag football team, we got the win last night…pretty excited about this season.
4. Although I’ve said it a few times, looking forward to turning 30 in about two weeks.
5. I nailed my Super Bowl picks this year…both of them. I picked the Saints vs Colts way back in week 1. I am patting myself on the back right now.
6. I am writing a new book, and putting my scripts and stuff aside for a few weeks. I feel I need to write this book, although it is hard. (that’s what she said)
7. I think it’s a waste of time to check my mail, as I rarely get any. Two weeks since I last checked it….3 envelopes in there.
8. My job is so boring….like extremely boring…I can’t do this for the rest of my life.
9. Trying to eat extremely healthy. Fruit, vegetables, salads…everything. Since December 1st I’ve lost like 28 pounds, which is good for me.
10. This is shaping up to be a spectacular year.

The answer to your questions is yes. Yes I did what I said I was going to do. Yes I was nervous as hell. It was an interesting conversation to say the least. It was enough to actually want me to write a book about the whole ordeal. I spent about two and a half hours there. The first bit of time was the hardest because I had to fight off all emotions especially anger. I literally sat there for a good 5 minutes before I said one word.

It was a tough conversation to get thru. I alternated between anger, frustration, and back to anger, death stares, urges to rip the glass off and beat him senseless...calmness...and then the cycle started over, and that was the first 15 minutes. Over the course of those 2.5 hours, I learned a lot about myself, what I can stand, who the guy was, how the events of that day unfolded and many other things. I do know that the course of one bullet can change many lives. So as I told him, the decisions you made that day had a ripple effect for many people…it may have only seemed like one life was changed forever, but so many more were changed. He will never truly know what he did or the devastation that it caused, but he will have a lot of time to think about it.

Although I wasn’t looking for it, and I admit I didn’t know how to respond to it….he apologized. At first multiple 3 word sentences came through my head including:

F—k off B-tch.
Kiss my ass
I hate you
Go to hell
Piece of Sh-t

Some of those sentences combined to make multiple mega sentences. But as I sat there…I remembered why I went in the first place. Why I took a day off…everything. It was silent for a moment, kind of like when I first arrived. I didn’t know what to say. Finally I mustered up the courage to say what I went to say…and “I Forgive you” slipped out.

My mind has been racing with that conversation every since that moment. I replay it in my head over and over and I swear if I didn’t know how to write, I would go nuts. It’s a lot of information to process. I need to release it from my brain and have been doing so daily by at least writing a chapter a day (so far 4 chapters in, and I haven’t even gotten to the conversation).

Either way, it was something that needed to happen. Many have expressed that they couldn’t have done it…believe me, I was terrified and called Vanesa prior to going in to have the conversation. I was nervous about it, but I feel better now, sort of at peace.

Thanks for all of the inquiries, the kind thoughts, the comments, the e-mails. I haven’t really had time to respond, but I will. So again…I thank you all.

So….What else is going on? I am happy. Jordan is doing great in school. Vanesa and I are as happy as I could hope that a couple could be. Jordan and Lil C are getting along, which is great. Lil C is sick right now, but I hope he feels better soon…we have Mario worlds to conquer. My parents seem to be good, although my mother burned her kitchen up the other day in their new home. Work sucks, but then again that isn’t anything new. Otherwise…I have no complaints…as in 0. Looking forward to turning 30, looking forward to Valentine’s day and I am looking forward to getting my passport this next week as we are planning a trip for June.

TV Show of the week is one of my newest Favorites. It’s called the Human Target and it airs on Tuesday’s on Fox. Trust me, it’s a g-rrrrrr-eat show.

Movie of the Week is 500 days of Summer. I loved every minute of this movie from beginning to end. It’s an enjoyable watch.

Song of the week, let’s just go with That’s how strong my love is…off the New Alicia Keys Album. Vanesa plays that album all of the time and I have to admit…it’s kinda catchy.

Name of the week…is Milleonaire. Some people have some exotic names….can you imagine if this girl went to collections? They’d be like, “your name doesn’t match your bank account.” At least I would say that.

The coming days include
Tuesday – Taking Jordan to either See Avatar 3-D or the Tooth Fairy. He has a choice. Wednesday – Work
Thursday – More Work
Friday – More and more work and a few drinks to forget the workweekSaturday/Sunday – Not sure, but I am sure it will be fun, just like pretty much every day in January.
Monday – Pretend to work at home. Flag Football game
Tuesday – In the office, pretending to work. Greeeeat. Wednesday – Posting the final blog in my twenties. Tentatively Entitled: Raindrops keep falling on my Head… a full recap of my twenties as I head toward the weekend of my 30th birthday party.

The end of the blog is somewhere in this paragraph. I hope that each of you are doing great, and that life is treating you well. Have a great week and weekend! Thanks for reading, keep smiling and God Bless.

Walk this Way

Dear Mario,

What’s up Bro? Figured I would take the time to write you and tell you some things that I’ve wanted to say and fill you in on some things from the last year. It’s been a hell of a year….So I hope God gives you a second to hear me out, I know you are busy doing tons of awesome tasks for him, but take a second because it’s been a long time since I’ve talked to you.

So I still can’t believe you are gone. It’s taken me a long time to really realize that and I always expect you to call and ask for a few dollars, or tell me something weird, or listen to a new story idea of mine…but it hasn’t happened. I can’t bring myself to erasing your number out of my phone. And they’ve already recycled the number through the system…I know because I’ve called.

I have a hard time driving by Dunlap, and it sucks because I drive by that area nearly everyday on the way to or from work. Sucks. Ass. Plain and simple.

Since the last time we saw each other, I don’t look sickly like I did then, I did gain about 50 pounds back, so you can’t make “Skeletor, or Jack Skellington” jokes anymore. Jerk. I try to talk to Silas once a week. Note: That kid is BAD….but he is sweet and he asked me about you the other day. I didn’t know what to say really. He’s still so young and although I think he understands…he doesn’t…you know?

I have learned to forgive. I know that is something that is my biggest flaw, but I have learned. That “guy” (and by guy, you know I mean f-cktard) who ended your life…as hard as it is to say…I forgive him. I’ve made an appointment to actually visit the douche tomorrow to tell him as much. I know forgiveness is something God wants us to have, but this is very hard to do, but I feel I must do it. It will be hard to see him without wanting to rip his vocal cords out, but thankfully they will have glass separating us. Either way….I forgive him.

Antoiwon is fine. Bridgette and your other two kids…I really don’t know how they are. I mean she doesn’t respond to our overtures for communication. Lots of words come to mind about Bridgette, but I will leave those in my brain. Michael and Astra got married…to each other. I know…pause for dramatic effect. They got married in July in Vegas.

Lions still suck man. They did win 2 more games than they won in 2008 (which isn’t saying much because remember they went 0’fer).

So I wrote something for you…or should I say about you. I’ve tried to keep it a secret, but I think you may know. It’s a story about adventure called Loons’ Adventures. It is a tribute to you, and I think it’s pretty funny. Still working on getting a sale….if you have time, see if you can help me out with that. Joking of course.

Jordan is in 1st grade and he’s doing good, he asks about you nearly everytime the word FISH is mentioned. Although, he doesn’t like fishsticks, he learned the hard way.

I met a great woman named Vanesa. You would have liked her.

Let’s see…Mom and Dad are good. I am not sure they really talk about you much, not when I am around. But mom always tries and sometimes it’s a bit depressing. That’s how she deals with it I suppose. They bought a second home here in Maricopa, and it’s not the easiest drive.

So what else…I don’t know. I miss you man. I haven’t been the same since about a year ago. I see life a little bit differently. I don’t take things for granted like I used to. Every little thing matters. I don’t pass up opportunities to do things and I have done a lot in the last year. I figure life is too short now. I remember being kids and we talked about death and sorts…and we made plans for things in case I went before you. That was the plan remember? We never made plans for you leaving before me. I wasn’t prepared. I mean that’s the way it was supposed to work right? I was born first, I leave first. But I learned we don’t get to choose those things. All I can do now is deal with this and try to be a better person. I wish it was different, I really do. There are so many things you really hadn’t done yet or seen.

As I stated at your service…I hope you are taking some time to relax up there, I know you worked hard in your lifetime and really didn’t enjoy it, so now, I hope you got a year long vacation up there. And if you aren’t resting…know that I am doing more than your fair share of it.

I am turning 30 this year, you would have been 29 this year. I believe we are going to Denali during the summer to fulfill your final wish. And the Mario Memorial Fishing Trip…it’s on.

This sucks because there are so many things I want to say, but at this moment…my brain is drawing a blank. I will stop by and talk to you every once in a while, see how you are, let you know how things are on this end. Know that I love you, and that I believed you to be the best brother that I could hope for. Michael and I get along much better now, I know it was something you wanted us to do while you were here, but we didn’t.

Well…I think that is about it. I miss you bro, I really do. I find myself sometimes thinking about the funny things we used to do, or the seemingly retarded fights we used to have, and I laugh. Those are the things I miss. You take care of yourself and if you have time, look in on me and make sure I am doing the right thing.

I am going to drop some flowers off for you tomorrow and go and see that “guy” because he needs to know that forgiveness is his, and maybe watch a movie or two that we liked. I love you man, I hope that you are happy now. I miss you forever. Thanks for always listening to me. You will always Be "Super" to me.

Marcus

P.S. You would have LOVED the new Super Mario Wii....just saying.