As 2009 approaches, I felt the natural urge to reflect on 2008. It was an AMAZING year for me - amazingly wonderful and at the same time amazingly sad. I am sure everyone has their share of good and bad stuff happen in their lives, but this year seemed to have extreme highs and lows for me. So where to begin?
Let's start with the good stuff - Ella is growing into a proper little girl with such rapidity that it astonishes me. She is nearly completely potty trained, is speaking fluently (even some spanish, thanks to Dora the Explorer and her cousin Diego) and loves to play with her friends at daycare. Her mommy is the most amazing mommy EVER, and I give her all of the credit for Ella turning out to be such a wonderful little chick. Ella also has her mean streaks, stubbornness, and meltdowns...all of which I attribute to me.
I have reconnected with SO MANY folks from my past via Facebook - and I am very thankful for that. It is amazing how time flies and people leave your life without warning. Having you all back in it is a great gift.
I changed jobs this year, which was the best professional move I could have made. I am SO happy at my new place - my techs are AWESOME, the staff in general is great, and it actually feels like my opinions matter and my work is appreciated. Now I just have to get Angela over there with me...
My grandfather has been battling esophageal cancer for the past couple of years...and is winning the fight. So far, he has made a miraculous recovery, and we anticipate him being around for a LONG time.
Of course, the highlight of the year has been the marathon and all of the attention that came along with it. Who ever would have thought I would have been in magazines, newspapers and on TV? I met so many awesome people - including my new favorite news reporter (Monica) and a couple of Big Losers (Jim, Dan, Coleen) - who have been incredibly encouraging and supportive. All of my friends and family have sent me tons of messages of support which helped me through the rigors of training, and I had EVERYONE on my mind as I was running those 26.2 miles. I will forever remember 2008 for this reason - I have never felt more special or loved than I have this year. I thank EVERYONE for that.
Now, the sad stuff. We lost more people this year than in any year I can remember. From an unborn child at 8 months of gestation (a colleague and friend's daughter) all the way up to my 98 year old great-great Auntie Hannah, the loss has been devastating. My friend Tara, who I dedicated the marathon to, will always hold a place in heart for as long as I live. Jessica, the twin sister to Alyssa, who grew up 2 doors down from me also passed away almost exactly 1 year after her mother did, leaving Alyssa and her dad shocked and horribly saddened. Another guy from high school, who I wasn't actually friends with at all, but was in the same class as his sister, just died as well. My heart is heavy with the fact that I will never be able to meet this little baby who I was watching grow inside her mommy's belly. That I will never be able to talk to Tara or Jessie again. That I will never hear Auntie Hannah yell at me that I am too fat (or more recently that I am too skinny), yet feed me till I was about to pop.
Also, another good friend of mine, who along with his wife has spent the last 3-4 New Years Eves with us, had his life turned upside down this year. They were overjoyed at the news that they would be having a baby this year...yet at a routine ultrasound, found out the awful news that their son had fluid building up in his brain. After an emergency C-Section and several tests, he was found to have a rare tumor attached to his brainstem, which was removed, yet he has been going intensive chemotherapy ever since and has barely been able to leave the hospital. Another heartbreaking story of 2008, yet luckily he seems to be responding well, and we all have our fingers crossed for a complete recovery.
Time stops for no one, and life goes on - who knows what 2009 will bring? Hopefully more of the happiness and less of the sadness of 2008. Maybe I'll have my own talk show? Doubt it. In any case, here's to hoping that 2009 is a year full of life, love and prosperity.
Loving you all!
-B
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Monday, December 01, 2008
The Joy Fit Club
What a DAY! I had such a blast, I cannot even begin to describe how much fun the whole experience was!! But let me try anyway, by telling you the events of the day:
We woke up around 530am, and the Escalade was already outside waiting. I didn't allow that to hasten my preparation, however, because Dad and Lenny still weren't here, and wouldn't be til 630am. So, I hung with Angela and Ella for a bit, ate my bowl of cereal and got dressed. Dad and Len got here, and off we went. Sat in a bit of traffic, but were settled in the green room at NBC by 8am. We hung out in there for a while - saw all of the on-air guests come and go (except the more famous ones) and saw them make their TV appearances and come back into the room to grab their stuff and head home. Joey, my contact from Runner's World Magazine (she is the one who actually set this whole thing up!!) came to watch too, and was with us the whole time. They had a nice spread of food there, complete with breakfast wraps, bagels, cookies, cheese and crackers, etc. Not too shabby.
So, we are sitting there, and WHAMMO, in walks Al Roker. I was like, "Hi Al! I'm Brian!" He said hi back, shook my hand, grabbed some cheese, and headed back to TV land. That was pretty sweet.
Then, Kristen Chenowith (not sure if I spelled that right) popped into the green room dressed like an elf or something before she went out to sing a Christmas tune. She didn't mingle with any of us mortals though, she just let her stylist do her hair by the door and bounced. Whatever, I don't know who she is anyway.
Eventually, around 9:30 or 10ish, they came and took me downstairs to meet Joy Bauer, who lived up to her name - what a lovely LOVELY woman! She started chatting to me as if she knew me, told me what a good writer I am (I had to answer like 8 million questions for her website, and it took me HOURS to do it!), and that I looked fantastic - she actually said I look "genetically lean" or something like that, which, coming from a nutritionist, meant a WHOLE lot. She started going over questions I might be asked during my segment, seeing how I was going to answer, and then helping me re-phrase some things to make it sound clearer and less scattered. Of course all of this guidance went RIGHT OUT THE WINDOW once I got on air, but whatever. They then sat me down in a chair for "hair and makeup" - I found this amusing. Basically, they put some stuff under my eyes (which made me start tearing up as if I was crying) and powdered my head. As I was sat there, Joy was continuing to chat to me, and Tony Danza was standing behind me, looking at me. I was like, "Holy shit, that's Tony Micelli from Who's the Boss!" Except I didn't actually say that, it was just the voice inside my head. He was waiting for my seat for his hair and makeup. So I got up, and introduced myself: "Hi there Tony. My name is Brian. Nice to meet you!" He shook my hand, and off I went. As I was standing there being de-linted and de-crinkled (yes, they actually have people for that), John Legend walked past. I didn't get to say hi, but it was still cool.
Then Joy took me back to the green room to get Dad and Len and Joey, so they could come up and watch me being filmed from behind the cameras...and who was in the green room? A hugely tall Australian Chef named Curtis Stone from a tv show called "Take Home Chef!" Angela and I LOVE that show, so I was WELL pumped to meet him! I chatted for a sec, and got a pic with him, then off we went up to the studio.
We hung out in a hallway waiting for my segment to start. They showed me the set, with all of the pringles and my infamous "fat suit" dangling from a string above me, and where I should stand, etc. Then back in the hallway to wait to be called in. They took Dad and Len and Joey into the studio, to get them situated behind the cameras. I was chillin in the hallway with a couple of guys (can't remember their names) who were going to cue me when to go in to the studio. I could hear my segment starting, and started to get a bit fluttery, but it quickly became genuine excitement - this was gonna be AWESOME!!!
Next thing I know, they open the door, and I jump in - and you can see the resulting 6ish minutes below. Afterwards, Kathy-Lee and Hoda both gave me a big hug and were SO nice. Then we headed back down to the green room - Joy and I took a few photos, and we said our goodbyes, I then thanked Joey for EVERYTHING, because without her it would not have happened....and then our car took us home, back to reality!
So, there you have it - my whirlwind Today Show appearance, and what an amazing one it was. Joy wanted the pics we took, so I emailed them to her, and she emailed me back with this lovely note:
"You should know that EVERYONE at the show (and outside the show)
completely LOVED you. They thought you were terrific!
Brian, you inspired millions of people today. Thanks for that. My best to
Angela and Ella.
Your new pal and fan,
Joy"
Isn't she awesome?? Isn't this whole thing insanely cool? Maybe there is something to this, what everyone tells me - that I have done something special, something that can help change other people's lives, if only I can make my story known - speeches, writing, something. Maybe I should persue this, see if any of my new contacts can put me on the road to helping people live healthier lives? Maybe I'll look into it. But for now..... here's some pics and video!
Some stills from the segment:
Joy and I post-segment - my new bud!
We woke up around 530am, and the Escalade was already outside waiting. I didn't allow that to hasten my preparation, however, because Dad and Lenny still weren't here, and wouldn't be til 630am. So, I hung with Angela and Ella for a bit, ate my bowl of cereal and got dressed. Dad and Len got here, and off we went. Sat in a bit of traffic, but were settled in the green room at NBC by 8am. We hung out in there for a while - saw all of the on-air guests come and go (except the more famous ones) and saw them make their TV appearances and come back into the room to grab their stuff and head home. Joey, my contact from Runner's World Magazine (she is the one who actually set this whole thing up!!) came to watch too, and was with us the whole time. They had a nice spread of food there, complete with breakfast wraps, bagels, cookies, cheese and crackers, etc. Not too shabby.
So, we are sitting there, and WHAMMO, in walks Al Roker. I was like, "Hi Al! I'm Brian!" He said hi back, shook my hand, grabbed some cheese, and headed back to TV land. That was pretty sweet.
Then, Kristen Chenowith (not sure if I spelled that right) popped into the green room dressed like an elf or something before she went out to sing a Christmas tune. She didn't mingle with any of us mortals though, she just let her stylist do her hair by the door and bounced. Whatever, I don't know who she is anyway.
Eventually, around 9:30 or 10ish, they came and took me downstairs to meet Joy Bauer, who lived up to her name - what a lovely LOVELY woman! She started chatting to me as if she knew me, told me what a good writer I am (I had to answer like 8 million questions for her website, and it took me HOURS to do it!), and that I looked fantastic - she actually said I look "genetically lean" or something like that, which, coming from a nutritionist, meant a WHOLE lot. She started going over questions I might be asked during my segment, seeing how I was going to answer, and then helping me re-phrase some things to make it sound clearer and less scattered. Of course all of this guidance went RIGHT OUT THE WINDOW once I got on air, but whatever. They then sat me down in a chair for "hair and makeup" - I found this amusing. Basically, they put some stuff under my eyes (which made me start tearing up as if I was crying) and powdered my head. As I was sat there, Joy was continuing to chat to me, and Tony Danza was standing behind me, looking at me. I was like, "Holy shit, that's Tony Micelli from Who's the Boss!" Except I didn't actually say that, it was just the voice inside my head. He was waiting for my seat for his hair and makeup. So I got up, and introduced myself: "Hi there Tony. My name is Brian. Nice to meet you!" He shook my hand, and off I went. As I was standing there being de-linted and de-crinkled (yes, they actually have people for that), John Legend walked past. I didn't get to say hi, but it was still cool.
Then Joy took me back to the green room to get Dad and Len and Joey, so they could come up and watch me being filmed from behind the cameras...and who was in the green room? A hugely tall Australian Chef named Curtis Stone from a tv show called "Take Home Chef!" Angela and I LOVE that show, so I was WELL pumped to meet him! I chatted for a sec, and got a pic with him, then off we went up to the studio.
We hung out in a hallway waiting for my segment to start. They showed me the set, with all of the pringles and my infamous "fat suit" dangling from a string above me, and where I should stand, etc. Then back in the hallway to wait to be called in. They took Dad and Len and Joey into the studio, to get them situated behind the cameras. I was chillin in the hallway with a couple of guys (can't remember their names) who were going to cue me when to go in to the studio. I could hear my segment starting, and started to get a bit fluttery, but it quickly became genuine excitement - this was gonna be AWESOME!!!
Next thing I know, they open the door, and I jump in - and you can see the resulting 6ish minutes below. Afterwards, Kathy-Lee and Hoda both gave me a big hug and were SO nice. Then we headed back down to the green room - Joy and I took a few photos, and we said our goodbyes, I then thanked Joey for EVERYTHING, because without her it would not have happened....and then our car took us home, back to reality!
So, there you have it - my whirlwind Today Show appearance, and what an amazing one it was. Joy wanted the pics we took, so I emailed them to her, and she emailed me back with this lovely note:
"You should know that EVERYONE at the show (and outside the show)
completely LOVED you. They thought you were terrific!
Brian, you inspired millions of people today. Thanks for that. My best to
Angela and Ella.
Your new pal and fan,
Joy"
Isn't she awesome?? Isn't this whole thing insanely cool? Maybe there is something to this, what everyone tells me - that I have done something special, something that can help change other people's lives, if only I can make my story known - speeches, writing, something. Maybe I should persue this, see if any of my new contacts can put me on the road to helping people live healthier lives? Maybe I'll look into it. But for now..... here's some pics and video!
Some stills from the segment:
Joy and I post-segment - my new bud!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Just a Reminder...
...Don't forget to either watch or set your DVR's for The Today Show this coming Monday - I will be in the 10am hour (EST)!!! I will hopefully be able to post a clip at some point, especially for my international viewers, but those of you in the US/Canada can watch it on your own TV's! COOOOOOOOOL! Wish me luck...
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Updates!
With the marathon, my trip to Nashville and Auntie's passing, I was unable to update everyone on the multitude of things going on - via photos of course. So, here goes:
October - Halloween!
Ella's 1st outfit - a surgeon, hand sewn by mommy!
#2 - A pumpkin - outfit provided by grandma!
Love the hat!
November - Marathon!
First, some of the professional photos taken during the race:
Now, some of the professional photos of ME!
Ladies and Gents, welcome to the Gun Show.
This was at mile 21. I know this because I am holding the phone NBC gave me to call them when I got to mile 21.
Finished!!!!
Again!
Still finished!
Ahhhhh. SWEET MEDAL.
Ella also thought it was a sweet medal.
EXCLUSIVE - The NBC video taken of me intra-race that was never aired! The man interviewing me is David Willey, the Editor-in-Chief of Runner's World Magazine!
Country Music Awards - Nashville, TN
I have been asked about 5,000+ times the question that I am sure you are thinking right now - 1) How the hell did you end up going to the Country Music Awards? 2) WHY the hell did you end up going to the Country Music Awards? I didn't know you liked country music? Well, to make a long story short, I am not a huge country music fan at all. I am, however, a big fan of the Biggest Loser. The correlation? One of the contestants from last season's Biggest Loser, Dan Evans, has recently put out a country album. His record label did a contest, where you send in your motivational story in under 300 words, and Dan would choose the one he thought was best. The winner would get an all-expenses paid trip to Nashville for the CMA awards. That winner was me! So my buddy Brian Krebs and I went down to Nashville for 2 fun-filled days of beer and honkey-tonkin'. We met up with Jenn and Becki from vet school, which was SO awesome. Dan met up with us the night before the awards, and we went out to a famous honkey-tonk bar called Tootsies, where we drank a ton and stumbled home around 2ish. The next day was the awards show, where we hung out with Dan at a pre-show party, during the show, and at the post-show VIP party. We didn't get back til 4am, and Dan the man crashed out on our couch. We all went for breakfast the next morning, Dan then took off and we waited to fly home. That is a MAJOR shortening of the story, but I think in a lot of ways, what happens in Nashville stays in Nashville. Or has that phrase been taken by someplace else....? :)
The view from our hotel room. Note the Tennessee Titans stadium to the left.
The Somet Center - home of the Nashville Predator NHL team...and the CMA awards.
Chillin with some Honkey-Tonk Heroes.
Jenn, me and Becki
Starting the night off right with Dan.
Tootsies!
At rehearsals the morning of the show.
Sweet, right?
3 pimps at the pre-show party.
Dan and his mom Jackie, also from the Biggest Loser!
Dan during the show.
Brad Paisley and Keith Urban
Brad Paisley and my dreamgir...er...um...Carrie Underwood.
Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman
Billy Ray and Miley
Kid Rock!
My other dreamgi....ummmmmmmmm....Taylor Swift.
They brought and actual CMA award into the audience just for us to play with. Yes, I know, it looks like Krebs is holding my hand. Well, maybe he was, but he is simply NOT my type.
Hootie!! Well, Darius Rucker minus the Blowfish.
Keith Urban
Carrie again, accepting an award.
Kenny Chesney and the Wailers
Reese Witherspoon
The Eagles
Crowd shot
Oh sweet lord......SHANIA!
Kenny Chesney accepting his awa......SHANIAAAAAAA
Dan and Jackie at the afterparty
After-party....the dessert table was DIVINE.
Us, drunk, hanging with some college folk, also drunk.
Protesting Coleen's Explusion from the Biggest Loser 10k AKA Long Beach 10k Turkey Trot
Me and Jim pre-race. TEAM COLEEN!
Flexin'
Me being PISSED for Coleen!!!
October - Halloween!
Ella's 1st outfit - a surgeon, hand sewn by mommy!
#2 - A pumpkin - outfit provided by grandma!
Love the hat!November - Marathon!
First, some of the professional photos taken during the race:
Now, some of the professional photos of ME!
Ladies and Gents, welcome to the Gun Show.
This was at mile 21. I know this because I am holding the phone NBC gave me to call them when I got to mile 21.
Finished!!!!
Again!
Still finished!
Ahhhhh. SWEET MEDAL.
Ella also thought it was a sweet medal.EXCLUSIVE - The NBC video taken of me intra-race that was never aired! The man interviewing me is David Willey, the Editor-in-Chief of Runner's World Magazine!
Country Music Awards - Nashville, TN
I have been asked about 5,000+ times the question that I am sure you are thinking right now - 1) How the hell did you end up going to the Country Music Awards? 2) WHY the hell did you end up going to the Country Music Awards? I didn't know you liked country music? Well, to make a long story short, I am not a huge country music fan at all. I am, however, a big fan of the Biggest Loser. The correlation? One of the contestants from last season's Biggest Loser, Dan Evans, has recently put out a country album. His record label did a contest, where you send in your motivational story in under 300 words, and Dan would choose the one he thought was best. The winner would get an all-expenses paid trip to Nashville for the CMA awards. That winner was me! So my buddy Brian Krebs and I went down to Nashville for 2 fun-filled days of beer and honkey-tonkin'. We met up with Jenn and Becki from vet school, which was SO awesome. Dan met up with us the night before the awards, and we went out to a famous honkey-tonk bar called Tootsies, where we drank a ton and stumbled home around 2ish. The next day was the awards show, where we hung out with Dan at a pre-show party, during the show, and at the post-show VIP party. We didn't get back til 4am, and Dan the man crashed out on our couch. We all went for breakfast the next morning, Dan then took off and we waited to fly home. That is a MAJOR shortening of the story, but I think in a lot of ways, what happens in Nashville stays in Nashville. Or has that phrase been taken by someplace else....? :)
The view from our hotel room. Note the Tennessee Titans stadium to the left.
The Somet Center - home of the Nashville Predator NHL team...and the CMA awards.
Chillin with some Honkey-Tonk Heroes.
Jenn, me and Becki
Starting the night off right with Dan.
Tootsies!
At rehearsals the morning of the show.
Sweet, right?
3 pimps at the pre-show party.
Dan and his mom Jackie, also from the Biggest Loser!
Dan during the show.
Brad Paisley and Keith Urban
Brad Paisley and my dreamgir...er...um...Carrie Underwood.
Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman
Billy Ray and Miley
Kid Rock! 
My other dreamgi....ummmmmmmmm....Taylor Swift.
They brought and actual CMA award into the audience just for us to play with. Yes, I know, it looks like Krebs is holding my hand. Well, maybe he was, but he is simply NOT my type.
Hootie!! Well, Darius Rucker minus the Blowfish.
Keith Urban
Carrie again, accepting an award.
Kenny Chesney and the Wailers
Reese Witherspoon
The Eagles
Crowd shot
Oh sweet lord......SHANIA!
Kenny Chesney accepting his awa......SHANIAAAAAAA
Dan and Jackie at the afterparty
After-party....the dessert table was DIVINE.
Us, drunk, hanging with some college folk, also drunk.Protesting Coleen's Explusion from the Biggest Loser 10k AKA Long Beach 10k Turkey Trot
As previously mentioned, the Biggest Loser is my favorite show. Yes, I take it all very seriously and personally, seeing as I have been through the weight-loss journey myself. Anyway, I became friends with one of this season's contestants, Coleeen Skeabeck, via MySpace. She wrote me such a lovely email and paid me such a touching compliment by telling me that I inspire her, that I instantly became her biggest fan. She was constantly rooting me on leading up to the marathon, and was my biggest cheerleader. She is just a wonderful girl. Anyway, she got kicked off the show this past week, and it seemed to be in quite an unsavory manner (in my opinion). I therefore told her that I was going to run this 10k race in her honor, and in protest of her being eliminated. So, she promptly fed-ex'd me 2 authentic Biggest Loser t-shirts to wear during the race!!! I ran with her right behind my shoulder yelling "GO GO GO!" (she wasn't ACTUALLY there, but I know she would be cheering me on if she were), and I set a new personal best time of 52:01, despite the frigid conditions. Jim Germanakos (from Biggest Loser 2 seasons ago) is my good buddy now, and he met up with me for the run as well. Had a great time!
Me and Jim pre-race. TEAM COLEEN!
Flexin'
Me being PISSED for Coleen!!!
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