Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

I know it's been a while. I have been getting yelled at from around the world for over a month to update this - I have no excuse, other than I am just WIPED. But the masses have spoken, so I have no choice but to deliver. Here's pics of the munchkin:

Look how long her legs are...!

Mischevious...

Ready to cause some mayhem...

SNOWBALL FIGHT!

Elegantly enjoying a nice chocolate cupcake.


Princess time!

Check out those earrings........!

Watching daddy make lunch.

Shoulder time!

Snow day! UGH. Used to LOVE snow days...until I became the snow shoveler.

Note the depth of the snow. Not normal for here. Not normal at all.

From a snow day to a beach day....kinda. It was 66 degrees today!

CHEEEEEEEEEEESE!

Yes We Can...

...and Yes We DID.

The Eve of History

Tomorrow, history will be made - not only here in America, but in the world. FINALLY. Not only are we rid of the talking monkey who for 8 years made most of the world dislike (if not despise) Americans; he who has brought this country to the brink of economic meltdown; he who has embroiled us in 2 simultaneous wars with no obvious mission or end in sight, and worst of all (to me), made me EMBARRASSED of my country of origin. Yes, he shall go retire to some zillion dollar home in Texas, to spend the rest of his life doing what has been doing all along - i.e. whatever the fuck he feels like with no regard for anyone else.

There is renewed hope, and it begins tomorrow. I feel honored to be a part of this time in history, where our new leader brings feelings of pride to the forefront. Of course it is a big deal that he is the first black president. An even bigger deal, to me, is that I feel confident that he will make this country, if not this world, a better place to live in. My biggest concern in this life is that of the future for my daughter (and should I be blessed enough to have other children at some point, for them too) - and I FINALLY feel that the future is bright, and I am PROUD to be an American again.

I can't wait until tomorrow - I am already bursting with anticipation! Until then, here's some images of my future.

Catching snowflakes...

...and making snow angels.

4 generations in one photo - how cool is THAT?

Nanny and Ella



Video of Snow Angel manufacturing.

A New Season

As all of you probably know, I am (for obvious reasons) a fan of "The Biggest Loser" TV show. For my international readers, "The Biggest Loser" is a very popular show in which obese contestants are taken to a secluded location and shown how to eat right and exercise and by the end of the season...WHAM...everyone looks fabulous.

Tonight, a new season of the show began. And for the first time in several seasons of watching the show, rather than feeling excited about the potential for the contestants, I felt pure sadness. Here's why: Obviously, every season they choose obese people for the show, but this season, the morbidity of the obesity in almost every contestant overwhelmed me. They had 2 teenagers, one was nearly 400lbs and the other was over 450lbs. It seemed like every contestant was well over 300lbs (I know this isn't the case, but it is what it felt like while I was watching). They had a man on who had gastric bypass surgery in the past, which failed, and his skin on his abdomen was all messed up. They had on a 63 year old couple who's average weight was over 300lbs. I could go on, but the point is, this season, the contestants seem bigger than ever. As I watched, the enormity of the obesity epidemic that is sweeping through our country (if not the world) overwhelmed me. I felt SO SAD that people have to turn, in desperation, to a television show for hope of a long life and education on healthy living. I feel even MORE SAD for those millions of people who were not fortunate enough to make it on to a TV show, and therefore have no hope, and they continue to spiral downward into oblivion.

Don't get me wrong - I feel so blessed to have been able to overcome the adversity that I have, and I do not blame anyone for my previous weight problem but myself. But the state of the world alarms me, in that obesity continues to skyrocket, and people sit and pray that they will be chosen for "The Biggest Loser," thinking that will solve all of their problems, hoping for the magic answer to weight loss, rather than recognizing the problem and doing something about it. I was one of the lucky ones. So many others are not as lucky. And I think society is partly to blame as well - ever see any commercials on TV for healthy restaurants? Gyms? No? I can't think of any off the top of my head. How about fast food restaurants? Coca-Cola? Beer? Ever notice how you can engorge yourself at McDonald's for under $5, yet you can't get a healthy meal for under $10?

How are people expected to know to do the right thing? Especially kids, when they are surrounded by commercials for sugary cereals and drinks and Happy Meals that they will demand their parents buy for them? Ever wonder WHY they put TOYS in cereal boxes?? How about people who can't afford to buy healthy food? What are they supposed to do?

I am adamant that this problem is expanding as fast as our collective waistlines (thank god not mine anymore), and it makes me so very sad...and furious. I think people need to be educated, and something needs to happen to make healthy living less of a bank-breaking expense. Putting an "obesity tax" on fattening items is not going to help matters, in my opinion.

I have to help do something about this. I can't start my own TV show, but hopefully there is something I can do. Any ideas?

Happy New Year!

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

Happy Holidays!

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!

Me and Curtis!! LOVE IT!

Me on the Today Show website: HERE
And...the video!!

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...

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

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!!!