Old Enough to Know Better; Young Enough Not to Care

I went to Maine this weekend with my cousin Sara and my Aunt Dee. We went up there because my other cousin, Mikey aka Carlton, was graduating from high school. Mikey is heading into the Army so it was nice to be able to see him in case I don't get the chance too before he leaves. It's funny because if you ask me what my favorite memory with Mikey is, it would be the fact that when he was younger, my friend and I wrapped him in a laundry basket with a blanket and stuck him under the Christmas tree with a note starting off "Dear Finders, I am the baby Jesus...". Needless to say, he slept there all night until my Dad and Aunt came home and found him under there. I was never asked to watch him again after that. Probably a good idea on their part. Goes to show that I was still a creative genius back then and nothing has changed.

On the positive side, I weighed myself again on Friday. Down -31 pounds. I have about 12 more to go til I am at my goal weight of 160. I am really excited about that because I am working hard to each much better and try to live a healthier lifestyle. Doing a lot more walking and exercising when I can to help fight the fat. I am tired of looking at pictures of myself and not being happy with what I look like. I have a goal set in my mind and so far, I am on my way to achieving it. I just need to believe that I can do it and I will one day get there. Hopefully sooner than later, but I will get there knowing that I can because I believe in me.

This weekend got me thinking me. I am at that age where sometimes I know what the right thing to do is and what isn't. Usually, it's go home after a long night with my friends because I know I have work the next morning. I am not really a morning person when I haven't slept much. I'm more of a grouch and don't want to be bothered all day. I had a knack of just getting up and going to sleep when I was in high school/college when I was ready. There could still be people sitting on my couch watching tv and I would just up and go. Such a graceful host I am. No wonder why everyone really likes me. I guess it may be the summer though because I stil want to have my fun. I want to go out and party til all hours of the morning and make memories I'll never remember with friends I'll never forget. I guess that is the wild side in me just wanting to escape and be free. I yearn for the days I can be an active social butterfuly in NYC or some other major city networking and being so in love with my life. Just me and the open road ahead onto new adventures.

I think that I am working up to that part of life. I am putting in my time now so that in the future I can make those kinds of fantasies actual realities and when I look back on my life, I won't be mad at the decisions I've made. I'll be glad that I took the chances I did and that I did the fun things that really matter most in life. Money only goes so far. It doesn't buy happiness and it doesn't make you any better of a person. I think that's why I love taking pictures. So that I have something to look back on and to hold on. To know that I am a party boy at heart and I love the nightlife and myself. Maybe a little too much sometimes, but hey, I need to treat myself once in a while.So the angel on my right side is old enough to know better, but the devil on my left, is young enough not to care...

A Healthy Self-Obsession

For those of you who don't know me, I am midly self-obsessed. I have a lot of self-confidence because I have a great job, great friends, I'm looking better, and I am good at mostly everything I do. That may sound conceited, but there is a lot behind it that people don't realize.

To start off, I am a director of public relations and branding for my company. That is a higly prestigious title and the fact that I'm only twenty seven, well that's pretty good. But it doesn't come without a price. I worked my butt off to get to that position. My original position at WorkplaceDiversity.com was just a part-time internet marketing associate. I worked hard to pave my own path and get to where I am today. I have my interns and now we are making our company hit new levels that we haven't hit before. Our SEO has reached a new level and I was so proud of everyone today for their hard work. I work a lot of hours too to help make my position what it is. Whether I am in the office, working off my phone, weekends or holidays, public relations never takes a break. So sometimes, I look self-obsessed on my phone playing on facebook or twitter, but really, I'm making my company money.

I have the best friends in the world. They understand my self-obsession and working hard to get to where I want to be in my personal and professional life. They understand that I sometimes have to break commitments to get my work done and they are cool with it. Mainly because I make up for it by taking them to some crazy concert in Atlantic City or partying at a club in NYC til 5am. I like being that group of people that everyone is jealous of. We have a good time and we aren't afraid to show it when we go out.

I am becoming obsessed with working out. I constantly want to be in the gym and working hard to get in shape. I've lost a decent amount of weight so far and I am really seeing it. I see it in my face the most, as my face isn't round anymore. My arms and legs are really starting to tone up and define themselves which is making me thrilled. My stomach is the problem area right now and I am working hard to get that into shape. I just need to work on eating better. Food is my enemy. If the food is terrible and awful for you, I love it and vise-versa. So to fight that, I am trying to make one or two better choices a day to help fight that. I figure eventually, I will be making the right choices because I want too, not because I have too.

Being good at mostly everything I do takes a lot of work. I am not great at one thing. There are many things that I am good at. And I work hard to constantly get better at them. I self-obsess a little bit over them so that I can be better at it the next time I do it. Whether it's sports, music or anything else, I want to be the best at everything. It's the competitive side of me. I constantly want to be better and work that much harder to achieve it.

I do work hard to be the best at everything I can. Whether it be professional or my personal life, I like being awesome. So maybe a little bit of self-obsession isn't a bad thing. It keeps me on my toes and how I can strive to be better. I'm not gonna lie though, being the center of attention at a party or a bar isn't the worst feeling in the world.

PR, Branding & SMM ...Oh My!

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Brandergy.com, About.Me, LinkedIn, Google+ and the list goes on. There are so many social media sites out there that sometimes my head begins to spin thinking about it. For anyone that isn't involved in social media, you are missing one big market for advertising, public relations, and marketing. I mean, a brand new term called "social media marketing" or SMM for short was created for it. I noticed this today when I was helping an older gentleman aka my dad, learn how to use his new iPhone. He has come into the twenty first century and he is having a blast with it. Things that seem so simple to me like downloading music, finding free apps and just using the internet are second nature to me and it's interesting to see how different it is for him.

For those of you that don't know me, I am a public relations and branding director for an online advertising agency. We help diverse candidates connect with job employers and gain employment. We do a lot with diversity inclusion and focus on all aspects of diversity. We deal with military veterans, handicapped, and the black/latino/asian communities, respectively. My company is called WorkplaceDiversity.com and we are ranked in the top ten diversity inclusion companies in the United States.

My job is all about getting the word out there. What's the fastest, cheapest, and easiest way to get your name out there? Social media. So when it comes to all the websites I listed above, I am on all of them. Making new friends, "liking" people's Facebook status, tweeting, circling and +1-ing all content that I find informative. I write press releases, I've been interviewed, I create backlinking, write blog postings (kind of like this one) and find new ways to get my companies name in everyones mouth. It is a lot of work and a lot of creative thinking to do what I do but I can tell you one thing, I absolutely love it! Since college, this is the first job that I found myself loving. I don't hate myself every morning for having to get up and go to work. I enjoy my time there and I really receive great gratification in doing the work I do. My right my main focus in on veterans coming from from Afghanistan and Iraq and helping them re assimilate back into the workplace society.

The one thing that I always tell veterans that are looking for jobs is that you have to keep up on your networking and branding skills. Your resume needs to highlight all of your qualifications in civilan's terms. Not all employers understand military jargon and that is one of the adjustments that veterans need to make when coming back into the workforce. Learn how to maximize the skills you've learned in the military to be the best team leader for your next job. Explain to your interviewer that you are quick on your feet, you are focused on the task at hand, you work well in groups and always mention that you work well under pressure.

I also tell veterans that social media is one of the best ways to stay involved and find jobs. There are so many groups in all of these social media hotspots that are veteran related. Keep an ongoing twitter and follow different companies that are in the field you are looking to get into. Introduce yourself on LinkedIn but don't always go right in for the kill. Talk a little bit about the company with them. Maybe something interesting that the company has done that you find impressive. Sweet talk them and build a relationship, then find out about job opportunities. Like a bunch of campaigns on Facebook that are relatable to your field and find out all the information you can.

The information I provided above isn't just good for military veterans but for any job seeker really. No one is going to hire you if they don't know anything about you. If you are on a bunch of social media sites actively engaging with people, companies and in groups, you are more likely to find an employer who wants to do business with you. Don't give up all of your information though. No one wants to pay for the milk when they can get it for free. Leave a lasting impression that makes employers want to want you. Social media can really help with that.

Helping Veterans

On Tuesday, I was able to go to PNC Bank Arts Center for the Hire-A-Vet career fair in Holmdel, NJ. While I was there I was able to speak with a lot of veterans with all diverse backgrounds. I was even asked to do a radio spot for MilitaryVetJobs.com as well. It was a great day and I was even able to bring my good friend Ashley with me on it. We met a lot of great companies and people and she did an awesome job as my assistant for the day.

Today, I was asked to write a blog post about my time at PNC. I figured that I should cross-post it with a post from my personal blog. So here it is:

"I went to the Hire-A-Vet career fair at PNC Bank Art Centeron Tuesday. I was able to meet a diverse group of military veterans and talk tothem about re assimilating back into the workplace. Most of them had neverheard of MilitaryVetJobs.com. The ones that did though, had much praise for oursite. The vets mentioned that our site was a great resource for them to helpthem find jobs. I explained to the veterans who had never heard of us that wework with companies that are looking for the technical skill and leadershipqualities that military vets receive while serving our country.  I was able to show them our mobile site and tosee how easy it was to connect with top name employers looking to hire militaryvets and their families. 

Listening to the veterans’ stories, it really made me feelfor them.  I was able to learn abouttheir backgrounds in the military and how it turned them into the outstandingmen and women that stood before that day. I really felt great about talking tothem because I knew that we had dedicated, qualified candidates who would beperfect for some of the careers we have on our site. The veterans were verythankful for our site and all that we do to help them. I assured them that theyhave done more for my freedom then I could ever do and wanted to give back fortheir dedication and perseverance.  Ithink that these vets will be able to find work in a short amount of time andbe great leaders in their roles."

Speaking of helping veterans, I will also be doing an interview with Military Mom, Sandra Beck's, talk radio show on Monday, the 30th at 5PM (EST). If you aren't busy, you should listen is as there will be a lot of information about the company I work for and how everyone can help veterans.

While at work, just now, I got a call from a group in Cleveland, Ohio about a career fair. Maybe that will be my next stop if I can get my boss to approve it! Would love to do some traveling for the company. Have I mentioned that I love my job? And that fact that I start my promotion on Monday doesn't hurt either!

Maybe Becoming A Writer?

Before I get into anything about me lately, I would like to offer a blessing and much love to my friend Nicole. Her little monkey is having surgery right now and she is the cutest thing in the world. Little MaKayla is the greatest gift her mother has ever received and I know Nicole since we were children. So just sending a lot of love her way and to let her know that the monkey will be fine and she will be better off afterwards. Love you sis.

For those of you who don't know, I have a job as a branding/public relations director for a great company called WorkplaceDiversity.com. We help people of all diversity find jobs. We have sites for military veterans, Hispanic, Black, Asian, physically handicapped, etc. It's really a great site and I am working hard to really make a difference in this company. I really stand behind what they do and I love it. I think that I have finally found a career and not just a job. It's been very hard with the economy to do this so I am really glad that I found this company. Besides, the people I work with are awesome as well! That doesn't hurt when you see them more then you see your own family. We make jokes and we all pick on each other. It's a good atmosphere to be in. I have been in bad office settings and that is not fun. 

I do a lot of content writing and branding for the site as well. I am always coming up with catchy slogans and writing copy for our sites. This got me thinking, and no I didn't hurt myself, that maybe I should be a writer. I write in this blog, another blog and at my job. I have always been told that I have an exceptional knack for getting my points across on paper and when I speak. Since I do need another job, I am thinking that maybe becoming an online blogger/writer would be the best thing for me. If I am already doing what the companies want of me, why not get paid to do it? I can work remotely and write articles for different groups. This would make my writing style even better and could really help me in the money department. We all could use some extra cash in this economy.

I applied for a few jobs this morning that were looking for bloggers. I think that the idea that I could work from home and work on my own schedule, around Workplace, would be great. I would be able to do this when I'm up late at night or early in the morning. I would have the comfort of my own home and even when I went away for a weekend, I could still blog. This would mean investing in a new laptop, which I need anyways. 

I have a lot of friends online so I know that my posts would be read by many and who knows where that could lead too. I am always looking towards the future because I need to get myself financially set and start worrying about things like my 401k, retirement and so on. I also need to work on being a twenty seven year old and still having fun. I live an hour from the shore, I need to go more often this summer and just enjoy myself. If I can enjoy myself on the beach while working, I would think that the only other thing I would need is a drink in my hand and I would be set.

It's Been A While

Wow it's been a while since I have time to write in this blog. I miss the escape and just being able to let back everything that I am feeling. A lot has changed in the past few weeks since I've updated this. Here we go...

The biggest change is probably physical at this point. I am down 23 pounds and I am feeling great. I am working out 5x a week and I am starting to see a noticeable difference in my clothes. I am really happy about that. I am starting to play more softball and I am even trying to run a half marathon in May! I know I can do it, I just hope my body knows I can do it!

I was promoted at my job. I am now the "Director of Public Relations and Marketing." Fancy right? Right. I even have business cards with my name on it that say that. I feel very privileged to be working for such a great company and really helping out veterans. I am receiving a lot of mail, phone calls, and facebook/twitter requests from different veterans thanking me for what I do. It feels really good to know that people appreciate you.

I'm thinking about having eye surgery. I wear contacts and I have been for the last 11 years. I think for the ease of not having to wake up every morning and immediately put them in, it would be worth the money. Plus the cost of contacts/glasses, solution, and all that other stuff would add up too. I have been given a good reference for a place and I have had a few friends get their eyes fixed there so I am going to look into it and see from there.

The weather is starting to be beautiful again. Not that I can complain b/c this winter was so tame compared to the blizzards and other things we normally have. I am happy about that. I have been on the ball field a few times and it's nice to be back and playing hard.

Was in Morristown this weekend. Had a great time at the St. Patrick's day parade. My friends Kait and Tom had a party and we just went to town. It was great to see them and just get out for a day. And what a day it was. But that is probably left best for the other blog...

I'll be back with more great updates when some fun things start happening...

Bring It All Back

So it's been a while since I've written on here. A lot has happened though that has caused me to neglect this for a while.

To start off. I got a job! Hooray! I am an internet marketing specialist for a company. I get to do all the social media marketing including facebook, twitter, google plus, windows live, etc. It's very interesting because I get to search the news, post articles for discussion, and really get to talk to people about different topics. Right now, I'm working on a Veterans campaign so I am really getting to know about what people went through during active duty and stuff like that. I really like this job because its perfect for me. The people I work with are really nice and we are a small company inside of a bigger one, so there is plenty of room for growth and advancement.

I have been keeping up with the getting in shape plan. I am down 16.5 pounds and am finally into the 180's. Thank god for that. I started at 203 and I am glad to be able to see it working. My clothes are fitting better, I am looking healthier, and I feel great! It's been a lot of hard work physically in the gym but mostly it's changing your diet and just eating better. I'm not claiming to eat great everyday, because face it, I don't. I am making better decisions though. Just little things to help cut the calories. My goal is to lose about another 15 or so and I should be okay. We will see though how I feel when I reach that goal. One step at a time.

Spring is coming and I am ready for softball. I joined a couple different leagues this year and hopefully I will have a great team and have a lot of fun! I'm so ready to get out there and run around and play. I need a stress reliever in my life and taking my anger out on the ball usually helps.

For my birthday, 7 friends and I went to go see David Guetta at the Borgata in Atlantic City. It was the greatest time I've ever had. I've seen him twice prior to that and this time was just over the top. We danced our faces off, drank like fish, and just went crazy We laughed so hard all night and just had one great weekend. I'm really thankful for everyone that came and really glad to have such great friends. 

Other than that, life has been good and I have no complaints. I'll be back to write some more soon.

Money Can't Buy You Class

If there is one thing money can't buy you, it's class. New year and I am back! I know it's been a while but I've had to take on a lot lately. First of all, I got a job! Hooray. Nothing fancy. I am doing some serving and some public relations for the Melting Pot in Whippany. So if you come by, request me and let's chat! It's a good job and the people there are really nice. I really feel like I got in with a good company. It may not be exactly what I want to do but right now its paying the bills and I'm thankful to enjoy my job!

On a sadder note, my Aunt Doreen did pass away. She was amazing and I will miss her dearly. I had to give the eulogy at her funeral. This was one of the hardest things I've ever had to write, let along speak. When I was done though, I had managed to make everyone cry. I received a lot of praise and I was happy to do it. She was a great woman and I know she is up there with my grandpa and they are coloring, playing Uno and drinking some beers. At least she isn't suffering anymore.  

I also heard Beyonce had her baby and named it Blue Ivy Carter. I don't know what's up with celebrities and their stupid baby names but this was tops the chart. Did they think that when she is old enough to get a job that people may not take her seriously because of her name? If I looked on a resume and saw that, I would tell the person they have stupid parents. Just like naming your kid Richard if your last name is Head or Brock with the middle name Lee and/or Brook with the middle name Lynn. Let's be honest here, no one takes that seriously and your kid will be made fun of for the rest of his or her life. Just saying.

If this whole hospital incident is true as well about Beyonce and Jay-Z, then I will have lost any respect for them. There wasn't that much to begin with but it will be completely gone. For those of you who don't know, apparently they paid the hospital 1.3 million dollars to block off the wing and have their own security there so they could have their baby. In the process though, other parents whose children were on the floor were not allowed to see them and apparently they were treated in a rude manner by the security and other people. If that were my kid, there would be no army that could stop me from seeing them. I'm sorry that's inconsiderate and pretty much your telling me my kid isn't as good as yours? At least mine will have a suitable name to live their life with and will learn what values and respect are. I am also annoyed at the hospital for accepting 1.3 million. That's it? That can't even run a hospital for a year. They are celebrities. If they donated 25 million, where some could go to research and help look for cures for pediatric diseases, then maybe it would be a different story. BUT you also have to accommodate the other parents and children who are on that floor. They have every right to be there along with Beyonce. They have more than enough money that they could have hired people to help her have the baby at her house if they were so "worried" and needed all the space and security. They just wanted to wave their money in everyone elses faces. Like I said, money can't buy you class. And in this case, Beyonce and Jay-Z, you put the "ass" in class.

Aunt Grace's Six Rules To Live By

For those of you who don't know me, I don't have an Aunt Grace. This women isn't my aunt. She isn't even someone I've ever met. But I read a story in which she gave six rules to live by and it was very comforting.

Let's take a quick step back. I'm reading this book called "Chicken Soup for the Single's Soul." I'm single. I've been single for a while. I'm okay with it. I have friends who can't live or survive without being a relationship. They jump from relationship to relationship with every Nicole, Sarah, and Brittany they can find. That's not me. I'm more about quality; not quantity. I don't just jump into a relationship with someone because frankly, I just don't want too. I would love to find someone who loves me and start a family and yadda yadda yadda but I am not dying to find someone.

I'm perfectly happy being single. I can do what I want with who I want and not have to worry about anyone else wondering what I'm doing or vise-versa. I am free to live my life. If I want to pick up and move to California tomorrow, there is no one here to stop me. Some people think that's sad; I think it's life. I am a free spirit. I always have been. I am willing to work at a relationship with someone I care about, but that's not my number one concern right now. My number one concern is me. I am working on becoming more healthier; mentally and physically. I am working out more, eating better, and reading more. My other concern lately is finding a job. After I succeed at these two, then I can work on the whole dating thing. But if someone comes along in the meantime, I'm not going to be upset either.

Anyway, back to Aunt Grace. Her six simple rules were this:
1.Do something for someone else.
2. Do something for yourself.
3. Do something I don't want to do that needs doing.
4. Do a physical exercise.
5. Do a mental exercise.
6. Do an original prayer that includes counting my blessings.


Those are pretty simple demands. I like doing things for other people. I like the positive response and the look of happiness on their face for actually taking time out of my day to think of them. I am starting to do more for myself. I'm the one I forget about most. I would go to the ends of the Earth to help someone I care about; but I'm the last person to do something for me. I have a few ideas about some things that need to get done and I am working on it. Physical exercise = done. 5 mile run today. I work out now like 4-6 times a week. Mental exercise, I'm reading more. I'm planning on going back to school for my Master's or my MBA or something of that sort so got that covered as well. Plus, I like to write. That seems to be something that calms my nerves and helps me to focus. Do an original prayer that includes counting my blessings? This is gonna be "hell on wheels." I'm not religious by any means. Me yelling "Jesus Christ" is the closest thing you will find to prayer. I can though, sit around and clear my mind and be thankful for the things that I do have in life. I could take some time out of my day and be thankful. If I have time to read about which celebrity couple is getting divorced now, I can stop for a minute and be thankful for the things, family, friends, and accomplishments I have.

Christmas is coming. So now might be the perfect time to start focusing on things that I am thankful for. And this is also the time of year for giving. I have some ideas about what I can do to help out. Every little bit counts. I haven't volunteered my time in a while and that is something I used to do all the time. I could really get back into doing that again; even if it just a part-time basis.

I was talking with my dad's girlfriend Mel last night and she gave me some great information about going back to school. I found out that I might be able to get to go for not as much as I thought it would cost me due to unemployment. Apparently, they like when you do things to better yourself. I'm okay with that. Maybe I can be professionally unemployed for the rest of my life. Just kidding. I'd get bored of that eventually. I do though wanna go back to school. I like learning. I'm good at learning. And having a higher degree can never hurt. Nothing is set in stone though. I need to see what unemployment says first because I don't have the money to drop another six figures to go back to school. One day at a time. That's all I can ask for.

I'll let you all know how these rules turn out over the next week or so and if I find they are actually making a difference.

Coloring Books & Crayons

Negative 3. Seriously? Week two, the "dreaded" week two of workout/diet week and I lose another 3 pounds? I am the happiest kid right now. And the fact that I am able to do this during the holiday season is making me even more thankful.

The weather needs to start getting colder or else I am a non-believer that Christmas is actually coming. It's been like 55-60 since Thanksgiving. Very strange weather we are having. I guess that is global warming at it's finest.

I'm excited because I am going out for the first time tonight in a long time. I have been so focused on getting in shape and looking for a job that I forgot what it was like to have a social life. So for tonight, I am putting everything behind me and going to Hoboken with some of my softball team. It is going to get rowdy tonight, I can just feel it.

I wish the job hunt was going as well as the weight loss but I guess I need to fight one battle at a time. Accept small victories and move on. I am at least getting hits on my resume so I know the right job will come along soon. I am thankful for that. There is a job waiting for me, I just need to find it.

On a more emotional note, keep my Aunt Doreen in your prayers. She is in the hospital and isn't doing well. She is an amazing woman who has overcome so much. She has a mental disability but she has never let that stop her. I am actually kind of jealous of how strong of a person and fighter she really is. She is someone I look up to dearly and I wish her nothing but the best in this fight. I keep thinking about the good times I had with her. When I was a little kid, I would color with her. She loved to color. Coloring books and crayons made her the happiest. She would always sit outside my Grandma's house on the front porch and color, for hours. She was always so excited to show you what she got for Christmas. I always bought her coloring books and to see the look on her face when she saw them was just priceless. She loved the company you gave her.  Anyone who would sit outside and color with her would be lucky to spend the time with her that I was able too.

She got to do more in her life then most people I know. Since I can remember, she was always going on field trips and going to activities with her friends. She was part of so many groups and clubs, that she never have down time it seemed. She went Camp Hope a lot, which was in the same town I grew up in. She would always tell me about her fun adventures whether it was bowling, coloring, or just going out with her friends. She's one amazing human being and I love her with all my heart.

A Negative Isn't Always A Bad Thing

Negative 4.

That's what I saw today when I got on the scale. I lost four pounds in one week. That is unheard of. What does this mean? Maybe I finally have a grip on this whole losing weight thing. Or maybe, something just clicked this week and allowed me to mentally and physically earn those four pounds. I'm doing it the right way this time and so hopefully, I can keep this weight off. I am making sure to eat better, exercise, and just make smarter decisions. I know that I can't give up everything I love, that would be a false statement to make. But in moderation, I can still live a healthier life style and enjoy  myself.

All together, since college, I've lost 30 lbs. I've got about twenty more to go and I will be set. My problem in college is that I gained so much weight my senior year because of drinking all the time, eating fast food, and not exercising. That is a look I never want to see again. I look at old pictures and it disgusts me to know I even let myself get like that.

I am more realistic now then I was back then. I know that I am not going to lose four pounds a week every week. Number one, that would kill me physically and number two, that isn't even healthy. Everywhere I read said 1-2 pounds a week is the max you should lose so your body doesn't go into shock/starvation mode. I am also lifting weights, and muscle weighs more than fat, so I also know that there may be some weeks where i don't lose anything or even gain. But as long as my clothes fit better and I am looking physically better, I could really care less what the scale says. The scale doesn't define me.

I also know that it is easy to fall off the horse on dieting. Lucky for me though, I have a couple friends who are also working on making themselves healthier. I know that I can turn to them when I am having a rough week or when I am feeling down about this transformation and they will be there for me. When I say, I am working on making myself healthier over dieting, it just sounds better. In reality, I rather be healthy than skinny.

Time to get myself in gear. Have a good weekend.

Embracing The Week

Happy Thanksgiving to all. Hope everyone had their fair share of turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, ham, biscuits, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, etc etc. I know I had my fair share of ham and stuffing! My two favorite items on the menu. Hopefully none of you became too intoxicated today.

It has been a good day. I was able to see a lot of my family and just relax today. I watched my Dallas Cowboys beat the Miami Dolphins with a field goal by Bailey with three seconds left on the clock to give Dallas a 20-19 win. That score was too close for comfort. I was expecting Dallas to lose. They didn't play to their potential and in cases they like, they almost deserve to lose.

My Nittany Lions of Penn State beat the Buckeyes of Ohio State @ Ohio State. That is a great feeling! I made sure to pick at my cousin because he loves his OSU and I love my PSU.

My younger cousin Kellyann got married on Saturday. Congrats to Kellyann and her husband Jorge! Love you guys. It was such a great wedding. My date was amazing, Ms. Gen. We had a great time and had lots of food and drinks. We danced our faces off and Gen even showed some of the women a new dance move that they took too very well. Love the chipmunk!

The job hunt is going....sort of. I have applied for over a hundred job in the last few days. Hopefully something will break soon and someone will call me. I understand its fourth quarter so I may not hear anything til after the new year. I'm hoping before that though because I am starting to go stir crazy without a job. I have faith though that I am going to find the perfect job for me and I will be ready to work my butt off once I get it.

Speaking of working my butt off, I have been exercising like a crazy man. I haven't lost any weight but I am shifting it. I am doing a lot more weight lifting then I have done in the past and hopefully this time, I will keep it all off once it's gone. My clothes are starting to fit better so I know I'm doing something correct. One day at a time is what I keep telling myself. Rome wasn't built in a day. This kind of stuff takes time and I have been celebrating small victories to help me get to the day where I will be happy with how I look physically.

I'm in high spirits lately. Let's hope this lasts and it's not just because Christmas is coming. Haha.

Enough for now...have a good night everyone and hope you all enjoyed your Turkey Day.

Who Are You Really Angry With?

For anyone that doesn't know me, I am a controversial person. That is to say the very least. I don't care if I hurt someones feelings or offend them. When I have something to say, I learned to speak up and say what I feel. This didn't happen til I was at the end of my high school career. I used to let people walk all over me and say whatever they wanted and I never fought back. I never defended myself and all I wanted in high school was to be accepted. I had many people that I talked to, but few I could call friends. It took a lot for me to grow out of this but I did. I guess you could thank the people that picked on me for me becoming such a sarcastic guy.

Also, for anyone that doesn't know, I am a PENN STATE graduate. The proudest moment of my life was first, being accepted to Penn State and second, for graduating from there. I bleed blue and white, I sing my alma mater with 110,000 brothers and sisters at Beaver Stadium. I danced for those kids at Hershey who need it.

Unless you live under a rock, you know about everything involving Jerry Sandusky, the defensive coordinator from Penn State. I get very annoyed when the media and people keep referring to the Penn State Scandal and Penn State raped little boys and Penn State did this. PENN STATE DID NOT DO ANY OF THIS! The man who did all of this allegedly, is named Jerry Sandusky. It was not Joe Paterno, nor was it me, or any of my friends. When people mention Penn State did this, you are talking about my friends and family and myself. That is not true. What we did do as a University, is raise over $400,000 dollars for RAINN (rape abuse incest national network). We held a candlelight vigil for the abused victims and pray for the best for them. We also stand behind Joe Paterno. He was scapegoated by the media because he is the legend and his name would sell more papers and make more people tune into the news. That is unfair to him. He did what he was supposed to do in this situation. I am going to write what Joe Pa did do as opposed to what others did not do and you can see, if you don't already, how I can defend Joe Paterno and also can feel for the victims in this scandal as well.

Mike McQueery, the graduate assistant, walked in to the shower and allegedly saw Jerry Sandusky horsing around and performing oral sex on a minor. McQueery walked out of the shower and called his father to tell him what he saw. The next day, McQueery called Joe Paterno to tell him of what he saw. Paterno then set up a meeting between McQueery, Curly and Schultz. Curly is the athletic director of Penn State and Schultz is the VP of Business and Finance at Penn State. McQueery told them everything he saw. At this point, Joe Pa had also told the head of Unviersity Police about the alligations by McQueery. Curly and Schultz had spoke to Graham Spanier, our President, about what had happened. After that, there was no further action taken. No one from Univeristy Police talked to McQueery about the incident. In the Grand Jury report, McQueery's testimony, which defends Joe Paterno, was considered credible. Curly and Schultz's testimonies were not credible.

Now here are my thoughts on the situation. If McQueery, who was 28 at the time, saw this going on, why didn't he 1. Knock Sandusky out and take the child? 2. Call 911 and inform them on what's going on? Other than that, he told Paterno about what he saw. So now Paterno has "hearsay" evidence about a sex abuse scandal. Paterno, could not have gone to the police when Curly and Schultz decided to do nothing. The police would have asked Paterno if he saw it or heard it. He would have answered 'no.' The police can not go off of hearsay evidence to investigate a crime. Other people then said, well why didn't Joe Pa go to the media? I answer that with, because the media does not but cause problems. If Joe Pa would have gone to the media and these alligations turned out to be false, Joe Pa could have been sued by Sandusky for libel. Paterno did what he was morally and legally obligated to do. He told his superior and his superior's superior. He set up a meeting with the three of them to figure out what was going on. Joe Pa actually told someone, much more than I can say for Curly or Schultz.

By law in PA, when sexual alligations are made on a University or Institution, the head of the institution, in this case Graham Spanier, has 48 hours to report it either verbally or by written statement. Spanier did not report this. So, if you are going to fire someone, why was it Joe Pa? Oh right, because like I said before, Joe Pa's name and legacy would sell more papers and get more national media attention. No! No! No! You fire Graham Spanier, for legally not fulfilling his responsibility as the President of Penn State. You also fire Curly and Schultz for not doing anything either! Yet Curly is on administrative leave and Schultz resigned after this B.O.T. meeting.

I understand the Board of Trustees wanted to take action. Because of media hype, the wrong action was taken. Joe Pa was fired, by phone!!! By phone?! Are you kidding me? This man coached for 47 years at Penn State. He donated over 4 million dollars to this university. There is a library and an ice cream named after him. You don't have the decency to fire him face-to-face? That is childish and unfair. Also, Board of Trustees, if you are going to "clean house" because that is the right thing to do, um, you actually need to clean house! ALL OF IT! You would then need to get rid of not only Joe Pa, and Spanier (who has sinced resigned), but you also need to get rid of Curly, Schultz and McQueery. McQueery is on administrative leave and is in "protective custody." He, along with Curly are still on the PSU payroll b/c Curly is on admin leave as well. That doesn't make sense either. McQueery I understand taking leave but Curly should have either resigned or been let go.

I feel for these victims in this sex abuse scandal. If these alligations turn out to be true, because in America, you are innocent until proven guilty, I hope Sandusky rots in hell. He deserves anything and everything he will get. Sandusky is the real criminal here, not Joe Pa and certainly not Penn State. So I would appreciate it, if the media and people would stop saying that, by proxy, I had anything to do with it.

As always, all feedback, is greatly appreciated. As long as it's written in a mature way, even if you disagree, be educated about what you are saying before you say it.

A Change Would Do Me Good.

It has been a while since I last posted here. My life has been a little hectic lately. To start off, my good friends Tom and Kait got married! Hooray! Congrats guys.

We had a surprise party for my mom's birthday last weekend. I got her the best gift ever. I bought her a four-legged furry friend named Bett and she is the cutest dog ever. She is a brindle mix and she is the most lovable character ever. She loves to sleep with mom until she leaves for work, then she curls up in bed with me; it's too cute. It reminds me that I need a life.

Softball is over too. We finished in the top half in our division. We won the first round of playoffs, which was the only upset of the day! Go us! But we lost the second round. It's okay, we made it one step further than last year so that's a success in my book! Besides, there's always next year.

The job hunt is going no where. Everyone around me is getting these great jobs and moving on with their lives. I am still stuck here, applying like crazy and not getting anywhere. It is starting to really get frustrating but I realize that eventually my turn will come and I will get a job. But until then, it is still very annoying to not be able to work. I see all these postings from companies and I apply and apply and most of the time, I don't even recieve a call from them. If you aren't looking to hire someone, then don't post the job. I am qualified for the jobs I apply for and I have the ambition to work. I hate sitting at home collecting unemployment. For one, unemployment is not enough to even live off of, I can barely pay the few bills I have. Second, I didn't go to college to sit at home. I really need a change.

At this point, I am even thinking about moving out of Jersey to find a job. The economy and job market has to be better than it is in the Northern Jersey/NYC area. It might be better for me to start off somewhere new and start getting my life together. I'm not afraid to move to a new place; I've got a great personality and I make friends easily. I just need a change.

A change would do me good.

Bang! Was That A Gunshot or the Economy Crashing?

So it's official, Muammar Gaddafi is dead; shot in the head yesterday. This is a day for Libyans to celebrate. In my opinion, I would call him the Saddam or Osama of his country. He took over by force, pretty much ruined the country and it wasn't until a civil war in Libya that he was overthrown. He turned Libya into a parish state by ruining their economy and taking on chemical weapons. Put a check next to the good guys' name and let's move on in this War on Terror.

I'm going to be a bit more topical for this blog so if this doesn't interest you, stop reading now.

So the War on Terror. I heard people complaining that Obama was taking the troops out of the Middle East. A few common threads I heard were "We aren't finishing what we started..." My response, as usual, SERIOUSLY? How many Americans died out there trying to protect our country? A lot is the answer; my neighbor and childhood friend being one of them. This is a never ending war. The war on terror. Whether its Osama, Hussein, Gaddafi, or anyone else, there is always someone else that will step up. Just look at our history; Hitler, Napoleon, Genghis Khan (look up that one if you don't know who he is). The fighting isn't going to stop, it's human nature to fight. There has to come a point though where enough is enough and we cut our losses and go. December 31st is the deadline, let's keep it that way. Happy New Year to all and let's refocus our efforts somewhere else....say the economy?

Oh the economy, how you had to go down just as I left college. As Facebook should say, "Christopher does not like this" with a thumbs down preceding it. We can not blame Obama for the economy being bad; people who say that annoy me. It took George Bush eight years, count 'em, eight years to ruin our economy due to war and other political issues. The economy wasn't destroyed in a day, it won't be fixed in a day. It may not even be fixed by whoever takes office next term since America seems to be completely against Obama. Real results don't happen overnight, they take time. You can't lose 100lbs over night, so what makes you think that a downward spiral of our economy, mostly taken on by war, which we are still in, would change drastically so quickly? And when you have a Government that shoots down everything the President wants to do, how are we supposed to get anywhere? Let's just play rock, paper, scissors and whoever wins receives the final decision. We would at least get somewhere that way.

One thing I am hearing though is that companies don't want to hire people because they want tax breaks. Okay, I get that. But if you listen to the news and pay attention and do your homework, you would learn that the Government is giving tax breaks to those who do hire. Bill Clinton went on the news and said it himself. They are pushing the hiring of people so that people will spend money again because they will have it. That will bring up the economy. Hire People = People Spend = Economy goes up. It's a circle people. So, let's go out there, hire all these college kids who are broke and have Sallie Mae calling them everyday harassing them about where their 1,000 a month student loan payment is, and let's get the ball rolling (Sallie Mae has me on speed dial). I'm sure every college kid would love a job right now making a respectable amount of money for their level of experience. Sorry Craigslist, I am not accepting a job for 8.00 an hour when I have a degree that, at that rate, will take me 250 years to pay off. Just not happening.

The Sound of Letting Go

The sound of letting go...not always something to be sad about. I am saying goodbye to the old me. The one who feels bad when he shouldn't, the one who let's go when he should really fight, and the one who is afraid to stand up and say what he feels because he's tired of being put down.

Like everyone, I do care what people think of me. I want to be liked, loved, respected. But honestly, if you aren't one of those people who can use any of those words to describe me, then I really don't care about you. I'm tired of surrounding myself with people that don't deserve my time. I could be using that wasted time to spend on my real friends or most of all, myself; a person I neglect a lot. I have too much life to concern myself with stuff that I can't control. I have too much spirit to back down from battles that I know I can win and even if I can't, I need to at least put in the fight. And I have too much respect for myself to let people walk all over me or get away with trashing me. I'm not ashamed of myself and because you feel bad about your own life, don't take it out on me.

Maybe I'm finally feeling like this because I know that I am transitioning into my new apartment more and more each day and I'm letting go of the past that wasn't good for me. As the seasons change, so am I. Out with the old, in with the new. The first step is always the hardest. And now that that is underway, I can start focusing on bigger and better projects to give myself that extra "push" that I need to succeed. Nothing momentous was done overnight and this is a journey that will last a lifetime. I just need to remember to breathe and take it one day at a time.

The sound of letting go...maybe it's a maturity thing.

Welcome to the Escape

Day one.
Starting from scratch.

It's raining out, making it a good day to do some writing. I haven't sat down and wrote anything in a long time. I feel like I've lost myself a little bit because of it. Today starts a new day and we'll see how i goes from here.

I have a job interview tomorrow. Thank god. It is with a public relations firm for an account coordinator position. It would be great to get this job featuring I've been unemployed since August. I am going a little stir crazy since I've been home. This job would be good because I would get back to writing more and really sharpen my brain skills. I feel like my brain has turned to mush since I haven't really been doing much about it. That is why I figured this blog would be the best thing to help keep me "in the game."

Like I mentioned before, this is day one. Starting from scratch. If you know me, you know I've had a weight issue my whole life. I lost weight, I gained it back, I lost it, gained it back, etc. This time has been different, I have kept most of it off. I still need to lose about 20 more lbs though. I feel like I need a wake up call because I keep saying I'll eat better and I never do it. I still fall back into my old habits and the only thing that is going to get me is unhealthy again. I have been good though about working out and trying to exercise between the gym, running, and my softball team. I figured if I write it down, I have to look at it and know that I'm serious about getting into shape. One day at a time. Today is day one.