3 posts from April 2008

I woke up pretty excited today. The plan was to hang out at the Outback Pro-am and be outside and hang out with some friends.  I was finishing some emails and playing with Mogwai, who turned 1 today, when I got a phone call from my friend Carl.  After a bit of yammering and catching up he then dropped the bomb that changed something internally.

Basically, a brother of good friend that we have in common, lost his wife on Tuesday.  When the news spilled out of the phone into my ear I literally lost my footing and hit the ground.  Talk about a shock.  Then the aftershock.  This didn't happen because of an auto accident, or an illness that could possibly of been forecasted.  She literally sat in a chair, had a heart attack and died.  Twenty-nine years old with no history or family history of heart problems.  Nothing to indicate that this could happen.  My friend was at his parents’ house and couldn't seem to contact her, and of course just thought she was busy, but when five o'clock rolled around with no phone call and no email, he headed home.  He contacted his neighbor who had to jump a fence and break into the house, called 911 but it was too late.

Three thoughts came across my mind.  1) How is he and what is his state of mind? 2) Where is he and who is with him? and 3) I am glad I am not him.  I felt guilty about the third thought and that it came so quickly.  I was assured it was normal, but it really didn't make me feel better.  I cannot even fathom what he is going through.  After a couple of texts and voicemails to his brother, my friend, I was told the story and where everyone was.  So, we showered and left.

Three hours later we walked into a crowded house in Vero Beach where the mood was light, but somber.  I saw my friend who I haven't seen since he and his wife and son left for Chicago.  Carl and family and the rest of this clan, but no sign of my friends brother.  Later on he walked in and I hugged him.  I gave him every last bit of healing energy I could.  "If I could take your pain away", I thought, "I would."  We hung out and just enjoyed the company.  I felt good he had so many people around that cared for him and wife so much.  I just don't feel good for him next week, when everyone goes back to work and he has to spend so much time with nothing but his thoughts.

It really made me think though.  It is so important to tell the people we love how much we care for them, and how much they mean to us.  All of them, from you significant other, all the way to the person you work with that you tend to connect with.  Then, it's time to get affairs in order.  Who would it affect if you died tomorrow?  How would your bills get paid?  Who would end up being responsible for them?  Is there someone you wish to take care of in the event of your death?  How do you want your body dispositioned?  Do you want to donate organs?  What if you were determined to be in a coma and the outcome is bleak that you will ever come out?  Do you want the expenses to pile up on your loved ones or do you wish to be terminated?  All these things sound morbid, but they are very important. 

My family has a lot of longevity.  I have blood relatives who are over 90 and still golf eighteen holes three to four times a week.  My family has buried more centurions than I can count.  This being the case I always thought I had time, to figure a lot of things out.  Mary dying the way she did, shows me there are a lot of friends I need to talk to and a lot of affairs I need to get in order.  Wow...I am just still in shock.

Mogwai turned one year old today.  Tomorrow is the first anniversary of Jamali's death.  Today I mourned with my friends for a family member.  Tomorrow I sing at TBPAC.  If that isn't the epitome of an emotional roller coaster I don't know what is.

Do me a favor, please?  Hug your significant other.  Tell your parents you love them.  Mention how much your friends mean to you.  You never know if you will ever get the chance again.  Life is too short.

LOVE, LIFE, HAPPINESS & SUCCESS!!

-Brad

Five AM came pretty quick this morning, but to no avail I did get up, and put the DVD in the player and started my workout.  Imagine my shock when the timer on the TV started counting back from 1 hour and 32 minutes.  Of course I said, ok a lot of slow moving stretching so it just will be a bit little longer.    YEAH!! RIGHT!!  Let’s call it slow moving, stretching, balancing, strength conditioning torture.  I think this was the hardest workout of them all.

I knew I was out of shape, hence the reason to start the program in the first place, but this kicked my ever-loving ass.  Mentally, I felt like I was about an inch tall, but to be honest, physically I felt pretty good.  Limber, energized, centered.  There is something to say for this Yoga thing.  I have been through yoga classes before and they were hard, but they were a half hour long.  This was a pure 90 minutes of totally engaged muscles.  It is going to be a while before I can say that I enjoy it, but somewhere down the line, of course saying that I do not give up, I think I might like it. 

I was a dancer for quite a while, so I am used to getting razzed for taking part in something that can be perceived as demasculating.  Well, there is no way for that perception to appear for this "Yoga X" program.  If it does, then you haven't tried it.  From the warm-up to the cool down I was sweating, and my heart rate was up and I didn’t move from a 4 foot radius.

Other than that, I am still pushing along on day 5.  The diet thing is a little tougher than I remember.  Not that it is tough to eat, just as often as I like.  I just dive in to work so intensely I actually forget to eat.  I ended up, putting reminders on my calendar at work so a window pups up every 2-3 hours and says "EAT!!:.  Isn't that funny?  Next thing you know I am going to be doing the same thing to remind myself to go to the restroom.

Did anyone watch the series of "The Biggest Loser"?  This season was amazing.  I mean I have seen some of the episodes in the past and the people on the show really make some great progress, but not memorable.  This season there was this woman, Ali, who got there with her mother and she was about 240 pounds and maybe five foot three.  Well, when she ended the show, she was around 120 pounds and she was cut and absolutely gorgeous.  The whole thing happened in 21 weeks with just diet and exercise.   It was a true testament to eating clean and working out.  I'll never even doubt the basics don't work.  I mean 21 weeks from obese to sculpted.  Incredible!!  There were 5 guys that had almost the same transformation.  Mark, Dan, Jay, Rodger and Justin.  Justin couldn't even get health insurance because he was over 350 lbs at the finale he as around 220 and ripped up.  I just think if there are people that let themselves go, but realized it and decided to make the change, that anyone can make a change for anything in their life no matter their age, sex and race.  We really do create our own destiny.

Rehearsals are going well, we have one more tonight and the benefit is on Sunday, then I continue on with Los Galinos which only rehearses a couple times a week.  If there is anything else out there that anyone is auditioning for, please let me know.  I am dying to get jump into an actual character.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Life, Health, Happiness & Success

-Brad

The blogs are going to get more frequent I hope.  Just to catch you up.  We went to Andy and Jesse's wedding last weekend.  It was a blast.  We shared a room with Craig and Erin which was a first.  We got a long great, we ate well, and saw an amazing ceremony.  It even took me back to Fiddler since Jesse did circles around Andy.  Of course she claimed it would get her too dizzy so Andrew split the seven circles with her.  Yeah it was quite entertaining.  They both got up and sang at the reception and we all know what a wonderful singer Andy is but who knew that Jesse had a pair of pipes as well.  She was great!!!  So bar a few transportation problems the wedding weekend was really nice.

Work has been extremely busy and challenging of which I am still really having a good time.

I am back in rehearsal for a couple of concerts.  I am singing a couple of solos for a benefit at TBPAC and singing in a the chorus for a Spanish Opera called Los Giliantos.  I am putting my phonetic skills to the test.

Now the big challenge:  everyone knows I have problems following through on things I do myself.  If other people are involved or its work related this problem is non-existent, but when it comes to me, I let myself down more often than not.  So, I am challenging myself for 90 days.  I started a home workout program called P90X and it is just as tough as any workout I did in the military.  I am just working so much right now that I am not getting in any exercise so I started yesterday with the first workout about noon, and this morning was the second at 5.  This is when I start thinking about quitting because I am so sore.  If I can just get through the next two weeks I will not be as sore after each workout and the dizziness and nausea will subside.  So I figure if I let you all know what I am doing, then maybe Ill trick myself into thinking I need to follow up because I am staying accountable to you.

I just feel old right now.  I go to work, I come home, or maybe rehearsal I go to bed.  That's my life and on the weekends, I watch movies and do household crap.  I am tired of it.  I want to start living again.  So, here is where I start.  Maybe it will work maybe it won’t.

SO TODAY:
Plyometrics - its basically a lot lateral jumping and a lot of squats and lunges mixed in.  VERY TOUGH.  I made it all the way through except for the last set where I was starting to feel dizzy and sick.  So I stopped.  No problems next week Ill do the whole hour. 

Yesterday - Chest, Back and Abs.  Made it through all of the chest and back, but really felt sick about 3/4s the way through abs.  Just the first couple of days.  Next week I wont have that excuse.

Ok, so have a wonderful day and week everyone.

LOVE, HEALTH, HAPPINESS and SUCCESS!!!

-Brad