Star Wars Rebels S2 & NerdStrong Game Night

Star Wars Rebels is back!!! We got a taste of season two during the summer with the two episode story "The Siege of Lothal" And after a few months of waiting season two officially started. I was able to watch episode 3 "The Lost Commanders" and 4 "Relics of the Old Republic" of season two.  Here's a quick synsopsis of Ep 3, Having barely escaped total destruction of the rebel cell Phoenix Squadron by Darth Vader, Ahsoka Tano sends the Ghost Crew to locate a former military commander somewhere in the Seelos system who has the knowledge of useful hideouts in the Outer Rim. The crew discover the commander to be former clone trooper Captain Rex, accompanied by Commander Wolffe and clone commando Gregor. Kanan is immediately hostile due to the clones' role in Order 66 although Rex claims they removed their brain chips. Ezra negotiates with Rex for information relating to potential bases. In return Gregor enlists them for a hunt by using Zeb as bait to catch an elusive Joopa. With the hunt successful, Rex holds up his end of the deal but Sabine discovers that Wolffe betrayed the Ghost crew's location to the Empire. A skirmish with an Imperial probe damages the Phantom shuttle, the crew is temporarily stranded with the clones waiting for an Imperial assault.

Here's the synopsis of episode 4, The Empire tracks the Lothal Rebels to Seelos. Admiral Konstantine and Agent Kallus arrive at the Seelos System to capture the Jedi. Rex gives the Lothal Rebels a datachip containing old Republic bases in the Outer Rim. Ezra tries to persuade the clones to join the Rebellion, but Rex and the clones instead offer to delay the Empire so the Lothal Rebels can escape. Agent Kallus commands the clones to hand over the Rebels, but when Rex refuses, Kallus arrives with three AT-ATs. Taking advantage of a sandstorm and the Force, Kanan, Ezra and the clones use their AT-TE's main gun to destroy one of the AT-ATs. Meanwhile, Admiral Konstantine is summoned away by Darth Vader. Instead of meeting him, the admiral meets Fifth Brother, who claims that he will succeed where Kallus and Konstantine have failed. The Lothal Rebels prepare to leave on the Phantom, but Ezra is unwilling to leave Rex and the clones behind. Kanan, Ezra, and Zeb commandeer one of the AT-ATs and turn its weapons on Kallus' AT-AT which Rex destroys with a critical hit. Kallus flees the battle on a speeder. Hera returns to pick up the clones and the Ghost crew. Returning to the Rebel flotilla, the Lothal Rebels and Rex reunite with Ahsoka.

So much awesome in both of these episodes. Rebels was good during season one but I was coming off of Clone Wars which was AMAZING so it was hard for me not to compare the two and Clone Wars was coming out way ahead. But I have to admit they have really stepped up their game with season 2. Besides the fact that they added one of my favorite characters from Clone Wars (Ahsoka) to the show with these two episodes they added another Rex. It's great to see what happen to some of the clone when the war ended. Watching Kanan struggle with trusting them (as he should) and Ezra really not understanding Kanan's distrust.

The second episode revealed AT-AT's which took me back to my childhood so it was awesome seeing these in action. And of course my favorite part of both of these episodes is the reuniting of Ahsoka and Rex... so many feels.  I'm really looking forward to this new season of Rebels, if these few episodes are any indication of what's to come we are in for an amazing ride.

During the evening I headed to NerdStrong for our monthly Game Night. As always it's a total blast playing board games with these peoples. We started the night play Russian Roulette Pie Face. We had two of the Pie Face games and we set them up across from each other. Two people sit down and one at the time they would twist the knob and hope to not be smacked in the face with whip cream. It was a lot of fun.

I then jumped on a game called Catacombs, it looked like a lot of fun but was brand new so we had to set it up by putting a ton of stickers on pieces. It took us a while to do it and by the time we started playing (it was extremely complicated) we were kind of over it and when the owner of the game had to leave we were more then happy to box it up for another day.

The final game I played for the night was called Escape 'The Curse of the Temple'. This was alot of fun and definitely something I can see myself buying so I can play it with other friends.

Overall it was another fun game night... can't wait until next month.

Farscape Vs Guardians, More LARPs & New Potter

I came across this picture that explains the similarities between Farscape and Guardians of the Galaxy, never really thought about it and I'm a huge fan of both franchises... It's an interesting read.

Been enjoying the new season of LARPs The Series. We're only a few episodes in and I'm already loving it. I enjoyed season one but you can tell these guys really found their voice in season two.. not only that but with their longer run times they are really doing alot of character building as well as expanding the world. 

Episode three has a scene that made me very happy as I've been a big fan of the character of Arthur though he's done a few shady things in the past. And we find out in this episode that this character is gay. But the way they reveal it is in a normal conversation, there are no bells or whistle, it's as though him being gay is the norm. I found that approach extremely refreshing, and I wish more shows would follow suit. If you're not watching this series then you are really missing out on something special. I haven't loved a web series like this since The Guild.

Last thing I want to share on today's blog is about Harry Potter. We've been hearing bits and pieces about a few Harry Potter story.. but this one is for the stage. We know it's going to be in two parts but today we got a bit more information about it.

Here's the full synopsis: “It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.”

They are touting this as the Eighth Harry Potter story. I would love to be able to fly over to London to see this but I doubt that's gonna happen. I'm hoping it come to New York as that might be a bit easier for me to get to, but will wait and see what happens. I'd love to see the continuing story of Harry Potter. 

NerdStrong Gym - Strength Day

Today we continued our work on Back Squats.. but first we had our Build (Warm Up) and had to do a 230 Meter run, 2 rounds of 30x Jumping Jacks and 10x Reverse Lunges, then 5x Air Squats, 10x Banded Squats and finally 5x Air Squats.

Next was the "Proficiency" portion of the workout which was Kettlebell Glute Bridges, coaches asked us to do two rounds of ten.

We then did our "Quest" which was the Back Squat portion of the workout. We are working towards our one rep max. For today's back squats we had to work up to a heavy weight and then do 8 sets of 3. If I recall I think my heaviest was 145 lbs and half way through the sets you're exhausted.

And to finish off the workout we did our "Battle" which was a Five Minutes AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible). We started with 2x Dumbbell Push Press and 2x Dumbbell Renegade Rows but with every round we increased our sets by 2. So round two we did 4x Dumbbell Push Press and 4x Dumbbell Renegade Rows and then x6 and then x8 before time ran out on me. 

Back to the Future & Pilates

Today is the day that Marty and Doc Brown went back to the future.. 10/21/15. People have been waiting for this date since this movie came out 26 years ago (1989). USA Today printed a special edition newspaper that matched the one in the movie. Pepsi made those crazy bottle seen the movie and Nike release a limited edition self tying shoe. Universal even got in on the fun and made a Jaws 19 trailer (which I posted on my blog a few days ago). It seems like everyone is super excited for this day.

Now I will admit that Back to the Future II was my least favorite of the three but it's still always fun to go back and see what they though the "future" would look like. From the flying cars to crazy clothes and them thinking we'd still be using fax machines... their 2015 is alot different then the real 2015.

Since it's Wednesday that means I start my day at NerdStrong Gym with a great and often tough workout.. well I end my day at NerdStrong Gym with a great stretch and core workout doing Pilates. Coach Corrin is the best, she really knows her muscles and anatomy. Taking a class with her is great because not only am I feeling great but I'm being educated as well. Loving my Pilates class.

One Year Later

Today marks my one year anniversary of getting fit. One year ago today I sat in my doctors office and listened as he told me that my A1C levels were at 6.4 and that I am now considered pre-diabetic. And in all actuality if I was .1 more at 6.5 I would be diagnosed with diabetes. And once you are diagnosed with diabetes you will forever have it even if you get your numbers down. This would not only effect my health but my health insurance and various other things.

My doctor gave me three months to get my numbers down and the moment I walked out of his office I was determined to do anything I had to do to not become diabetic. So when I got home from work that evening I walk/jog for an hour at the park across the street from my place. The next day I got up early and did another walk/jog for an hour before work. I did this every single day without taking a break for 3 months. I also changed my eating habits and tried to eat less out food and more healthy foods.

At the end of the three months I had lost 25 lbs and was feeling pretty good. I went back to my doctors and found that my A1C was now down to 6.0, I was still considered pre-diabetic but my numbers were heading in the right direction.

Two weeks later I joined NerdStrong Gym, my workouts went from 3 days a week to 6 days a week in a matter of a few months.

At my six month mark I was down another five pounds for a total of 30 pounds lost. I had gone down two pant sizes and one shirt size. My A1C was now at 5.7, which is .1 away from being normal at 5.6 and below.

So in six months I went from being .1 away from being diabetic to being .1 away from being normal.

Now today it's my one year mark and things are moving along. I have to make an appointment with my doctor to have my A1C levels checked once again. If the trend holds I should be a few points below my last numbers which would make me "normal" and no longer threaten with diabetes.

To be honest I should have made the appointment by now but part of me is scared of the results. The first six months was great and I worked hard to get fit, but these last six months have been tough. I still work hard during my workouts and my body has be changing for the better but my eating habits have been like a yoyo and I'm worried about my A1C. I would be crushed to find out that my A1C went up again but I'm gonna have to suck it up and find out.. it's better to know for sure then to worry for no reason.

Side note here.. I've been going to a place called Fit Fax for the past eight months where they measure your body composition. In those eight months I have lost 4.2 lbs of fat but gained 5.1 lbs of lean body mass as well as 1.4 lbs of Dry Lean Mass. My Metabolic rate has gone from 1592 to 1654 an increase of 49.

My weight this past year started at 219 (the highest it's ever been) but I went down to 189 at my 6 month mark but at my year mark I'm back up to 194 (but it's all muscle mass). I'm still trying to get my weight down to 175 but it's tough and with my yoyo eating habits it's making it that much harder. But I'm determined to do it and I know in time I'll get there.. just have to be patient.

One year down... and I'm very happy with my progress. I know things aren't going to change over night but I've come a long way in a year. Thanks to all who have shown me such love and support this past year... couldn't have done it without you all.

NerdStrong Gym - Great Scott!!!

Today was a Back to the Future workout in honor of the day that Marty and Doc Brown go to the future. It was a coach Blair workout so that means it was tough.

We started with a "Build" (Warm Up) that had lots of stretching, 2 rounds of 5x Wall Squats, 10x Air Squats, 10x PVC Pass Throughs and 15x PVC Good Mornings.

Then to our "Proficiency" portion of the workout we did 4 rounds of 5x Single Leg Box Squats on each leg. This was the first time I had done these and they aren't easy. After the third or fourth one you're leg starts to feel like jelly.

The Quest was a dozy, we started with a 5 minute Row for distance, since there aren't enough rowers for members, if you were not rowing you had to do one of the following. 4 Minute Jog, 3 Minute Jump Rope or 200 Mountain Climbers and then hold a :30 second Plank. I didn't get to a rower in time so I was part of the group who had to choose one of the "other" things to do. Of the five people in my group we all choose to jog for 4 minutes. Blair wanted us to make sure we picked a pace that we could maintain, he didn't want us to stop within those 4 minutes.

After the job we waited another minute for the current rowers to finish and then we jumped on and did our five minutes. Coach Blair asked that we try and go at least 1000 meters in those five minutes and I'm happy to say that I did 1163 meters.

I was exhusted but we got a few minutes to rest before doing the "Battle". This battle was titled "Great Scott!!" and we had to do x10, x21, x20, x15  (or 10/21 2015) of Slamballs and Sit Ups. So we started with x10 Slamballs and then did x10 Sit Ups, then 21x Slamballs and 21x Sit Ups and so on. I can't recall where I finished but I do know that I was tired and didn't finish the entire thing. I think I got through half of the x15 Slamballs before time ran out.

It was a good workout.. but I wouldn't expect anything else on one of coach Blairs CON days.

Tom Hiddleston & B5 River of Souls

So I came across this video titled "Fall In Love With Tom Hiddleston in 20 Seconds Or Less" Now there are people out there who are crazy for his Loki character and think he's the hottest thing on Earth. I've never been on that band wagon, I mean he's nice looking and he seems very sweet in interviews.. but he's not all that... OMG after watching this video I fell head over heals and now understand why those who adore him do so... he is just so dang adorkable!!!

After work I headed over to my buddy Robert's place were we continued our first time viewing of Babylon 5. It's been a while since we watched some B5 and we are so close to being completely done with the series. For today's viewing we watched the third Babylon 5 TV movie titled "River of Souls" Here's a quick synopsis: After a short absence from Babylon 5, Michael Garibaldi returns to the station to meet with a person in his employ. An archaeologist in search of a means of immortality brings his most recent find to Babylon 5 – an orb containing one billion souls of an extinct race. Within days a Soul Hunter arrives claiming the orb was stolen from his people. With the assistance of the archaeologist the souls break free from their captivity in the orb and bring havoc to the station.

There was only a handful of the "regular" cast members in this TV movie. Jerry Doyle who plays Garibaldi was the main lead with Tracy Scoggins as Captain Lochley, Jeff Conaway as Zack and Richard Biggs as Dr. Franklin returning to their roles.

I actually really enjoyed this movie, I thought it was better then ThirdSpace (the 2nd TV movie). I enjoyed the story and it didn't bother me that the majority of the main cast members weren't in it. Garibaldi use to be one of my favorite characters on the show but the last few seasons I haven't been a fan of where they took him but he wasn't so bad in this episodes and he reminded me of the Garibaldi I use to enjoy. I really like the character of Captain Lochley, we only got to really get to know her in the final season but it was nice seeing her again in this TV Movie.

We only have two more TV movies to watch and then decide if we are going to watch the short lived spin off series Crusades. But our B5 experience will soon be over.

NerdStrong Gym - Mobility & Steel Clubs

DEX day at NerdStrong Gym. We started off with a warm up that could be considered a workout in itself. 230 Meter Run with arm circles, left over right back & forth and shoulder rolls, 1 minute of Calf/Hamstring Pole Stretch, 5x Pole Squats and 10x Kneeling Stretch.

We moved on to our Proficiency portion of the workout and did LAT Mobility Complex with Banded LAT Distortion and Anterior Delts with Mobility Ball. The Banded LAT Distortions felt great but the Ball was painful as you crushed it into side of your body.

For the Quest we had to choose 3 workouts and work on them for 10 to 12 minutes. We could do 3x Burpee Pull Ups, 3-5x Pull Ups, Max Reps Weighted Pull Ups, Max Reps Negatives, 5x Strict Ring Rows or 5x Lateral Rows. I chose Burpee Pulls Ups, Ring Rows and Lateral Rows. I can only do two pull ups at most and not a big fan of negatives.

Our final Battle was 3 rounds of :20 seconds of work, :10 seconds of rest with a Steel Club. First we had to do a One Handed Swing (left arm), Two Handed Shoulder Squat, One Handed Swing (right arm), Two Handed Front Press and then a Two Handed Front Pull Over. None of this is particular hard but after all that we had done by the second and definitely third round your arms are like jelly and you can't wait for it to be over.

Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens Tickets and Trailer

Today is Star Wars day.. not only are they releasing the first full length trailer (prior to this there have been teasers) but tickets are going on sale as well.

The trailer for Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens is going to premiere during half time on Monday Night Football and tickets are to go on sale moments after it's premiered.

But things didn't go as planned and two hours or so before the trailer was released I saw a tweet saying that tickets were on sale (on certain websites). So I went to the Arclight website and sure enough they were on sale. Since I was trying to do a group purchase I hesitated on buying tickets right away, instead I Facebooked messaged my friends which version they would prefer to watch.. ATMOS (which I love) but it's in 3D or just regular 2D. By the time folks responded (which was only like 10 minutes) I went back to the website and it was being bombarded and it took the next hour and a half, refreshing, crashing, refreshing, crashing to purchase six tickets. Websites were crashing all over the place and people were going crazy. But I got my ticket and a few friends as well so I'm extremely happy. I'll be seeing Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens on Thursday at 10pm at the Arclight Sherman Oaks Theater. I'll be seeing it in 3D with ATMOS Dolby audio (which is the main reason I choose this theater.. love ATMOS).  I'm sure I'll be seeing it several more times over the weekend with various other people... but there is nothing like the first time.. I can't wait!!!!

I was at work when they aired the trailer during halftime but it was only a matter of seconds before it showed up online so I sat in my office and watched the brand new trailer... then I watched it again.. and again.. and maybe a few more times. It was as though I was seven years old again and watching the Star Wars (A New Hope, but it wasn't called that back then) trailer. I would let out audible ohs and ahs, I had chills from head to toe while tears welled up in my eyes.

The music alone was amazing and so emotional but the visuals were spectacular. This movie reminds me so much of A New Hope in look and feel. They gave absolutely nothing way in the trailer as to what the story might be. We got introduced to a few of the new characters and got to see some of the amazing battles that they have in store for us. This trailer only made me even more excited for this movie... Is it December yet!!!

Star Wars 7 Poster, Chris Evens is Hot, Team Carter Wins & Family

They released a new poster for Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens and it's pretty fantastic. It's not done by Drew Struzan which is a shame as he is an amazing artist and I have loved his previous works (including many of the previous Star Wars movies). But I have to say it's still very much in his "style". Which begs the question, why didn't they just have Drew do it? Still I'm super excited for this movie and I can't wait for the new trailer to drop tomorrow during Monday Night Football.

I came across this Captain American GIF and just had to share it. I mean is there a better example of the male specimen, Chris Evens is just so dang cute and seems like a very sweet and generous man which makes him even hotter.

Staying in the Marvel Universe for a minute.. the Dubsmash war between the Agent Carter actors and Agents of Shield actors is over and the underdog Agent Carter came from behind at the last minute to win the war. You can check out all their fun videos HERE.

I was Team Carter all the way so I am very happy with the results but both teams did an amazing job collecting donations for their two charities. I have a feeling this isn't the end of the war between these two shows.. can't wait to see what's next for them.

There truly is no loser here.. both teams were amazing and together they raised a combined total of $154,329 for their two charities

Today I got to spend some time with my Dad and my brother's family. I got to take dad out to my favorite Chinese restaurant and when I got back I got to hang out with my niece Molly and nephew Kenobi. I brought along my Pie Face game as I figured the kids would get a kick out of it. Of course I had to do it first and show them how it worked and that it didn't hurt getting hit in the face. Then surprisingly Kenobi was much more keen on doing it then Molly. I thought it would be the complete opposite as Molly is the gung ho type of kid and Kenobi is more like me and reserved.

Kenobi and I had a great time getting smacked in the face with whip cream over and over, even my sister-in-law Lora got in on the fun and towards the end my niece joined in, but I think she just liked eating the whip cream.

Afterwards I went out on the trampoline with the kids, I'm so thankful that I'm going to the gym and being more active as these kids are full on energy and run circles around me. I can usually keep up with them for an hour or so before I have to call it quits and rest. But we had some fun times on the trampoline.

NerdStrong Gym - Zombie Fights

Today at NerdStrong Gym.. Army of Darkness themed workout. This was one of the more complicated workouts, here is how it works. In Teams of 3 we had to do two 12 minute AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) and in this case you wanted to do as many as possible because when you completed a round you got a chainsaw, which would help in a later fight.

At the end of each of these battles we had a Zombie Fight (5 minutes to do 10 Burpees in unison). But how ever many chainsaws we got during the battle would decrease the amount of Zomies (ie Burpees) we had to fight.

But there was a twist, one of the coaches would roll a 4D at the six minute mark, if it landed on 1, which is a crit fail we had to add 5 more burpees to our Zombie fight bringing the total to 15 Burpees. If it landed on 2 we only added two more Burpees to our Zombie fight, 3 we lost 1 chainsaw that we had earned and 4 nothing happened.

The first battle was in the Graveyard, we had to do 20x Push Ups, 30x Sit Ups and 40x Squats. While one person did the workout, one would hold a High Plank and third person would rest. We rotated doing as many as we felt we could do, so of us were better at Push Ups then others so we did a few more and so on. We managed to do four rounds of this battle and got 4 chainsaws, luckly the coach rolled a 4 so nothing happened and my team had to do fight only 6 Zombie (burpees) for this battle.

The second battle was at the Castle Siege, we had to do 20x Ring Rows, 30x Hanging Knee Raises and 40x Reverse Lunges. This time the hold was a Weight Plate Hold. Again like with the previous battle we did as many as we felt we could do and this time we managed to get 3 chainsaws within the allotted time. Unfortunately coach rolled a 3 so we lost one of those chainesaws and wound up fighting 8 Zombies (Burpees).

Overall it was a fun and tough workout. I love these team workouts...

Pie Face Game & Top Secret Project

Got a new game in the mail today.. Pie Face. I saw a video of this a while back and I knew that I had to have it. I mean who doesn't like having whip cream thrown in their face. I can't wait to play this with my niece and nephew as well as bring along to one of the NerdStrong game nights.

In the evening I headed to downtown Los Angeles to help out my friend Jes and work (PA) on her new short film. She's been talking about making this short for a while now and time after time there have been unforeseen delays. Well today it's finally happening and I'm so happy to be part of it (even if it's a very tiny part).

Of course I can't give any details on the project, but I think it's okay if I say they were shooting at night and I promised to be there from 6pm and work until around midnight, though the shoot was going to 6am, I couldn't stay the entire time as I had gym and other plans on Sunday.

As a PA (production assistant) I pretty much was craft service as well as set photographer. It was fun getting to hang out with America (who was directing) as we haven't been able to hang out much this past year. I also got to hang out with Dove (America's husband) who I adore as well.

The project is going to be pretty awesome when it's complete and I can't wait until it's released and I can share it with you all... so stay tuned!!

NerdStrong Gym - Teen Boss Fight

It's Saturday so that means Boss Fight, but today's boss is just a teenager.. not the full big boss. But needless to say it's still an extremely tough workout today. After a good warm up we moved on to our main fight. There was a 35 minute time cap on this workout.

Here's what we had to do. 460 Meter Run, 50x Kettlebell Swings, 460 Meter Run, 40x Push Ups, 230 Meter Run, 30x Goblet Squats, 230 Meter Run, 20x Burpees, 140 Meter Run, 10x NerdMakers, 140 Meter Run, 10x Burpee Pulls ups and finally another 230 Meter Run.

I am happy to say that I completed the entire thing within the 35 minutes.. I actually had a five minutes to spare. It's tough trying to find the right pacing. You want to finish the entire thing but you don't want to kill yourself doing it. My goal for this was to run the entire time as the run can't eat away the minutes... and I'm happy to say that I did. Towards the end there were times I just wanted to walk around the parking lot but I forced myself to jog, even if it was at a slower pace then before, I just had to keep moving forward.

Next weeks boss will be even worse and then the following week we take on the full boss again.. good times ahead.

Tiny Homes, Lesbian Princess & Father Knows Best

Several videos I want to share with you guys.. this first one is about tiny homes. I've just become aware of this phenomenon last year but it intrigues me, of course I wouldn't be able to buy one of these unless I did some major and I mean major downsizing. But I came across these "tiny" apartments that are mobile.. it definitely peaked my interest.

I came across this on you tube and thought it was really good. It's about Princess who kisses a frog and doesn't get exactly what SHE wants.

And then the final video I want to share with you has a great message and made me smile.

The Geekie Awards

Tonight I attended the third annual Geekie Awards. The Geekie Awards is an award show by geeks for geeks, aimed at putting the true geek culture in the spotlight as a collection of valid, respected, award-winning genres for storytelling and creation. In an industry filled with award shows for established celebrities, we honor talented, independent creators and give them the opportunity to receive recognition in front of a worldwide audience and leaders in their respective industries. We inspire creativity and hope and foster cross-market innovation. Our mission is to create a fun, action-packed, unforgettable broadcast event tailored to all of the things we geeks love: entertainment, gaming, products and art—delivered via the latest digital technologies.

I have been a judge since the very first Geekie Awards in the category "Podcasts". As one of the perks of being a judge I was given a 2 tickets to this years event. I asked my friend Lauren if she wanted to join me and she was more then happy to. She suggest that we dress "formal" cosplay. We first tried to come with a formal 'Hobbit' dress but there really wasn't enough time to make anything. I then suggested that I had Comm Badges that we could wear and I had a ST TNG tie as well. She liked that idea because she had a dress the same color as Counselor Troi.

I picked her up and we headed to downton LA as the event was happening at Club Nokia. I had never been there before so I was looking forward to it. Once we found parking ($30) we made our way to the event.

Sidenote.. the first year was horrible.. the show was great but getting in was a madhouse and so unorganized. The second year I didn't attend as we were promised tickets but at the last minute they decided to take them back and allow us to watch the show from a bar next door.

So I was expecting some craziness but as we came up the escalator there were people everywhere but we found a table labeled tickets. I went up and gave them my name and they gave us tickets and a wristband that allowed us to walk the red (well blue) carpet.

The line for the carpet was pretty crazy as they had it split into two sections, we were at the front of the second section but people kept getting into the back of the first section which was very upsetting. We waited and waited and waited and after an hour or so we moved to the back of the front section but the line wasn't moving and the show was about to start. Lauren and I didn't want to get out of line but we were both thirsty and really wanted to get to our seats.

So we made the decision after an hour and a half wait to exit and head into the venue. It was pretty cool inside.. had a very clubby feel to it. We were seated in the balcony section, so we grabbed our drinks and headed up stairs. They had a DJ playing music and it was crowded. We walked around for a bit before getting in line for a Spacey "photobooth", which was pretty cool. As it got closer to show time we made our way into the theater, greeted a few friends and found our seats... they weren't bad. We were about center stage and had a nice view of everything down below.

The show itself was enjoyable, it was time traveled themed so there was some fun skits, the host was entertaining and the presenters were hits and misses as it is with most award shows. There were a few audio issues and some hick ups here and there but overall it was good. When the show ended we headed downstairs so I could congratulate a few of my friends who won tonight.

Before heading over to the after party Lauren and I were starving so we headed next door to Smashburger. We got there right before they closed (we were the last customers). After some much needed food we headed over to the after party and made our rounds. I'm not really into parties but we stayed about an hour and mingled a bit before calling it a night and heading home.

It was a fun time overall.. the show was fun and it was great getting to hang out with Lauren (outside the gym). BTW she rocked it in her TNG dress.. she got so many compliments.

Don't know what's in store for next year, but if they ask for me to judge again I'd be more then happy to be apart of this fun event.

New MASH 4077 Podcast

Geekyfanboy Productions released a new episode of the MASH 4077 Podcast. This is episode 114, covering S5 Ep 17 "Ping Pong".

The 8063 visits the 4077 for the M*A*S*H ping-pong finals; Cho, of the 4077, wins 21-18, to the delight of all but Frank, who bet on the 8063. Lt. Col. Harold Becket is shot in the rear echelon and his old friend, Sherman Potter, is there to give him a hard time and reminisce. Cho introduces his fiancee, Soony, to the Swamp Rats. The guys suggest the couple get married at the 4077. Potter's pal, Becket, is a DC desk jockey, bucking for promotion to full bird colonel; all he needs is 5 more days on the line for his Combat Industry Badge. One of Col. Becket's men, Sgt. Blanchard, tells BJ and Hawkeye that Becket's lack of courage and leadership caused massive casualties. The doctors know they have to tell Col. Potter.

You can Download from itunes tinyurl.com/MASH4077itunes , listen on Stitcher Radio ow.ly/iZJIz or listen and get direct download from our main website MASH4077Podcast.com

NerdStrong Gym - Building a Back Squat

Today's workout started with our usual warm up, perfect stretches, inch worms, planking and banded squats. For the "proficiency" was did 3 sets of 5x Mace Squats. We had the option on how to hold it and of course me being me I went with the toughest and held it vertical and towards the bottom of the mace so all the weight was on top. It took alot of balance and counter balance to not tip over while squating but I'm happy to say that I was successful.

For our Quest, we continued our work with Back Squats. We started with building up to heavy 4 reps and then did 7 sets of 4x Back Squats. I teamed up with Derek (my usual barbell buddy since we both are about the same height and can lift pretty much the same amount). We started with about 95 lbs and quickly made our way up to around 145 lbs and did seven sets at that weight. I did find out that I need to take off my shoes when doing back squats so I my heals don't come up off the ground. After doing that I found that my form is much better and I'm able to lift more when squating.

For the "Battle" portion of the workout we had to do 10, yeah that's 10 rounds of 4x Dumbbell Push Press' and 4x Dumbbell Reverse Lunges. Push Presses are okay, tiring but okay it was the reverse lunges that were tough, at least for me. I don't the best knee's sometimes they go out on me for no reason so going down to my knee over and over again can get painful. But if I pace myself correctly and just take my time I can get through the routine with as little pain as possible.

Overall a good workout.. can't wait to see what my one rep max will be on Back Squats when we get to that point.

ST: TNG Bags, Shannara Chronicles & Evening Pilates

Came across these pretty cool bags at Think Geek. Here are some details about the bags from their website. These Star Trek TNG Uniform Messenger Bags feature the red, blue, and gold division colors of ST:TNG along with a metal combadge affixed to the exterior. The interior features a sweet ST:TNG-themed lining and padding all around. Underneath the flap, which secures with magnets and a strap, the top closes with a zipper to keep all your stuff safe. But probably the most unique aspect of this bag is right above the organizer section under the flap - it's got pips! Each bag comes with 4 gold pips (cleverly rendered as riveted snaps) and 1 black pip so you can tell the world how you rank.

They are a bit pricey at $69.99 but they are very cool. At this moment in time I can't splurge on something like this.. but who know. Maybe in the future they'll go on sale and I'll come into money and get myself one.. And then the hard decision of while which color do I buy as I like them all. You can check them out HERE.

I saw this trailer and thought.. wow this is gonna be a pretty cool movie but then quickly realized that it's an actual TV series for MTV...  Here's some info.. Coming to MTV in January 2016, ‘The Shannara Chronicles’ is a new TV series based on the best-selling fantasy novels by Terry Brooks. Set thousands of years after the destruction of our civilization, the story follows an Elven Princess, Amberle, a half-human half-elf, Wil, and a human, Eretria, as they embark on a quest to stop a Demon army from destroying the Four Lands.

This series is right up my alley, there aren't enough "Fantasy" series out there... I can't wait for it premiere next year.

During the evening I headed to Pilates at NerdStrong Gym. This is only third time attending class but this one is extra special because I finally got my new floor mat, which I ordered a month or so ago.. it's my favorite color (green) and it worked like a charm for tonight's class. I'm really enjoying Pilates, coach Corrin really know her stuff and is teaching us all sorts of thing about our body and muscles. I'm really looking forward to Wednesday evening now... crazy CON workouts in the morning and nice relaxing Pilates in the evening.. doesn't get any better.

NerdStrong Gym - Rowing and more Rowing

Today's CON class was crazy.. they titled it "Captain Nemo's Revenge".

It started with a good warm up "Build" 230 Meter Run, 10x Good Morning, Runner Stretch and finally Shoulder Circles.

We then moved on to the "Proficiency" portion of the workout which was Squats, 2 rounds for 2 minutes each. We worked on form, keeping chest high, knees tracked over feet and weight in lateral heel. Afterwards we did some Rowing. 20 Strokes, again focusing on form, we did arms only, then arms and body only and then half pulls and finally full pulls.

After a short break we moved on to the Quest.. it was more rowing. This time we were doing 3 rounds of 200 Meter Sprints. We were to keep our form but also keep the same pace for each round which is extremely difficult when you hit the third round and your arms and legs feel like jello.

The final part of the workout was the "Battle" and this was an 8 minute AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) 5x Nerdmakers and 20x Dumbbell Step Ups. Nerdmakers are difficult enough and then you have Step Ups.. which aren't bad but when you add a dumbbell to the mix it makes things a bit more spicier.

NerdStrong Gym - Push Ups and Planks

Today's DEX workout was a good one. For the "Build" we started with an Agility Ladder, this is fun when I'm coordinated, this morning I was not and I just couldn't get down a certain move and looked like an idiot hopping around the ladder. The rest of the warm up had to do with the arms and shoulders, arm circle, shoulder stretch and tricep stretch.

For the "Proficiency" part of the workout it was all about Push Ups. I'm happy to say that I enjoy push ups and I am pretty good at them. But these push ups were a bit different as we had to do 3 rounds of 5 sets of "Banded" Push Ups. So we grabbed a band and wrapped it around our shoulders and our hands and proceeded to do push ups with the extra resistant going up as well as keeping your form.

The "Quest" is next and this was 3 rounds of 10x Ring Rows and then :30 seconds of Backward/Forward Lean Planks. We then rested for a minute or two and then did 3 rounds of 20 Deficient Push Ups and then the last one you hold in a High Plank for one minute. A deficient push up is doing a push up but instead of having your hands on the ground you raise them (with weight plates) and drop below your hands. First round was find but it started to get a bit spicy on the second round and by the third my arms were dying.

And for final workout, "The Battle" we teamed up with a partner and did 3 rounds of 20x Alt Mace Ballistics and 20x Alt Mace Lunges. While you did the mace work your partner a weighted plate and held it overhead.Not a difficult "battle" but a good one.

Downton Abbey S6 So Far...

Not much happening today in my life or the geek world so I decided to review the last few episodes of the final season of Downton Abbey. I've been watching them every Monday (as the air Sunday in the UK). This is the final season which makes me sad but I can't wait to see what happens next

First up is S6 Ep2 - The acid-tongued exchanges between Violet and Isobel over the hospital get sharper; Cora sides with Isobel. Mary chides Robert for offering Carson the servants' hall for his wedding reception, and offers upstairs instead; Mrs Hughes insists on a separate venue, which leads to friction between the couple. Thomas looks for another job; he thinks it's clear that people are avoiding him, and want him gone. Edith argues vehemently with Mr Skinner, the publisher of her magazine, who dislikes all her ideas. Mary takes Anna to a Harley Street doctor, who proposes an operation during her next pregnancy. Mary arranges for the pigs to be entered in the local livestock show, but unwisely takes Marigold when she goes to inspect them on the farm, which upsets Mrs Drewe tremendously. During the show, she kidnaps Marigold and takes her home; her husband persuades her to give her back, and decides it would be best if they moved away. Robert is distressed, because of their long and loyal service, but reluctantly agrees.

Another good episode, it's great to have this series back. I don't know how this fight between Violet and Isobel will end. They started off not really liking each other but then became companions for each other I'd hate to see all that gone. I use to love Carson but he's starting to get on my nerves, he's so loyal to the Crawley family that he's not listening to the women he supposedly loves. But with that said Mrs Hughes really needs to find her backbone and lay down the law with Mr. Carson. I'm happy to see Edith's continue to grow into a really strong woman. I just want Anna and Bates to be happy for once, hopefully after this episodes things will be on the upswing. Mrs Drewe taking little Marigold was to be expected but I'm glad this storyline has come to an end.. though I do feel bad for Mr. Drewe. He was just being a nice guy and it all fell apart for him. And lastly Thomas, they have slowly been making him a more likable character. I feel bad for him because he's extremely lonely and I couldn't imagine being a gay man during those times. I don't forgive him for all the bad things he has done in the past but I do wish he could find someone to love and who would love him back.

The following week I watched S6 Ep3 - Cora, told by Mrs Patmore that Mrs Hughes is unhappy with having her wedding breakfast in the hall, forces a meeting with the family so that Mrs Hughes can explain, and supports her, so Carson gives in. Violet tries to get Robert to support her view on the hospital merger; at a meeting of the Board things get nasty, and Isobel is annoyed enough to be rude to Dr Clarkson. Edith has more arguments with the publisher of her magazine, and he walks out. Fortunately, she meets an old acquaintance, Bertie Pelham, who helps her produce the next issue. Anna is pregnant, so Mary plans to take her to the doctor in three months' time. Thomas travels to be interviewed by an eccentric widower, Sir Michael Reresby in decrepit Dryden Park, but declines the position. Violet's butler, Spratt, is behaving strangely, which catches Denker's attention. When Sergeant Willis reveals that Spratt's nephew has escaped from prison, Denker is sure that Spratt has helped him, and can now hold that over him. Daisy hopes that Mr Mason can take over the Drewes' farm, but jumps the gun in believing that Cora has already arranged it. Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes are married in the church. At the wedding breakfast in the village school, Tom Branson and his daughter arrive unexpectedly from Boston; he announces he feels Downton is his home, and wants to stay.

So much happens in 45 minutes.. glad to see Mrs Hughes find our back bone and set Carson and Mary straight. Glad to see Bertie back in Edith's life. I liked him the last time we saw him during last years Christmas special and I felt the spark between he and Edith. I hope Edith can find some happiness with him.. will have to wait and see. Again bad luck for Thomas.. poor guy (never thought I would say that about that character). Don't really care about the Spratt and Denker storyline and Daisy needs to chill for a moment. I like the idea of Mr. Mason taking on the Drewes farm but shes jumping the gun. I enjoyed Mr. Carson and Mrs Hughes wedding and it was great seeing the return of Tom and Sybil. Overall another enjoyable episode.

And finally last nights episode, S6 Ep4 - Lady Shackleton visits with her nephew Henry Talbot, a racing car driver and another old friend of Mary's. Violet wants her support in the dispute over the hospital, and explains that her reason for opposing the merger is her resentment at the government taking over more and more things instead of leaving it to the locals, which rather mollifies Isobel. Lady Rosamund also visits, and is visited by Mr and Mrs Harding in connection with a women's college of which she is a trustee. Mrs Harding turns out to be Gwen, the former housemaid who left to better herself; the family are pleased for her. Sergeant Willis asks Miss Baxter to testify against the man with whom she was involved when she stole from a previous employer; she is afraid, but Molesley encourages her, and she agrees. Daisy is upset when she learns that Mr Mason is unlikely to get Yew Tree Farm, and prepares to angrily confront Cora, but she has persuaded Robert and Mary to let him have the farm, which fortunately Daisy learns before risking her job by being rude. Anna has pains, and is rushed to London by Mary, where the doctor performs the promised operation and saves the baby. Once home, Bates has guessed the problem, and is delighted Anna is pregnant. Robert keeps getting twinges of pain, but insists it's nothing. Mary meets Henry in London, and tells him that his making a pass won't work. Mr Carson and his wife, still to be known as Mrs Hughes, arrive back from their Scarborough honeymoon and move into a cottage. Edith announces she plans to appoint a woman editor to her magazine.

Glad to see Mr. Talbot back in Mary's life.. I knew we'd be seeing him again. Glad Anna is pregnant but with their luck it won't be easy. Not really caring about this whole Hospital storyline, I mean it's great seeing Cora really take on Violet. It was great seeing Gwen again, so glad to see what has happen to her. Thomas is back stepping once again, Daisy crosses the line and I really did want her to get dismissed (she's been really annoying this season). Again great to see Edith taking charge and making changes at the paper.

So four episodes have aired for this final season of 8 episodes (and the Christmas special) and I don't feel like they are tying up any of the storylines. There are alot of storylines that need to end and I hope they take the time to properly address all of them, guess will have to wait and see.

National Coming Out Day - My Story

Today is National Coming Out day, I have shared my coming out story on this blog before but it seemed appropriate to share it again on this special day.

Growing up I knew I liked boys more then girls but being a kid, boys often like boys and hate girls, so this felt "normal".

My first memory of actually liking a boy was when I was in the fourth grade. I can remember falling for this Spanish boy who use to call me his "little Bambino". I really didn't think anything of it as I was still of the age on not liking girls. I was raised in a world where a man married a woman. I had known only one gay man from my childhood who worked at a local liquor store. But I really didn't know or understand what "being gay" really meant. I remember one day a friend of mine told me that this man liked other men and looking back I think I always knew that and it might be the reason why I spent so much time there with him.

In the sixth grade I found myself playing on the gymnastic bars with the girls more then playing football with the boys. Also in sixth grade I had my first crush on a teacher... Mr. Anderson (he was my first male teacher). By the time I entered Junior High School I knew I was different, but I didn't allow myself to feel those feelings or at least express them. I remember looking a bit to long at the other guys in the changing room during P.E.

I was raised in the 70's and 80's and what I saw of "being gay" was very negative stereotypes, promiscuous, feminine, flamboyant and dying from AIDS. So I pushed my feelings deep down and got on with my life, hoping to forget about them... but of course I would never truly forget. I pretended to like girls and went on a few dates in high school but those girls always put me in the "friendzone" and I was fine with that. I remember people often asking me about a "girlfriend" and when I was going to get one, but my standard reply to that was "I'm focusing on schooling right now, but if someone came along..." I used that excuse all through high school and collage.

I fought with depression as most kids do during their teenage years, but mine had this extra layer of loneliness and confusion. I never considered suicide, or hurting myself. From the outside you would think I was just an extremely shy and socially awkward kid (and I was). I had very few friends and even among them I always felt like I was an outsider.

From age 16 on, all I've ever wanted was to be married and with kids. My goal then was to be married by 20 and have my first child by 25 and second by 27 and possibly a third by 30. I remember every year I would tell myself.. this is the year that I will find a girlfriend, I will fall in love and she will be the one. And every year I was disappointed with myself for not finding "the one". But the next year I would make the same goal.. to find the perfect woman for me and again I would fail. This was hard on me, I didn't know what was wrong with me, why I wasn't able to find that "perfect one". I would fall into some really deep depressions of loneliness. Of course I would put on a brave face for the public and my family but inside I was devastated and lost. I remember crying at night, praying to whatever god there was that I would find some one to love, to care for and to be with for the rest of my life.

My early 20's were tough, I was embarrassed by the fact that I had never had a girlfriend or been with a woman. I would lie or not bring up the topic when I was asked. I convinced myself that I was bi-sexual, I watched "straight" porn in my later teens and early 20's and enjoyed both sexes. But deep down I didn't know if I was pretending to like girls, because liking women is what I was suppose to be doing, that was normal. It was a very confusing time.

By my mid 20's I was tired of hiding who I really was, honestly I was tired a long time ago but I finally was brave enough to admit it to myself. At 25 I graduated collage and was working in Hollywood in the Entertainment Industry. The entertainment industry tends to draw a large gay community so I was working with and being friends with several gay people, this was the first time I was interacting with other gay people since the gentleman at the liquor store when I was very young. I was starting to get very comfortable with the idea of being gay. But everyday was a struggle, do I finally come out and accept who I am but in turn live a life that will expose me to hatred and prejudices or stay in the closet and be what society sees as "normal"?

My life changed forever at age 27. I spent two years working in Hollywood I was on the verge of finally coming out but what really pushed me over the edge... well are two things. First I saw the movie In and Out with Kevin Kline and it really hit home for me. If you've never seen it, it's about a man in his 40's so deep in the closet and he's about to get married until another man comes into his life and helps him understand who he really is. That was going to be, I knew that if I didn't come out that I would probably marry a woman and have kids, then later in life realize how unhappy I was and either divorce or cheat on my wife with a man. I didn't want that to happen.

The second factor was that I met someone online. Back in the day the internet was just starting up and I use to frequent yahoo chat rooms. They had a Star Trek one that I would visit often. I started up a conversation with this guy named Mat. We hit off, we would chat for hours and soon our online chats moved to phone chats. A few months into our friendship he came out to me and told me he was gay. By this time I already knew this and felt a very strong connection with him. I in turn told him that I was bi and really liked him. He asked if he could come down and visit me, he lived in Canada. I was overjoyed, this was the one, the person I have been waiting for all my entire life. There was just one problem.. I was still deep in the closet. Mat was coming down in a few weeks and was going to be staying with me for a few weeks. This was the time I had to come out, this finally pushed me to the point of no return.

I remember the fear that was building up. All I kept asking myself is what would my friends and family say. Would they accept me or reject me. What would my life be like if I lived the life of a gay man. So many questions but one thing was for certain, the door to my closet was starting to open.

One night talking to Mat I blurted out that I was gay. It was the first time I had ever said it out loud and to someone. Of course he was thrilled which actually gave me a boost of confidence. That was it, one person down.. the ball was rolling. The next day I was talking to my best girl friend at the time Renee, we were making plans to see a movie later that night. I remember telling her that I had some big news but I wanted to tell her in person. I remember getting off the phone and the panic setting in.. this was it.. there was no turning back now. I picked her up and the car ride to the theater was quiet, we chit chatted but I was slowly building up the nerve to tell her. We parked and were walking to the theater when she asked, "So what's this big news" we stopped and for an agonizing few seconds I looked up at her and took a deep breath and said "I'm gay".

It's only two little words but man what an impact they have. She stared at me for a moment and then a huge smile came across her face and she embraced me. I can't describe what I was feeling.. it was a combination of relief, panic, nausea, joy, love and acceptance all rolled into one. She said she was so happy for me. I told her about Mat and how I was in love and showed her a picture of him.

It hard to describe how I felt after coming out, it was a huge weight lifted off my chest. For the first time in my life I felt like I was me. So at the age of 27 on the verge of 28 I was finally out and ready to start living my life.

The next big hurdle was telling my family. That didn't happen until I was 31. I was out now for three years and been in several relationships. But of course now that I was out and living the gay lifestyle my family never asked me how my love life was going or if I meet any nice girls like they did for so many years. I couldn't take that next step and just tell them. I didn't want to come out close to a holiday because if things went bad I didn't want that holiday to be associated with it. Finally one day I was going to have lunch with my mom and like with Renee, I told her over the phone that I had some big news to tell her.

Again like with Renee, we didn't talk much in the car when I picked her up. We got to the restaurant, ordered food and sat down when my mom asked "So what is this big news?" By this time I had been out for years and have had several boyfriends so it wasn't as hard saying the words but in a way it was harder as this was my family. I chose my mom to come out to first as I figured she'd be the one that would be okay with it the most. So I said those "oh so hard to say two words" .. "I'm Gay". She asked if I was sure and that it's not a phase, she then went on saying it must be her fault as she babied me to much. I assured her that it wasn't a phase and that nurturing had nothing to do with it... I was born this way.

She asked if she could tell other family members like her sisters (my aunts) and mom (grand mother) and I told her she could but not to tell dad, that I wanted to tell dad personally. My brother already kind of knew so I didn't see the need to tell him personally. I remember getting a call from my brother not to long after I told my mom and he said.. "so you're gay... cool". And that was about it from him.. he treats me no differently. I told my mom I was going to tell dad the next weekend and my mom said something like.. "oh I don't know how he is going to take it". This actually scared me from telling him for another nine months.

Finally while visiting him one Sunday we were in the kitchen washing and drying dishes and I was agonizing over telling him for months now and it just came out. "Dad I'm Gay". I held my breath and waited for a sharp reply but nothing happened. He looked at me and said "Okay". I said "Okay?" He said "You're still my son and I love you no matter what." I was shocked and surprised. I had built up this fear of what would happen when I told him and he actually took it better then anyone else that I had told.

So at age 32 I was out of the closet to everyone and having fun. I have had some bad experience and prejudices but living in Southern California and in the Los Angeles area is probably one of the best places to live and be a gay man. It hasn't always been easy but I can honestly say, at age 44 I have never been as happy as I am now. The past 16 years have had there ups and down but I'm living the life that I was meant to live and loving every minute of it. 

 

So if your struggling with coming out... take it from me. It's the best decision you'll ever make.

NerdStrong Gym - Leg Day!!

Today Coach Christy created this "Leg" Day workout. It looks fun on the board but man was it tough.

We started with a 230 meter Indian run and then 10x Air Squats, 6x Cossack Stretch (each side), 20x Shrugs and then a nice Shoulder Stretch and that was just the warm up.

For the workout we had to do 3 rounds of Rowing, Scissor Kicks, Jump Squats, Hanging Leg Lifts and Wall Balls. We did each station for two minutes straight with 1 minute of rest/transaction to the next station. We teamed up into groups of three, I was teamed with Josh and Jess. We started with Wall Balls as I knew it was gonna be tough doing 2 minutes of them and I wanted to get them out of the way early on. After Wall Balls we moved on to Rowing and after all the rowing we have done doing two minutes isn't that bad as long as you pace yourself. Next was Scissor Kicks, which I thought were gonna be the worse but I was wrong the worst was Jump Squats. The first minute was fine but soon we had to break them down in doing five of them and then resting a few seconds and then doing five more and so on. We finished the round with Hanging Leg Lifts which aren't that bad.

The second round went pretty much the same as the first but the third row was horrible. Doing two minutes of Wall Balls for a third time was difficult but we just did a few at a time and rested a lot more. Rowing wasn't bad though our pace was a bit slower then the previous two times. Scissor Kicks were horrible but they are always horrible. But what surprised me was the Jump Squats, after doing a minutes worth my upper legs were done. They physically gave out on me and there were a few times when I though I was just going to collapse. I've never experienced any body part that had just stopped working. My brain was sending signals to my legs to squat but my legs were not accepting the signals. I did manage to finish them off but it was a struggle. We finished this workout with the final Hanging Leg Lifts and the three rounds were over... thankfully. I know I'll be feeling this workout for days to come.

Dinner With A Friend With A Little LARPing on the side

Today I watched episodes 3 and 4 of Heroes Reborn. I'm enjoying this series but it has yet to get me excited to watch it. I tend to let a few of the episodes gather before I sit down and watch but I have to admit when I do sit down and watch I get into the story and can't wait to watch the next one.

This is a slow builder kind of show.. they are laying the groundwork for something big. I just hope we don't have to wait the entire season for it (well 13 episodes). Still hating Zachery Levi's character and his crazy killer wife. He's seems to be a "hero" and showing signs of having some sort of heat power but it still doesn't make me like him any more. Also it was crazy seeing Molly kill herself to prevent from being used... so sad.

Still watching and still enjoying but definitely not "must see" TV for me.. at least not yet.

During the evening I got to hang out with my buddy Adam. He and I were "surprise" guests for tonight's Pathfinder RPG/LARPing party. I have decided to sit out this next session of Pathfinder but DM Dallas asked if would make a special appearance at the very end of the party to launch them on their next quest. I was more then happy to help out.

Adam was down from Seattle for work and we hadn't seen each other in a long while so this was a nice treat. We hung out for a bit at my place before grabbing some dinner at Chevy's, where we had some very interesting and informative conversations. Afterwards we headed over to Will's place around 9:45ish as we were to make our entrance around 10pm. Well 10pm came and went and we stood outside (in costume) waiting for our cue. Adam went in around 10:30ish and I finally went in around 10:45pm. I was dressed as my "Dash" character and only had a line or two to deliver that we end this session and leave it as a cliffhanger and set them on their way to the next adventure.

Overall it went off great (other then the 45 minute delay). Everyone was surprised to see Adam and I. When the session was over I hung out for another hour or so and visited with friends. The majority of the people who were participating in the event took off but the core group of friends stuck around and hung out.. it was a great way to end the evening.