A Walk Down Memory Lane

I came across this video on You Tube and it brought back so many amazing and happy memories for me that I had to share it. I've blogged about this place many many times but seeing the video really brought back so many feels.

This is Star Trek The Experience, it resided in the Las Vegas Hilton from 1998 to 2008. If you don't know what it is here's a quick description. You started by walking through a museum that included numerous items from Star Trek history. It also featured several video display devices and a timeline of Star Trek events. Later, there were displays for each of the major alien races, which included the Borg, Klingons, and Ferengi.

The last section of the museum was a hallway that served as the attraction queues. The left side was for the Borg Invasion 4-D, and the right side was for the Klingon Encounter. The Klingon Encounter held 27 people while the Borg Invasion 4-D held 48 people. And the ride would exit with the Gift shop on the right and Quarks Bar and Restaurant on the left.

For ten amazing years this was my only reason for going to Las Vegas, I attended Star Trek The Experience roughly once or twice a year for those ten years. I have some great memories with my Dad when we went for the very first time and he and I running down the hallway of The Enterprise. It's a memory I will cherish forever.

I would do an extended weekend and stay at the Hilton and would never leave the Experience area. I"d go on the ride many times (so happy when they went from buying one ticket to buying unlimited). I'd eat all my meals at Quarks Bar and gamble in the Space Casio.

I have hours and hours of footage that I shot for the museum and surrounding areas, but what makes this You Tube video extra special is that they were able to take video of the actual rides which was prohibited, I'm assuming this person worked for the ride and took video of the entirety of both rides. The only parts missing are the video that you watch on screen and the simulator ride video.

Punky Power

NBC announced that they will be producing a new series based on the 80's TV series Punky Brewster that ran from 1984 to 1988.  

Punky Brewster is a child who has been abandoned by her parents. Taken in by crusty Chicago photographer Henry Warnimont, Punky and her dog, Brandon, teach Henry how to lighten up. Cherie and Allen are two of Punky's friends. 

Here's what we know so far about the new series. NBC granted a 10-episode series order for the project for the Peacock streaming platform.  Soleil Moon Frye will return as Punky herself. Quinn Copeland, will star as Izzy, while Freddie Prinze Jr. will play Travis, Punky’s ex-husband and a musician who’s constantly popping in and out of town. Lauren Donzis, Oliver De Los Santos and Noah Cottrell are also confirmed for the cast.

According to reports, the new series will depict the grown-up Punky as a single mom with three kids “trying to get her life back on track when she meets a young girl who reminds her a lot of her younger self.”

I was a huge Punky Brewster fan back in the day I was around 14 when it started and watched every single episode (though I don't remember a whole lot of it) I also watched the short lived Punky cartoon. I'm really looking forward to seeing what they do with this reboot. Hopefully it does well and we get more then just the 10 episodes. Guess will have to wait and see.  

Star Trek Voyager Turns 25

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the premiere of Star Trek Voyager. It was the flag ship show that launched the new network UPN. I was already a HUGE Star Trek having watched the original series here and there but fell in love with Trek when I watched Star Trek The Next Generation. My love continued with Star Trek Deep Space Nine, which at the time was four years into it's run when Star Trek Voyager premiered. I was ready for another Starship based series, I really enjoyed DS9 but missed TNG so I was excited when Voyager started. First episode premiered and I was hooked, more so then when I watched the first episode of Deep Space Nine. I loved Captain Janeway, I'm a sucker for strong women and Janeway was one of the strongest. Over the years we got some amazing stories and adventures from the crew of Voyager and then at the end of season three we got a character who would go down in Star Trek history as one of the best, Seven of Nine played be the amazing Jeri Ryan. Thought TNG is probably my favorite Trek series Voyager comes in at a very close second. I can't believe it's been 25 years since it premiered. Happy 25th Anniversary Star Trek Voyager.

Apple Reviews

So I'm trying to get more fruits and vegetables in my daily diet (working on eating 5 of each a day). I decided to make a game of it, since there are so many different types of apples I decided that I would buy a bunch of them and then review them on my social media. I'll give each apple a short review and try and find some interesting facts about it. I also give a number from 1 to 5 for Sweetness, Crispness and Tartness. So give me a follow on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook to see my reviews. In the end I will also post a final blog/review of all the apples that I tried and give you my favorites and least favorites. I hope to continue to do this with other fruits and possible vegetables. 

MASH 4077 Podcast Episode 218

Just released the latest MASH 4077 Podcast.

In this episode we cover Season 9 Episode 20 "The Life You Save"
218th Episode Overall
Directed by Alan Alda
Written by John Rappaport & Alan Alda
Originally Aired on May 4, 1981
Production Code is Z-418

Set during the Korean War in the 1950’s

Plot Summary: After a sniper attack on the 4077th Winchester sees 2 bullet holes in his cap, and goes through a journey searching for meaning in this life, and goes on a search for anything about what happened to the man who came back from death. Meanwhile, Potter switches up the officers duty rosters, Hawkeye is on kitchen duty, and finds himself in a situation where the mess is missing 50 trays, BJ is in charge of laundry, and Father Mulcahe is garbage officer, and each has their trials with their new found duties.

Hope you enjoy it, Kenny & Meds

Find Us on the Web:

Main website - http://MASH4077Podcast.com

Listen on Stitcher Radio - HERE

Spotify - HERE

Twitter - @MASH4077Podcas

Facebook Fan Page - http://www.facebook.com/MASH4077Podcast

Email Us - MASH4077Podcast@Gmail.com

Patreon (Donation) Supporter - https://www.patreon.com/geekyfanboy

Podcast promo’s played during the show this week:

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The Geek Roundtable Podcast

© Geekyfanboy Productions

SpaceCamp Reboot

Today Disney + announced that they will be rebooting the movie SpaceCamp. Released in June of 1986, SpaceCamp, focused on a group of kids attending the NASA-themed summer learning experience. While sitting on board a ship undergoing an engine check, they're unwittingly launched into space and must navigate their way home using what they've learned.

I was a huge fan of SpaceCamp back in 86, I saw a double feather of SpaceCamp and Howard the Duck. Unfortunately the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded months before the release of this movie which caused it to do poorly at the box office but since then it's garnered a cult following.

I'm not sure how I feel about this reboot, I mean I don't mind them doing reboots because we will always have the original to love but how are they going to do a movie about the Space Shuttles when they are no longer in commission. Are they going to use another type of space vehicle or will this be set in the 80's/90's when we had space shuttles. I guess will have to wait and see.

Alien Nation The Newcomers Podcast Episode 34

Alien Nation The Newcomers Podcast is a podcast that I co-host with my brother Michael. We have a blast podcasting together and talking about a TV series that we both loved when we were younger. Alien Nation Con was the very first "con" that we attended together, so this series is very special to both of us.

Today January 10th marks the 8th anniversary from when Alien Nation: The Newcomers Podcast was launched. Though no new content has been released the past few years, Michael and I are committed to continuing to share our love of Alien Nation with releasing podcasts every now and then. To celebrate this 8th anniversary here is a brand new episode where they review Alien Nation, the movie that started it all. This is episode #34 Take a listen on itunes http://bit.ly/itunesAlienNation, or Stitcher Radio http://ow.ly/FDVAC, you can also Listen/Download the podcast at http://Aliennationpodcast.com and find it on any podcasting platforms. 

The Geek Roundtable Episode 24 - The Goonies

This is a podcast that I've been wanting to do since 2010 but just started it a few years ago at the beginning of 2018. It's currently being released once a month on the 10th. It's not my most popular podcast getting roughly 5000 feed hits a month. Of course I hope the audience continues to grow but happy with my handful of amazing listeners.

The Geek Roundtable is a podcast dedicated to all Geeks and Nerds who love to talk about their fandoms. Hosted by Kenny along with three or four of his friends, they have a fun discussion/debate about a single geeky/nerdy topic per episode.
 
This is episode 24 and we talk all about the 80's classic The Goonies. Listen on iTunes tinyurl.com/TheGeekRoundtable or Listen/Direct Download at TheGeekRoundtable.com

Star Trek: Short Treks

Star Trek: Short Treks is an American anthology web television series created for CBS All Access by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman. It originated as a spin-off companion series from Star Trek: Discovery, and consists of several shorts that use settings and characters from that series and the wider Star Trek universe. The shorts are around 10 to 20 minutes long.
There are currently two seasons.

S1Ep1 "Runaway" - Following a discussion with her mother, Sylvia Tilly encounters a young Xahean stowaway named Me Hani Ika Hali Ka Po. Tilly, who is accustomed to taking orders from others, decides to make decisions by herself, to help Po return home in time for her coronation.

I really enjoyed this one as I'm a big fan of Tilly. It was a nice simple story but also moving. I like that they bring back Po for season two of Discovery.

S1Ep2 "Calypso" - The USS Discovery has held position in space for a thousand years, and its computer system "Zora" has become sentient. She retrieves a passing escape pod carrying a man named Craft. Zora keeps Craft aboard the ship and begins to fall in love with him, but eventually lets him take Discovery's last shuttle to return to his family on Alcor IV.

This episode was heart wrenching. What I really liked about this episode is it was only one actor playing against a computer voice but it was incredible moving and you felt so bad for the ship. This was my favorite of the shorts from season 1.

S1Ep3 "The Brightest Star" - On the planet Kaminar, Saru wants to learn about life outside the pre-warp society of his village, where his people are harvested as food by the predatory Ba'ul. Saru is able to send a distress signal into space that is answered by Lieutenant Philippa Georgiou, who takes Saru to join Starfleet.

I enjoyed this episode, it was nice getting some back story on Saru, this episode also plays into an episode in season two of Discovery.

S1Ep4 "The Escape Artist" - Harry Mudd is captured by a bounty hunter and taken to a Federation ship, but there the hunter finds multiple other versions of Mudd already detained. Elsewhere, the real Mudd continues to create android copies of himself so he can continue to evade the authorities.

This is my least favorite of season 1 but I still enjoyed it. I'm not really a fan of Mudd but I'm glad they brought in an original TOS character.

S2Ep1 "Q&A" - On his first day aboard the USS Enterprise, Ensign Spock and his new superior officer Number One get trapped in a turbolift. While waiting for the turbolift to be repaired, Spock asks Number One numerous questions, and the pair bond over their similarities.

I was super excited that they made more of these Star Trek Short Treks. This new batch started off strong with this one. I really enjoyed this one. I like that they was when Spock first stepped foot on the Enterprise. I really liked seeing the interacting between Spock and Number One. They also started releasing these awesome pictures that look like old style Star Trek books.

S2Ep2 "The Trouble with Edward" - On the USS Cabot, science officer Edward Larkin tries to solve a planet's food shortage by genetically modifying tribbles against his Captain's orders, creating a species that is born pregnant and reproduces at a dangerous rate. The Cabot is overrun, and Larkin dies when he chooses to remain behind while the rest of the crew escapes.

This was a fun episode as we get to see the birth of the Tribble or at least the Tribbles we know. I really felt bad for the new Captain on her very first assignment.

S2Ep3 "Ask Not" - When Starbase 28 is attacked, Cadet Thira Sidhu is given care of a mutinous prisoner: Captain Christopher Pike of the Enterprise. Pike attempts to pressure Sidhu into releasing him, but she refuses. Pike reveals that this is a simulated test, and by passing it Sidhu is accepted as a part of the Enterprise crew. 

This was a pretty intense episode though I figured it was all a test pretty early on, it didn't take any of the enjoyment away and it's always cool to see Pike again.

S2Ep4 "Ephraim and Dot" - A tardigrade looking for a place to lay her eggs crosses paths with the USS Enterprise and is attacked by a repair drone named Dot. When the Enterprise self-destructs, Dot helps save Ephraim's eggs. When the eggs hatch, the pair travel with the baby tardigrades together.

This was the first of two animated shorts and it was pretty cute, I liked the style of animation and the story was cool.

S2Ep5 "The Girl Who Made the Stars" Young Michael Burnham's father eases her fear of the dark by telling her a story about a young African girl. In the story, the girl's people fear the dark because of a predatory Night Beast, but she braves the night and discovers an alien that gifts her new light. The girl uses this to create the stars, and grows up to be a warrior queen.

This was the second animated short, I liked that we got to see a young Michael but I have to say this was probably my least favorite of season two.

S2Ep6 "Children of Mars" Two schoolgirls on Earth develop a fierce rivalry, but are drawn together by a tragedy when they see news of Mars and its orbital facilities (where both girls have family working) attacked by rogue synthetics. During the news footage an image of Admiral Jean-Luc Picard appears, with the network reporting that Picard called the attack "devastating."

This is the last and final Short for season two, I watched it today in prep for the new series Picard as it's a kind of prequel. I really enjoyed it, no words are said, it's all music and parts of it had me in years.

All of these shorts were so well done, they convey so much emotion in such a short amount of time. I cried on more then one occasion and several of these shorts I'd love to see longer versions. I'm happy to say that we are getting a season three. I can't wait to see what comes next.

If you have CBS All Access and enjoy Star Trek these are must see's. 

Amazing Twitter Post

I came across this twitter post that explained what it's like growing up a gay man and I couldn't have said it any better. I played a version of what I thought everyone wanted for 27 years before I was tired of it all and just wanted to be me. But because I pretended for so long to be straight I didn't know who I was, deep down. At first I considered myself bisexual because I was attracted to women, well some women... at least I thought I was.

Now that I've been out for over 22 years I have managed to strip down the "true" me. I'm now comfortable in my own skin, but it was a struggle for half of my life. Now I don't care what others think of me (for the most part) and I'm going to enjoy what time I have left just being me.

Willow TV Series

Well over the years there has been rumors from the powers that be about making a sequel to one of my all time favorite fantasy movies from the 80's, Willow. Well last year we heard rumblings that Disney + might be creating a series based on the movie. On Jan 6th 2020 the writer Jon Kasdan posted a picture on Instagram with a hat with the character Willow on it pinned to a cord board and the caption that said "The Office is Open". Of course the rumor mill has gone crazy, no one really knows what that means, has he started working on the first scripts? All I know is this is awesome news and maybe in the near future Disney + will actually announce the series and when we might be seeing it... Here's hoping...

Doctor Who Is Back

After taking almost a year off we finally get a new season of Doctor Who. I enjoyed last season of Doctor Who (Jodie's first season as The Doctor) so I was looking forward to this premiere and  I have to say they didn't disappoint. This episode kicked off with a bang and was non stop until the OMG moment at the end. I really don't know what to think. I'm really hoping this is a version of The Master before Missy as I really like how they ended The Master's story two seasons ago. I guess will have to wait and see but I do hope we get more answers before this season ends, but I'm really looking forward to seeing where they take this season.

MASH 4077 Podcast Episode 217

I record a MASH 4077 Podcast with my buddy Simon, we release new episodes on the 1st and 15th of every month. We review one episode of MASH per episode. This is by far my most popular podcast bringing in over 100,000 Feed hits a month.

Today we released episode 217 where Meds and I review S9 Ep19 "Foresight Saga" You can listen on iTunes tinyurl.com/MASHonitunes, Listen or Download from our main website MASH4077Podcast.com we're also on Spotify tinyurl.com/MASHonSpotify  or on any other podcast catching platform.

The Past Few Years - Catching Up On My Geeky Life

So not a whole lot has changed the past several years since I stopped blogging. I'm still working for Original Productions as  Post Production Supervisor on the show Jay Leno's Garage Season Five. I'm still going to Nerdstrong Gym 5 to 6 times a week. I'm still struggling with my diet and my dating life is complicated. I'm still podcasting, currently have two "active" podcasts with MASH 4077 Podcast and The Geek Roundtable. I'm also part of my gym's podcast called We Are Nerdstrong. I'm still producing episodes for my Alien Nation The Newcomers Podcast and Knights of the Guild Podcast, but not on a regular bases. You can still listen to my limited series My Gimpy Life podcast for the webseries My Gimpy Life. And I'm working on revamping and restarting my Confessions of a Fanboy/Fangirl podcast. I hope to have new episodes up by this summer. So I keep myself busy but as I have said I miss blogging so I'm going to try and squeeze this in here and there.

Starting My Blog Back Up

So I've had several false starts when I have attempted to re-start my blog but I really do miss blogging. For me it's always been like an online diary, I enjoyed looking back a year or two and see the fun and sometimes not to fun things that had happen to me. So I've decided for 2020 I'd try again. It's halfway through February so I'm going to first start by back blogging. So I'll be seeing post from the past month and a half and once I'm caught up I'll try and keep up with it. I won't be blogging daily, though I may blog several days in a row. I hope to blog interesting things that happen to me along this journey of this thing we call life.

Do you listen to Podcasts?

I created, host and edit a few podcasts. You can find all seven of them on my company website http://GeekyfanboyProductions.com

If you're a fan of the classic TV series MASH, then please take a listen to http://MASH4077Podcast.com
 
If you're a fan of a short lived but fantastic TV series Alien Nation then please take a listen to http://AlienNationPodcast.com

If you're a fan of the ground breaking webseries The Guild then please take a listen to http://knightsoftheguild.com

If you're a fan of another ground breaking webseries My Gimpy Life then please take a listen to http://MyGimpyLifePodcast.com

I post alot about my gym Nerdstrong, well we have a podcast as well, take a listen to http://WeAreNerdstrong.com

This one has a few episodes up, but I'm currently retooling the idea and will re-launch it in early 2020. http://Confessionsofafanboypodcast.com

And finally my newest podcast, one I've been wanting to do for year. If you're a geek then you'll enjoy listening to this one, http://TheGeekRoundtable.com

I appreciate all the amazing support I have gotten the past ten years in podcasting and hope to continue for many years to come.

Starting My Blog Up Again (Again)

So I've been wanting to blog again for awhile now, my issue is that I blogged daily for years and when I took a break I intended on going back and blogging the days that I missed, soon those days turned into weeks, which turned into months and the thought of trying to back blog years of memories was very daunting so I decided that I just wouldn't blog anymore. But I miss blogging so I have decided to start it back up again, this time around it won't be daily, I just don't have the time for a daily blog (though I may blog several days in a row). I'm just going to blog when I feel like it. I never blogged for anyone to read them, it's more of a diary for me. I enjoy looking back at my blog entries and remembering some amazing times in the life. So I'm going to give it a go again. I may back blog a bit (if I feel like it). I've had some big moments happen in my life the past few years (since I stopped blogging), but most blogs will just be current stuff happening in my life. For those who do read my blog, Thank You, and I hope you continue to do so.

My A1c Struggles (Updated)

A little over a year ago I posted this blog...

"I struggle with eating, up to a few years ago my food choices were pretty bad and my weight and A1c numbers proved it. In October of 2014 my A1c levels were at 6.4 which is considered pre-diabetic. And in all actuality if I was .1 more at 6.5 I would be diagnosed with diabetes. This diagnosis scared me as I didn't want to have diabetes because once you are diagnosis with it you will forever be, even if you bring your numbers down.

The doctor gave me three months to bring my numbers down and three months later after modifying my diet and running everyday I managed to bring my A1c from 6.4 to 6.0.. then I found NerdStrong and I continued to try and eat healthy (with lots of ups and downs) but six months later my A1c went from 6.0 to 5.7.. I was super happy.. with in one year I went from being .1 away from having diabetes to now being .1 away from being "normal". Six months later I had my A1c tested and it went from 5.7 to 5.7, yep.. no movement at all. I was disappointed in that number, I mean I was happy that the number didn't go up but still after dropping so much over the year it was disappointing.

Now it's one year later and I got my A1c numbers again and again like before it was 5.7 and is currently 5.7. My doctor was happy with those numbers but I wasn't. I've worked hard at working out 5 to 6 days a week and though my eating hasn't been the best it's better then what it was but I still can't seem to get that number any lower. Bright side I guess is that my number didn't go up.. so I'm happy about that but I hope for my next doctor visit that number can drop just .1 to 5.6"
 

Well it's been a year since then and I had my annual physical a few weeks back and I finally got my results, everything was okay for the most part but all I was interested in was my A1c.. after he went through all my numbers I asked him what about my A1c and he said, It's normal... I said normal.. what does that mean and he said 5.6, you are no longer considered pre-diabetic. 

I couldn't believe it... I've been trying for over three years to get that number to 5.6 and it finally happened. I'm not only proud of myself because I did it but I did it the old fashion way.. with hard work... no medicine. 

It's weird that I actually achieved my #1 goal, it's the reason why I started this fitness adventure and joined Nerdstrong. Of course this is not the end.. my fitness journey has just begun, I have achieved my biggest goal but I'm still on high blood pressure and high cholesterol medicine that I would like to get off one day. Also my triglyceride are a bit high so I'd like to get those numbers down as well.. so my fitness journey continues. 

Crazy What A Picture Can Do For Self Esteem

For my third anniversary at my gym NerdStrong I had my friend Stephanie take a picture of me with the NerdStrong Logo behind me. When I saw it I was pretty shocked.. I looked good, and when I say good I mean really damn good.
If you know me you know I have body dismorphia issues and rarely think I look good. Folks around me have said how much I've changed in three years and though I know it's true I don't see it. I only see the flaws in my body, but this time around it was like seeing myself for the first time the way others see me and it made it feel amazing.

It's crazy how one picture can change your outlook on yourself. It's been four days since I took that picture and I'm still on that high, I'm looking at myself differently now. I'm seeing my large arms and shoulders. I'm impressed with my new neck muscles. I actually feel attractive for the first time in a long time.

I know it won't last, I'll see something or someone will say something but I'm going to ride this high for as long as I can.. hopefully I can keep it around for a while.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support.. I couldn't have come this far without it.

Can't I Find A Normal Guy?!?!?

So I've been hitting Tinder, Chappy and Cuddli (dating apps) pretty hard this past month as well as paying for Compatible Partners (e-Harmony's answer to gay dating), but I'm not having any luck though and the ones I do connect with either never respond to my "hi" or we start a conversation and it just ends after a few comments.

My latest (yesterday) was from Tinder..

I matched with this guy, he's cute and a dermatologist.. he starts the conversation with "Hey how r u", I say "fine, just waiting for my workday to end". He responds with "Great.. What do you do for work". I tell him "I'm a post production supervisor for TV, how about yourself" He says "Dermatologist". I say "Very cool".. about an hour passes and I say "I see you like to travel, have you been to anywhere unusual?" He responds with "Not really. Mostly usual places" I then respond with "What's been your favorite" and he doesn't respond for five hours and then he send one word "Bottom".

In my head I'm like.. well thank you for letting me know but no where in our conversation were we going there.. unless he was speaking code that I wasn't aware of it or he was talking to several guys and accidentally texted that to me. Either way.. I wish I could just have a regular conversation with someone before it turns to sex. I know sex is important (especially for gay men, gotta be compatible) but I'd like to get to know the person at least a little bit before we have that conversation. When guys immediately jump to the top/bottom conversation it tells me that all they are interested in is sex and I'm not looking for a hook up.. I'm looking for someone to spend the rest of my life with. Is it to much to ask to find someone who's doing the same?

I may be living in the wrong city to find the kind of guy that I hope to spend the rest of my life with. I just want a sweet, kind, good-hearted, hard working, honest guy.. is that to much to ask for?

I'm Back

Hey everybody... I've missed you. I fell behind on my daily blog the past year and a half and I've tried several times to back blog stuff but it's just so overwhelming.. so I have decided that I will just start a new. I won't be blogging everyday as I just don't have the time but I will blog my thoughts on movies, tv shows or other pop culture things. I'll also blog about my life, 2018 is the year I start focusing on dating again.

I find blogging therapeutic and kind of like a diary for my life. I don't expect people to read it (though I do have a nice following, or I should say I did). But I personally love looking back at blogs and remembering all the good and not so good times I've had.

Since I'm not blogging daily I may blog several times a day or not for a few days... And me being the anal person that I am I'm sure I will go back and back blog super important moments in the my life the past few years.. so please check back often. I'll also be posting links on my Facebook and Twitter page whenever I release a new blog.

So happy to be back!!!

Believing in Yourself

Why is it so hard for me to believe the good things others say about me? I've always had low self esteem issues and I've learned to live with it. And it's gotten better over the years but still I have the hardest time accepting praise, it's like I know I work hard on something and give it my all and when people acknowledge it and tell me how great it is, I have a hardest time believing it. I guess part of me doesn't want to come off being vain or arrogant, but part of me truly doesn't believe it.

An example of this is being called a "Nice Guy" I use to hate being called that but a few years ago I decided to own it. I am a nice guy, I can't change who I am and I shouldn't be ashamed of it. You know the saying "nice guys finish last", well it's a true statement but I wouldn't want to be any other way.

I like being a nice guy, I like that people know that they can rely on me. Yes I may not achieve huge success or wealth because I'm unwilling to be cut throats.. and yes I have been taken advantage of from time to time but that just goes along with being a good person.

Another more recent example is being told I look "good" or I look "fit". Now I've been working out for over two and a half years and I can see some changes in my body but I still have a difficult time believing them. I only see my flaws and when I do catch myself at a certain angle in a certain light I can see improvements but I usually just see the bad. 

Why is it easier to believe the mean & negative things about yourself rather then the good. Is this just me or do other people find this to be true?

A1c (Blood Sugar) Struggles

I struggle with eating, up to a few years ago my food choices were pretty bad and my weight and A1c numbers proved it. In October of 2014 my A1c levels were at 6.4 which is considered pre-diabetic. And in all actuality if I was .1 more at 6.5 I would be diagnosed with diabetes. This diagnosis scared me as I didn't want to have diabetes because once you are diagnosis with it you will forever be, even if you bring your numbers down.

The doctor gave me three months to bring my numbers down and three months later after modifying my diet and running everyday I managed to bring my A1c from 6.4 to 6.0.. then I found NerdStrong and I continued to try and eat healthy (with lots of ups and downs) but six months later my A1c went from 6.0 to 5.7.. I was super happy.. with in one year I went from being .1 away from having diabetes to now being .1 away from being "normal". Six months later I had my A1c tested and it went from 5.7 to 5.7, yep.. no movement at all. I was disappointed in that number, I mean I was happy that the number didn't go up but still after dropping so much over the year it was disappointing.

Now it's one year later and I got my A1c numbers again and again like before it was 5.7 and is currently 5.7. My doctor was happy with those numbers but I wasn't. I've worked hard at working out 5 to 6 days a week and though my eating hasn't been the best it's better then what it was but I still can't seem to get that number any lower. Bright side I guess is that my number didn't go up.. so I'm happy about that but I hope for my next doctor visit that number can drop just .1 to 5.6

My Coming Out 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 there 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... btw the Mat thing didn't work out but I will always be very thankful for his part in my coming out story.

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 46 I have never been as happy as I am now. The past 18 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.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - My Thoughts

I was super excited to see this movie as I love fantasy and have enjoyed Tim Burton films in the past. I went with friends Lauren and Caryn to the Sherman Oaks Arclight. One of the many things I love about the Arclight besides assigned seating are the props they usually have for big movies. They had several for this film and they were pretty fantastic, especially the lead shoes.

Anyways if you've never heard of this movie here's some background info. When his beloved grandfather leaves Jake clues to a mystery that spans different worlds and times, he finds a magical place known as Miss Peregrine's School for Peculiar Children. But the mystery and danger deepen as he gets to know the residents and learns about their special powers - and their terrifying enemies. Ultimately, Jake discovers that only his own special peculiarity can save his new friends. Based on the novel "Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children," written by Ransom Riggs.

I have not read the book so I only knew of the movie from what I saw in the trailers. My overall thoughts on this movie is that it was extremely fun and entertaining. It's moves at a fairly slow pace but that wasn't a bad thing. The interesting story unfolds in front of you and though this movie is 2 plus hours long it never dragged for me. The last third of this movie is where the action happens and it's pretty great. The special effects are pretty good, some of the CGI was a bit wonky but I'm very forgiving with that kind of stuff. The acting was good and though they didn't delve to deeply into the backstories of these characters we got enough to enjoy the story. Speaking of story I really enjoyed it, time travel type stuff can always get a little crazy but I think they did a pretty good job explaining everything. The overall look of the film was definitely Burton, I thought some of the music felt out of place but overall I loved the soundtrack. And I just want to note that Samuel L. Jackson (who's the bad guy) looked like he was having a blast in this role.

I'd give Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children a solid B+

PieStrong

What is PieStrong.. well it's a party with pies and scotch. It all started while a group of us were running around the parking lot at NerdStrong Gym. Kili and Aaron were talking about pies and scotch, as you do while you run around parking lots. Well that little seed bloomed into this big idea that Aaron has to through a Pie and Scotch party.

Our friend Kimi offered up her place to throw the party and I helped in the planning of the event.

The day came and we had a very big turn out, over 50 people showed up with 35 different pies and many different types of alcohol (including scotch). It was a bit chaotic at the beginning because we were not prepared for the amount of food that people were bringing, I started to stress out, but once things started the settle down and the alcohol started to flow I began to relax, maybe a bit to much. We did these things called a "dirty girl scout" where you got on your knees and someone would pour peppermint schnapps and another alcohol (I can't remember which one.. vodka maybe or whiskey). Needless to say you swished them around in your mouth, swallowed and then shouted I'm a dirty girl scout. I think I did this three or four times. Luckily for me I'm in capable of get embarrassed when I'm drunk but I did show fellow Nerdstrongers a often hidden side of me.

I'm glad I only lived a few blocks from Kimi's so I was able to sober up a little bit and make my way home at the end of the night. Overall it was a very successful party and we are planning a PieStrong 2: Revenge of Cake next.

Star Trek Turns 50

Today marks the 50th Anniversary of Star Trek. On this day 50 years ago the world got it's first glimpse into Gene Roddenberry's vision of the future. Gene teamed up with Deslu Production to create a first pilot for NBC.. they were not impressed but still liked the concept so they asked for a second pilot (which is extremely rare). But they recast the main leads and the show was born. It initially did really well in the ratings but towards the end of season 1 their rating started to decline. During season two the show was threaten with cancellation, but a letter writing campaign like no one had ever seen was started and saved Star Trek for a third season but with low ratings nothing could save this series. This crew and actors continued their adventures in the short-lived cartoon called Star Trek: The Animated Series and then moved on to do six feature films.

Years later Star Trek came back to TV with Star Trek: The Next Generation, which wound up being a HUGE hit and revitalized the franchise. This cast also did feature four films. As TNG started it's fifth of seven seasons they launched another series called Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and like with TNG when Deep Space Nine hit it's fifth season of seven they released another series titled Star Trek: Voyager which ran for seven seasons. We thought Trek was taking a break from TV but a few years later Enterprise was premiered. They removed Star Trek from the title but low ratings prompted them to add Star Trek back into to the title during it's third season but that didn't help this series and it only lasted four seasons. And with the fourth TNG cast Star Trek movie Nemesis not doing well at the box office it was time for Star Trek to take a break (for me personally it could have gone on for every as I loved every episode/movie of Trek).

In 2009, the film franchise underwent a "reboot" set in an alternate timeline, or "Kelvin Timeline," entitled simply Star Trek. This film featured a new cast portraying younger versions of the crew from the original show. They have made two additional movies Star Trek Into Darkness (2013). The thirteenth film feature and sequel, Star Trek Beyond (2016), was released to coincide with the franchise's 50th anniversary, future movies are in the works. A new Star Trek TV series, entitled Star Trek: Discovery, is set to premiere on the digital platform CBS All Access in the fall of 2017.

I remember watching Star Trek (now referred to as TOS - The Original Series) when I was a kid and enjoying it, but I didn't consider myself a true Trekkie until I started watching Star Trek The Next Generation, I joined season one about half way through the season and something just clicked with me... I feel in love with this series. When I heard they were making another series I was already on board and though DS9 took some time for me to love it did happen and I have to say that Star Trek Deep Space Nine is the best written Trek with some amazing season long over arching storylines. Then Voyager came along and they had a female captain so I was all in and it didn't disappoint. From the first episode I was hooked and Voyager would go on to be just under TNG as my favorite Trek. I was a bit skeptical when Enterprise came along as I wasn't a fan of going back to the past but I enjoyed this series. The first few seasons were okay but the third was pretty great with an overarching season long Xindi story and then Manny Coto came aboard for season four and we got some of the best episodes of now named Star Trek Enterprise. Unfortunately it was to late for the series and it ended after season four.

We then had a long period with no new Trek and then came word that they were rebooting the franchise. Lots of people were upset by this news but for me it was more Trek and when I saw Star Trek in 2009 I enjoyed it. I think they did a great job at keeping my original universe intact and this new one can make it's own path.

I will always be a Star Trek fan, I collect movie cards, action figures, collector plates, props and so much more. I even have a Star Trek themed tattoo on my body.. so yeah you can say I'm a uber fan. So with all that said.. I want to wish a happy 50th anniversary to one of my all time favorite franchise.. here's to 50 more amazing years.

NerdStrong Sportsball

Today was another NerdStrong Gym "Sportsball" outing. This is our third Sportsball in the past few years. It's always fun getting together with these folks outside the gym. We played some Vollyball and Ultimate Frisbee... we had a good turn out.

The NeverEnding Story On The Big Screen

Tonight I went to the theater to watch The NeverEnding Story on the big screen (for the first time, as far as I can remember). I do remember watching it when I was younger on TV and thinking that it was just okay. I'm a huge fantasy person but I don't think I appreciated the story or even understood it back then when I saw it and I remember watching bits and pieces here and there over the years. It wasn't until my twenties when I watched it from beginning to end and really enjoyed it, like really enjoy it so much so that it's become one of my all time favorite fantasy movies. So when I heard they were doing a two night showing on the big screen I knew I had to go. It was playing at a local AMC in Burbank and I immediately purchased tickets. My friend Shannon joined me and when we got there I ran into more friends Dina and Miles.

If you have never seen this movie find it online / buy it and watch it.. but here's a brief synopsis: The NeverEnding Story tells the story of Bastian who, on his way to school one day, ducks into a bookstore to avoid bullies. Sneaking away with a book called “The NeverEnding Story,” Bastian begins reading it in the school attic. The novel is about Fantasia, a fantasy land threatened by “The Nothing,” a darkness that destroys everything it touches. The kingdom needs the help of a human child to survive. When Bastian reads a description of himself in the book, he begins to wonder if Fantasia is real and needs him in order to survive.

This movie has not been seen on the big screen in over 30 years.. and as an extra bonus there was a featurette before the movie called “Reimagine The NeverEnding Story”, it was a pretty cool behind the scenes making of piece.

There is nothing like watching a much loved movie on the big screen surrounded by uber fans who feel the same way about the movie... it was magical.

And to make the night even better the actress who played the Childlike Empress, Tami Stronach, liked the tweet I posted about watching The NeverEnding Story on the big screen.. that was pretty fantastic.