BLOG: Diets and Concerts

Good morning my friends! Thanks for reading my BLOG here. I try entertain with the comics and then let you into my world beyond it as often as I can. I hope you’re digging the ride!

I’m working every day on new PLEASANT LIFE and STARSLAM pages. Really rolling along nicely. Trying to get both of these books in the can. I must be crazy doing FOUR graphic novels all at once. Has anyone ever done that? Not since the days of Jack Kirby drawing practically every comic for Marvel has something like this been done. I’m so laser focused on this thing and enjoying every second of it. Everyday, move the needle. Everyday, do the Elvis. TCB “Takin’ Care’v Business!” or however he said it. (I’m not an Elvis guy. More of a Beatles guy and according to deleted scenes from Pulp Fiction, you are either or. My dad was an Elvis fan. Mom was into the Beatles. I’m a child of two different worlds! Like Spock! suuuuurrrreeeee….)

Holy crap! I got some great news to share. I’m down more weight!! When I started this new diet path, I was at 355. Today I weighed in at 338! That brings the total loss to 17 pounds! What I’m doing is absolutely working and its not hard at all! I’m staying very mindful all the time and doing portion control, no late night eating, sixteen hour fasts, protein/fruits/veggies, only one soda a day, walking outside/dancing to music while cleaning the house (maybe even perhaps in my underwear…. think about it… THINK ABOUT IT!!!), usually a shake in the morning/decent lunch and something small for a dinner. Snacks are fruits and veggies. Its practically dripping off of me.

My initial goal is to get in the ballpark of where I was a year ago at 290. But then keep going. 270, 250, 230… I’d be happy with a 230. Just back to being a fat guy, not morbidly obese. I’m really getting excited for how easy it is this time and how much it is working. I’m already planning what I am gonna look like in a year. All the money I am saving from not eating fast food is gonna go toward a whole new wardrobe when I am that thin. I’ve already got a bunch of reference shots of what that will look like. That inspires me. I know five people directly that have dropped well over 100 pounds each recently. They inspire me. I’m more energetic and so happy. That definitely feels good to crawl out of the muck and get things right. I got a long way to go. But I am focusing on the step in front of me. Day by day. Choice by choice. I’m not even remotely tempted because I see the results. I want it more! Faster! It’s gonna happen. This time, its gonna happen. I will finally silence all the bullies that have been in my head since grade school.

Doing a comic book about my old hometown of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan is fine at times. I get to draw old locations I remember and loved. In doing research and just to stay in the headspace I am a part of a couple facebook groups discussing the town and its history. This week I cam across a couple things…

This is a rental from a very very very old rental place called “The Video Room” that was located across from the Meijer store there. I wanna say they went out of business around 1986 or so. I remember going there as a kid. What do I remember the most? Renting Star Trek The Motion Picture with the added twelve minutes of footage! (Of course it would be that) But also discovering Hammer Horror movies by renting The Fall of the House of Usher and Dracula. Great memories. (For those that know the area, the building now is occupied by Main Street Audio/Video. Last time I was in town they were still there. I hope they are still. So many places I loved in that town are now long gone.)

The other thing is this:

YOU TELLING ME THAT RUSH PLAYED IN MT. PLEASANT?!?!?!? 1979, the Hemispheres tour I believe. One year before they really would break out of Permanant Waves and Moving Pictures. Pretty damn crazy. Also KISS played there around the same time. I know BLACK FLAG played Rubbles Bar sometime around the mid 80s as well. Sometimes, cool shit can happen in a small town like that. I miss it sometimes but I am glad I get to revisit it in my comic. Really, its not important to know where the comic takes place. Could be Anytown USA. But its a nice little thing I do for the story for me. (BTW… look at that concert price. $8.50! Today concert tickets are like $850!)

Speaking of concerts… I took a break just now from writing this things to do something stupid. I just scored a ticket to see Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains) in Detroit in September! Why? Cause I guess life is for the living. I wasn’t going to do it, but I decided just to see how much tickets were and just pulled the trigger on it.

This is now my 4th concert for the year! I’ve never done this before. So this year I’m seeing Collective Soul/Live, Garbage, Jerry Cantrell and the Sex Pistols! Its like a punk rocker hanging out in the 90s up in here. And to think… when I’m at these shows, I’ll be thinner and be able to actually get and FIT into a concert shirt. Fuckin’ A!

Well, I got about 10 things on my TO DO list to get done today. Off I go. I leave you with a bonus kitty picture I took yesterday:

Thanks for reading, much love and stay sane out there! -T