Florida Summer

I’m spending most of my summer in Florida. At least it looks that way.

I’m here now, with Amy, and I’m staying until Monday. I’ll drive home early Monday morning, then head off to UFC 159 in Newark and New York. Once fight week is over, I’ll come home. Amy comes to Texas from May 8-12, and then I’ll drive back to Florida. From there, we’ll go visit her Mom for a few days, and then I’m back here for the foreseeable future. 

There are lots of things I want to do here in Orlando. I want to go back to Harry Potter world, but that’s happening next Sunday. I can’t wait. And I want to go to Epcot, which has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. I always wanted to go, but my parents didn’t think my sisters (who were very young at the time) would enjoy it. We stuck with Disney World instead.

And that’s another one I want to do: Disney World. I know I’m an old fart (as Amy constantly reminds me), but there’s still something about Disney World that just seems awesome. It has the ability to make you feel like a kid again, no matter how old you may be. 

And then there’s the food. There’s a World of Beer about 5 minutes from Amy’s house, and I plan on going there. There’s a BBQ place that serves all you can eat ribs, and I love ribs. I want to go to Hotto Potto at least 5 more times in the next month; it’s a really great little hot pot place that I’ve already fallen in love with after just two visits. And of course, there is Thai Village, which is the best thai food I’ve ever had but is currently closed until the family that runs it gets back from vacation in mid-May.

In short, I’m enjoying myself. And yes, I could see myself living here at some point, perhaps even this year. The best part about my job is that I can do it from anywhere, and I have nothing that requires me to stay in any one place. Las Vegas would be easy for fights and to be around the UFC scene, but I don’t have to be there. More and more, Florida sounds interesting. 

Off to Montreal

Out of all the cities I’ve visited in my years covering MMA, I’d have to say that Montreal is my favorite. And it’s not even close, really.

The “old” part of Montreal is incredible, with businesses and entertainment spots dug out of the ground underneath very old cobblestone streets. It feels like what I imagine an old European town feels like.

I also love the food. Schwartz’s is this tiny hole in the wall place, but they’re world famous for their smoked meat (brisket) sandwiches. I’ve been to Montreal a handful of times, but it wasn’t until my last trip in November that I actually went to Schwartz’s. It was life-changing. Not really, but you get the point. It’s an incredible sandwich, and I’m pretty sure I’ll hit it up at least twice this week.

I’m headed back to Montreal today, and I’ll be there through Sunday. I’ll post blog entries and photos on here, for the 2-3 of you who are still reading this on a regular basis.

A Work Update

full_whiteI finalized a new contract with Bleacher Report earlier this week that will keep me locked in for the foreseeable future. I’m thrilled with it, mostly because the terms of the deal are a reflection that my bosses realize how hard I’ve been working over the past year.

I’ll get to be more involved in the production of video, especially after I move back to Las Vegas in 8 weeks or so. Yes, I’m moving back to Vegas, and I cannot wait. As you can see by my blog header up there, I’m a big fan of the Red Rock nature area outside of Vegas, and I can’t wait to get back there and spend plenty of time hiking.

But before any of that happens, I have trips to Montreal next week and Florida two weeks after that. Montreal is for UFC 158, while Florida…well, let’s get into that another time, I think.

Hi there. Again.

This is not a long post. This is me, once again telling you that I’m going to start making a real effort to blog here again.

It’s been years since I’ve done so, mostly because I’ve viewed writing as a job that I want nothing to do with when I’m off the proverbial clock. But that’s wrong, isn’t it? I should view writing as something that I love to do, something that I want to do whenever I possibly can.

So that’s happening. Allegedly. I’m going to start writing more, and I’m going to do it here and nowhere else. If you’re one of the few who still follow or read or stalk this blog, just know that things are going to be pretty erratic in terms of subject matter. I’ll write about lots of random things, from movies to ribs to technology.

You know, nerd stuff plus a little food. Or a lot of food, most likely.

Hello How Are You?

I haven’t posted in here in a long time. Truth be told, I haven’t thought about the blog much lately, because when I’m not working in official capacity for Bleacher Report, I don’t really want to be foolin’ around with words and sentences and such.

Anyway, much has changed since my last post here. I’m still with Bleacher Report, though the title has morphed into Lead MMA Writer instead of blogger. That means I get to do more long-form stories, which are my favorite kind of stories to write. I’ve also gotten more involved from an on-camera aspect, which is both exciting and nerve-wracking.

One of the cooler things that’s happened to me is my decision to start Crossfit in June. I’ve been going steady at least 4 days a week ever since. I’m down 28 pounds—well, 28 pounds as of October 1st, which was the last time I weighed myself (more on that in a second)—and I feel better than I’ve ever felt. 

Here’s the “more on that in a second”: I’m currently in the midst of a Whole30, which means super-strict paleo for 30 days. It’s been tough, but I’m 1/3 of the way through and I’m confident I can make it all the way. 

Well, that’s pretty much it for now. I’m going to commit to post here more often, or at least more often than once every 8 months.

New job

I’m happy to be able to finally announce, officially, that I’ve accepted a job with Bleacher Report as their National UFC Blogger.

Beginning March 1st, I’ll be covering the UFC in detail, from all angles, giving you the news of the day and plenty of commentary. My work will appear on Caged In, BR’s new MMA-centric blog.

It’s a really cool role with plenty of opportunity to write as much as I want without the strain of administrative work, and I’ve missed that for the last few years. It’s also a cool opportunity to reunite with Jonathan Snowden, the guy who really gave me my break in the MMA industry by hiring me at Heavy in 2009.

Best part? I get to keep on living in Houston. No need to move back to Las Vegas or San Francisco, where the BR offices are located. Working remotely RULES. Thank you, internet.

Changes, Part 243

Plenty has happened in my life since I last updated the blog.

For starters, I’m back in Katy after a year of living in Las Vegas. I enjoyed my time there, but I always missed home. I’m a guy who grew up in the middle of a tight-knit family. And I don’t just mean parents and siblings, but cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles. I think I may have been the first person in my family to actually move away, and I felt it the entire time I was gone. I always wondered what it would be like living in the hustle and bustle of another big city, and I’m glad I got to experience that. But I’m also thrilled to be back in the arms of the same small town where I grew up. I never thought I’d say that, really, but there you have it. I will miss the friends I made in Vegas and I’ll miss the good times, but I’m mostly just happy to be back home.

I’m staying involved in mixed martial arts. I can’t say how just yet, but I’m not going in a wildly different direction for my career. I love this industry too much to just give it up. I won’t be traveling as much, and that’s somewhat of a blessing, because while I love to travel and see the world, I also love staying at home. I’ve seen far more of the world in the past two years than I ever thought possible, and I’ll be eternally grateful for that opportunity.

So, yeah. It’s good to be home. And it’ll be good to see where life takes me next. Ten years ago – well, five years ago, really – I never could have envisioned myself doing what I do for a career. The uncertainty of life, that feeling of never really knowing what lies around the corner, is one of the things that makes it so nerve-wracking, hectic and beautiful, all at the same time.

I’m ready to see what happens next.