When I was younger, I took piano lessons for about 10 minutes and got bored.  When I started college, I bought a cheap acoustic guitar and learned a few songs through tabs.  (Tabs are a way for music illiterate people to actually play music.)

I can play songs like wonderwall and wish you were here, but I can’t read music and I sure as hell can’t really ‘play guitar.’  

I really think learning how to play one of these two instruments would be a difficult but fantastic task.  I think it would also be very rewarding and therapeutic.

Music is one of my passions.  I always have my ipod with me in case I have a few minutes to listen to a song to reflect on how I’m feeling.  Wouldn’t it be fantastic if I could actually play a song to reflect instead of listen to the music through my headphones.  

Now the fun part.  As an expansion for my 75 things series of blogs I am working on, I will include a short list of how I intend to actually to each item on the list.

How I will accomplish this goal:

1. Decide what instrument to play – That’s a coin-flip.  I am leaning towards guitar, because I am more familiar with the instrument and it would be easier to get ahold of one.
2. Find a Teacher – I don’t just want to learn to play from tabs.  I want an actual teacher that can teach me the chords, proper placements, etc.  I’m sure craigslist will be a valuable resource for this
3. Go to Lessons –  I have a bad habit of losing interest quickly. This will be the most difficult part.  If I can continue to go, I will be unstoppable.
4. Practice – practice, practice, practice.  Without practice, I will not get any better, even if I do take lessons.

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want to get into an ultra-violent send someone to jail or the hospital brawl, but I do want to get into one good fight.  Having been in a fraternity, I’ve been in a few scraps here and there, but most of it was just talking crap back and fourth until the situation DE-escalated.

In Dallas, it seems like everyone has a big mouth and a big attitude.  Everyone likes to run around with their entourage and talk a big game.  Just once, I’d like to take a cold hard swing at one of those jackasses and put him on the floor.  I am always the cool-headed friend if anyone I know gets in a fight. I always worry about the implications of what could happen if one of my friends were to fight.

More than likely, in any case I have experienced, my friends and I are the ones with more to lose.  We are the young professionals with college degrees.  Most of the guys trying to cause a confrontation probably are dropouts looking for their next adventure. But wouldn’t it be fun.. just once..  to get in a scrap?  Probably, but there is a safer way to do it.

I think every person should get into one good fight.  Just to measure themselves up.  Who knows, maybe take some MMA or Boxing classes and fight in a controlled enviroment.  It doesnt necessarily mean you have to get into a bar fight.  There are plenty of other forms of fighting outside of street brawls.  Everyone should try it out. In a gym of course.

I have quite a few friends that are starting to train in multiple forms of MMA.  For those interested in possibly starting to train, here is a list of the popular types of fighting styles

• Bujinkan
• Budo
• Taijutsu
• Tae Kwon Do
• Chung Do Kwan
• Muay Thai, Judo
• Brazilian Jujitsu
• Hapkido
• Aikido
• Maharlika Kuntaw.

Now go get yourself a membership and learn!

Mario is the quintessential Video Game of all time.  There were games before him, but when the plump little plumber with a red hat jumped on his first goomba, the video game world changed.  Mario is the video game industry.  Anyone who knows what a video game is will undoubtedly reference Mario. 

Now, dont get me wrong, I have played every Mario game already.  I’ve beaten most of them too.  But I think it would be an interesting to go through each MAJORMario game and beat them in order.  Each level or situation has always jogged memories of my childhood in different ways.  Whether its a memory of a friend I use to know, or playing the sky level in Super Mario 3 at my Grandparents house, I think it will be interesting to experience to use these video games as a tool to reminisce on my life.

It will also be interesting to experience the changes in graphics and the engines first hand one after the other.

If I’m not too lazy, after beating each game I will post a little blog with some of my  memories from my childhood that I thought about while playing.

My plan is to play through every major Super Mario release (not including the Gameboy games).  I will go in chronological order based on intended release.

Here’s the list:

• Super Mario Brothers (NES)
• Super Mario Brothers – Lost Levels ((S)NES)
• Super Mario Bros. 2 (NES)
• Super Mario Brothers 3 (NES)
• Super Mario World (SNES)
• Super Mario World 2 (SNES)
• Super Mario 64 (N64)
• Super Mario Sunshine (Gamecube)
• New Super Mario Brothers (DS)
• Super Mario Galaxy

The reason i’m leaving the Gameboy games off is because the first one IMHO really sucked, and I never played any of the later ones.  As a retrospective it would be pointless to think about games I dont remember.

Who really knows how this is going to go?  I just think it will be fun to play the games again and maybe get to know myself a little better.

I plan to start playing through the Mario games this weekend. Hell I may play Super Mario Brothers tonight.

A few years ago, me and a few buddies went out to California.  His parents were living in San Fransisco, so we jacked their BMW X5 and drove down the coast to Los Angeles.  This was one of the most beautiful trips I’ve honestly ever taken.  There was just one problem. We went out the night before and got absolutely smashed.  The ups, downs, and constant curves made the majority of the trip very unpleasant.  In fact, I believe more than one person in our car had to stop so they could throw up. 

I would love to do this trip again, this time without a hang over.. and possibly a beautiful girl.  The most important thing would be a nice sports car that could hug the turns and hills.  I think it would be an absolutely amazing experience to do this at least one more time in my life.  I think everyone should try it at least once. 

Hopefully, one day before I get too much older, I will grace the pacific ocean with some high-speed travels down California Highway 1.

Obviously, not everyone would be interested in partaking in the WSOP, but I would love it.  I’m a good poker player, not a great poker player.  I’ve won 3 tournaments around the Dallas Ft. Worth Metroplex and tied for first once.  To me, poker is one of my favorite things to do.  I love trying to read, bluff, ad re-read people.  Everything about the game entertains me. 

Anyway, one of my buddies Ryan Milisits recentely entered the Main Event.  He is a much much much better poker player than I am, but I still think it would be fun to just go and soak in the atmosphere.  It must be a pretty incredible event.  One day, I hope to enter the WSOP and see how lucky I can get against the rest of the world.

wsop 2008 Final Table

I wouldnt say I’m fat.  I would definitely say that I am out of shape.  For my health and my lovelife, I think it’s time to start cutting back on the booze and start hitting the gym.  Over all, I just want to be a healthier person. I turned 26 this weekend.  It’s time to start focusing on the important things in life.  the college frat boy days have come to a timely end. I’m not sure what my plan of action is going to be in terms of the weight loss, but I plan to get a wii fit, and also start going to the gym as much as possible.

I plan to start keeping track of my weight on here.

As of this morning I weight 193.  that is up 4 pounds from my recent low of 189.  Gotta get back on it

In high school, I down right loathed reading.  I hated books.  I hated anything that had to do with them.  There was no way you could ever get me interested in anything that didnt have pictures.  My junior year, things changed.  I was introduced to a book that would change my perspective on reading.  Hell, to be blunt, this book literally changed my life.  After reading this book, my interest in reading completely flip flopped.  I had never read anything that made me feel like I knew the character.  I actually felt what the character was going through in every aspect of his life.  The book was Ender’s Game. 

To this day, I still read Ender’s Gameat least once a year.  I’ve read all the sequels and spin-offs including the entire Ender’s Shadow series. I cant get enough Orson Scott Card’s portrayal of our possible future.  I actually also follow Card closely and frequent his website www.ornery.com.  His method of writing is unlike any author i’ve read.  It is simplistic, but paints vivid pictures and messages. 

Right now, I dont have time or skill to write a short story, but Card has inspired me to open up my imagination and create a story to share with the world. 

I’ve always wanted a tattoo.  Originally I wanted to get a tattoo that represented my fraternity Kappa Sigma.  I’m not really involved in the frat anymore, but I still want a tattoo.  I’ve been thinking long and hard about what I want.  Right now i’m thinking about getting a Mario Tat.  I think it would be pretty sweet and would reflect my obsession with video games.  I found a picture of a mario tattoo online, its a little more complex than what I want, but you get the idea. 

Mario Tattoo

i love girls, I love partying, and I like to gamble. I’ve never been to Vegas.  Some of my friends go multiple times a year. I’m almost 26 and still havent made the infamous trek.  I’m sure at some point I will make my way out to Sin City.  I’ve heard rumors of the glorious tails that ensue.  I hope, within the next couple of years, to grace the city of lights with my presence.  When I do, i probably wont tell you about it

Vegas baby

Lately, I have been reflecting on my life quite a bit. i’ve been pondering my past, present, and future.  I’ve been obsessing on my actions.. the way I treated people, the way I lived, the things I use to do.  I wasnt a bad person, but I wasnt necessarily a great person either. 

I’m about to turn 26 and I’ve done a lot of effed up stuff.  i’ve successfully pushed away the girl of my dreams. I’ve also burned and rebuilt countless bridges with my friends.  I’ve also done many other things that I’m not to proud of, but that is another post for another day.  For some reason, everything is still okay.  I think i’m reaching a shift in my life. I’ve focused on my selfish acts for too long.  I am going to start enjoying my life and experiencing the world while i’m young enough to enjoy it.

For those of you interested, here is the article

http://www.esquire.com/features/75-things-0808