I took a trike ride the other day, around 6pm.  The sky was already darkening, but the sun was still out some, and it just had that cool, breezy, November feel to it.  You know what pulled everything together, though?  The barbecue.

Sidewalk barbecue grills were on full blast, and the sweet aroma of grilling was wafting through the air, permeating it like you wouldn’t believe.  There must’ve been a grill every few meters.  It was wonderful.  I wanted to stop and eat one so badly, but I was already running late, so I missed out.  Such a shame, really.  But still, it was a fantastic trike ride.  I need more of those.

In other news, I’ve lost 4lbs!  Pretty good, right?  Over the last.. 12 days! I’ve also been shooting hoops and lifting weights, so it’s a healthy 4lbs.  I’m not playing Santa this Christmas, yo!

Is actually going well!  I haven’t really pigged out at all this past week, and that’s some feat, considering I was offered fast food a lot!  You have no idea how hard it is (that’s what she said) to say no to McMuffins.  It’s pure torture.  But whatever, I’m a hardcore meathead now!  I eat, live, and breathe gym!

OK I’m kidding, but seriously, the diet is going really well.  It’s been a long time since I’ve dieting consistently, and it feels good.  I feel lighter, I look better.. I FEEL better.  And that’s what counts, right?  Plus, it feels good to know I’ve got the willpower to diet.  I don’t need no fat-burner or Lipozene.  This is all me.

I’ve also been working out again, and MAN I’m in pain.  Serious pain.  Maybe I don’t need a diet pill, but I wouldn’t say no to painkillers, man.  Just kidding!  Spartans thrive on pain!

It’d be really nice to get away this Christmas vacation season.  Maybe take a weekend to book a plane flight to Hawaii, or even just Boracay.  Whatever the case, it’s a great time to do some traveling.  People worldwide are in a jolly mood, you get to hear foreign Christmas carols, and say “Merry Christmas!” in all these different language.  And with today’s cheap flights, that’s not too impossible.

All you need is some vacation leave, a passport, travel insurance, and you’re ready to go.  Makes me wonder how the older generations did it, eh?  I mean, how long does it take to book a horse carriage?  Or a buggy?  Or a canoe?  Canoe answer that for me?  Sorry, couldn’t resist.  Anyway, just thinking out loud.

Speaking of Christmas, have you all gotten me presents yet?  Here’s a hint on what I want:

CAPITAL “S” DOUBLE BAR.

Got it?  Good.

Oh man.  Mark Cuban is having a really bad year.  First his Mavericks are totally messing up the season, and now, the SEC is accusing him of insider trading.  Now I’m not going to post a link here, because I’m assuming you’re all online.  Go Google for it.

Knowing Mark Cuban though, he’s bound to beat this thing.  The guy’s too much of a fighter to go down just like that.  In fact, he’s already publicly decried the entire thing on his blog, BlogMaverick.com.  Cuban will take this entire thing down, and not the other way around.  This guy is bigger than Donald Trump!

Of course, the same can not be said for the Dallas Mavericks.  The team is sputtering.  Jason Kidd isn’t having the desired effect, and the superstars are as inconsistent as I’ve ever seen them.  That sucks for the Mavs.  That REALLY sucks bad.

In other news, maybe I should take a fatburner like Leptovox to help with my diet.  What do you guys think?

So far so good!  I’ve been sticking to the meal plan, and well, I don’t really feel the difference yet, but I KNOW I haven’t been overeating.  Which is a change, because I’d been overeating the past couple of months.  A really GREAT change.

Also, I worked out  today after almost two months of not doing so (gotta love it when you suddenly realize you’re free to go), and my legs are killing me.  I was lifting with half the weight I usually work with, and I was dying.  I deserve some sort of award for not giving up halfway through my set of deadlifts.  How about a Ferrari? Or a million dollars?  Or even just one of those Pinewood derby trophies?  I’ll take anything!  Just validate my hardcore dedication!

Hopefully, I can keep this up.  Both the diet and the workouts, I mean.  Basketball once a week would sure be nice, too.  Let’s see how it goes, I’ll keep you guys updated.

I dreamed I was playing at a poker tournament.  Everything was going my way, and it was down to heads up play (two players).  I had a huge chip lead, and I was playing fast and loose and aggressive and my chip lead was really stacking up.  I got dealt a terrible hand, the other guy went all-in, I called, and I sucked out.  I sucked out and beat him and won $2 million.

I remember being interviewed about what I was going to do with the money.  Then I started thinking about how much it would help my family and MY family, and I started crying.  Bawled my eyes out on national TV.  And then I woke up.

Man.  That’s how gambling addictions start.

If you went to an all-boys or all-girls school when you were younger, then you might have noticed that some people really just aren’t meant to be popular in that environment.  There’s the geeky guy who isn’t any good at sports, and then there’s the fat girl who doesn’t have any fashion sense.  There are all sorts of things that afflict them that make them untouchable, and not in a mafia kind of way, but in a leper kind of way.

THEN you get to college.  It’s all co-ed now.  Fellas to the left and honeys to the right.  And the unpopular people in high school, suddenly they aren’t so unpopular.  The girl the boys accept, the girls will accept too.  Same goes for the the guy the girls like.  It’s the strangest thing.  It seems like everyone has earned a forgiveness pass, and suddenly, everyone is cool.  Maybe it’s because when you’re in college, you realize how insignificant you really are, and how you have to get along with everybody.  You take all the friends you can get.

Of course, not everyone is so lucky.  Some are always the geeky guy who’s no good at sports forever.  Ah well.

I’m not talking about me,  of course.  I was popular!

What’s happening to the Mavericks?  I mean, sure, Josh Howard’s out, but they’ve still got Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, and Jet!  That’s as solid and star-studded a lineup as they come, yet they’re not winning.  Dirk’s playing some really inspired basketball, and Kidd’s racking up near triple-double numbers everytime, and they’re still losing?  Unbelievable.

If this keeps up, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mark Cuban fires all his players halfway through the season.  See Dirk looking through the want ads for some Dallas jobs or something.  Don’t think there are many jobs available for a seven footer whose claim to fame is being able to shoot threes like a guard.

The Mavericks just haven’t been the same since that loss to Miami (which David Stern totally gave to Wade).  When will the hurting stop?  Come on, Dirk!  I wear number 41!  You’re giving me a bad name!

I am so out of shape.  I am so out of shape like you wouldn’t believe.  I have not worked out in over a month, during which time I have been stuffing myself silly with everything I shouldn’t be stuffing myself silly with.  In the dictionary, under fat it says “See Marc.”  That’s how bad it is.  I’m even contemplating taking a few diet pills.  Anyone ever hear of Fenphedra?  Or maybe not.  Who knows.

Next week is chicken breast week.  Grilled chicken breasts for the win!  I’ll probably start going to the gym as well, but the one exercise I really need to be doing ASAP is the table-pushaway.  If you know what I mean.

I’m also thinking of starting another blog, totally dedicated to fitness.  I’ll let you know how it goes.

Peter recently offered me a seat to a Bloggers’ poker event some time next week, and I’ve decided I’m going for it.  I used to play some poker, and I went through a lot of poker reading, but that was a long time ago.  I wonder how I’ll do?  I don’t really think Doyle’s Super Systems are going to factor in that much when I play.  I’ll probably do things ala Ken Warren, or maybe just play tight-aggressive poker.  I guess we’ll see, right?

Don’t worry about me gaining a gambling addiction, though.  I’m not about to lock myself up in a vegas hotel playing no limit hold ‘em 24/7.  I’m just in this for the fun, and of course, the money.  There WILL be money, right?  Peter?

Anyway, I should probably get started training.  That’s right.  Time to watch Rounders and Maverick!  While wearing my Aviators!  Yeah!