BrandonJames.com

Wow, I am finally back from the dead!  I know its been a very long time since anyone has heard from me. I know I know my three readers have been dying for a update. Well since my last  blog I managed to finish my Master at Hopkins and bought my first home!

In the mist of my progress I have had a few setbacks as well. During my quest I  managed to gain almost 25 lbs of unwanted weight. This came from the late nights of studying, stress and poor diet.  In this lapse I could feel how the extra weight was bringing me down physically and emotionally. Starting Jan 01 09 I started back in the gym.  This time I realized just how bad of shape I was in. I have managed to loose 5 lbs in a month and a half and put on about 3lbs in muscle.

I have noticed through this process just how much I love food. I have managed to get my eating under control except for after dinner time. I seem to have a very bad habit of snacking before bed. Once I have managed to cut this out the pounds should begin to fly off. As for my workout I am almost back in my best condition. I am running about 2.5 miles four times a week and incorporating several hours of weight lifting as well.

I will be posting a lot more on here and I look forward to hearing from all those who take the time to read my blog.

Cheers,

Brandon

Well people its very a long time since I have posted here. Lots of changes have occurred over the last year. Grad school is almost over as I near the end of my last semester. I am so happy to know that I wont have to take any more formal courses for quite awhile. As with the successes I have been blessed with I have had my own personal failures. As I currently try to continue to find myself and define me I look to the road ahead. You know when I first watched the movie Cast Away I thought to myself what a great movie but a terrible ending. For almost several decades Tom Hanks kept a picture of his past girl friend while he was stranded on this island. This picture of his love was the one thing that kept him alive and gave him the will to live. However in spite of his intense love for her, the path that GOD had in store for him was not the one he wanted. He later learns and begins to accept that he has no control and that life will take you wherever gods determines the wind to blow. So in retrospect I just sit back and await to see where god is planning to blow me next.

And just like Miles Davis I am so so so blue.

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Today marks the day I can only have 2100 calories a day and I must burn at least 400 to 800 doing some sort of cardio. I am going to be such a crabby person. As I sit at my desk at work I feel angry already because im hungry. However, I am going to do what must be done. I will need some prayer to make it through this. At times like this I wish that I had a much faster metabolism so that I could eat whatever I felt like.

BJ

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Time has a funny way of moving so fast. Another semester has pasted and now I am at a point of looking forward to the completion of summer school. I did well again this semester and God has given me the will to continue to push on. A few days ago I ran across a web site that made me think and caused me to break down and cry. In todays society many African Americans use the word Ni**a way too often. http://www.abolishthenword.com is a web site that is crying out for all people of every color to see. As for those of us who are African American we do need to make some changes about how this word is used and how it has come to be accepted. I have personally used this word way to often and this site has inspired me to try to limit and eventually remove this word of hate from my extensive vocabulary.

As for my personal life, things are fine and I hope to be posting pictures in the near future.

Peace,

Brandon

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Its offical now folks I will be riding my motorcycle soon! Weather is startng to break and I am so excite about it. This week is going to be hard for me as I have a lot of work to do with school and my workouts are moving into a stage that are very demanding. I have a ton of homework to get done today. I also have the fun job of going to grocery store. Man oh man a 45min in a line to get food drives me nuts. I have noticed as of late folks have really been working on my last nerve. At this point its all about Brandon right now. So all you Brandon haters take a hike!

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Tonight marks the day that Operation Daylight goes into its final stage of year. My diet is becomming tighter and workouts are going to be a lot more painful. The next two week I will loose 2lbs of water weight and 3lbs of fat. My cardio will be increased to three miles four days a week. I am moving on the right track in school as my Midterm was not as great as I hoped but I will take a B any day. I am out and a about doing my thing in the street again,so we will see how the game plays out.

My grind over the next three months will force me to rise above the rest. God has given me a drive that only heaven could slow down.

Cheers,

Brandon

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Well folks I am back in the thick of things with school and all. I guess I am at a loss of words for this post. Operation Day Light is alive and well. I am a little stiff and tired as I type this. I should be in bed as it later than I like to be up.
A good friend of mine told me last night that he is done with love. His finace left him for another man out of the blue. As I listened to him rant, I thought to myself and came to a conclusion. This conclusion is I havent given up on love but however, I dont have the same faith in it as I did as a child.

Anyhow I continue to pray that people in this world continue to believe in Love. As humans we all need a lil love.

Another week has passed in my life. In this week I found out that I am going to be completely debt free soon! During my break at home I had numerous discussions with my grandmothers and parents about love and maintaining a strong family. My grandmothers told be something that I felt that I had to share with you all. She told me that many people have love right in front of their faces all their lives but never see the light. The light is that someone close to them loves them and they are unable to either take the time to see them. The other hindrance is that people are often too afraid of what others think so they never see the light of love. In thinking back on what I was told I wonder if I can see the light?

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Cheers,
Brandon

WOOOOT!!!! My first semester at John Hopkins is over and I did very well! I have no idea how I made it thru the semester though. I have had one hell of a ride trying to juggle studying ,working out and my company at the same time. However, despite all the drama I made it thru with shining colors. I also had a wonderful Christmas with my family in good old Cleveland Ohio. I have a few weeks off to get my sanity back before another round of grad work comes my way. As I look to the new year I have many goals that I have yet to achieve as well as lots of blood, sweat and tears to shed. Perhaps one of my current favorite songs describes it best, give it a listen.

PS: I have been so blessed to meet someone as cool as a “summer” breeze. More about that next time folks.

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Peace and Love,
Brandon James

Tuesday is the day folks. My first set of finals in my persuit of my Masters Degree. I am so tired, nervous and just plain out a mess. I have been studying 6 hours a day for six days straight since the completion of my 15 page term paper. As the date of the final draws near I have begun to ask myself , am I glutton for pain? Why am I doing this to myself? LOL. Finding the time to cook, clean has become a real problem. I am almost at the point of considering hiring a maid because I just can not find the time to keep stuff in order and follow my workout program. The last few days I havent stayed true to my change in diet, so the holidays wont be full of food as I anticipated. I am so uptight it seems as of late. I am the process of trying to find activities to let my hair down more, the reason I say this is because I feel and seem uptight all the time now. I am taking any suggestions seriously!

Peace,
Brandon

While riding the Metro to a Wizards game something crazy happened to me. I was sitting down and a older women in her 60s or 70 sat next to me. Most of you who know me realize I am a heavy thinker and I often frown or look very serious at times. Well the old lady must have caught me zoning out or looking stressed. So she taps me on the shoulder and says ” Sweetie dont look so stressed, you got it going on you look good, you have on nice clothes, you have got nice manners and you are Grown and Sexy”. Now realize im sitting there like I can not believe she just called me sexy! Anyhow I got of the metro and thought to myself. You know what she is right, I have a great job and I am Grown and Sexy!

So naturally it would be a injustice to end this post without the right song.

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Cheers,
Brandon James

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For Starter I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. As for me my day started with a 2 mile run to prepare for the enormous amount of food I was about to eat later in the day. I havent had a good cooked meal in some time so it was good to eat some soul food. I also really missed my folks and it was nice to just hang around the house for a while. As for Operation Daylight, tomorrow marks the return to the program. As I was at home looking at my parents who have been married now for 30 years I was happy and sad at the same time. I was happy to see them so in love and still in love after all this time. However, I was sad by thinking about all of the marriages we see in the media now that fail. For example look at Jessica Simpson, Brad Pitt and the list goes on and on. I mean I feel that allot of people are way too picky. I mean no one is perfect, however people will break up and end relationships over the smallest things that in the big picture mean nothing. As I work to prevent myself from becoming jaded by love and relationships, I wonder one big question. Will people allow money, success, race, vanity, selfishness , and unwillingness to compromise prevent them from building a lasting love? Then again is love even important to people anymore? Maybe its just about sex and Im just one of the few that have yet to see life this way? I often feel I over think things, but as a man of science I quess its my nature. After being raised the way I have by my parents and being taught that love takes work, I wonder where do I fit in todays society? Perhaps someone can enlighten me and explain if they feel if im just way off in my thinking.

Cheers,
Brandon

As I write this message I want to announce to the world what is occurring in my life at this moment. What is taking place will be one of the greatest changes in my life. For 26 years I have lived my life in a shell that I was not completely happy with. So I am embarking on a process that will change me for the rest of my life. For six grueling months, I will under go a program I am calling Daylight. In this program I am setting four goals that I will achieve. First I will rid myself of three bad habits that are too personal for me to discuss on this blog. I will accomplish this by using meditation and yoga as well as prayer. Second, my body will be changed for ever, as I plan on losing 24 lbs in a six month time frame. My workout plan will consist of running in upwards of three miles 4 times a week and following this with a strict diet to increase my weight loss. Third maintaining at least a 3.7 GPA in grad school. I don’t think I need to discuss what needs to be done to make that happen. Last, but not least, I will do my best to ensure that I get at least 8 to 9 hours of sleep a nite. Thus, for those of you who know me well no longer will I answer my cell phone past 10:00pm. These goals I have set should be clearly reflected in my work on this new web page. I also will not post any pictures of me until this process is complete. I hope that you all enjoy the new web page and all its content. I plan on updating this blog constantly to map my progress.

As the title of this thread reads, it is time for the Mack To Return.

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Truthfully Yours,
Brandon James

Sunday morning as I type this. A terrible hangover is running a muck in my body. As I sit and stare at my computer screen I begin to think about all the dispointments I have had in my life. In the mist of my self pity I had a thought that ive never had before. What I finnaly realized is that in life people will dissapoint you allot however, you must take negatives and make them a positive. I truly know that I wouldnt be the good person that I am now if I had not experienced the bad. I think that as I continue my journey through this maze called life its good to know that I will never let anything or anyone bring me down. In retrospect I truly feel that my last relationship has helped mold me into a better man and hopefully at some point a better husband.

I also want to note that often times good friends go unoticed. This time I plan on not letting that happen. Anita thanks so much for just being a great friend and listening. No matter how dumb something might be that im upset about you somehow make me smile. For that that I am very greatful.,,

BOOOONITA!

Peace and Love,
Brandon

Sorry folks I know its been forever since my last post. I am current getting my ass kicked at John Hopkins and I am working full time too. I guess my life right now is a blur because days have become weeks etc. However, I am doing well and working extremely hard.
In retrospect I have had some bad news over the last few weeks. One of my good friends, his girlfriends mother passed away. Gabs I am so sorry for your loss and I have prayed that god look down on you and your family and take you under his wings.

Hopefully sometime soon I will be taking some new pictures and posting it up on the site.

Cheers,
Brandon