For those who aren’t tech-savvy, have you ever seen that “loading” message while you’re trying to play a video online?  That’s buffering. 

I know, frustrating right?  It’s so close to being ready to go, but first you must endure the agonizing wait for everything to be complete.

Well, that’s the real-life holding pattern I’ve been in since October 25^th.  I have some incredible news that I’ve been waiting to announce but I’m still waiting for a “final final” confirmation.  If this were a digital upload, we’d be stuck at 95%.

I was hoping to make this announcement last week but couldn’t.  Unfortunately, that hasn’t changed yet but the show must go on, eh? 

Before we move forward though, let’s first revisit October 31^st! 

Thanks to all who reached out to wish me well on my birthday!  The calls, texts and social media messages really meant a lot!   

As for what I did to celebrate?  Not much actually. 

The day before, I registered my car since I had until my birthday to do so without paying a late fee.  I know, #adulting right?

I also voted early to beat the election day crowds.  ..although it was still rather busy at my local polling station. 

Crowded or not, I still strongly encourage all of you to vote if you haven’t done so already!  

Voting for local officials is just as, if not more, important than voting for the office of The President.

I know that many people are jaded and feel their votes don’t matter.  Well, if you don’t go to the polls, your vote is guaranteed not to matter!

I mean, what if the conspiracy theory is wrong and it’s not predetermined? 

Besides, it’s only a few minutes out of your day and you even get a cool sticker after you’re done! 

I call this my “Bob Ross shirt” since it features “happy trees”…as in Oak or Elm, not THOSE happy trees Bob also probably enjoyed…

Hmm, they should have made the peach scratch and sniff.  That would have been much cooler.

Anyway, for those who don’t go or write in a throwaway “protest vote,” I don’t want to see any of you complaining about the outcome of the election!  If you choose to be silent now, be silent then too…

As for my actual birthday, after getting a little work done around the house, I headed to the gym to test these “old bones” and see if I could still make it through my workout! 

By the time I finished there, it was almost the end of the school day, but I didn’t have any candy at my house yet for trick-or-treaters!  Whoops.

I managed to sneak into my apartment, shower and head back to my car without being spotted. 

From there, it was off to run errands like grocery shopping and a quick stop at the mall since I was low on pre workout mix and a few other items.    

I actually saw more kids in costume there than I did at my apartment complex though! 

Are malls and “trunk or treat” events more popular than traditional trick-or-treating now or is that just my town?  The past few years I’ve been home on Halloween, I hardly saw any kids going door to door. 

Just in case, I still planned to pick up some treats along with my grocery items but when I arrived at the candy aisle in Walmart, this is what I found:

Nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  Not even a single bag of candy corn!

Uh Oh.  I couldn’t go home empty handed, so my choices were to stall around until 9 when I figured trick-or-treating would be over, hide in my apartment with the lights off or try another store.

I decided to give Kroger a shot since they were on the way home but after taking a few birthday calls, it was already after 8pm by the time I walked inside. 

Since I only had to kill another hour before I figured kids would stop knocking, I ditched the candy idea entirely and shifted my priorities to which epic cheat meal I’d have for my birthday.

Since I live alone and had no plans, gas and stank breath weren’t going to be an issue so I stopped by my favorite local Mexican restaurant on the way home. 

Since the staff knew it was my birthday, they made the most massive burrito I’ve ever gotten there! 

Seriously, it was so big, the tortilla actually ripped while they were folding it!  They had to double wrap it with a second one!  They also threw in some extra chips on the side.  Ay dios mio!  Muchas gracias Lattea Mexican Grill!  Feliz cumpleaños para mi!  

…um, extra napkins por favor?

And for dessert?  Well, I was really craving ice cream cake, but Kroger only had the extra-large ones.  That seemed like a bit much so instead I picked up a small pack of chocolate cupcakes (the Hostess ones with the frosting in the center) and a half gallon of this new ice cream combo from Breyers. 

…or at least it’s new to me.  Have you ever seen this before?  Check it out!

Oreos AND Chips Ahoy?!  Ay dios mio tambien! 

It’s literally a blend of both flavors with actual cookie pieces mixed into a base of vanilla ice cream. 

It’s obviously not the healthiest nutrition label but if you like cookies and cream, you’ll love this combo! 

Do you have another food item, restaurant or recipe we should all try?  Tell us in the comments below!  You can also join our Facebook foodie group, Phenomnomnomenal, by clicking here!

Speaking of things I haven’t seen before, earlier I mentioned that I was almost out of pre workout so I decided to try this new peanut butter and jelly flavor from Beyond Raw’s Lit line.

My friend Tee Williams put me on to this stuff a few months ago. 

I first tried her favorite flavor, Gummy Worm, which tastes just like the candy! 

Since I liked it so much though, when I saw the weird PB&J flavor, I decided to try it next. 

Although the nutrition stats are the same, it doesn’t feel quite as intense as the Gummy Worm.  It’s probably just psychological though since you obviously don’t get the same sour jolt with this one. 

Instead it’s a smooth blend that actually tastes just like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!  …*if it were run through a blender.

They make over a dozen unique flavors, so I can’t wait to try more!  They also have cans for when you’re on the go.

As for the workout effects?  It’s smooth sustained energy for hours.  It also helps you work up a sweat! 

If you read the “Party Time! Excellent!” post where I took pre workout to keep me awake at a company function and literally turned my suit into a “sweat suit” Lit was what I drank!

Since I already discussed the pros and cons of pre workout in that post, I suggest checking out my overview there if you’re a newbie.

For those who already use pre workout though, this stuff is great!  It reminds me of the old Jack3d before they changed the formula (if you know what I’m talking about). 

It’s sold exclusively at GNC and no, I’m not affiliated with this brand at all.  I just really like the product. 

I’d suggest picking up a sample or a single serving can first like I did to test it out before investing in a large container of the powder.  Gummy worm is still the best I’ve had so far, but I’m not disappointed with the PB&J. 

Since they’re so talented at matching flavors, perhaps they should make one that tastes like tacos next! 

Wait.

Actually, the more I think about that it sounds like a terrible idea. 

Anyway, LIT!  Check it out!

Do you have a fitness question, goal or accomplishment you’d like to share?  Tell us in the comments below!

Oh yeah, here’s a closer look at that shirt if you were wondering what it says…

Ha, get it?  Old school player?  Never mind.

Anyway, before we close this post out, how about we do another quick round of….

Wait a minute.  Could it be?  ….seriously?  YES!!!!!!

Okay folks, remember how I opened this post with the whole “buffering” statement, well we just hit 100%! 

I wrote that intro on Sunday night but it’s now Monday afternoon and I just got final confirmation for my announcement before the final deadline for me to post this blog entry.  With that said….

BREAKING NEWS!!!!

Okay folks, this may get a little confusing since it’s a similar announcement to the one I made in the Takin’ Flight post when I shared that I’m now a member of The Atlanta Hawks Flight Crew Experience Team.

Well, for my next trick, I’m proud to announce that I’m now officially a Live Events Associate for Mercedes Benz Stadium too! 

It’s literally across the street from State Farm Arena where The Atlanta Hawks play but is home to the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, MLS’s Atlanta United, college football, concerts and more! 

It’s also the host stadium for the upcoming Super Bowl in February!

I say this not to brag, I’m just blessed and very thankful for this opportunity.

Going to a Super Bowl is on my life bucket list and now I’ll be paid to go! 

Since they seldom run events on the same day, I’ll be able to do both positions, in addition to acting, hosting, writing, hip-hop, fitness and pimping sammiches.  All in a day’s work eh? 

Honestly, these are all things I enjoy so I don’t mind one bit!  It’s the mindless day jobs outside of media and entertainment that feel like work….because they are!

My internship and first job after college was as a Marketing Assistant with The Philadelphia Eagles and now I work for The Hawks and The Falcons.  In hindsight, I should have gotten a job with the Cardinals while I lived in Phoenix, so I’d only need a stint with The Seahawks to complete the “birds cycle”!

Our first training session is on Monday the 12^th so I’ll provide fun updates as things progress but yes, I’m excited!

Again, I’m not sharing this to brag but hopefully to inspire. 

I’m still not at the level that I want to be in the entertainment industry yet, but I definitely leveled up with these new gigs. 

I moved to Atlanta 6 years ago with no family or friends in the area to advance my career aspirations. 

I’m not one to pat myself on the back very often, but I will say that it’s nice to see progress. 

My major life goals have also been buffering for a while, but with renewed momentum on my side, I hope to have even more breaking news for you very soon, so stay tuned! 

In the meantime, I sincerely thank you all for your support.

Anyway, as I was saying before that welcomed interruption, let’s do another quick round of “What Do You Meme” to close this one out.  I know we just did this last post, but I’ve had a lot of great content sent over since then.  Besides, can you ever have too many memes?  That’s rhetorical of course, the answer is “no”…

Let’s start with a few final Halloween meme’s first, shall we?

These aren’t necessarily Halloween topics but they’re just as scary!

Before you skip straight to Christmas though…

Have you adjusted to the time change yet?  It’s always easier “falling back” than “springing forward“…

Yep, their vote counts too unfortunately…

This may not end well…

Thanks Mom!

Speaking of Moms and parenting in general…

The 90’s were better… I’m hoping The Rock’s new Titans show is close to giving me the same feeling as American Gladiators though.  They need to bring that show back again!

When you see it…

I appreciate you Ben…

#facts

Buffering…

And keeping with tradition, let’s wrap things up with a few mental and physical fitness memes…

Okay, enough of that.  Cue the music!

Today’s Soundtrack

Level Up – Ciara

Uprising – Muse

Every Day We Lit – YFN Lucci ft PBN Rock

I Don’t Wanna Be a Player No More – Big Pun

Beamer, Benz or Bentley – Lloyd Banks ft. Juelz Santana

Push-It – Salt-N-Pepa

California Love – 2pac ft. Dr. Dre

Juicy – The Notorious B.I.G.

Do you have another song that fits today’s themes or that’s just so great we should check it out anyway?  Tell us in the comments below!

Okay, before we go, let’s check out the next round of “foodie holidays” that occur between this and next post!

Wow, a few of these are VERY specific!  …although I’m not complaining about “holding the anchovies”!  Any takers?  I’ve actually never had an anchovy before.  I’ll have to try one someday.

National Nachos Day sounds delicious too!  Actually, these all sound great! 

It seems I’ll have to restock the ice cream supply before the 11th.  That half gallon is long gone already!

Speaking of delicious, shoutout to the Dallas Mavericks for missing 2 free throws in the fourth quarter of their game against The Hawks last Wednesday!  They earned me a free chicken sandwich!  Hopefully The New York Knicks suffer the same fate on the 8th!

Aside from working that game and another on Friday, I’ll most likely catch Saturday’s Rutgers game with the Atlanta Rutgers Alumni Association since it’s one of the last games of the season.  I also need to find time to check out Bohemian Rhapsody.  I hear it’s great!

Tuesday of course is all about voting so if you’re in The States, please do so!  

And no matter where you live, please also drop a comment below before you leave!

Okay folks, that’s a wrap for this week.  Whatever you have planned I hope it’s great and again, Vote!  Vote!!  Vote!!

Thanks again for dropping by.  Until next time my friends, May the Fork be With You…

-Darrell

“If Plan A fails, remember you have 25 letters left…”