Fitness Update: The End Date!

Well today was the last day of my 40 day challenge to lose 20lbs by September. I weighed in after my workout today at 12:30pm, and the results are:

Pounds Lost: 18

Well I fell 2lbs short of my 20lb goal, in my opinion, not bad at all! I started at 178lbs and I weighed in at 160lbs today. I feel very good about this, and don’t worry, I’m not going to just go off my new routine. I’m still going to keep up with my running, I really do like it, and it has had the largest effect on my health and overall wellness. This little challenge was just the jump start, I still plan on losing that last 2lbs, if not a little more, not to mention that I’m still only able to do 53 pushups without fail, and my goal for that is 100!

And as a side note, I’ll be getting some good headshots posted on here pretty soon. Adam Burisch came by yesterday, and did a short shoot with me at the Liberty Memorial, and he wants to do more (You’re the best Adam!).

I found the Golden Snitch!

Yes, that’s right, I found it! The only thing is it’s encased in Marble! Okay, here’s the story. On Sunday Fran, Bailee and I went to the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art for a little bit of culture and fine art. We started in the Egyptian Exhibit (Fran’s Favorite) which moves into the Ancient Greece Exhibit (one of my favorites!). While we are walking through the Greek Exhibit I take notice of this exquisite carved marble Pyxis (a cylindrical box with a lid) that depicts Prince Paris awarding the Golden Apple to Aphrodite in The Judgment of Paris. On the opposite side of this scene are Athena and Hera despairing over the fact that Paris picked Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess, and in between them I notice this odd little object. As I press my nose to the glass this is what I see:

There right between Athena and Hera is what appears to me to be a small ball with wings a.k.a. the Golden Snitch! I was shocked, I didn't know the Ancient Greeks played Quidditch! Of course I rushed over to Bailee and Fran, played their game of "How many bugs are in this painting" (Answer was 30, lots of ants), and then drug them over to view and photograph my find. Of course this got a really great laugh, and exclamations of shock and amazement, and that just kind of started the fun at the Nelson. We started noticing all sorts of random things that I'd never seen before, and I've been going to the Nelson since I was 7! You would be surprised at how many angry and starving dogs are in paintings with Martyred Saints, as well as some of the interesting posses of people across the ages (adding captions to oil paintings is a lot of fun).

All in all, another great day, and fun was had by all!

A day of Family Fun

Yesterday I headed out to Lawrence to spend a day with my family. Now understand, I do have multiple families: the family I was born into, and the family I chose, both are equally important. Yesterday was the family I chose, Marmee, Beth, and my best friend Jo (yes this is a Little Women reference, they refer to me as Laurie). Spending time with family fits into that "Live everyday to its fullest" category.

Marmee started the day by grilling up some delicious burgers and veggies (yum, grilled zucchini, potatoes we ended up not eating, and tomatoes!), and then as we ate, Marmee filled me in on all the family research she's been doing. Wow the stuff she has discovered about her heritage! I love Marmee, she kept asking if I was bored yet, but how could I be? I love learning about heritage and family stories, especially when they mean so much to someone like they do to Marmee. Beth, Joe and Marmee then showed me a whole bunch of pictures and videos from a couple of weddings that took place last month. One wedding Marmee went to was for a Rwandan Refugee couple (if you don't know about the Rwandan Genocide look it up, there's a really well done movie called "Hotel Rwanda" that I highly recommend). They're wedding was beautiful, not only did they have a traditional Christian wedding, but they also had the traditional Rwandan wedding the same night. I found this intriguing, as the reception starts with all the guests marching in to meet the new couple while singing, clapping and carrying gifts of food to get the new couple started. These gifts included milk, flours, grains, sprite, coca-cola, and Heineken!

After we all caught up, Jo suggested we head over to the elementary school playground to play 4 square! I hadn't played 4 square since I was in elementary school, luckily for me, neither had anyone else! So we all agreed, loaded up in the car and went and played! It was so much fun! You know what, it's not as easy as I remember it, and I also remember those squares being a lot bigger! We also went and played on the playground equipment as well, Marmee got lots of picutres, I'll post some of them when I get a chane to, and if Marmee will share them?!

We ended the day by going back to the house, having ice cream and berries, and winding the day down. My word I really needed that day. It had been quite some time since I had gotten to go and just spend time with them, and I realized how much I missed them. I really miss my Joe, we had been seeing each other once a week through gaming, but Footloose put an end to that, and I just haven't gotten back to it yet. I'll figure something out, I just don't know what I'd do if I have to continue going so long without seeing my Jo!

So I'll end this post simply by saying Thanks to Marmee, Beth and Jo, and I love you all!

I slacked off...

This week was not so great on the Fitness side, I really slacked off. Eating a combination of Indian Cuisine, Mexican (twice!), Bar-b-que, French fries, cornbread, brownies, Murray’s Ice cream, and bagels does not follow my diet. Luckily I didn’t gain any weight, but I didn’t lose any either. I’d try to justify by saying I wasn’t feeling well, which I wasn’t, but that really isn’t an excuse. I did run every day, but I only worked out twice.

But let us not despair! I have faith that I will be able to burn these last 6 pounds in the last 10 days of August. It just means that I really have to focus (say that with a Germanic accent, it’s fun!), stick to my diet and exercise plan, and just believe that I can do it!

Oh, and stay tuned this weekend, I’ll update you on all the movies I’ve been seeing lately (some really good ones!), and I’m sure I’ll have some fun things to share after my trip to Lawrence this weekend!

Today we Launched a Website!!!

Okay, it might not sound like an extremely enjoyable or even exciting event, but to me it is. For the past two and a half months I’ve been working on this project for work, it is called the Self Growth Engine (www.selfgrowthengine.com). For those of you who don’t know, I work for an Advertising Agency, as a Partnership Developer. Strange title I know, but it’s what I do.

So on to the Self Growth Engine! Basically we have designed this site to become the place where you can go to get the information you need to change whatever area/s of your life you are dissatisfied with.

*At this point you might be asking “Does this have anything to do with your Blog?”

The answer is yes, it has everything to do with it. I have been doing a lot of research into self improvement, self growth, and how people in our world have changed their lives, and yes, this encouraged me to start my own transformation. When you do nothing but research how to make your life better for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, it tends to have a lingering affect.

One of the main things I have found about all of this is that if you don’t change your life for the better, no-one else will do it for you. You are the only person who can be responsible for your own happiness.

So who knows, maybe you’ll find some inspiration too. Check it out: www.selfgrowthengine.com

Personal Note:

As I stated in my opening post, one goal of my career is to not let it interfere with my fantastic relationship with Bailee. So I just thought I’d let everyone know that today, August 18^th, 2009 is our 2^nd Anniversary! It was two years ago today that I asked Bailee out on our first date, and a few days later she promptly moved to New York, NY. We dated for 6 months long distance, and she came back home. We’ve shared a wonderful 2 years together, and I’m looking forward to many more!

Fitness Update!

So on the 20^th of July, my goal was to lose 20 lbs by September 1^st, I weighed 178 lbs at that time.

Today, Friday the 14^th of August, just 25 days on my diet, I weighed in at 164 lbs! That means I have 15 days to lose another 6 lbs, I don’t think it will be easy, but I’ll do it!

Also, my goal to be able to do 100 pushups without fail has improved as well. Last night I was able to do 2 sets of 50 pushups, I could have done a third set, but was too ecstatic over doing 100 pushups in just 2 sets!

As a side note, I have also opened up the comment section to everyone, so please feel free to leave a comment, or ask questions.

Next Steps

Well now that I’ve got this going, and finding things to post about on a regular basis, I also see that I’m going to need to use this as a reminder to myself of the things I need to be doing.

To actually become a professional actor I really need to make myself known to the acting world. From what I can tell I need the following things:

-Well rounded Resume detailing experience and skills

-Awesome Head Shots

-Really well connected Agent

-Training/ Experience

-A little bit of Luck (a whole lot wouldn’t hurt either)

I’m sure there are about a hundred other things that I’m not thinking of, but these seem to be the major ones. So let’s go through these.

First off: A well rounded resume. Well I have a resume, I’m not sure if it is well rounded, but it does detail all the work I’ve been doing, and the things that go along with it. I list the work I’ve done on stage, at festival, and on film. I need to add the details for the commercials and the voice over work that I have done as well.

Second: Awesome head shots. I don’t have these. I haven’t been able to pay for them (they’re expensive). However, a friend did offer to do some for me, I just need to be able to meet up with her. There are other photographers I like as well. Cody had his done by an artist who was simply amazing, he really captured Cody’s best sides. I’ve been using pictures that people have managed to get of me, and most of those involve my mouth hanging open due to the fact that I never shut-up. This is unprofessional, and probably weighs heavily against me.

Third: A really well connected Agent. This has been one of my biggest dilemmas. I don’t know how to get an Agent, or even how to contact one. I’ve always just dreamt that one day after a performance some person would walk up to me and say “Mike Davis, I want to sign you on with my Agency!”, but I don’t think this happens anymore. I know it used to, but now actors are a dime a dozen, and agents don’t have to go hunting for talent.

Forth: Training and Experience. I do not have any formal training. I never took acting/ vocal/ dance classes, I never really knew I wanted to be an actor until after I dropped out of college! All I have is experience. While my friends say this is the best kind of training, it’s also the hardest and slowest. And the real trouble is that most directors don’t have the time to give an untrained actor the instruction they need. Luckily I’ve managed to land some Lead roles, and a couple of my directors have taken the time to coach me and help me along.

Fifth: A little bit of Luck. Well there is just no way to control this one. I carry around a Four Leaf Clover, that has been laminated, with me in my wallet. It’s with me everywhere I go. Aside from wearing horseshoes and de-footing rabbits, I don’t know how to attract the luck I’m needing (maybe I need to attach the horseshoes to the detached rabbit feet…). Some would say you create your own luck, and that is kind of what I’m hoping having this blog will do.

So there you have it. My next two steps to actually move forward with my own self growth are to get some really great Head Shots, and start contacting Agents. Wish me luck!

An intriguing Concept...

So I was stumbling the internet yesterday (thanks Stumble Upon!) when I came across http://survivingtheworld.net/Lesson407.html by Dante Shepherd. Now normally his daily lessons are just funny, but this one really got me thinking. He proposed the thought of the Sixth wall in theatre (wait sixth! When was there a fifth!? Read the link):

“The sixth wall, of course, involves two plays on different stages interacting with each other sporadically over the course of the evening. The audiences will be forced to choose sides in the potential war between casts and crews. Lighting designers will play key roles in utilizing the spotlights in flashbang style attacks. And theater critics will rip into both sides gleefully”

Now Dante might have been joking, but it struck a chord with me. All of a sudden I got this image in my head of a theatre with stages at either end, and all the chairs rotate so that the audience can switch back and forth. I know, most of you are probably thinking “That would never work” but I beg to differ. I can remember going to the Drive In as a kid, and it had 2 movie Screens, one at either end of the parking lot, and if you got bored with one movie, you could turn around, change the radio station, and watch the other movie! It was great!

I know, I know, it had a radio, and you didn’t have to listen to both movies at once, that’s a very good point. But this idea would need a new kind of show. Imagine if you can, a play performed on two different stages at the same time, each stage appears to be presenting a different kind of show, but in reality they have been written to give a complete picture. The only way to get the full story is to watch bits and pieces of each show. The lighting and sound crews would have to have their cues down, and the actors would need some of the most incredible timing. But think about it, you could tell a story from multiple perspectives by having action on both stages. It could bring a whole new concept to musicals! Think about being able to watch a show like West Side Story, and re-write the opposing groups songs to be sung at the same time! I know, I’m starting to ramble, but I think it would be pretty awesome! It could really show that while we may all be different, we are all very much alike.

Best,

Mike

Acting Resume Has Been Posted

Well that was fun. So if you can’t tell, I’m not too internet savvy, so this is a learning experience for me! But if you look in the Right Side Toolbar, just underneath my photo, you will see a section called “Documents” and in there currently is “View My Acting Resume”, click it and you will be taken to my acting resume! I think I will also be able to use this function for an actual Fitness and Nutrition Log, so keep an eye open for that coming soon.

Best,

Mike

Current Acting Project: Paragon

Well, I have to remember to get my full acting resume up here somewhere. I'd like it to be a permanent feature, if anyone knows how to do that, I'd appreciate the help. So for now I'm just going to tell you about my current acting. A few months ago I auditioned for a role in an Independent film being shot here in KC called Paragon (check out the Blog):

"PARAGON tells the story of Augustus Carr, a vigilante by night, as he seeks to stop a drug dealing madman known as "H" from completing a series of ritualistic murders that could bring about the end of civilization. Aiding Augustus in his search are his friends Corliss Erman (a homeless man who is immune to disease) and Erica Grant, an investigative reporter for the Kansas City Clarion."

It is being directed by Scott Kessler with Insert Creative Name Here Productions. This was my first movie audition ever, I was nervous as heck. I really didn't know what to expect, and afterwards I expected to be offered a role as an extra. Well I did a little better than that. I was offered the role of the Janitor. I would have 1 scene and about 4 lines. My reaction "I Have Lines!!!!", needles to say I was stoked.

Then last Sunday they were shooting a couple of scenes at a bar, and I had my godson for the weekend, so I figured I'd take him out to the shoot and let him see what goes on behind scenes, and maybe we could be extras! Apparently the Actor playing Stivviq (the bouncer of the bar) had not shown up, and no one had heard from him for a few weeks. Well Scott and our Fight Choreographer Terry were trying to figure out the fight scenes scheduled for the day, and who could take what hits/kicks/throws. It was here that I leaned over to Terry and offered my help, I let him know that I have fight choreography experience, and could take a hit if needed. That sealed it, I was then moved up to the role of Stivviq! A larger roll, just like that! That day we proceeded to shoot the fights which involved me charging the main character, Paragon (played by Steve Williams), and being picked up and Jack Knifed into the floor! Totally Awesome! Steve being the kind soul that he is insisted we use the thicker mats, I wasn't really concerned, but after doing the throw about 20 times in a row I was thankful. I was even happier the next day when I woke up and wasn't sore at all! Thanks Cliff and Elayna for all the fight training at Festival!

The Fitness Journey Begins

Well, as I stated in my first post, one of my main goals is to get into better physical shape. "Why" you ask? Why when there are a number of professional actors that are not in great shape, and have still made the A list? Well there are a number of reasons, and the main one is simply that I'm not comfortable with myself the way I am. I've never been one to take an active role in my physical fitness, at least that is how it was until about a year and a half ago. I don't buy into that crap that says you're not responsible for being overweight! BULL! I was lazy, ate what I wanted to, and just didn't care. I'm not afraid to take responsiblity for my actions. It was and is my fault that I have never been and am not in shape!

For a little background, when I graduated high school back in 2002, I was 5'7" and I weighed 225 pounds. When I moved to college, a series of events happened, and I was lucky to drop 75 lbs in 6 months (don't ask how, it wasn't illegal or with drugs, but it wasn't healthy). Since then I have slowly put weight back on, lost it, gained it, and mostly without trying. It wasn't until 6 months after I quite smoking that I realized I was back up to 195 lbs! That is when I started actually trying. Now understand, I have always been friends with a number of guys who are all very physically fit, and don't even try. They have six pack abs (or close to it), well defined muscles, they look great (I have no problems admitting when another guy looks good). Truth be told... I've always been jealous as heck! My friends Jake, Brandon, and Cody are the first three that come to mind when I think of the guys I'm jealous of (luckily a couple of them do try).

The problem has been that for the past year, I really haven't seen the results I wanted. I joined the gym, started dieting, but I could never really stick to it. I have been able to maintain a weight of about 175 lbs, not bad, but I'm only 5'8", and I just haven't been able to get rid of this belly flab. This is where my recently developed close friendship with Cody has started helping. First off, Cody is pretty, plain and simple, Cody is pretty (for the record we are both heterosexual, but we are both comfortable enough with ourselves to be able to say things like that). But we both have goals for self improvement, we are very supportive of each other, and we push each other to be better. This recent "obsession" with my physical fitness started one day when Cody was talking about his nightly core exercise routine that involves 400 - 450 reps of different exercises, and I told him about my nightly challenge to do 100 push-ups. Next thing we knew, we had taken up each others challenges. Then, back on the 20th of August, I looked at Cody and the following conversation took place:

Me- "Cody, I've got a new goal."
Cody- "Alright Mike, what is it?"
Me- "I'm going to lose 20 lbs by September."
Cody- "You can do it Mike, I know you can."

I believed him, and I still do. It has been been 19 days since I made that statement, and I have lost 10 lbs. It hasn't been easy! I started by watching what I eat. I've cut out a lot of meat from my diet, while animal protein is good to build muscle, it is not so great to loose fat. I only eat when I'm hungry, and that is after chugging water and waiting to make sure I'm actually hungry. Then I only eat an appropriate proportion of food (I might add a meal log later to show what I eat), the key has been to not overeat. The second part of this has been daily exercise. Every day at work, before lunch I go out and run 1.5 - 2 miles in interval speeds. It takes about 9 minutes by alternating sprinting for about 45 seconds with light to medium speed running for 2 minutes. Then at least 5 out of 7 nights a week I'll do a 400-450 rep core exercise routine and 3 or 4 sets of push-ups totalling 100-115 push-ups.

This sounds like it would be no fun, but let me tell you, I feel great after my daily runs, and I feel a great sense of accomplishment after my nightly workout. Most of all, it's working! I have 22 more days, and the next 10 lbs won't be easy, but darn it, I can do it!

Welcome to my Journey

Well it is the 8th of August, 2009, and this is the beginning of my blog. If you can't tell by the title, I am attempting to become a professional Actor. I want to be on that big silver screen, rubbing elbows with Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Hugh Jackman, Robin Williams, and Nicole Kidman (Just a few professionals I enjoy).

To accomplish this one very lofty goal, there are many smaller things that must be achieved first. Really these smaller goals will be tracked the most. Aside from building a name for myself, I also need to improve my physical appearnces, develop unique skills to set me apart from the crowd, enjoy everyday of my life, and keep a healthy realtionship with my wonderful girlfriend of two years. I know, that last one doesn't seem like it has a lot to do with acting, but it is a goal, and I will not sacrifice my fantastic relationship. I truly believe that buy making that a goal I will be able to attain my dream while not only maintaing my relationship, but improving it as well.

Now let it be said, that I completly understand that this will by no means be easy, especially since I have no formal training. I also know that very few people ever accomplish this dream while a whole lot of people share it. My hope is that by including the world in my journey then I will come just a little closer to seeing my dream come true. With that all being said, I ask that you please hang in there with me while I get this blog established.

Oh, and dont' forget to sign up to "Follow" me!