A YEAR in Review

Dudes. Dudettes. Guys. Gals. Chicos. Chicas. Homeys. Chix.

It has been a YEAR for F*** My Zits. Considering most new businesses or entities make it this far, I must say, HOW AWESOME ARE MY ZITS? Where have been, where will we go?

Last December: Introduction to my life, my way of living and what zits have done for me. I went sledding and met an awesome girl who became my long-distance girlfriend. She’s hot, and I’m so thrilled I’ll see her soon.

I got into arguments with teachers, popped zits, pulled public pranks, looked for new ways to treat zits and enjoyed a wonderful summer away from home…learning new ways to treat zits.

I rapped a little bit, ya know? Here’s another little taste of the flava.

Rollin’ for a year. Rollin’ for a year.
My zits rock the fly-by like they’re crusin’ in a Leer…
Jet

I got into a fight. I kicked some a$$. I gotta have the dollar signs, because that $h*t was MONEY!!!!

I’ve worked at multiple car lots. I’ve made some keep.

I fell in love, and haven’t acted like a doof about it.

I joined the football squad. Became a first year starter, and got to be part of school history.

In all of it… I rocked the zits with pride.

PRIDE.

Remember when I went sledding? Remember that!? C’mon! Remember it!!!!!!!!! Oh the angst, oh, the battles with the mirror, oh, the high school drama.

Breath.

Thanks for sticking with me. It has been a wild ride. Gonna do my best to make it even better in year two! I know I”ll be busier, I know the senioritis is going to kick in and I know that there will be many-an-adventure around the corner. I’m determined to get a job as a beer slinger for the Diamondbacks! No. No, I’m not determined.

But what I do know is that there was an odd band in the 80s and 90s called Timbuk 3, and they pretty much sum up how I feel blasting into December!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!

I’m gonna take some time off. I’ve never done it before. I know it seems people just veg-out and do nothing when they’re teenagers, but really, I’m always on the move. If I’m not doing something, I find or create something to do, but over the next couple of days I’m going to do nothing, quite literally. Maybe listen to some music, and watch a few movies, but I really plan to enjoy today and tomorrow and just unplug – completely. NO computer, no blogging, no texting, no cellphone (other than a call to Maggie), no car, no artificial sweeteners or preservatives. I kid. But I’m gonna unplug.

On Friday, heck yeah I’m gonna roll around in the Black Friday madness… I’m gonna go to stores and act like I’m buying a lot of stuff just to add to the synergy of economic repair. Now, of course I won’t buy anything. I generally wait to purchase stuff, do a lot of online shopping and online auction purchases…BUT seriously, if you’ve never done it, go to a store and act all excited about being there and shopping, and people around you will catch your wave. We’re all made up of the same stuff. Consumerism. Again. I kid.

So. Enjoy the turkey, turducken or whatever crap you like to feast on for Thanksgiving, enjoy family, enjoy football, enjoy the parade, enjoy the nap, enjoy the pumpkin pie and whatever you do, enjoy my zits. Never forget where these morsels of awesome come from…that’s right, folks. Acne. Love to you all!

Tum is a Grum

In non-doof language, that means my tummy is grumblin’. For Thanksgiving. Yeah, I’m still days away, but my dad has been chatting about this epic turkey he’s gonna do this year. He’s going to brine it, and then smoke it for hours! Honestly, your tum is grum now, too, isn’t it? I don’t know what it is about us in America. Thanksgiving is really a stupid, stupid holiday for a people who are quite aware that many of us have become fat-a**es, you know?

I don’t know. I think we eat because we’re trying to fill some void. Trying to get to that place where we’re finally satisfied, and it never comes. I’m preached this message in my household. You must understand. My mom and dad both, “You have to find fulfillment in life’s small pleasures – in possessing nothing. You’ll never be satisfied if you’re always longing for more – if you never stop to smell the roses” Yeah, it’s some variant of that, and you know, I accept it as truth – not because mommy and daddy say so, but because I see it…everywhere.

My complexion for example. When my face is finally clear of zits, if it ever is – I’m starting to think it may never be – but let’s go with “when”…I still won’t be satisfied with it, you know? At that point, I’ll wish I could grow some certain kind of beard or something that I’m not capable of. Yeah, terrible example, but you get what I’m saying…a little bit?

Like those beautiful girls and women in movies, and as they’re getting older, and even the young ones, they’re pumping their faces and lips full of synthetic sh*t. Why? It frightens me to think of how aesthetically beautiful some of those actresses are, and that someone, in some way, is telling them they’re not beautiful enough. Just stupid.

OK. Tum is a Grum. Few more days!

Sippin’ the Kool-Aid

I was contacted this week by a couple colleges. One larger school congratulating me on my academic accomplishments and on my ACT score – I have no idea how they found that out…? Perhaps there’s a list of people without actually offering too much insight? And a smaller school congratulating me on a great football season, and asking for additional game tape. This came through my coach.

I guess some of these schools are sipping the Kool-Aid that is F*** My Zits. Stating that makes me sound really disgusting – zit flavored Kool-Aid. Does anyone still drink Kool-Aid? I used to drink that stuff like crazy as a kid, which may explain why my first few dentist visits were bad news, and why my mom cut that stuff off before I even hit pre-pubescence.

I’m a pretty good speller. You ever notice that? The power is in the zits. I believe they glean information that floats about the universe as energy, and I got the spelling energy. I say this because I don’t spell check. I know I make up some words that are no way “real,” but in my little world, they’re spelled correctly. That’s a sign of intelligence, ya know? Making up words? It’s true. Look it up.

Back to colleges. I’m doing an official college visit this month to ASU. It’s right down the road and I’m quite familiar with the campus and surroundings, but to get “into” the world will be interesting. Sit in on a class and see how they roll. I don’t have a lot of interest in going there. In December, I’m taking an official visit to Pepperdine in Malibu, CA, and I’m completely stoked about that. I’ve got a buddy who’s going to join me (and my parents) on the journey, but we’ll head over on a Thursday, then have the visit on Friday, and play in L.A. on Saturday and Sunday morning before coming back.

While I’m in Madison, I’m going to check out the University of Wisconsin, and get a lay of the land with a guide, even though classes obviously won’t be in session.

Applying to all three of these schools for sure. They’re kind of out there. I’m also looking into Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO, Denver University, University of Colorado, Texas Christian (TCU), and now a lot of smaller schools where I might be able to play football. I suppose I could and probably would walk on at one of the bigger schools, but realistically, I don’t know that I’ll ever have the instrument to play at that level.

Holy Zit! I Scored All-Conference Honors

I got to school this morning, and was immediately greeted by a few other guys from our football team to let me know that I was named 1st Team All-Conference Wide Receiver. Actually our two starters, myself included, were two of the three guys named–Tight ends/slot receivers were also eligible for the designation.

My coach got to me and congratulated me. Said that he never made enough mention of it during the season, but that I was one of the most aggressive, best blocking receivers he had ever coached. He said that the sentiment was echoed by nearly every coach from our league. I’m seriously honored. I may even score some All-District honors by the time it is all said and done. Sweet.

A rough week, followed by an awesome weekend, followed by good news that surpasses the Monday blues. Yeah. I can dig it. And we’re like 10 days away from Turkey and all the fixings…Aside from the heart being ripped out through the chest cavity on a football field, it has been a pretty great November.

My face is still looking pretty good. I’m 100 percent sure it’s happy to be out of my helmet on a daily basis. I’ve been focused back on the work against the zits and exfoliating away the funk everyday. I’ve decided I am going to run track this year. I have no idea what I’ll do, but I figured it would be a great way to stay in shape physically and in terms of competition. Where the heck did that come from? Zits? Track?

You know that movie Skyline that’s out right now? Yeah, I’m changing the subject again – any opinions on that? Ugh. Opinions on the movie, not my scrambled brain function.

Anyway, back to zits. How about a movie about zits? I’m kidding. So. The story of “Skyline” looks intriguing, but why do I feel like the writing is probably atrocious? I have no issues in stating that I’m a snob when it comes to the finer aspects of the film…like command of the English language in script form! Hmmm… I’m trying to figure if I might run over and catch a matinee after school sometime this week. If you’ve seen it and it sucks, let me know.

OK. I’m gonna cleanse the skin. Just gently get rid of some of this oil that has turned my face into an afternoon slick.

 

WHAT… …a Weekend

I’m tired. I laughed a lot.

We couldn’t decide where we wanted to go. We had two votes for the Grand Canyon (my suggestion), and two votes for the Colorado River. We ended up deciding on the Imperial Sand Dunes. I was cool with that, because I hadn’t been there since I was a kid, but I don’t think we took into consideration that we really would have a whole lot to do there without motorcycles, ATVs or a dune buggy. Our buddy was insulted, stating that his Suburban could do whatever those things could.

We did get his SUV into ORV mode and hit a few trails. Found a place to camp it. And when I say camp it, I mean we cooked over an open fire then slept in the truck, because it was freakin’ cold. I didn’t mind the cold as much as they did. Maybe because I spent so much time in it last winter in Madison, but they were whining about it all night. Every hour someone would wake up and start complaining to turn the car and the heater on. I had a feeling those pansies didn’t have the proper equipment for desert camping.

We ended up doing about everything you can do on sand dunes, and off-road trails in the desert. I think most of all we just enjoyed the quiet, when we were able to get away from the buzzing of dirt bikes and ATVs. I know that driving that way, the sunset was amazing, and on Saturday evening, we all just sat in silence and watched it drop. The dunes and the sand. It was just amazing.

We just got back about an hour ago. I ate, and figured I ought to let you all know that I didn’t die. No near death experiences, or anything so exciting. I did nail a buddy of mine when he fell asleep. He was razzing me about my complexion for about 30 minutes on our way back. Finding a way to make me a punchline to multiple jokes. He fell asleep in the front passenger seat, which is a no-no on a roadie. So, I took a marker to his face. That just never gets old, does it? I gave him about 90 blackheads.

Friday…Friday…Friday Night!

OK. So. This is the first Friday that I’ve really had the opportunity to do anything outside of football, while also having the heart for it. Some buddies of mine – we’re gonna do some wilderness camping this weekend. Maybe a little fishing somewhere nearbyish. May head over toward the AZ/CA border and mess around on the river. I can’t believe my parents said yes to it, but I’ve never really given them reason not to trust me. And I don’t intend to.

A good week at school. A lot of chatter about ACT scores, college options, etc. My guidance counselor took me aside today and said we needed to chat soon about my plans post-high school. I know she knows that I’ve got plans, but I’m hoping that maybe she can help me narrow some choice and refine my direction. I did mention that I’d be willing to go to a smaller school if it meant being able to play some more football. I’m seriously not done. I had a great time, was able to balance my workload and responsibilities on the team well. I think I can handle the next level. And I’ve only played for one year, so I’d like to see what level I might get to personally…see if I can really help a team win a big game.

Anyway, I also told her that if she had any suggestions on how to get into college zit free, I’d love to have those as well. She stared at me for a second, trying to figure out what I was saying, then it registered. “Ah, he’s a funny guy.” Well, you know me…

I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned my buddy and his beast of a Chevy Suburban? Have I? If not. My buddy has a beast of a Chevy Suburban. It’s like an early 90s model that his grandpa had, and hardly ever drove. He put some big wheels and tires on it, and it’s a coveted machine amongst the our high school community. That’s what we’re taking out this weekend. We’re outlawing any GPS devices, and no cell phones during the day, with the exception of one scheduled call to our parents each day at 5:00 p.m. So, we’re all bringing a map, and right after school we’re gonna hop in the car with our gear and pitch our “this is where we should go,” idea.

Back to my Quest vs. Zits

I think my sharing thoughts and feelings via blog helped a lot yesterday. I’m feeling much better today about everything. Really looking forward to Thanksgiving. Not going anywhere, but more looking forward to the fact that it represents the Christmas/Holiday season, and the day that I met Maggie last year. Crazy. Really…Crazy…

I’ve been digging into some college options. I got my ACT scores back. Did I mention that? I’m not going to divulge what the composite number is, but I’m very pleased, and it should help me score some education at a discount or for free. It’s hard work that’s paying off, and while I thought my parents were just annoying when they preached it to me earlier in my high school career, now I see that they may actually know what they’re talking about. They’ve just been completely useless when it comes to zits. But then. Who is useful? Scientists can’t figure out a cure for the stuff, so what am I to think?

I speak in jest.

OH. Since we’re on the topic of zits, as we so often are, I saw “127 Hours.” Went last night. I’ve been antsy without football practice, so I’ve been running and lifting after school, and then yesterday I decided to swing by the theater and check it out. Living where I do, we’re close to such terrain. You hear about this kind of stuff all the time, but not to this degree and not with such a phenomenal result. Just amazing. A beautiful film. Danny Boyle. That guy is captivating even if the script is lacking or whatever–which this one wasn’t. I was referencing “The Beach,” which I did enjoy, but the studio would let Boyle go Danny Boyle with it…so it strayed from the awesomeness of the book. Anyway, Danny Boyle has been all over the map. I think this was the perfect follow up to “Slumdog Millionaire.”

But zits. OK. As I watched this film, all I could think to myself is how awesome life is. That ultimately, we want to survive, even with the bad. And yeah, what “bad” do I have other than zits? Well, I could be miserable if I wanted to be. There are people who walk in similar brand shoes who are…I just don’t see life like that.

Broken Heart

I didn’t realize how much I cared until it was over. It was really fun while it lasted. Don’t know that I’ve ever cried so much. Completely unexpected.

As you may have guessed–we were knocked out of the run to the state crown. Just heartbreaking. It happened on last Thursday, and it’s still tough realizing that we came up short. We didn’t play our best, and our opponent played out of their minds. All the breaks bounced their way. It was tight from the opening kick, and in the end we had a chance to tie and win it with the PAT, but we couldn’t get the job done. They came blitz, blitz, blitz and on 4th down we ran a draw that gained about 18 yards on a 4th and 20. It was brutal. Their home field got us. No excuses, though. We had our opportunities and didn’t take advantage.

A lot of guys didn’t come to school on Friday. That’s not my Modus Operandi. I came. Bloodshot eyes, dehydrated, sore as a mofo…a little bit soul sick even. All I really wanted to do on Thursday night was curl up into a ball next to Maggie, but I think it was appropriate that I wasn’t really able to lean on anyone in the aftermath. Just share some memories with teammates on the way back home. It was a long bus ride. I felt sick to my stomach for most of it. Just thinking. What more could I have done? If I would have done this, then would we have done that? What if we would have…? The magic if, huh?

So. It’s Tuesday. I’m feeling much better physically. I must say that something must have happened with all those tears, because I woke up with better looking skin the next day, then on Saturday I went to work and it looked better than it has in quite sometime.

That’s all I’ve really got to offer today. I could talk about the epic failure of the Arizona Cardinals and how sorry I feel for Larry Fitzgerald, Early Doucet, Steve Breaston and the other offensive weapons who can’t touch the ball because of Derek Anderson’s ineptitude, but I think maybe I’ve said all I need to say about that.

Hours Away… These Zits are Here to Stay…

…for the time being.

There’s a strange intensity in the air. I’m wound tighter than…something that’s wound really tight. I was thinking baseball, but that’s not really a good example. What I’m saying is that all this energy running through my body for the past few days has resulted in some serious skin eruptions. Nothing incredibly nasty, but I’ve got a lot of friends who have shown up hoping to see this playoff game from field level. Most of these little guys are handled after I wash and treat my face, but some of them are insistent on staying in line to see some football.

We’re going into this game healthy. I think that’s the only thing you can hope for when you’re taking the field–that all your warriors are going out there able bodied. I’m sure if we were busted up a bit, we’d still compete, but it definitely leaves doubt in people’s minds. I’m kinda rambling, huh? Like, talking about nothing?

I’m pumping this out now, and then we gotta grab the bus. Leaving school a bit early to get there and get geared in, warmed, decorated and then let it all hang out.

I’ve been eating better lately. I’ve cut out a lot of meat in my diet, and while a lot of non-knowing individuals have told me that it would drop my weight, it hasn’t at all. I got the idea that maybe being carnivorous wasn’t necessarily the best way to roll. Then watching Tony Gonzalez play for the Faclons, I thought, “There must be something to this dude.” He’s in his mid-late 30s and looks like he’s 20-something, plays like he’s 20-something and he’s vegan. And then awhile back, I watched Herschel Walker step into the MMA ring. Do you kids know who Herschel Walker is? Probably not. My dad would talk about the guy like he was the second coming, put on the football field. The dude is 48, more than 30 years older than me, a vegetarian and he’s a lean, mean, a-kickin’ machine. So. Since I wanna be a Zit F’in machine – uh, that doesn’t sound right – since I wanna kick the crap out of some zits, I’m trying to eat less fatty, acidic meats. Remember? My mom is uber into this stuff.

OK. Gotta go. Time to get focused.