Closing ceremonies!

Tonight is the closing ceremonies for the Olympics. The two week long event featured many different athletes competing for their countries in many sports. USA came in first for medals, then Germany in second and Canada in third. No one should hang their head because they fought hard and they should be proud to be Olympians. This years Olympics in Vancouver Canada were a huge success and it was amazing to watch.

" I'm proud to be an American, I stand for the Red, White and Blue." -Brandon Zornado

Use your brain!

There will be times that you might come to a wall in life, but that doesn't mean to stop. You should think of ways to get around that wall. By thinking deeper into things allows your brain to work harder and it actually enhances your brain cells. There are certain things called, "brain busters" and they are meant to try and stump you. There is always a solution but in order to find it out you have to look deeper into it and figure it out logically.

" It's amazing what you can discover when you really try." -Brandon Zornado

A good wine!

A good wine is something to cherish. There are many out there, but when you find one that you really enjoy it is amazing. Wine goes well with many food dishes and it also is great by itself. Here in Oregon there are many vineyards in the Willamette Valley. You can go there and do wine tastings and sometimes if your lucky you can do a barrel tasting. Red Wine is very good for you, that doesn't mean to drink multiple glasses everyday. Maybe just enjoy a glass with your dinner.

" Live to the fullest and enjoy all that you can." -Brandon Zornado

Surprise Someone!

I know you usually get gifts for people in your family and the ones that are close to you on certain Holidays such as: Birthdays, Christmas, Anniversary's, etc. Go get a little gift for someone close to you and surprise them with it. The gift does not have to be anything big at all, it is the thought that counts. The look on the person's face who you are giving the gift to will be all you need. I feel great when others are happy and I enjoy giving more than receiving.
" Make someones day and put a smile on their face." -Brandon Zornado

A meal out!

It can be expensive to go out to dinner, but you should really try to go out once in a while and have a nice meal at at restaurant. There are so many great places with amazing food here in Portland, and a lot are family owned. When you go out for a meal, have a good time and relax. Enjoy the experience and the company of the people you are with.
" The special moments are the one's you wont forget." -Brandon Zornado

You never know!

Life is full of surprises. Everyone has different aspirations and inspirations in their lives. Focus on the things that you want to accomplish and you never know when they might come true. It could happen the moment you are least expecting it, and that moment will be priceless.

" Open your mind to all possibilities." -Brandon Zornado

It's worth it!

Everyone has dreams. They can't be accomplished over night usually. You have to put a lot of hard work into them and sometimes you may want to give up and quit. Find the motivation inside you to keep working hard for your goals and when the day comes that your dreams come true, it will be worth it.
" It's all worth it in the end." -Brandon Zornado

Think it through!

If there is something that you may regret then don't do it. Believe me it won't be worth it. There are things to take chances and risks on, but you don't want to get into a situation where you might regret it down the road. Little things such as fights will happen in life and they can be easily resolved. Think about the things your going to say before they come out. Most people when they are mad say things that they don't mean and later regret. Think things through and ask yourself if it is the right thing to do.
" If you believe then it can come true." -Brandon Zornado

Write it down!

Everyone has thoughts of their own. I am a writer and my thoughts go into my songs, but before they go into the songs they are written into a notebook. Go get a journal or notebook where you can write down anything that is on your mind. You might have a really good thought and if you don't write it down, chances are that you will forget it.
" Capture your memories." -Brandon Zornado

The power of a nap!

I have had a busy last couples days and today I woke up early and went to workout with Shelley at 24 Hour Fitness in Hilsboro right by her work then went to the store and came back home and played basketball outside. I was so exhausted and when I got inside I felt like taking a nap. I have not taken a nap forever. If I am even thinking about taking a nap then I must be really tired. I am always on the go and I have a ton of energy all the time. Today I decided to take an hour and a half nap and when I woke up I felt great. I just got back inside from playing guitar in the park and working on a song that I am writing. I got some more stuff to get done before the big Blazer game tonight and I feel energized. Power naps are suppose to be great for you as well, just a 15 to 20 minute booster. Sometime soon try to take a nap for a bit and see how you feel after. It's worth finding out.
" We need rest to keep us going." -Brandon Zornado

Don't go to bed mad!

Many things throughout the day can cause use to become mad. There is no way that we can all be happy 24/7 but it is very important to have a positive outlook on all situations and do your best to not stay mad. Life is short and it is not meant to waist, it is meant to accomplish things and enjoy. When it is the evening time and you are getting ready for bed, forget about all the problems you may have or any reasons that you may be mad. Think of something that makes you happy and carry it through your sleep. You will feel much better when you wake up in the morning and you will be ready to start the day with a positive attitude.
" Don't ever be mad before bed, if your sad it's ok, think of something happy and be glad." -Brandon Zornado

Use your day wisely!

Like I have said in many posts, "Be productive." If you have a plan then that is more than half the battle. The days don't have enough hours in them to get everything done, but why waist time when you could be accomplishing things. Today was so beautiful and it felt like a summer day. I actually think it was the best day weather wise we have had in a long time. We woke up early and Shelley went to coffee with her Mom and then to get dresses with some of her bridesmaids and I ate breakfast and played the guitar. After that I continued writing a song that I am working on and very excited about. Shelley got home and brought me lunch which was very nice of her. She is the best! We ate out on the porch and enjoyed the sunshine, then we went on a walk down by the rive which is right near the apartment. After that we went and saw some friends at their work and hung out for a bit then went to 24 Hour Fitness for a work out. She did legs and I did arms. It was a great workout. Then when we were finished we got delicious smoothies at " Booster Juice." I know it seems a lot so far but were not even close to being done. After that went went to La Rog Jewelers and I made a payment on her ring and we looked at some rings for me. Then we went grocery shopping at Winco and got a ton of good and healthy food. Today is Ash Wednesday so no meat. When we got home we put away the groceries and for dinner Shelley made Parmesan noodles and amazing Bruschetta. We now are enjoying some white wine and watching the news. She has a little hw to do and then the Snowboarding event is on tonight for the Olympics. We will be watching that, American Idol and then our favorite show Nip Tuck. Now that is a productive day. I find that the more productive you are then the more energy you have and you will also feel better about yourself.
" Make the most out of everything." - Brandon Zornado

It's Fat Tuesday!

Happy Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, which ever one you prefer. Today is a day when you can eat pretty much anything with no guilt. If you want to have a few drinks, then that is fine too. Tomorrow is when lent starts for Catholics and that means it starts for me. Tonight I am going to Chevy's for Happy Hour and then to the Blazer game. I know what I will be giving up for Lent and I will stick to it. Let this be a day of no blame on yourself for anything you eat or drink. Have a great day and enjoy the weather.
" No harm, no blame on FAT TUES-DAY." -Brandon Zornado

Work Hard, Play Hard!

Work is very important and it should be taken seriously. Whatever it is you do for work, put a lot into it and always do your best. Let other people see what kind of motivation and determination you have in the work place. Don't let someone else out work you and get what you want. When your work day is done then leave it there and enjoy yourself and have some fun. If you had a stressful day at work then don't bring the stress home with you. The time when you are not at work should be spent having fun and enjoying yourself. You worked hard all day so you deserve to have some fun time. Do something fun with the family, hang out with some friends, do a hobby, just enjoy. Working hard and playing hard is a great way to live.
" Don't let a routine take the fun out of your life." -Brandon Zornado

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone. Today is a special day that is meant to be spent with your significant other. Last night at around midnight Shelley and I did presents which was a lot of fun. Today we woke up and went out to breakfast at Millers Homestead Country Restaurant in Tualatin. It was delicious, she has a blueberry Belgian waffle and orange juice and I had a Mexican breakfast burrito. After that we came home and hung out for a bit then our friends Ryan and Michelle picked us up and we headed down I5. We went to the Willamette Valley Vineyards in Turner Oregon right near Salem. The vineyards and property are so beautiful and you can see them all from the deck which is right off the tastings rooms. We sampled many different great wines and we also got to go down in the cellar and do some barrel tasting. It is now my favorite place to go wine tasting in Oregon. After that we came home and then freshened up for a minute and headed to the east side of town where we went to Saylors Country Kitchen Steak House. It is the home of the 72oz steak and the food is amazing. Shelley got a 12 oz steak and I got a 15oz New York Cut. We each has some vegetables, a salad, bread and potatoes to go with it. The dinner was very good and we are both full. We just got back and are going to watch a movie in a bit. Today was a wonderful Valentine's Day and I got to spend it with my beautiful fiance who I love very much. I hope that everyone had a wonderful day!
" Find something special out of each day." -Brandon Zornado

Understanding your loved one!

Life is not always perfect, and there will be times when you are stressed. It is important to try and minimize the stress in your life. I am recently engaged and there is a lot involved in the wedding planning process. At times it can be stressful, if it weren't then it wouldn't be normal. I am so excited for our wedding day and I know it will be a beautiful ceremony and reception. I will be such a lucky groom that day taking my beautiful brides hand in marriage. I want to have a wonderful life with her and one day create a family together. I know marriage is not always easy, but we will work through any problems that we have and always communicate with each other. I will always be by her side and love her. It is so important to have an understanding of one another, and sometimes there will be something on your mind that is bothering you. Don't ever hide anything and always be open with your feelings. A marriage is a partnership and you have to work as a team to make it work. Our team will come to the field each day ready to give it our all.
" You have to work on the things in life that are important to you."
-Brandon Zornado

2010 Winter Olympics

The 2010 Winter Olympics will be a major international multi-sport event held on February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the resort town of Whistler, British Columbia and in the Vancouver suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University Endowment Lands.Tonight is the opening ceremony in Vancouver. Earlier today a Nodar Kumaritashvili, a 21 year old Olympic hopeful crashed while completing a qualifying round during training. Because of the luge death and fatal crash, training for the event has been suspended indefinitely. The luge death is the third during Olympic training. The other two happened during the sport’s inaugural year – 1964. Many are blaming the track for the young lugers death.The Luge death has taken the opening ceremony of the 2010 winter Olympics and turned it in to a time of mourning The opening ceremony is dedicated to Nodar Kumaritashvili. The Olympics are amazing and the people who are involved are doing it for their countries. The feeling of being an Olympian has to be one of the best feelings ever. I am very excited for all the different events that will take place and hope the best for everyone involved.

" It is an honor to be an American." -Brandon Zornado

Keep in touch!

Tonight I am going to hang out with my best friend from when we were kids. We use to do everything together and we went to school with each other all the way through 8th grade. After that we went to separate High Schools, so it became harder to get together because of our different schedules and all the new friends we were meeting. We managed to keep in touch every once in a while, and then when college came around we kinda lost contact. We would maybe see each other once every 8 months or so. He will always be one of my good friends, and I will never forget all the great times we had when we were kids. I am very excited to see him tonight and catch up on everything. It might be hard to see your friends all the time as you get older, but never loose contact with them.
" A friend is special, cherish your relationship with them." -Brandon Zornado

Give yourself credit!

You are the one that can push yourself to accomplish things. Of course you will come to road blocks, but never give up. Tell yourself that no matter how long it takes to finish something, you will do it. When you finally do finish your task, congratulate yourself and honor what you have done. Some things in life take a while to conquer and it should be a special moment for you when they happen. You don't have to go crazy and get a Penthouse for the night downtown or anything, but just acknowledge what you have done and be proud of yourself.
" Everyone deserves special moments." -Brandon Zornado

Love what you do!

A tip to be happy is, love what you do. There are many jobs out there that are high paying, but money can't buy happiness. It is important to love what you do because you will have a positive attitude about it. I have a Business Management Degree and a minor in Marketing and Sports Management. I am not the type of person to sit behind a desk and do the same thing each day. I love meeting new people and getting to know them. I am the type of person to do sales, marketing, promotions, events etc. My love is in music and I hope one day that will be my source of income but I am realistic about it and I know that I need to put in a lot of hard work and deal with rejection along the way until hopefully one day I get my big break in the music business. If you do something just to do it then there will be no satisfaction for you.
" If you do something you love, then it won't seem like work." -Brandon Zornado

Do what is right for you!

Everyone will have opinions of you, but what really matter is what you think. Other's don't know you as well as you know yourself. If there is ever something that you want to do, then go for it and don't let anyone stop you. Too many people are scared to take a chance in life and that is why a lot of people are unhappy. They are worried about what other's will think and they are not focused on their own wants. Life is not about the car you drive, how big of a house you have, the amount of money you make each year,or your profession, it is about being happy. Life is too short to not do the things you want to do. I have seen how people are stuck in situations where they are unhappy but they stay because they are afraid. If they could just get up the courage to do what they really wanted then they would be much happier. Don't let anything get in your way and don't let someone else steal your happiness.
"Don't be afraid to be yourself." -Brandon Zornado

New Orleans!

Tonight the New Orleans Saints made their first ever appearance to the Super Bowl. With what has happened to their city, this is a huge honor to just be there. They ended up defeating the Colts and won their first Super Bowl in franchise History. It is tragic what has happened in the city of New Orleans and this is a very exciting day for the people who live their. The have had to deal with a lot of stress the last couple years and this is a special moment that symbolizes their unity. Congratulations to the Saint's and also the city of New Orleans.

" Never give up hope, your willingness to succeed is up to you." -Brandon Zornado

Rewards Programs!

In today's economy it is a good idea to enroll into a " Rewards Program." You can do it with airlines, hotels, grocery stores, etc. You get points when you purchase something with the company and after a bit your points really start to rack up. You can exchange your points for airline miles, free nights at different hotels, food discounts and more. When I was traveling a lot around the United States for work, I enrolled in a number of rewards programs which have really paid off. It is free to join, so you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

" Make your own decisions, you know yourself better than anyone else."
-Brandon Zornado

My Grandpa! King of the Ice!

My Grandpa is a very special person. All my life he has been there to watch me grow up. Him and my Grandma have been to so many of my sports games and I consider them two of my biggest fans. My Grandpa had 5 kids with my Grandma, and they were all born in Canada. He played professional Hockey in the NHL for many different teams. He was an amazing player and also a very good fighter on the ice. He didn't take anything from anyone, and he stood his ground. Tonight the Portland Winter Hawks are playing against Seattle at the Rose Garden. Before the game starts, my Grandpa will be recognized with some of his former teammates when they played on the Portland Buckaroo's. That was the name of the team before they became the Winter Hawks. The whole family is going to support him and then watch the game. It should be a great night and I dedicate it to my Grandpa. I love him so much and he is a big inspiration to me. Go Hawks!

" Don't ever stop believing in yourself." -Brandon Zornado

Do the research!

You are not always going to find the answer the first time you try. You actually find more useful information if you take the time and research something. Things in life are the best when you work for them. When you want to find the answer to something don't settle for the first thing you come across, do the research and you will be amazed at what you can find.

" It's hard work, because it's worth it." -Brandon Zornado

Change!

Change is going to happen in every one's life. There is no way to get around it, because we can't predict the future. Change can either be good or it can be bad. I however always tell myself that it will be better more times than not. We shouldn't be afraid of change, because it is apart of life. It is ok to experience new things, it might take a while to get accustomed to them but after awhile it will seem natural. Have an open mind to everything and expect the unexpected. Life is such a wonderful thing and at the end of the day we should all be thankful for everything in it.

" Don't let something change you, adjust your feelings to something positive and change it. - Brandon Zornado

Paradise!

Tonight we went to dinner at Chevy's Mexican Grill with the reps for Sandals Resorts. We are going to be going to Grand Ocho Rios Jamaica for our honeymoon in October. We will be staying for probably 12 nights, possibly a couple more. Everything there is all inclusive and it looks absolutely beautiful. The resort is surrounded with luscious pools, swim up bars, fitness centers, gazebos, waterfalls, gardens, villas, tennis courts, golf course, basketball court, spas and much more. We are going to go on a variety of off shore excursions as well. The ones we have narrowed down are: River Tubing, Water Rafting, Blue Mountain Bicycle Tour, Mystic Mountain Rain Forest, Hooves Beach Horseback Ride, Zip line Canopy, Dolphin Cove (Swim with Dolphins), and Catamaran Falls Party Boat Adventure. We are so excited and it with be the perfect honeymoon paradise. Everyone should get to experience some sort of paradise in their lives. Destinations will not all be the same, but it is your own experience that makes it special and what you get out of it.

" Enjoy each precious moment, they won't last forever." -Brandon Zornado

3 Quick Steps!

Having a healthy heart is very important. As we get older our heart will start to slow down. We can keep our heart healthy by doing very simple things. The three quick steps are: 1. Drink Green Tea, 2. Get 8 Hours of Sleep, 3. Cook like an Italian. All of these steps are very straight forward and anyone can do them, so there should be no excuse.

" Help yourself be as healthy as possible." -Brandon Zornado