What? It's been 3 months since my last update?

February 15, 2013
318,625 pushups completed
681,375 pushups to go
5,920 pushups ahead of schedule

That's right.  Three months since my last update.  But you can't rush genius.  It took Picasso 47 years to paint the Sistine Chapel.  "Roam" by the B-52's wasn't built in a day.  Shakespeare took several weeks to write the Magna Carta.  And Thunder John doesn't come when called.  You'll get these blogs when I'm good and ready if you please. 

Good news - We have a new member in the Thunder John "Nothing But Nets" Team.  Lynette Ackman, a co-worker and one of the smartest actuaries I know - has generously donated to the cause.  Lynette is on her own personal pushups quest - to do 20,013 pushups in the year 2013. 

In January, Lynette entered into a "pushups duel" with a hirsute cheater weakling mystery man in Texas, known crypitcally as "midnightyell".  The quest was to see who could do them most pushups in January.  She was narrowly defeated, 1500 to 1551 as witnessed by this screen print:

Contrary to this screen print, Lynette is no "loser", and I know she'll reach her pushup goal in 2013 (and gentlemen, I think she's single).  HEY MYSTERY MAN - WANT A REAL CHALLENGE?  THUNDER JOHN IS UP TO THE TASK.  YOU NAME THE TIME, YOU NAME THE PLACE... I'VE DEFEATED JAPANESE ROBOTS IN PUSHUPS CHALLENGES (see blog entry 12/6/2010 - man, I used to be creative!) - I DON'T SWEAT YOU.

Well, that's all I got now.  Got to get my beauty rest.  I'm coming down with a cold.  See you in another 3 months.  If you don't hear from me by then... just wait longer!

Inspired by Lynette?  Want to Join Thunder John's "Nothing But Nets" Team?  Just click here:

Join Thunder John's Nothing But Nets Team

Peace out,
Thunder John

"Bringin the thunder, Packin the pain, loaded with pushups - makin' it RAIN"

Happy Thanksgiving You Turkeys!

November 25, 2012
294,525 pushups completed
705,475 pushups to go
4,547     pushups ahead of schedule

I'll tell you what I'm thankful for... these colossal meathooks hanging off of my shoulders.  That's what you get when you do almost 300,000 pushups.  Woe it be to the poor sucker that squares off against me in the traditional pulling of the wish bone.  I may end up with my half of the wish bone, the other half of the wish bone, and the forearm of my opponent.  Whoops.

Do you think this is what John Carver had in mind when he became the first leader of the Mayflower Pilgrims?  Helping to settle a land in which one day, a 39 year old idiot would write boastful posts about how many pushup exercises he had completed on something called the internet?  I'll tell you what - that was exactly the plan.  Want to argue about it?  Molly, get the wishbone.

Since my last post, we have had another generous donor step up and Join Thunder John's "Nothing But Nets" team.  Our mission is to supply simple mosquito nets to families in Africa to help end the deaths of thousands of African children every year of malaria. 

Thank you to the Brad and Christina Church family whose generous donation will make a difference in the lives of 15 African families by purchasing 15 nets.  Brad and Christina are our former neighbors in Glen Ellyn who moved to Arizona in April.   We miss you guys and are glad that all is going well. 

If you would like to join the Thunder John team, then click the link below:

Join Thunder John's "Nothing But Nets" Team!

Now please excuse me, I have a date with some leftover pie that needs to be finished to-night!

Peace out,
Thunder John

"Bringin the thunder, Packin' the pain, lodaed with pushups - makin' it rain"

Fame But Not Fortune

October 12, 2012
282,050 pushups completed
717,950 pushups to go
3,846 pushups ahead of schedule


Greetings Pushups Fans!  Time to circle the wagons again and take stock in my pushups quest.  The  pushups continue even though the blog posts have become sparse.  Since my last entry I have made my annual appearance for "walk to school day" at Lowell Elementary School in Wheaton, IL. 

Click on the link below to see a video of the appearance - be sure to make it to the 3 minute mark to see "The Interlude Dance". 

And yes, that's me, Thunder John underneath the lucha libre mexican wrestling mask.  Some say I've never looked better... and then they get pummeled.  Enjoy.

Click Here! Thunder John Makes an Appearance at Lowell Elementary

 

As you can see we have a lot of fun.  Hats off to Maryanne Minser, Phys. Ed. teacher at Lowell. She is a wonderful teacher and really gives her all for these kids.  Mrs. Minser is also Thunder John's most active promoter... when I go pro, she'll be my agent. 

 

Do YOU want to help kids?  Well here's an easy way to do so:  donate to Thunder John's Nothing But Nets Team!  You'll get a certificate suitable for framing delivered straight to your Inbox. 

 

Join Thunder John's Nothing But Nets Team!

 

Well, gotta go.  Point Break is on cable, and the little hand says it's time to rock and roll. 

 

Peace out,

Thunder John

 

"Bringin the thunder, packin the pain, loaded with pushups - makin it rain!"

I'm Back and I'm Not British!

September 1, 2012
270,900 pushups completed
829,100 pushups to go
3,923 pushups ahead of schedule


Welcome back!  It has been a while since I updated my blog.  It's actually an embarassing story... I've been updating a website called ThunderJonathan.com the last few months, by accident.  Don't.... try and find it, it's not there anymore.  I fell down a well and took on a British accent and affectation for a few months, a la "Chaz" in Charles in Charge, "Vic Ferrari" on Taxi, etc.  Instead of push ups I started referring to them as "jolly good knock downers" and craving Earl Grey tea around 3 o'clock.  Stopped brushing my teeth entirely.  Rode a bicycle with a HUGE front wheel.  It really happened, I swear.  It's science.  Luckily, I got kicked by a mule and regained my real personality. 

OK.  I can tell you are not buying the "hit my head and thought I was British" routine.  I can't really come up with a good excuse as to why it's been so long since I updated the blog.  So I came up with six terrible ones:

6.  Couldn't find my computer. 

5.  I was Ryan Lochte's training partner for the summer.  But I missed the Olympics... how'd that turn out?

4.  Didn't think anybody cared (but the McLaughlin Family, Snipes Family, Cronan Family and Conant family have proved me wrong on that front by donating to Nothing But Nets.  You can too:  see below). 

3.  Drunk.  Just drunk as a skunk the entire summer

2.  Celebrity deaths happen in threes, and the deaths of both Ron Palillo (Arnold Horshack) and Robert Hegyes (Juan Epstein) from "Welcome Back Kotter" made me reallly scared to check my computer for fear that Lawrence Hilton Jacobs (Freddie BoomBoom Washington) was next.   (No fear for John Travolta:  he is and always has been a robot).

1.  Thought the internet was closed during the summer.    

So the pushups are going well.  I am still almost 4,000 ahead of schedule even though I had a severe groin injury this summer and had to stop all physical activity for two weeks. 

Click:  Gr-Gr-Gr Groin Injury

So I fell behind on my pace a little but now I'm back.  Also in past blog entries I've talked about doing triathlons over the summer.  I did only one triathlon this summer:  and I did it alone.  What a bummer.  My two PIC's in the triathlon world, AndyV and Swadley, decided that they don't want to do triathlons any more.  They really aren't that fun to do alone.  (between you and me, they've gotten FAAAAT!  Please give them a hard time next time you see them.  They need these triathlons as much as I do).  So I've just been doing the pushups and running.  Would love to get back into triathlons though so if anyone wants to do a triathlon with Thunder John, just let me know. 

You know who else doesn't do triathlons?  The millions of kids in Africa in danger of contracting malaria.  We can help them by donating to my charity, Nothing but Nets.  So far we have raised almost $500;  I'm hoping you can find it in your heart to donate as little as $10 to buy one net.  Take that $10 you were planning on going to see "The Expendables 2:  Even More Expendable" with and donate it to Nothing But Nets instead.  You can always catch E2 on Netflix:

Click to Join Thunder John's Nothing But Nets Team



Peace,
Thunder John

"Bringin the thunder, Packin the pain, Loaded with pushups - makin' it RAIN!"
 

Thunder John Passes the 250k milestone

June 15, 2012
250,350 pushups completed
749,650 pushups to go
4,731 pushups ahead of schedule

I've passed the 250,000 pushup mark ahead of schedule! 

The Thunder John Circle of Honor also has a new member, the Patrick and Kara Cronan family has generously donated to Nothing but Nets.  Thunder John salutes you! 

I promise some more quality blog entires soon... between work and kid #4, I have not had as much time lately to update my blog.  Lame excuse?  Absolutely!  But, here we are.

Peace,
Thunder John

Join Thunder John's Nothing But Nets Team! Click HERE

"Bringin the thudner, packin the pain, loaded with pushups - makin' it RAIN"

Two more contributors! THANK YOU

April 26, 2012
238,075 pushups completed
761,925 pushups to go
6,147 pushups ahead of schedule

Thank you to the newest members of the Thunder John Nothing But Nets Team!  Richard Snipes and Brian Conant.  Thunder John Salutes YOU!

Richard Snipes:  a young man I met in a spelling bee.  He looked the terror of being on stage in the pods at Hadley Junior High in 1987 square in the eye and did not blink.  I alwyas knew I liked the cut of this kid's jib!

Brian Conant:  Man amongst men, Brian is.  He geeks out on dark beers and rock bands you've probably never heard of. 

To join the Thunder John team, click here

Join Thunder John's Nothing But Nets Team! Click HERE

Peace
Thunder John

"Bringin the thunder, Packin the pain, Loaded with pushups - MAKIN IT RAIN!"

No more creativity until I get a Charitable Contribution!

April 20,2012
236,000 pushups completed
764,000 pushups to go
5,989 pushups ahead of schedule.

Just a quick note to say that I'm still on track, but have found little inspiration from my followers lately.
The main reason I'm blogging is for Nothing But Nets, but still only one generous follower has donated.  Not even a $1 donation, which would make me ecstatic.  But alas, I am forlorn.

Nothing creative until I issue some more memberships in the Thunder John rewards program, at least at the pipsqueak or Adlai Stevenson level of achievement. 

The best I can offer are random non sequitirs.  For example: 
"Don't tell me that Michelle Obama doesn't have freaky eyebrows, because I won't believe it":

Click Here to Join Thunder John's Team

Peace,
Thunder John

"Bringing the pushups, packing the pain, loaded with pushups - makin' it RAIN!"