Monday through Wednesday started out at my former UC Davis Wrestling Teammates training center in Sacramento, California. Urijah Faber for those of you, who do not follow the sport of Mixed Martial Arts, is one of the more popular and well-respected fighters in the industry.  He is known for his unparalleled work ethic, tenacity, and heart among today’s vicious athletes.  He invited me to come down to train at his gym Ultimate Fitness not too far from my house.  After 3 months in the Big Brother House I was not prepared for the grueling 3 practices per day.  If anybody would whip me back into fighting form, it would definitely be this spark plug, “The California Kid” himself.

On Friday, after all that training Urijah, Virgil, Tommy and myself all took flights down to Los Angeles to catch the UFC fights and blow off some steam.   Wrestling teaches mental and physical toughness and creates friendships that last forever.  All of us were former teammates at UC Davis, and we remain a close-knit group.   For me, it was also a chance to check in with the big man himself, my pops.

At the fights Urijah and I had front row ring seats, so that made the show more enjoyable.  However, I was disappointed with the judges scoring the Machida vs. Shogun fight.  I think Shogun was unjustly robbed.  After the fights, we made our way to Wonderland in Los Angeles where our table was filled with a who’s who of Hollywood and MMA.  From Chuck Liddell, JJ, Rob Dyrdek, Lydia, Urijah, many others we had best table in the house without a question.  At our table and leading the charge was Chip Jordan who took care of Urijah and myself the whole weekend.  His hospitality and generosity were unparalleled and is the reason he is such a popular favorite in the industry to be around.  I do not know if Chip has a single bad trait, other than his propensity to show his friends the best time possible, every single minute they are around him.

The next morning as Chip called it was “SSS” short for “Shit Show Sunday”.  He rallied the troops and we made our way to the Saddleranch and spent most of the day making fun of “Big Time Brian” as well as reliving the madness from the night before.  Urijah and myself took a quick exit during the ruckus to go say hello to our former Davis Wrestling Coach Mark Munoz who was holding a fundraiser.

Monday was recovery mode for me.  I made my way home barely hanging on for life after the crazy partying I endured from the past 3 nights.  It is always weird when I go home.  I am no longer the big man on campus; instead I am still Russell Jr. the little troublemaker.   Some things never change.  They yell at me to do my dishes and my dad makes me do pointless chores that I still don’t understand around the house.  But, I just keep my mouth shut and do what he says because out of respect I dare not say a word.  My mom is always exciting and comforting to see.  She is a very shy lady and unlike my father who is also well spoken, loud, and intimidating she is the silent force to be reckoned with.  Her kindness and calm demeanor can sedate even the most aggressive and alpha personalities.  It truly is a gift.  I have never come home to an empty fridge.  Every single one of my favorite meals is cooked and ready to eat.  If there ever were a cooking show where husband and wife compete, my parents would own the competition.

I will be sure to keep you all posted on what goes on for Halloween and I am writing up my Steak and Guacamole recipes for those of you who are interested.  I am also planning some live chats so I will be sure to keep you all posted on the time and dates.  Take care and be safe this weekend!

Until Next time….

- Russell

Thursday night my close friend and training partner Eric Lawson and I decided to go out for a quick night out on the town after a long practice.  Somehow it never ends up being mellow with the 2 of us.

Friday was when the real fun started….began the day with a great training session at Gilbert Melendez’s gym El Nino Training Center in San Francisco, CA.  After a great mid day training session we parted ways but the crew got back together for crazy night of great food and drinks.  We all met at Izzy’s Steakhouse in San Francisco for amazing food and the best service in the city.  This is where it began to go downhill.  Mark Epstein, Manager, and close friend of mine brought us some whiskey straight from Laos.  In the bottle were a cobra and a scorpion!!  Legend has it that the guys from the show Myth Busters had one drink and were puking.  Not to mention no person has successfully survived a night with this in his or her belly!  Not to be left out of the fun, the always-fearless Eric Lawson tested his manhood not to be outdone.  With peer pressure mounting….Gilbert and I both conceded.

With an extraordinary dinner and impeccable service we took our happy selves (partly from all the wine and alcohol) to the Infusion club. The night was a success….I woke up at an old friends couch and Eric was cuddled in the fettle position on the floor at the training center’s gym.  Needless to say he woke up in his clothes with Gilbert shadow boxing and beginning his morning workout, hands wrapped and ready to go. Eric would not take part (he too did not survive the scorpion/cobra whiskey).

Saturday would be more of the same.  Eric and I would regroup and head down to Sacramento to catch up with all the old boys.  It was homecoming weekend for UC Davis so the madness would continue.  We had a big reunion at The Park in Sacramento and began to relive all the old memories of Davis and sprinkled in with some new horror stories for more comedic relief.  Just as aggressive as the night before Eric and I had similar results.  As you can see from below that kitty was the only thing Eric was cuddling with!  And like most girls, I don’t think it even liked him.

Great stories and plenty of laughs on the drive home.  More to come, but now back to the real life and the grind of working hard.  Trying to put ourselves back together for the week!

Tune in for more later! – Russell

This is my blog for all of you who enjoyed my flair for the theatrics on this summer’s Big Brother 11 on CBS.  First off, I would like to say thank you to everybody for the overwhelming support and love.  I hope in some way, I had you on the edge of your seat and laughing, while I went around the house playing the “villain”.  I must say it was a wild and crazy summer and I am looking forward to what is in store in the near future.

This blog is going have some pretty unique info: Diet tips, workout tips, my cooking recipes, up to date current events in “Life of ShotgunRussell” and much more.

If you have any other suggestions on what you want, feel free to let me know.

Thanks to all and remember…”If you are not smiling, you are not living”-Russell Kairouz