January 2005 Archives

How in the blue hell did I lose this weekend? Granted, it was the kind of chill weekend that MaModz prescribed for me when I spoke with her the other day, but I didn't think I'd actually LISTEN to my old friend. Oh well. It was a good weekend, if all too brief. Here are the bullet points.

And now for the weekly(though late) football recap/rants/thoughts ˆñ

Going into the Super Bowl thereˆ‚s only one way Charlie can lose this thing, and it involves Donovan F. McNabb coming home with a ring in his soup.

What am I talking about? Your week three standings:

I have three or four friends who drank themselves in to an absolute stupor because of last weekend's football games. It didnˆ‚t matter if their teams were favored or not, it didnˆ‚t matter if their teams won or lost- the sheer anxiety of their team making it this far in the season led them to do some pretty serious drinking. While there are a lot of negative things that could be said about this kind of behavior, letˆ‚s take a minute to think about the fandom that led to these behaviors.

Well, Iˆ‚ve made a decision.

My energyˆ‚s been really off as of late. Itˆ‚s been cloudy and dark and itˆ‚s been getting to Nena for quite some time, really. Iˆ‚m normally a much brighter personality ˆñ but recent life events had clouded my vision and my energy. Itˆ‚s been bizarre ˆñ but I think Iˆ‚ve figured some things out and Iˆ‚m ready to move forward.

Word. Man Iˆ‚m in a haze. Seriously, Iˆ‚m blogging because I should, not because I have something to say. OK, thatˆ‚s a lie, I totally have something to say- Iˆ‚m just not really feeling it. But I figure that I shouldnˆ‚t let that stop me from unburdening my soul.

Welcome to the newest member of the blogsphere ... Nena!

Yeah, I can hardly believe it myself, but she's done gone gotten herself an LJ account. So, if you see someone named Unnin runnin' around on LJ, will you send her home? Dinner's getting cold.

Thanks.

Stolen from Xay, it's the senior year of HS meme.

[What year was it?]
1996-1997

[What were your three favorite bands?]
Spin Doctors, Beastie Boys, New Order

[What was your favorite outfit?]
Jeans, Chucks, black tee

[What was up with your hair?]
curly and all over the place, but shaved underneath

[Who were your best friends?]
Gunder, Fesser, Paul B, Mente

[What did you do after school?]
Chilled with the quad or the gf ... ok, mostly the gf
Plus, it was boarding school- it was always afterschool

[Did you take the bus?]
See above ...

[Who did you have a crush on?]
Jill, the gf's best friend. I'm a bad, bad monkey.

[Did you fight with your parents?]
Nope, not really. We've always really gotten along really well.

[Who did you have a CELEBRITY crush on?]
Julia Roberts ... and the Aeon Flux chica.

[Did you smoke cigarettes?]
Nope, cigars.

[Did you lug all of your books around in your backpack all day because you were too nervous to find your locker?]
Again, the beauty of boarding school. No need, really.

[Did you have a 'clique'?]
A WING FOREVER BABY!

[Did you have "The Max" like Zach Kelly and Slater?]
Not exactly. More like a space without the food

[Admit it, were you popular?]
Yup, I was.

[Who did you want to be just like?]
Hrmmm, no one really. I wanted to be the best me ever.

[What did you want to be when you grew up?]
Dr. Nenie, with a Ph.D in some humanity.

[Where did you think you'd be at the age you are now?]
Grad school, engaged to the then-gf

What a difference a few days makes.

The bullet points

Zee's Baby
Welcome to the world Carlos. After a normal delivery and everyone chilling out because he looked happy and healthy (though a few days late) he took a turn to bizarro-world and now he's in ICU. He has a CT Scan coming up and we're all really nervous about that. So, not to take prayers and well wishes from Alphasarah's daughter ... yeah, Carlos looks like he's got a rough few days/weeks ahead of him.

Let's hope it's just that.

Teaching
WHOO! First day back.

Seriously? I'm really digging this teaching thing. My first day as a student was yesterday and that was what it was. I dunno, I think I'm getting tired of being a student and ready to do more teaching. Teaching a class feels so much better than taking one does right now. It's amazing, I'm excited to teach. Winning over a crowd of skeptical students? There are few things cooler than that. Maybe getting this for my birthday. Or...

Being told by 10+ students in the class that they were there because I'd come highly recommended. Not the class, but ME as an instructor came highly recommended to them. Yeah, sometimes it was advisors but there were a few recommends from roommates/best friends/greek brothers/sisters yeah. There's just something cool about folks recommending your class. Especially at a school of more than 20,000 students. Yknow?

FU KU
Right, but what would the good be without the bad.

Apparently the latest way KU has decided to screw me (there have been other recent attempts at screwage, but this is the only one I want to talk about.) is in not giving me my supplemental money this term.

See, every semester I get a check at the beginning with which I buy books and something that reminds me that it's OK to be here dealing with the other crap they throw at me. Only now, there's no payoff to being here. FUCK.

Weekend
Oh well, I'll spend the weekend prepping for class and maybe I'll read for my SOC class. Nena, Cheryl, Nibblet and I were going to head down to the Plaza tomorrow and do some window shopping. I was hoping to do some minor shopping at the Apple Store, but alas. That's just not going to happen. Fuckers. GRRRRR.

And then, football on Sunday. Yeah, I'm looking forward to the football. Should be brilliant, yo.

Enjoy your weekends, folks.

Thursday and as such, it's time for the weekly football insanity.

Which brings me to a quick question. Would there be interest in this kinda smack during the regular season? Hell, we could even throw in some college football too. Thoughts?

But back to the matter at hand. The CheadleOffs. Seriously? They need to can those fake commercials and go back to the classics. Do we need to start a letter writing campaign to get this to happen? Man, those new commercials are painful. Even SamJack promo before the Chargers/Jets game sucked. SAMJACK SUCKED! This is how bad the situation has gotten.

OK, a quick standings recap.

1. Almejor: 6-2
2. Charlie: 6-2
3. Kevin: 6-2
4. Cody: 5-3
5. Nenie: 4-4
6. Tom: 4-0
7. Chas 1-2 +1

It's pretty much anyone in the top half's tourney to win, so good luck to you all. As for Tom, Chas and I. Yknow, smack is fun.

Seriously though? If I see Peyton Manning on the street, I'm totally telling him to cut that meat. *shakes head* Oh well, time to go down in flames

AFC Championship Game
Patriots @ Steelers
Steelers

Nice how there's a breakdown in this year's games. People v. People in the AFC and Animals v. Animals in the NFC. There's also a nice racial breakdown of the QBs by conference but that's a topic for another day.

I know, I know. I have a history of picking against the Pats and it has a history of costing me. To be perfectly honest, if I had a shot of winning this tourney of ours I'd probably pick against my heart and go with the Pats. But I can't so I won't.

The Steelers won on Halloween in the CondimentDome and I expect them to maintain. Yeah, the future Mr. Mejor is going to have a crappy game and the hottest Bostononian this side of Johnny Damon is going to look like, well, Johnny Damon but it's not going to matter. The Steel City wants this, needs this win. They've seen what's happened to their neighbors to the east and they don't want that to be them.

Plus, Cowher and The Bus don't know when they'll be back again. They want to make this one count.

NFC Championship Game
ATLiens @ Illadelph
Iggles

Yeah, I keep picking the Iggles in this gam. Yeah, I keep getting burned. You know what? I don't care. Unlike Manning, DFM is tired of losing. Yeah, he's got the Chunky Soup Funk, but he'll snap out of this one. The People's Champ has arrived- had he done it a year or four earlier and I think we'd all be thinking differently about this game. But that's not important. What is important is that the Iggles have needed someone to step up and give DFM someone to throw to. He has that now.

As for Vick. Yes, the man is fucking special. Yes, he's going to gain over 100 yards. But he can't get to the Super Bowl by himself, he needs some support to do so. ATL's O did well last week against a Rams D that couldn't stop an O stocked with me, Steve and Cody in the backfield with Chas and Tom on the wings. Things ... will be different this weekend. Trotter will see to that.

OK, thems the picks. Smack?

Well, that was quick. Nicolas called me last night to tell me that the season has been cancelled. Apparently, not enough kids signed up to play indoor soccer this year and as a result, I won't be coaching indoor soccer this year. Yeah, I'm pretty bummed about it. I was looking for something to keep me entertained this semester. Looks like teaching will have to be the thing I leave the house for now.

In other news, my birthday is a little more than a month a way and as is the tradition folks are asking me what to get me. I really don't know. I mean I have a few ideas of things people could get me. But by and large I'm really, really shitty at telling people what to get me. So, are there any suggestions from out there in the blogsphere?

Also good would be suggestions on how to get the hell out of this funk that seems to have descended upon me. It's really not a good thing, yo. I mean, I digs me some funk. But this funk a'int the P-Funk. Shit, it a'int even the freakin' Doobie Brothers.

Heh, the Doobie Brothers. Anyone other than Aaron McGruder and Steve remember the episode of What's Happening??? where Raj, Dwayne and ReRun bootlegged a Doobie Brothers show? Oh, OK. Nevermind.

Yup, it's official. Richard Hatch is the DUMBEST MAN EVER.

Let's say you go on one of the, if not the most popular game show on TV. Let's say you win an amazing amount of money on this show ... let's just say $1million.

OK?

Then let's say you NOT REPORT THAT INCOME ON YOUR TAXES!

Dear lord is this guy dumb. Like, amazingly dumb,

The semester officially starts on Thursday, though I only have one class on Thursdays. On Friday, I teach. I'm really hoping people bother to actually show up to class on Friday. I mean, I only had one semester where folks just didn't show up on that first day, but it was a pretty scarring thing, yo. ~75 students and only like 15 showed up, scattered over three sections. I'm really hoping that I never have to experience that again.

Between now and then I'm trying to get a bunch of loose ends tied up. Lots to do, no motivation to do it. Yeah, it's not a good situation people. If it weren't for Fillmore! and DS9 I'd have little reason to get out of bed before 4p.

Though, it could be worse, yknow? I could have one of the worst jobs in history. Damn, some of that stuff sucks. Life could totally be worse, yo.

What else, what else.

Right, this weekend. It was a good time. Nena and I did some work around the house, I helped Cheryl take care of her car, watched a lot of football, hung out with Ulli, OH and I forced Das Nibblet to get her learner's permit and then I took her out for a driving lesson.

Yes, I'm teaching someone how to drive. Hopefully, there'll be some snowfall soon so I can teach her how to pull donuts. If only we could fly Jensen in from DC to provide the appropriate soundtrack in the back seat. Heh. Man, that was classic, Leesh and I introducing Ms. Tucson to donuts.

Seriously, though, it's going well. I think Nibblet sees me as her least annoying option for a teacher I've got that going for me. C'mon, yo, who wants to learn to drive from their parent(s) if they don't have to? Exactly. I mean, my dad was a great teacher but I could see where someone else might not have been as cool with that. I also win in this deal because I get to borrow someone else's kid for the purposes of satiating my own child-rearing desires. Seriously, why would Nena and I want a kid of our own when we can borrow someone else's?

On that note, I have my coaches' meeting for indoor soccer tonight. Yup, I'm coaching again. Should be a really good time. I mean, teaching 11 year old boys to play soccer. What's not to love?

What? Questioning my sanity? Didn't you just read that I volunteered to teach a 17 year old to drive?

I think we're going to call the team Deportivo Lawrence for shits and giggles. This league just goes by numbers but as anyone who's seen The Mighty Ducks sometimes D-5 just doesn't cut it. Yknow?

Why Deportivo? Blame my dad. His soccer team is Deportivo Cali and I guess I still have a soft spot for a team that can be seen as the Cubs of Colombia. Although, upon closer inspection, they've been a lot more successful than the Cubs. They've won 7 titles in their history which is a lot more than my Cubbies, but looking at when those wins have come is telling. 65, 67, 69, 70, 74, 96, and 98.

I'll never forget when they won in 96. They'd been THE team in Colombia when my dad was my age and they were HIS team from HIS hometown. Then, as soon as he hits college- they stall, not winning another title until his own son is getting ready to go to college. But enough about Colombian soccer history I should do something else with my day.

Oh and before I forget ... Zee. Seriously, have the freakin' kid already. Your friend, my wife is driving me slowly mad waiting for Junior McJunior. Only, the madness is not so slow in coming. It's pretty rapid and decisive. Like, I know you'd have the kid if you could so this isn't really helping thing. But, well. Have the freakin' kid already.

And now for your week 2 standings.

1. Almejor: 6-2
2. Charlie: 6-2
3. Kevin: 6-2
4. Cody: 5-3
5. Nenie: 4-4
6. Tom: 4-0
7. Chas 1-2 +1

I mean, damn. Indy sucked, like sucked a LOT. Sucked more than I can blame Jensen for, so I guess she's off the hook. This is what I get for trying to force an upset into a weekend when one just didn't fit.

So let this be a lesson to you all. In week one I took a bath following my "Every team from Missouri is overrated" axiom. While it did prove helpful in week two, it was probably aided by the "never bet against a healthy Mike Vick playing in a dome" theorem. In week two, I took a bath by maintaining that there must be an upset in each of the first two weekends of playoff football. Hrmmm, had I followed that in week one I might still be in this whole thing. Oh well. Just more proof that there are no absolutes in the playoffs.

Now, if only I could get Don Cheadle to say that on tape.

Right, so this weekend's games. I missed the J-E-T-S JETS! loss to the Steelers. Though, by what I hear it sounds like in the end Al's boys got tired of trying to lose the game. "Shit, if we keep handing the game to these assclowns and they keep choking, I guess vacation's going to have to wait a week or two."

Atlanta and St. Louis answered that age old question "What would football look like if there were no such thing as defense?" I tell you what. Play that game outdoors on a sunny day and ATL's D holds the Rams scoreless. Holy shit did the Rams look bad. Not just overrated- downright shitty. I'm looking forward to their trip next week to Illadelph.

Wow, did Philly look good yesterday. I like these boys and I think Steve may be right- this is their year to at least not look like idiots in the NFC title game. They're the first team to host it three years in a row and it's their fourth year in the game. I think DFM and the People's Champ are going to surprise a lot of people. Man, Minny, what the hell were you even doing out there?

But the crown for WTF belongs to the Colts. Cuz seriously, WTF? How could you be THAT bad? I was embarrassed to have thought you could have won that game. I mean, damn. Just terrible. Nena and Ulli curse you as well. We wasted so much of our lives watching that game. It was almost as bad as ... no, nothing's that bad. Not even this game.

Anyway, expect next week's picks 'round about Thursday. Yeah, Al thinks they're a total crapshoot and I'm tempted to agree with her.

Well, I don't know what will happen now; we've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life - longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. And so I'm happy tonight; I'm not worried about anything; I'm not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 4.3.68
His last public appearance.

The battle(s) we fight today are not new. They were not new in Dr. King's time, nor will they be new to our grandchildren. But these battles, if we do believe them to be righteous in origin, must be fought and won so that some day this holiday will be forgotten, its need erased.

Holy mother of crap. I'm still stunned from last week's games. I mean, last year's 8-0 start was unusual and will probably never be replicated. But 1-3 after one week? That's just sad.

Never the less, it is time to plow on. And so plow on we will

Here are your week one standings:

1. Charlie: 3-1
2. Almejor: 2-2
3. Kevin: 2-2
4. Cody: 1-3
5. Nenie: 1-3

Ouch, that hurts. Bad. It's interesting to note two things. 1) Al's love of team cost her the lead this week. 2) Charlie posted wicked late. But I trust him. I mean, he's the reigning NCAA Tourney stud on this site. You have to trust him.

So here are my picks for this week- make your picks, even if you didn't last week. And talk lots of smack. I know Chas's been waiting for this all week.

Divisional Playoffs

Rams @ Falcons
Falcons
Even though it left me high and dry last weekend, I'm sticking to my guns on my axiom- "Every team from Missouri is overrated." Plus, in a battle between Michael Vick and Mark Bulger ... I've got to believe that the Dirty Birds are back, for this week.

Vikings @ Illadelph
Illadelph, yo. Illadelph
Seriously? I think everyone knows that Illadel is one Iggles loss away from a riot. T.O. or not, McNabb's gotten them past this game before and he'll do it again.

Plus, I'm expecting Joe Buck to run out and beat Randy Moss with a flaming 4x4 covered in barbed wire.

Also, I'm a Bears fan. I don't like the Vikings. I won't even drink out of Nena's Vikings coffee mug if it's the last clean mug in the house. It's true, I'll do the dishes first.

Jets @ Steelers
Steelers
Seriously, this one is hard to pick. But I think that Big Ben's gonna come up bigger than Caustic Chad. I like Pennington, I have a soft spot for Marshall alums. But he's hurt, he's got a bigger mouth than "And we're gonna win" Hasselbeck. Yeah. Steelers.

Indy @ Patriots
Indy
Shit this one's hard. I've gone back and forth on this one and I reserve the right to go back on it between now and kickoff.

Yeah, the Pats are at home. Yeah, last year I snapped my win streak by picking Indy when I should have picked the Pat. Yeah, they've been screwing with the field at the RazorBlade to screw with Manning. But, he's not a mobile QB, and the threat is the air attack. Guess what? No wind expected in Boston this weekend.

Plus, if this pick goes awry, I can blame Jensen. And who doesn't love that option?

Holy shit, what was that?

Yes, Charlie's right the Rams didn't win that game, they just didn't lose it as much as the Seahawks did. I'd still be in shock about that one if it weren't for the way that the Chargers game went down. What the shit was that? I have to give it up for the J E T S, Jets. Way to not blow a playoff game.

Ulli came over yesterday to watch both games. Had she not been there I don't think Nena would have been able to scrape me off the ceiling. I mean, most of the time I'm a shitty prognosticator. But going 0-2 on the first day of the playoffs was almost too much to bear. It probably would have been if it weren't for the Minnesota Vikings.

To be clear, I am neither a fan of the Vikings or the Packers and like Charlie I couldn't stand the Packers more than I couldn't stand the Vikings until I moved to Minnesota. I love living in Minnesota but I didn't love Vikings fans. Holy mother of SHIT are they annoying, kinda like Chiefs fans, only with a legit team to root for.

Also, as I've mentioned before, Brett Favre has owned my Bears for so fucking long, I think I've got a serious case of Stockholm Syndrome going with him. Seriously, watching him fall apart today I kept waiting for him to figure his shit out and turn it around. Then, he didn't. It was amazing. Favre is human and the Packers were destroyed. I can't wait for next week when Illadel eats the Vikings for lunch.

In other sports news, the Jayhawks finally played a road game and showed that- yeah, they're pretty overrated. They beat Kentucky, but this team has yet to show me anything.

After all this sports stuff (and helping out the idiot football coach at Nena's school) the only way to cleanse my palate was by watching Garden State. Yes, we hadn't seen it yet. Yes, it's amazing. No, I'm not sad we waited this long to see it. This fall would totally not have been the right emotional space to watch this flick. But wow, what a movie, yo.

Shit, yo. It's playoffs time again? Well, much like last year I'm going to offer my predictions and see what y'all have to say.

Feel free to throw your picks in as a comment.

Without further adieu, here are my picks

Wild Card Weekend

Rams @ Seahawks
Seahawks
Yes, the Seahawks aren't the best team on the west coast (those would be the men of Troy) but this game calls upon one of my primary rules of football. "Every team from Missouri is overrated."

Vikings @ Packers
Packers
Yes, I'm a Bears fan. Yes, my wife is a Vikings fan. But Cody said it best when he reasoned that any team that the BCS wouldn't put in a major bowl is going to get dismantled in the playoffs.

Jets @ Chargers
Chargers
In a move sure to piss off CJ ... not Craig, my buddy from KJ/Das ’ļberb¬½y. Cuz, well, I have a soft spot for LaDanian and Drew and the Bolts. It's true, it's true.

Broncos @ Colts
Colts
I mean, bet against Peyton Manning, on Wild Card Weekend? Are you mad? Especially when Jake Plummer's on the other offense? Seriously. Though it is cute to note that this game is horses against horses.

Yeah, I picked a bunch of homers, but, I mean. C'mon. Yeah.

The rest of you?

Where was I?

Right, neck deep in winter-break depression. My days consist of endless Star Trek re-runs broken up with some Fillmore! with a touch of Mucha Lucha in there for variety. Man, do those two cartoons kick ass.

Fillmore is this great cartoon homage to oldskool cop dramas. Complete with cheesy trumpet theme music. Man, I really should have had the TiVo stockpile some episodes while we were going for Christmas. Alas...I'll just have to live with my one episode per day. Why, oh why can't it be on as often as ST: TNG/DS9 and Mucha Lucha? Seriously, yo?

Nena can't really believe that I'm getting that into DS9 since neither of us really cared much for it during its original run. I can't speak for her but I tried to watch the first season, but it just didn't do anything for me. However, watching all these episodes from season 4 on the TiVo, I'm starting to reconsider my original analysis. This whole Dominion War thing is kinda growing on me. I think I'll read up on it this weekend. . .maybe.

Right ... enough dorkiness. We had an ice storm here earlier this week. It was pretty intense, yo. Every elementary and secondary school in the region shut down on Wednesday and most of them (including Lawrence) were closed on Thursday. Nena's school, however, didn't close.

She worked from home on Wednesday, venturing that the 30 minute drive to work was probably more dangerous than it was worth. A few days later, with all the evidence in- yeah, it was totally too dangerous. Dag, yo. When Northeast Kansas decides to freeze over, it really decides to freeze over. Seriously, though- if I have to watch any more team coverage of this storm I'm going to have to hurt someone.

What else? Oh, yeah...football playoffs start tomorrow. Hrmmm, I'm gonna have to get my picks together right quick. Check back in a few for that. :)

First off. Happy New Year. What better way to start than with my 300th post. WHOO!

Holy shit, everyone should have their eyes dilated. Man, that was the most trippy shit ever. I guess I should explain.

Near the end of last semester my eyes were starting to bug me. I figured it was the end of semester fatigue setting in, but I figured that I should go to the optometrist and make sure that's all it was. Since I have eye insurance again for the first time in forever I figured I should avail myself of it, yknow?

Well, I went to the optometrist today and one hour and $10 later he told me what I already knew- it was just fatigue. Yup, my vision is still literally 20/20. I just need to break up my marathon reading sessions more, use better lighting and be sure to use lubrication when needed. That's my PSA for the week- be sure to lubricate folks.

Oh, and did I mention that I had my eyes dilated? Because I did and DAMN, was that shit great. I walked out of the exam room into a world that was something out of a movie. The fluorescent lights fluoresced brilliantly, and all the colors were washed out with a depth ... words just can't describe it, just amazing colors, yo. Thank God it was overcast today. Had there been any sun I might have ruined my trip with searing pain.

This trip was so good that when I got home- I even had the munchies. This was the best shit ever. Seriously, all I could do when I got home was eat chips and watch wrestling and Star Trek: TNG and some older stuff I'd been saving on the TiVo for just such an occasion. Such a great day, yo. I should really stop describing it now.

Though, I think I ate too much Green Chile Dip. But holy shit, what a great idea. New Mexican green chiles combined with DAIRY. Best combo since some idiot combined PB and chocolate. Just amazing. But, it's chiles and dairy, so one must be much more careful than I am when consuming it. Yeah, I'll leave it at that.

Other than that Nena and I are getting Casa Norteˆía back together after New Year's Invasion. I'm totally in love with my Coleman air pump. This thing is awesome. It inflates air mattresses amazingly fast ... but it also DEflates them even faster. One of my favorite things to do in cleaning up after NYI has been deflating the air mattresses. Just sitting there and watching them shrivel up is way more fun than it has any right being. Yeah, just great.

As for the Invasion itself. I'll post about that later on tonight or early tomorrow. It deserves its own post.

One last thing. There's never a better time to change, than right now. There's never a better time to live than right now. Do you work, do it well and be kind- at the end of the day each other is the only thing we've got.