Yikes... what a week.
It's now officially Christmas Eve and we're leaving for West Virginia tomorrow. I have been up addressing cards. Whee.
The best thing is, I've had a few days off from work.
Is there a show out there that is more of a train wreck than "Made" on MTV? I should note that I am almost 30. I grew up with MTV, and have wtched the music channel turn into another network with regular programming. Like any other network, not all programming is great. Sure MTV has the Real World - which isn't as good as it used to be. And that seemed to spawn not only the reality shows on other networks, but all reality shows on that network... including "Made." The premise is this: Some high school kid wants to become something completely opposite of what they are. Geeks want to be cool, fat kids want to be skinny, cheerleaders want to act, and so on. MTV provides them with a professional in that area, and they have 10 weeks to become whatever it is they want to become... they want to be "Made."
Anyway, the thing about it is, I have not seen one show where the kid is likeable. Not once have I rooted for the kid to succeed in their quest. I want them to fail miserably. And they all seem to have the same arc. They whiny kid wants to become great at _________. They are all excited. The coach shows up and tells them how much work they have to put in. They are intimidated by the amount, but still want in. Then somewhere they whine, complain and want to quit. They frustrate the coach almost to the point of quitting. Then they have a second wave of determination and complete the task.
I watched this kid the other day who was overweight. He loved food, but decided he wanted to be a triathlete. He has never been athletic a day in his life... and he wants to do a triathalon. He has no clue what it entails. None. So his coach shows up and tells him for 10 weeks, he has to train twice a day, everyday. The kid mentions how he thought it would be 3-4 times a week. Yikes... so throughout, he complains, and complains, and whines, and complains, and cries. And every few days, he breaks his diet because he feels he has earned it. And like a train wreck, I can't turn away. I have every notion that this kid will fail, but have to see it. Alas, after his coach almost quits, he pours in a little extra effort and completes a triathalon.
Damn. I hate that.
It doesn't show how he celebrated, though earlier in the show he did say that he "lived to eat." So you can imagine what he felt he 'deserved.'
And I sit there, hating myself for watching it... when's the next season of Newlyweds start?
Friday, December 24, 2004
Saturday, December 18, 2004
Saturday's Holiday Party
I hear those sleigh bells.... jingle, jingle...
The holidays. The time of the year where everyone over extends to make everyone else happy and no one seems to be completely satisfied. The 'tour' is coming up. This weekend we were invited to Phil and Jen's house for a Christmas get together. Phil is a friend of mine from college. Jen is, obviously, his wife. They have a baby girl named Hannah. When I got the email, it said kids were welcome. Rachael and I don't have any kids... we won't be married until May, but nowadays, it's not uncommon to have kids with each other or someone else prior to marriage. But anyway... the point is neither one of have any kids.
So, the email offered food and drinking and whatnot... ok, it didn't specifically say "whatnot" but I threw that in to cover all the rest. So today is the first Saturday with NFL football. 3 games. The Steelers starting it off. Easily, the Steelers are my second favorite NFL team behind the Lions. I grew up 2 hours away from the 'burgh and was a fan of their Super Bowl wins in the late 70's/ early 80's. I was 4, but still. I figured we'd go, crack open a few beers, eat some snacks, watch football and tell storys. My roommate my Senior year in college lives near up and we were going to ride with him, his wife (Megan) and his 4 month old son. We met them off the beltway.
We drove in, and made a Steeler comment. Dan said that we would be able to see the second half. We got there a little after 2. First, I have to say that Hannah may be the most adorable little girls EVER. She is very smiley and has long lashes, and very personable. She is about the age of our nephew, Owen. Dan had baby Daniel, and he is very cute too. He is still very young and is working on developing his personality. We were the first to arrive. We brought beer and Dan brought wine. We opened the beer started to talk and munch on food.
Slowly, people arrived... Jen's mom, and brother - some people we don't know, and then people we do... or I should say people I know. Mainly, they were people I knew from college, and not everyone had met Rachael. All of them had kids. Hell, there was one guy who had 2 kids. Wow. I am almost 30. Rach is 28. And looking around we realized that we are not ready for kids just yet.
We didn;t get to watch football. That's okay. We had fun nevertheless. It just wasn't what we expected. There were kids everywhere. They were playing around having fun, we were sitting around talking. Updating everyone on where we lived, how far along we were with the wedding plans, and such. We cracked open a few more beers and had a great time.
There was a side effect to today though... a happy one. First, as time went on and we had talked to a number of people, Rachael and I sat there and talked. This is a common phenomenon with us. Many times when we are with a group of people, often times, Rachael and I find ourselves talking to each other. We seem to be in our own little world, and talk and talk. We don't do this on purpose or concsiously, it just happens. That's one thing I love about her. She is my best friend in the entire world. The other side effect was as others were lilling around with their kids, and taking care of their adorable little treasures, we became very aware of how much we enjoyed our life exactly the way it is right now. Sure, we think about children, and will probably conceive. But not for a while. We just haven't spent enough time with each other yet, I have so much fun being with her, and doing things with just her right now. In a few years, we will be ready. But we really enjoy each other and want to have a few years to ourselves.
I love her so much.
Like I said, we had a great time today, even without football... go figure. But we did leave early and arrived back home to our 2 cats and dog - our family - and turned on the games. I am truly happy for our friends and their families. It seems like they have a lot of love for their kids and are happy with their lives. At the same time, I am wholey content with where Rachael and I are and our life together right now. Our path is just different. And we are more than happy to travel that path together.
The holidays. The time of the year where everyone over extends to make everyone else happy and no one seems to be completely satisfied. The 'tour' is coming up. This weekend we were invited to Phil and Jen's house for a Christmas get together. Phil is a friend of mine from college. Jen is, obviously, his wife. They have a baby girl named Hannah. When I got the email, it said kids were welcome. Rachael and I don't have any kids... we won't be married until May, but nowadays, it's not uncommon to have kids with each other or someone else prior to marriage. But anyway... the point is neither one of have any kids.
So, the email offered food and drinking and whatnot... ok, it didn't specifically say "whatnot" but I threw that in to cover all the rest. So today is the first Saturday with NFL football. 3 games. The Steelers starting it off. Easily, the Steelers are my second favorite NFL team behind the Lions. I grew up 2 hours away from the 'burgh and was a fan of their Super Bowl wins in the late 70's/ early 80's. I was 4, but still. I figured we'd go, crack open a few beers, eat some snacks, watch football and tell storys. My roommate my Senior year in college lives near up and we were going to ride with him, his wife (Megan) and his 4 month old son. We met them off the beltway.
We drove in, and made a Steeler comment. Dan said that we would be able to see the second half. We got there a little after 2. First, I have to say that Hannah may be the most adorable little girls EVER. She is very smiley and has long lashes, and very personable. She is about the age of our nephew, Owen. Dan had baby Daniel, and he is very cute too. He is still very young and is working on developing his personality. We were the first to arrive. We brought beer and Dan brought wine. We opened the beer started to talk and munch on food.
Slowly, people arrived... Jen's mom, and brother - some people we don't know, and then people we do... or I should say people I know. Mainly, they were people I knew from college, and not everyone had met Rachael. All of them had kids. Hell, there was one guy who had 2 kids. Wow. I am almost 30. Rach is 28. And looking around we realized that we are not ready for kids just yet.
We didn;t get to watch football. That's okay. We had fun nevertheless. It just wasn't what we expected. There were kids everywhere. They were playing around having fun, we were sitting around talking. Updating everyone on where we lived, how far along we were with the wedding plans, and such. We cracked open a few more beers and had a great time.
There was a side effect to today though... a happy one. First, as time went on and we had talked to a number of people, Rachael and I sat there and talked. This is a common phenomenon with us. Many times when we are with a group of people, often times, Rachael and I find ourselves talking to each other. We seem to be in our own little world, and talk and talk. We don't do this on purpose or concsiously, it just happens. That's one thing I love about her. She is my best friend in the entire world. The other side effect was as others were lilling around with their kids, and taking care of their adorable little treasures, we became very aware of how much we enjoyed our life exactly the way it is right now. Sure, we think about children, and will probably conceive. But not for a while. We just haven't spent enough time with each other yet, I have so much fun being with her, and doing things with just her right now. In a few years, we will be ready. But we really enjoy each other and want to have a few years to ourselves.
I love her so much.
Like I said, we had a great time today, even without football... go figure. But we did leave early and arrived back home to our 2 cats and dog - our family - and turned on the games. I am truly happy for our friends and their families. It seems like they have a lot of love for their kids and are happy with their lives. At the same time, I am wholey content with where Rachael and I are and our life together right now. Our path is just different. And we are more than happy to travel that path together.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Wednesday....
The week gets better. It really does. Especially when I think that I don't have a full weeks worth of work until after the New Year. Sometimes, I get egotistical and think that they won't be able to survive without me, but that's just characteristics I get from my mom... not the ego, the worrying.
No matter how much you make, or the amount of your "disposable income," most people are extremely broke during this time of the year, We are no different. We are paying for a wedding that will take place in May, and now, along with that, we want to buy presents. I say "want" because it's true. A lot of people think they "need" to buy presents, but I know that we don't need to. I know that if we didn't have a red penny, and could not buy a single gift, that we would still be loved by our families, but we want to share and give to others and have a happy holiday. Not that it's about presents. Personally, I am much more happy giving than receiving... but receiving is nice too.
I am a NY Mets fan. Since 1983, I have liked the Mets. You can check my little league baseball cards. Not that anyone would accuse me of being a bandwagon jumper for the past 15 years. They did go to the World Series in 2000, but lost to the Yankees. Anyway, over the past few years I have watched the Mets spend money on free agents who are beginning the down slope of their career. I don't know why. Maybe they hope for one more year of magic. Let me see if I can remember them: Roberto Alomar, Mo Vaughn, David Cone (the second time around), Jeremy Burnitz, Todd Zeile, Kenny Lofton, Ricky Henderson.... I can't remember any more. Only one has panned out to contribute significantly, and that was Robin Ventura. Recently, Pedro Martinez was signed. Pedro was a great pitcher. But, he seemed to have lost some stuff over the past couple years. He still has ok stuff, but surely he doesn't warrant the contract that he got. 4 years. He's 32 years old, and he got a 4 year contract. I can only hope that he can sustain a level slightly higher than mediocrity.
I am a victim of fandom. I like the Mets, and the Detroit Lions in the NFL. The Lions have not won a championship since before the AFL - NFL merger in the 60's. And since then have been to the playoffs a handful of times, and haven't won a playoff game since 1991. I became a fan when the Lions drafted Barry Sanders - the best running back I have ever watched. Yes, I got to watch Walter Payton, but I don't remember it well. It was the early 80's.
And then there is my beloved Mountaineers of West Virginia. The perennial let down. Being a fan of WVU, is similar to being a fan of the Red Sox (before this year). They have gotten close to championships, 1988 they played for the National Championship in football and lost to Notre Dame. They got to the Sweet 16 in basketball in the late 90's but didn't go any further. They seem to always have decent years, winning seasons, but not great.
Anyway, that's my sports agony. I say I'm a vicim of fandom, but the truth is I root for most underdogs. This leads to a high percentage of heartbreak. I just can't root for the favorite. I think I am a tad sadistic. I root for losses of anyone who is highly favored. And that extends beyond sports. When I watch the Price is Right, nothing makes me happier than to watch the 2 people bidding on the Showcase Showdown to over bid, and no one wins. In the Family Feud, nothing makes me happier than to see them so close to the grand prize only to come up a few points short. I don't know why it is the way it is...maybe it's jealosy.
No matter how much you make, or the amount of your "disposable income," most people are extremely broke during this time of the year, We are no different. We are paying for a wedding that will take place in May, and now, along with that, we want to buy presents. I say "want" because it's true. A lot of people think they "need" to buy presents, but I know that we don't need to. I know that if we didn't have a red penny, and could not buy a single gift, that we would still be loved by our families, but we want to share and give to others and have a happy holiday. Not that it's about presents. Personally, I am much more happy giving than receiving... but receiving is nice too.
I am a NY Mets fan. Since 1983, I have liked the Mets. You can check my little league baseball cards. Not that anyone would accuse me of being a bandwagon jumper for the past 15 years. They did go to the World Series in 2000, but lost to the Yankees. Anyway, over the past few years I have watched the Mets spend money on free agents who are beginning the down slope of their career. I don't know why. Maybe they hope for one more year of magic. Let me see if I can remember them: Roberto Alomar, Mo Vaughn, David Cone (the second time around), Jeremy Burnitz, Todd Zeile, Kenny Lofton, Ricky Henderson.... I can't remember any more. Only one has panned out to contribute significantly, and that was Robin Ventura. Recently, Pedro Martinez was signed. Pedro was a great pitcher. But, he seemed to have lost some stuff over the past couple years. He still has ok stuff, but surely he doesn't warrant the contract that he got. 4 years. He's 32 years old, and he got a 4 year contract. I can only hope that he can sustain a level slightly higher than mediocrity.
I am a victim of fandom. I like the Mets, and the Detroit Lions in the NFL. The Lions have not won a championship since before the AFL - NFL merger in the 60's. And since then have been to the playoffs a handful of times, and haven't won a playoff game since 1991. I became a fan when the Lions drafted Barry Sanders - the best running back I have ever watched. Yes, I got to watch Walter Payton, but I don't remember it well. It was the early 80's.
And then there is my beloved Mountaineers of West Virginia. The perennial let down. Being a fan of WVU, is similar to being a fan of the Red Sox (before this year). They have gotten close to championships, 1988 they played for the National Championship in football and lost to Notre Dame. They got to the Sweet 16 in basketball in the late 90's but didn't go any further. They seem to always have decent years, winning seasons, but not great.
Anyway, that's my sports agony. I say I'm a vicim of fandom, but the truth is I root for most underdogs. This leads to a high percentage of heartbreak. I just can't root for the favorite. I think I am a tad sadistic. I root for losses of anyone who is highly favored. And that extends beyond sports. When I watch the Price is Right, nothing makes me happier than to watch the 2 people bidding on the Showcase Showdown to over bid, and no one wins. In the Family Feud, nothing makes me happier than to see them so close to the grand prize only to come up a few points short. I don't know why it is the way it is...maybe it's jealosy.
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Monday.
Man, what a day. I couldn't get to sleep last night, until about 3:30am. That didn't set me up to have a great day. I woke up kind of cranky, though I'm coming out of it now. But anyway....
So there has been some friction in L.A. The Lakers are the soap opera. It started with Kobe Byant last year and his rape trial hearings. He flew back and forth to games and court. Then in the off season he seemingly pushed out Shaq, and the coach - Phil Jackson who has won 9 titles (I think). He wanted to be the center of the team. Also last year they brought in Karl Malone to win a title. Which they didn't. And he's still under contract there. They will not win a title this year either.
I guess there hasn't been enought drama in L.A. The spotlight was taken from L.A. to Indiana with the brawl. Or Minnesota with Latrell Spreewell needing more than $14 million to make sure his family can eat. So Kobe announce over the weekend that Karl Malone hit on his wife, and he felt betrayed by this. Kobe's wife told him about the incident. I have a number of issues with this. First and foremost, is this something that should be brought up in the national media? I don't think so, but I have a feeling that Kobe needs the attention. So in a post game interview, he mentioned this. He couldn't handle it amicably and felt the need to air it out in fron of the nation. Second, in case you missed it, Kobe was going to court for rape charges (that were eventually dropped). The rape was the dispute - not the fact that he had sex with another woman in Colorado. He did. He wasn't thinking about his wife then. He didn't take her feelings into consideration, His marriage wasn't important, his vows meant nothing. Yet now, for some odd reason, he wants to appear to care. Does he think that people have forgotten about last year?
Next; he got this story from his wife. A woman who went threw public hell not only because the world knew her husband cheated on her, but also for staying with him through it. So a woman who could, quite possibly, be still holding a grudge against her husband, told him this story. Shouldn't you take that with a grain of salt? I mean, admittedly, there are better, bolder ways to get back at him, but shouldn't a hint of doubt enter his mind. I think he is too self centered to think that she could do anything but be hoplessly devoted to him.
FInally, he is focusing on his feelings of betrayal. Ironic. He committed a huge act of betrayal and now he is offended and hurt. Well "boo hoo." I'm not sure he has the right.
What I see is a man struggling to get the spotlight back. He's trying to put himself in the position of "victim" to win back some fans. I'm sorry, but it may take something bigger. I couldn't care less about the NBA. I mean, I'll watch the playoffs. But usually it's to hope that someone, or some team I dislike, fail. When did the NBA turn into the biggest drama since Desparate Housewives? In a time when the NBA needs class the most, leave it to Kobe to knock it down a notch. The NBA needs to try to save itself by doing 2 things - keep the focus A) on the court. Let the play speak. Let the drama come from winns, losses, who will make the playoffs (although pretty much EVERYBODY makes the playoffs). And when possible keep focusing on b) positive acts off the court. There are players in the NBA who do great charity work. They are unselfish and giving. Where are the stories about them? No where I can see.
Thank goodness for football. This will take me through February. Thank goodness for college basketball, that can take me until March/ April. The NHL is probably not going to play this season (if ever again) and the NBA is disgraceful. I may have to turn to NASCAR to have an alternative sport venue.... naaahh, I can simply do without.
So there has been some friction in L.A. The Lakers are the soap opera. It started with Kobe Byant last year and his rape trial hearings. He flew back and forth to games and court. Then in the off season he seemingly pushed out Shaq, and the coach - Phil Jackson who has won 9 titles (I think). He wanted to be the center of the team. Also last year they brought in Karl Malone to win a title. Which they didn't. And he's still under contract there. They will not win a title this year either.
I guess there hasn't been enought drama in L.A. The spotlight was taken from L.A. to Indiana with the brawl. Or Minnesota with Latrell Spreewell needing more than $14 million to make sure his family can eat. So Kobe announce over the weekend that Karl Malone hit on his wife, and he felt betrayed by this. Kobe's wife told him about the incident. I have a number of issues with this. First and foremost, is this something that should be brought up in the national media? I don't think so, but I have a feeling that Kobe needs the attention. So in a post game interview, he mentioned this. He couldn't handle it amicably and felt the need to air it out in fron of the nation. Second, in case you missed it, Kobe was going to court for rape charges (that were eventually dropped). The rape was the dispute - not the fact that he had sex with another woman in Colorado. He did. He wasn't thinking about his wife then. He didn't take her feelings into consideration, His marriage wasn't important, his vows meant nothing. Yet now, for some odd reason, he wants to appear to care. Does he think that people have forgotten about last year?
Next; he got this story from his wife. A woman who went threw public hell not only because the world knew her husband cheated on her, but also for staying with him through it. So a woman who could, quite possibly, be still holding a grudge against her husband, told him this story. Shouldn't you take that with a grain of salt? I mean, admittedly, there are better, bolder ways to get back at him, but shouldn't a hint of doubt enter his mind. I think he is too self centered to think that she could do anything but be hoplessly devoted to him.
FInally, he is focusing on his feelings of betrayal. Ironic. He committed a huge act of betrayal and now he is offended and hurt. Well "boo hoo." I'm not sure he has the right.
What I see is a man struggling to get the spotlight back. He's trying to put himself in the position of "victim" to win back some fans. I'm sorry, but it may take something bigger. I couldn't care less about the NBA. I mean, I'll watch the playoffs. But usually it's to hope that someone, or some team I dislike, fail. When did the NBA turn into the biggest drama since Desparate Housewives? In a time when the NBA needs class the most, leave it to Kobe to knock it down a notch. The NBA needs to try to save itself by doing 2 things - keep the focus A) on the court. Let the play speak. Let the drama come from winns, losses, who will make the playoffs (although pretty much EVERYBODY makes the playoffs). And when possible keep focusing on b) positive acts off the court. There are players in the NBA who do great charity work. They are unselfish and giving. Where are the stories about them? No where I can see.
Thank goodness for football. This will take me through February. Thank goodness for college basketball, that can take me until March/ April. The NHL is probably not going to play this season (if ever again) and the NBA is disgraceful. I may have to turn to NASCAR to have an alternative sport venue.... naaahh, I can simply do without.
Sunday, December 12, 2004
Football Sunday
I think science tells me that when a now element is introduced into an existing environment, the reaction of the environment is to reject the element. That is the way I feel about the Baltimore Ravens. The environment is my own personal world, and about a year ago - Rachael and I moved over here to Maryland. SInce then I have been bombarded by Ravens. Ravens on the radio, and on the television and I am rejecting it.
Every weekend I sit down to watch football, and am forced to watch the Ravens, and the Ravens only because all other games are blacked out... unless we go to a sports bar. My favorite team is the Lions (insert laughter here) - and have only had the opportunity to see them play against Philly (it's close to here) Indy (on Thanksgiving) and I will get to see them play Green Bay today. Not that they will win, but still....
Sometimes it's so bad I must resort to watching whatever maraton they're showing on MTV (Battle of the Sexes, Newlyweds, Pimp My Ride, etc.) to kill time, because the Ravens are on... unless it's a good game. Which is what I had last week and to top it off the Bengals beat the Ravens in the final seconds. This week they are trouncing Eli Manning and the Giants, and I am just biding time until the Lions come on.
This leaves time for me to do some wedding things...
It's funny sometimes the way people do things. She files things away in a notebook and I keep everything on the computer. And the ironic thing is; neither of us would be considered "organized."
Every weekend I sit down to watch football, and am forced to watch the Ravens, and the Ravens only because all other games are blacked out... unless we go to a sports bar. My favorite team is the Lions (insert laughter here) - and have only had the opportunity to see them play against Philly (it's close to here) Indy (on Thanksgiving) and I will get to see them play Green Bay today. Not that they will win, but still....
Sometimes it's so bad I must resort to watching whatever maraton they're showing on MTV (Battle of the Sexes, Newlyweds, Pimp My Ride, etc.) to kill time, because the Ravens are on... unless it's a good game. Which is what I had last week and to top it off the Bengals beat the Ravens in the final seconds. This week they are trouncing Eli Manning and the Giants, and I am just biding time until the Lions come on.
This leaves time for me to do some wedding things...
It's funny sometimes the way people do things. She files things away in a notebook and I keep everything on the computer. And the ironic thing is; neither of us would be considered "organized."
The Beginning
I've been writing a while on the Wedding Website, and I figured - why not write about other stuff too? So I am. I hope that I can be insightful and occasionally funny - but we will have to see. I may not be as humourous as I would like to think. I will probably write a lot about sports and write about daily life. Nothing too juicy or personal, but I don't figure you'd want to read that stuff anyway.
I'm sitting on my couch awaiting the football games of the day.
I'm sitting on my couch awaiting the football games of the day.
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