Nobody is Perfect

I don't know about you but I had mixed feelings Sunday night during the game as I watched the Patriots quest for perfection end in a last minute loss to the Giants. On one hand, I was rooting to witness history, and on the other, you couldn't help but he sucked into rooting for the overwhelming underdog. As funny as it sounds, I was at odds with myself and it took some of the enjoyment out of the game for me and left a bittersweet taste in my mouth when Eli escaped the clutches of not one Patriot but THREE Patriots and completed that pass. Don't get me wrong, we all screamed and shouted when they scored, and yes, I was happy for Eli, but I am so sick of the damn 72 Dolphins that I was hoping that it would all end Sunday night. Oh well...

By the way, did anyone else see how hammered Shockey looked in his box? I believe Joe Buck said, "Shockey must be worried about his job" (in reference to how well the rookie Boss [I had mis-typed Voss - thanks Gene] has performed in Shockey's absence) when he must have wanted to say, "geez, that guy is loaded!" I mean, did you see all the empty cups around him??

Thus begins the countdown to next season... Thank God MLS starts in 6 weeks...

Bucket List & Macy's

On Saturday night, we joined our friends Dan and Leslie for drinks and an excursion to the Old Town Theatre on King St. to see the Bucket List, starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. If you haven't had a chance to either make it to the Old Town Theatre or to see the Bucket List, I highly recommend both. While the theatre is not quite what you may be expecting in terms of a normal movie theatre, it makes up for its rough edges by the small town feel you get sitting in the rickety seats. I'd say there were about 14 of us in the theatre total (and that might be generous), and after we were lectured by the owner on bringing in outside food and drink, we were able to put our feet up on the ledge, stretch out, and enjoy our wine during what turned out to be a GREAT movie. I'd have to say that Bucket List vaulted into my Top 10 and will make it to our Netflix list so that we can watch it again.

Now Macy's... last night we did our first round of registry selections. So, for those of you who faithfully check this blog and have been looking for your wedding details, this is one of the first bones I've thrown... The registry will be ready in the next week or so as we wrap up what we want online, now that the initial meeting is over. So, continue to check our knot site for updated details on that one. But as fun as it is to scan items that you wouldn't normally buy on your own, there is also something a bit pretentious about asking people to buy you something that again, you wouldn't normally buy on your own. While our friends have all been actively offering advice on what to scan and what not to scan, my personal philosophy has been to ask for things that we KNOW we'll use on a regular basis, and pass up the item if we answer "yes" to the following question: Are we scanning this ONLY because its our one and only chance to ask for it? And you know me... after an hour, I was useless... not to mention that we're both fighting off some kind of sickness which made it even harder to focus for more than an hour.

Anyway, it's nice to have gotten the ball rolling on that part, and for everyone who has been awaiting a "save the date" the order was processed and it's just a matter of getting the final pieces. Once we get those, you can look for yours soon...

Until next time...

Nothing to Say

I thought I would have grand thoughts and strong opinions following the AFC and NFC championship games yesterday, but the Green Bay loss in overtime has left me feeling a little lost for words. I would compare the feeling to breaking up with that girlfriend you had high hopes for, or Christmas Day when you didn't get what you wanted. The expectations were so high for the Packers and everyone had been talking up a Brady versus Favre Super Bowl so much that when Tynes kick went through the upright after the Packers had won the toss in OT I felt so deflated. I am not a Giants fan. They are hot right now, and that's it. But these are the same guys that were embarassed by a backup quarterback IN the Meadowlands in week 16. While they pushed the Patriots farther than any other team this season, I will be rooting for perfection in two weeks and hoping the G-men get throttled.

And for the record, I am not an Eli Manning fan at all. He is no Peyton, and quite frankly I find it hard to be a Manning fan at all. I didn't give them permission to inundate me with their family from all angles. What other family does that? Who gets more airtime as a family? It started with the ESPN commercials, then the DirecTV commercials, then the commercial with Leinart, and now these credit card commercials... It's too much.

Anyway, we have two weeks now to dissect this game every which way, and we'll hear over and over how well the Giants play on the road, that by the time the game comes around I'll be ready for soccer season.

Let's go United!

Funk & Soul

With the Birchmere as close to our house as it is, we decided to take in Isaac Hayes last night for something a little different from what we would normally go and see. I have to say that we were not disappointed, and it was one of the few shows that we've been to in recent memory that was an "experience." And when I say experience, not only was Isaac fantastic, but the crowd was in to it, and his whole band knew how to play to the crowd. I had a smile on my face from the first note until Isaac walked off the stage.

There just doesn't seem to be music like his anymore... full of funk, soul, and emotion. I can only imagine what he must have been like in his prime back in the 60's and 70's. What a life he has lived, and what stories he must have... Who in our day can polarize a community like he could (and probably still does)? Not many musicians... The only person I can think of is Bono. He might be one of the remaining "rockers" who can pull a crowd and community together like Isaac could in the 70's.

Anyway, I wish we had pictures to show, but sadly, they did not allow flash photography last night. But take my word for it... it was a great experience all around, and one I will remember for a long time.

Two Wins

I thought that last weekend was one of the best weekends ever, but if the weekends keep up at the pace they are going, I'm going to have the best year. Unless you've been out of the country, you should have seen Joe Paterno record his 500th win on Saturday night over Texas A&M and the Redskins vault into the playoffs as they whacked the Cowboys 27-6.

Two wins.

Not Sure Which is Cuter...

David_PostGifts
Originally uploaded by psubuzz

... or this one. My Christmas nephew! Such a happy Christmas!

Not Sure Which is Cuter...

Passed Out
Originally uploaded by psubuzz

This one...

Two Boys Fast Asleep

Two Boys Fast Asleep
Originally uploaded by psubuzz

It doesn't really get much better than this on Christmas Eve... A grandfather holding his grandson, fast asleep on the Lazy Boy. Of course, I set him up with the feeding and burping first...

Big Weekend

Where do I begin to retell the weekend that was? Should I start with the big win from the Redskins last night, or should I start with the fact that I welcomed my new nephew home?!? I don't think it really matters either way given that it was a happy and joyous weekend all the way around ranging from dinner with Lauren's family on Saturday night to celebrate the Christmas season, to holding (and feeding) my new nephew for the first time, to wrapping it all up in a Burgundy and Gold bow last night.

After a year of getting to know Lauren's family better over the past year dinner this year was much more fun and much less stressful than last year. Anytime you walk into a room of 20+ people, all of whom want to know everything about you, it gets a little nerve-wracking. But this year, I felt like one of the group and was able to be more of myself. We even got a surprise gift from one of Lauren's cousins... Hopefully I can get a hold of a picture to post.

We then flew home yesterday morning so that we could have lunch with my brother and sister-in-law AND their cute baby boy! Oh, he is as cute as all baby's are... And he's home just in time for the holidays! Though I have to admit that I have always been a little nervous holding babies in front of their parents... But he was a piece of cake the whole time and I even fed and burped him, though Lauren is the pro at burping... Seriously.

Finally, the Skins finally put on two convincing performances in a row rolling over the Vikings last night putting them one win away from making the playoffs. Shockingly, Todd Collins continued his strong showing as a backup moving the skins effectively down the field supported by one of Clinton Portis' best games as a Redskin.  Just a win over Dallas who has nothing to play for will get them in... Whew, what a game that will be.

It doesn't get any better that this at Christmas time...

The Contest Begins

It's that time of year again when the gloves come off and our collaborative teams become combative opponents... No, I'm not talking about fantasy football anymore, though I am still psyched about moving on to the Super Bowl and bitter about getting knocked out of the other league... I digress... I'm talking about the WeatherBug holiday decorations contest!

If you recall, last year while the battle was tight between the Marketing and Product teams, and publicly, the contest was declared a tie, the judges later told us it was a clear victory due to our creativity and the length we went to execute on the theme. However, given all of the effort the Marketing team spent on creating their Winter Wonderland, the felt guilty and awarded them 1st as well.

Well, that supposed "tie" has sat in our stomachs for a whole year and we're out to prove that not only are we more creative, but we are the true winners.

Am I competitive? Maybe.

Stay tuned for pictures of the decorations contest tonight and the piece de resistance tomorrow.

Happy holidays...

Big Wins

Between my 28.5 victory propelling me into the Exit 16 Super Bowl yesterday and a gutsy 22-10 win last night for the Redskins this has to go down as one of the bigger win weekends in recent memory. My 133.5-105 win over the hot $75 was all due to the fact that I got lucky on 2 kickoff returns from the Bucs and me going with my gut to bench Winslow in the snow in favor of Donald Driver in the dome. The Skins meanwhile won thanks to the mettle of their 2nd string QB and the play from their defense. All in all, a big weekend all the way around.

Sets up a big showdown in Minneapolis between the Vikings and Skins next Sunday night and a Clark Super Bowl for the Exit 16 crown. Woo hoo!

Christmas Couple

Christmas Couple
Originally uploaded by psubuzz

Did the annual Christmas show at the Kennedy Center last night. This was our pre-show posed photo since we usually are very anxious to get out of our clothes (take that how you will) when we get home.

All in all, dinner was good, the show was great, and we had a lot of fun. The National Symphony Orchestra always put on a great show and get you into the holiday spirit. Last night was no exception.

FFL Holiday Spirit

As you may or may not recall, I started blogging about my fantasy football team a few months back when the regular season started. I participated in two leagues as I usually do and had decent teams in both. The total investment is $175 with the total potential winnings of somewhere around $1,500 assuming you won both leagues.

Well, for the first time in four years, I made the playoffs in both and seemed on my way to winning my first game last weekend when disaster struck on Monday night football. Football night in America. With a 12 point lead going into the final game and my opponent having a WR playing for Atlanta I thought I had it in the bag. And I did, even after he scored a TD in the first quarter to narrow the gap. But for those of you who watched the game - if you remember the last play of the half where 3rd QB throws a hail Mary from the 40 and the New Orleans DB jumps and intercepts the ball though the officials claimed the Atlanta WR had a hand on it as well ended with them awarding a catch to the WR (tie always goes to the offense in that situation). The catch gave the WR 3 more points changing the score to 111-110. The WR didn't touch the ball again that game. And while I could blame the loss on McGahee not doing squat on Sunday night (4 points) that one play will live in my head until next season.

On the bright side, I'm still in the hunt in my other league with my WR Brandon Marshall putting up 15.5 points last night for the Broncos. In the other semi-final, my brother scored well against Lauren's brother which might set up the first brothers only super bowl if all goes well.

Thanks for letting me vent and stay tuned for more crazy hi-jinx and holiday spirit!

Favre Goes Down

I'm not sure how many of you actually keep up on games in the NFL, but if you were able to stay up last night, and get the NFL Network, you were treated to a great Thursday night game that featured two 10-1 teams in the NFC facing off in the Big D. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, my star QB on my work FFL league, Brett Favre, went down with an injury in the first quarter, leaving me with -2 for his efforts and an FFL team without a stud entering the playoffs next weekend. The story should be that the Packers lost 37-27 even though their 2nd string, Aaron Rodgers played very well considering, but in reality, the story is that after building an 9-3 start to my season, my ability to make it to the money round of the playoffs is in jeopardy.

A big weekend is ahead as my survival in the big money league is going to be determined by my ability to beat my own brother, and the lack of points from Favre will impact my playoff position in the work league.

Stay tuned...

It's Official

I'm sick. Doctor diagnosed me with a sinus infection and a very red ear. On a prescription now and hopefully will have this whole thing kicked in the next few days... It's been a long 9 days and being sick has definitely gotten old.

Thanks for all of the well wishes...

Sick

Despite the efforts of my amazing immune system, I fell victim to whatever crud has been going around last Tuesday... and even though I've been hopped up on Tylenol Cold & Flu, over a week later, I am still fighting it... and it blows. I think I am going to give in and try to make an appointment today for some real drugs as the directions say on the box, if the symptoms continue for more than two days, you should consult a physician. Which makes me wonder, is it even possible to kick a sore throat in two days? If so, why on earth would they even sell medication that is only supposed to get you through two days? And am I doing any kind of damage by taking OTC medication consistently for 7 days? I guess we'll find out.

Some Fresh Air

After yesterday's disappointment, and my continued frustration with old coaching, combined with our 8.5 hours spent at the Conference for the Engaged, we needed some fresh air this morning. So, after driving by the entrance to Fort Marcy every day for the past 7 years, we figured we'd stop there on our way up to Great Falls to see what was there. How on earth have I lived here this long and not known that there was such a great hiking trail so close to the house?

I believe Fort Marcy marks the beginning of the Potomac Heritage Trail, which runs from just south of Rt. 123 to Roosevelt Island, a total of 5.1 miles. We only hiked about 2.5 miles south and then back again, but even that short time frame had us working up a sweat.

A real treat is the fact that you're right down at river level, in a part of the Potomac that is very slow moving and quiet. Here's a look at the Chain Bridge that crosses from VA into DC. As you can see, it was still enough to shine a reflection.

Here's a shot looking down the river towards Alexandria.

An hour and a half later, we had a nice workout, some quiet time together, and discovered yet another reason why living in Alexandria is so great. Now let's just hope the Skins don't bring back the frustration.

Redskins vs. Eagles

Redskins vs. Eagles
Originally uploaded by psubuzz

In my holiday excitement, I forgot to mention that I was at the debacle of the game yesterday. Sara and Michael were nice enough to invite Lauren and I along to enjoy their club seats. I think we jinxed the team by leaving early as the game went downhill the minute we left in the 3rd quarter.

T'is the Season

I love that it only takes for Starbucks to switch to their holiday decorum to get me in the spirit for Christmas. I walked in to the Starbucks by my gym this morning and all of the normal packages of coffee were replaced with green and red packages of the Christmas Blend, and the backdrop for the drink menu was the holiday red. Granted they've had the gingerbread lattes ready for a few weeks now, but hearing the jazz music, seeing the red and green displays, and combine that with a cold and rainy day... I'm ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas... my favorite stretch of the year.

It almost makes the Redskins abysmal play yesterday disappear... Almost. The weekend ended with me going 2-2... A Penn State win and a win in my Exit 16 FFL league, though the two teams that needed the wins were the Skins and my AFL FFL team. Oh well. Think holidays... think holidays...

Why Me?

How do I lose my two star RBs in 2 weeks for the rest of the season? Ronnie Brown and Larry Johnson out for the season essentially kill any hope I have come playoff time, assuming I can even make it now. Unbelievable.