Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Respite

Looks like the proposal madness has finally slowed down a bit and I can actually come up for air and relax somewhat, which is nice. There's a lot to take care of and it's about time I returned to my normal gym routine. While I enjoy writing and it's been fun working on proposals for the different industries, taking some time to look at the broader interactive space, and where our clients could get more involved will be a nice change of pace.

Stay tuned as I finally carve out some time to blog a little more.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Great Author

Not sure if many of you have heard of James Rollins, but I stumbled upon him about a month ago between jobs and am addicted to his writing. I'm pretty much averaging about a book a week and will probably finish up his written set in the next week or so. If you like action/adventure, definitely check him out.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Late Nights

Four weeks into my new job and as funny as it is, I've probably logged more hours in four weeks here than I did in two months at the old place. It's a combination of being passionate, enjoying what you're doing, and tight deadlines. A healthy mix. What makes it bearable is being as close to home as I now am. I can run home at lunch and catch that episode of Lost that I missed last week, or grab dinner with Lauren before coming back in for a "few" hours (a term I am using loosely). In any event, this has been a quick four weeks and as I've been saying, the "new guy" syndrome is no longer the case. I feel at home and very happy that I've made the switch. Kind of weird how quickly it has all faded away..

Also on the topic of late nights, Lauren and I attempted to get to the Radiohead show on Sunday night, only to be thwarted by the 4.5" deluge the DC area received Sunday-Monday. We left the house at 6:30 assuming we could be in our seats by 8:30 for Radiohead. Boy, were we wrong. What started out as typical traffic on 66 turned into a nightmare when we found out our way into Nissan Pavillion was flooded thus sending us on a crazy journey that ended with us sitting in traffic just to get into the parking lot. Finally, at 9pm we gave up and went home. Kind of disappointing considering we spent good money on the seats and I LOVE Radiohead, but nothing is worth ruining your whole week as we were sitting in traffic in the pouring rain. I heard the next day that some people sat in the parking lot until 1:00am waiting to LEAVE. Definitely a good decision to go home.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Spring, You Gotta Love It


My Blanket Bunny
Originally uploaded by psubuzz

These days in the DC area are so few and far between where the air is clean, the sun is warm, and there is NO humidity. We took advantage of the day by taking a quick hike along the Potomac Heritage trail and then spending a few hours along the Potomac getting some sun this afternoon. Doesn't get any better than this...

Babysitting Duty


Baby Cosmetics
Originally uploaded by psubuzz

I was called into babysitting duty last night for my favorite nephew for the first time without Lauren's help... Despite my initial trepidation, I couldn't help but be happy around this baby... even when he was a little frustrated with me for not realizing I fed him the wrong meal. Whoops. :) Not squash Uncle... I was supposed to get cereal!

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Potomac Centennial Parade


It was a Hat Parade
Originally uploaded by psubuzz

One of the few benefits of living on Commonwealth are the various things you witness from your driveway... I've seen Avon Breast Cancer walkers, a police blockade, the annual Turkey Trot, and today, the City of Potomac Centennial Parade. As noisy as the street can be, particularly when it's the main cut through for police and the fire and rescue squads, mornings like this make up for it.



For more information on the history of the parade, click here.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Quickly...

Every day I have had the intention to post an update on the new job, the demise of the Caps in the playoffs, and the Wizards inability to close out a playoff game, but sadly, despite being 7 minutes from the house, I am working harder now than I was prior to the switch. That being said, I'm actually having more fun than I've had in a long time. After 7 days, I can say that I enjoy working with my new co-workers, I am being challenged in ways I've never been challenged, and see an opportunity to learn so much more than I ever have. To sum it up... I'm happy. Funny how things work out the way they are supposed to...

In other news, I was in a car accident yesterday at the intersection of Madison St. and Washington St. in Old Town Alexandria. Somehow, I survived 80 miles a day for 7.5 years without a single incident... and 6 days into my new job 4 miles from the house I get sideswiped. Weird. The long and short of it is that I was traveling east on a 2 lane, one way road, and a lady in the right lane attempted to turn left as I was passing her in the left lane. She claims that she was in the left lane, but logistically, it would be impossible for someone to pass to the left of her if she was in the left lane. I've traveled on that road for over 10 years and have reviewed the incident in my head the three times I've driven through that intersection since and cannot see how I she thought she was in the left lane. In any case, the 4runner sustained relatively minor, cosmetic damages while her driver's side wheel well was completely smashed. Gotta love the tank. What annoyed me most was that she jumped out of her car and started yelling at me, whereas the first words out of my mouth were, "are you ok?" Her response was, "of course I'm not OK, you wrecked my car!" Which proceeded to make me even more agitated since she was clearly not of sound mind... but oh well. We traded insurance information and we'll see what the impact is to my rate... ugh. Knock on wood, that's the last of my troubles with my crazy commute.

For those of you that I have not mentioned this to, Grafik is a Mac shop, which means that I have to learn all of the shortcut keys that I have grown accustomed to on the PC. What that has led to is me using Mac commands as I'm typing this, and PC commands as I attempt to work. It's very frustrating and I'm sure I'll have even more stories as I convert to the Mac. All in all, I really cannot comment on Macs as a whole since I do not have my final laptop yet and thus have only spent as much time as I've needed to in the past 7 days on what I have. I'll keep you posted though.

Finally, I DO have some stories to share from my experiences on Saturday trying to negotiate a lower cable bill, a lower cell phone plan, and a different gym membership, but my frustration level is so high still with that and I was so unsuccessful that I'll leave it for another time.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

New Start

The grand plan was to blog every day that I was off from work last week. Then of course the weather got warmer and I wanted to spend less and less time indoors. I finished off the week with two trail runs around 4-5 miles each, a trip to the gym and a 15 mile bike ride down to my parent's house. On Saturday, Lauren and I ventured out to Chesapeake Beach, MD for lunch and to check out some of the properties on the water. For those of you who have never been out there, it's a great place to do a summer weekend night dinner or get married if you live locally. The air is definitely cleaner and the people seem a tad friendlier than their neighbors 35 miles away. In any case, it's pretty safe to say that I was able to make the most of the weather before starting my new gig on Monday.

Speaking of which, yesterday was day 1 of being the "new guy" a role I had not played in over 7 years. While it's always a little uncomfortable the first few days, my new co-workers were all very friendly and are excited for me to be joining the team. After one day it's very apparent that I'll be kept pretty busy and will be challenged, which is exactly what I was hoping for... Now, if I can only get my own computer...

On to local sports... sadly, the Wizards continue to struggle with the Cavs while the Caps have now forced a Game 7, which wraps up tonight at the Verizon Center. It's definitely a first to have two DC teams in the playoffs playing games on the same night... something I could definitely get used to.

Anyway, that's all for now... more on the latest happenings soon!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Week Off, Day Two

So, it's that week between jobs, that week that we all look forward to while we're working wherever it is that we're working... a week that reminds you of Spring Break in college when you don't have to worry about anything. I don't have to think about my old job, and don't have any obligations yet at the new job. So what's the agenda for the week?

Well, the "Big Week Off" started early last Friday, when the weather was in the high 70s. I was able to sneak in a long bike ride in the afternoon on my new hybrid bike before Lauren and I went to the Eastern Shore for the weekend and tasted the food that will be served at our reception on Saturday. We also checked out the church so that we could actually see where we'll be declaring our life-long love for one another. The church is "ok." It's not your traditional Catholic church with high ceilings and stained glass windows, but it's not the building that matters... it's who is standing across from you at the altar. Anyway, from the church, we went on to Salero where we tasted pork spring rolls (C), scallops wrapped in bacon (A-), mini crab cakes (A+), Baked Salmon (B), Ham and Grueyere Cheese stuffed chicken (A), and a house salad that consisted of bleu cheese, cranberries, and nuts (B+). It was definitely enough to fill up, and helped settle some of the indecision we had about certain foods. The menu is not final yet, but it's safe to say that based on what we tasted, it's going to be a VERY tasty reception!

The rest of the weekend was spent watching the Masters and Tiger fail to make a move on the final day for the first time in awhile. I was actually disappointed that Immelman was never challenged on Sunday, though he seemed like a pretty decent guy in the interviews, and you have to feel good for a guy who four months ago was in a hospital bed wondering if the tumor in his body was cancerous. Sadly, the weather itself was a bust on Sunday... cold and kind of rainy. Also watched the Caps give away Game 2 to go into Game 3 today tied 1-1.

Yesterday, Lauren took the day off and we spent most of the day running errands letting the weather slowly warm up. By the afternoon, it wasn't too bad (mid 50s), so we went down to the water in Old Town and laid out in the sun for a few hours reading. Speaking of which, I picked up a great book by James Rollins, called Subterranean. It looks like this is one of a few books that he has written, so I'm looking forward to spending more time today and the rest of the week doing some much needed reading.

So, today... I've already been to the gym and perused the Washington Post to get caught up on my local sports news. In summary, the Wizards won last night in futility as the Cavs locked up the 4th position in a bizarre set of events that had them shooting the winning free throws after the 76ers had already left the court. The Wizards will face the Cavs in the first round for the 3rd straight season beginning this weekend I think. Meanwhile, the Caps play Game 3 tonight against the Flyers and hope to regain home ice advantage. Based on what I saw on Sunday, the Caps need to shake off the mental games and play their game. The Flyers are playing a rough style that seems to shake the Caps, particularly Ovechkin, who cannot seem to get into a rhythm. That being said, if Boudreau can wake them up, there is no reason why the Caps can't take this game tonight. We'll see.

Finally, I came across this great video on Chris Cooley's blog this morning that pits Portis versus Cooley's fiancee to see who knows Chris best. I am pretty excited that Chris is blogging since he's by far my favorite Skin and a guy that seems to have no problem giving his fans a window into his life.

Anyway, time to get moving and make some lunch. I think I'm going to try and go check out another part of the Potomac Heritage Trail after lunch and see if it's going to provide a place to go trail running in the future. Have a great day everyone!

Friday, April 11, 2008

End of an Era

Well, it's official... my time at WeatherBug has come to a bittersweet end after seven and a half years of amazing and memorable accomplishments. During this time period I've learned so much about product management, about building a business, and made some great friends along the way. The products that I've helped build are used by millions of people every day and have saved countless lives over the years.

For those of you who do not know, I've accepted a position at Grafik, a marketing communications firm based in Old Town as their new Director of Interactive Strategy. In this position, I will get to work with a great team to build up the interactive practice, and learn so much more about marketing and advertising. Not to mention, it's 5 minutes from our place in Del Ray.

As I shutdown my laptop and get on I-270 South one last time, I wish everyone at WeatherBug good luck and thank everyone for an unforgetable seven years.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Coming Out of a Haze...

After 7 days of feeling absolutely terrible, I woke up this morning feeling as if a great fog had been removed from my head. While I am still horribly congested, I have a lot more energy and have no problem eating. Not sure if it's the weather or the drugs, but regardless, I'm happy that this craziness is almost over... I hate being sick.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Birthday Fun


Grandpa's Birthday Present
Originally uploaded by psubuzz

Despite fighting some form of the flu and feeling absolutely miserable, there is something to be said for how a happy baby can make you feel. We celebrated my dad's birthday over at my brother's and this was surely the best present of all.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Big Night Tomorrow

After a 4-1 win last night over Tampa Bay, the Caps have taken over the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference, temporarily. Philly plays tonight against the Devils while Boston faces off against Ottawa. The outcome of those games should determine where the Caps sit going into tomorrow night's season finale against the Panthers.

That being said, not only are the Caps finishing off their regular season tomorrow night, the Final Four tips off, AND we have DC United's home opener against FC Toronto. A pretty big night for Washington sports...

Regardless of how the season ends for the Caps, it's been an amazing run that Boudreau has spear-headed the second half of the season, and I can easily see a Crosby-Ovechkin rivalry developing for the next 5-10 years which will be great for the NHL and great for this town.

Sick... Again

I'm not sure if it's the changing seasons or if Lauren continues to bring home various sicknesses from work, but I am suffering from yet another malady. I felt OK yesterday morning, but after doing a few odds and ends around the house and eating lunch, I been completely laid up by some form of flu/cold crud. I don't know about you, but when I get sick, I slip into a selfish survivor mode where I have no interest in anything but myself and feeling better.

How do you handle being sick? Any special remedies out there I should be aware of??

Thursday, April 3, 2008

The Verdict Is In...

Despite emptying half of the trash can that was full of dirt from our little project, the trash team decided that it was still too heavy to take this morning. So, I'll be out there again this morning trying to remove more dirt until it reaches acceptable weight standards.

Lesson learned.

Saturday, March 29, 2008

Another Day, Another Dollar


Saturday's Project
Originally uploaded by psubuzz

Today, Dan (pictured above) and I decided to build a patio for the the grill I got for Christmas. Four hours and $100 later, mission accomplished. It really wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be though the blisters that are currently forming on my hand will hurt for awhile. The REAL question is whether or not the garbage trucks are going to pick up the 350 lbs. trash can of dirt on Thursday.

I know you're asking, what in the world were you doing with dirt in the trash can.... well, ask Dan... it was his idea. ;)

Local Sport News (3-29)

In local sports news, the Wizards won a big game over the Kings tonight 114-108 further improving their impressive March record.

Meanwhile, the Flyers lost in OT and Carolina won big over the Trashers making it harder for the Caps to make the playoffs. I think our only hope is going to be catching up with Boston or Philly, but Boston has a game in hand at this point, so I guess we'll see how the weekend plays out.

And Then There Were None...

No Big Ten teams left in the tournament. It's not that I'm surprised that both Michigan State and Wisconsin lost to Memphis and Davidson respectively, I'm more surprised at how badly they were dispatched. Wisconsin couldn't find an answer for Stephen Curry and Davidson and MSU was completely run out of the gym by Memphis. They say that this could be the first Final Four that contains all of the #1 seeds... I guess we'll see if that's the case on Sunday when play completes.

In our NCAA draft pool, my money pick of Stephen Curry is keeping me within striking distance and if Davidson somehow finds a way to dispatch of Kansas on Sunday, he could be my ticket to the cash this year. Stay tuned.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

The Billygoat is Back

The arrival of spring and warmer weather of course means that it's time to start the trail running again. I figured that since I had been doing 3-4 days of cardio a week over the winter that I would be able to slide back into trail running without a problem...

I finally found a web site that has a great explanation of what the hike/run is like. Click here for more information.


View Larger Map

Sadly, I was only able to run the trail in one direction yesterday and had to hoof it back on the towpath. This morning, I woke up with sore legs from the various muscles you use to maintain your balance as you make your way over the various rocks and branches. Oh well... can't wait for the next run... It's so peaceful out there, though yesterday the quiet was broken up now and again by what appeared to be Fire and Rescue were practicing something on the river as they were speeding up and down in about 4-5 different rafts.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Grenade Ho!

I was racking my brain this morning about what was newsworthy or worth blogging about, and fortunately the daily crime report produced by the City of Alexandria came through for me... Directly from the report:

400 block of Crown View Drive. 03/24 between 3:00 P.M. and 3:30 P.M. The reporting person, a 48 year-old Alexandria man, reported a grenade attached to a basement window in a residence. The Alexandria Fire Department, Arlington County Bomb Squad, Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Army Emergency Ordnance Disposal (EOD) responded to the scene. A perimeter was set up and several homes were evacuated. Army EOD safely removed the device from the home.

As you can see from the image below, it's not a neighborhood where one would expect to be requiring a helmet or flak vest, but there's always something interesting going on in Alexandria.


View Larger Map

If you live in the area and do not subscribe to the Alexandria enews, I highly recommend it as you learn a lot about your neighbors by the crimes that are committed... Click here to subscribe.

Monday, March 24, 2008

Easter Fun


Bunny on the Loose
Originally uploaded by psubuzz

Nothing says "Happy Easter" like a baby in a bunny suit. I hope all of you had a peaceful and relaxing Easter!

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Badger Fan

Badger Fan

Hoping the Big Ten can continue to represent.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Bowling

Bowling

Lauren is apparently bowling here...

Tournament Time

For some reason this Thursday and Friday haven't felt the same as they have in past years. Not sure if it's the fact that not as many of the peeps are able to take the time off, or if it's watching it in the living room versus the "cave" of a few years ago, but it has lacked the excitement of previous years. I am sure this so-so feeling is a combination of the factors mentioned above, and changing priorities, a lackluster day one of the tournament, and a few other life changing events over the past few months... In any event, it feels like a little bit of the magic, or "madness" if you will, has disappeared for the moment. Honestly, up until Davidson's win over Gonzaga, and W. Kentucky's win over Drake, I was more interested in doing some spring cleaning than watching hoops.

Side note: how in the world is W. Kentucky beating Drake an upset? Since when did Drake earn the right to be "upset?" Makes no sense to me.

Anyway, Georgetown advances, and of my NCAA draft team (see below), only one guy (from Kent St.) has been eliminated in the first round... Could mean big things for Team B-rad...

Team B-rad
Josh Shipp - UCLA
Darrell Arthur - Kansas
Stephen Curry - Davidson
David Padgett - Louisville
Connor Atchley - Texas
Wayne Chism - Tennessee
Lazar Hayward - Marquette
Keaton Grant - Purdue
Kyle Weaver - WSU
Al Fisher - Kent St.
Keith Benjamin - Pittsburgh
James Mays - Clemson

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

3 Goals in 4 Minutes

After a sluggish 1-0 first half DC exploded to make it 4-0 by the 68th minute. Not a bad first home game of the season.

UPDATE:Game finished 5-0 after the flurry during the second half.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Milking Cows

Milking Cows

Dan has done this before.

Ragin Rabbits

Ragin Rabbits

Lauren and Leslie in action. Some have rhythm and some don't. In this case, Lauren does not...

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Angry Face

Angry Face

What gene thinks of me blogging.

Yeah... This close

Yep... 3 rows behind the bench.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Stardust

Stardust

If you have not heard of the movie stardust I highly recommend you checking it out. We netflixed it and while we were thrown at first by the fantasy nature of the movie we were pleasantly surprised in the end. The cast includes Robert De Neiro, Michelle Pfeiffer, sienna Miller, Claire Daynes and a few others that you would recognize. It's a great break from reality and a fun movie to watch. Which is just what I needed last night after this weekend. Check it out and let me know what you think. 

Sunday, March 2, 2008

More Fun

More Fun

Well, the weekend is over... But it didn't end without a little more excitement. It took a battery reset to get the speedometer working again after the car's fun on Friday.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

And it Continues

And it Continues

I'll have to take some better pictures with my camera but after getting about 6-8 inches of snow last night it has started again this morning (I guess it's still morning though I went to bed this morning... But I digress).  It should make for some more good sledding (yes, we went sledding last night... Morning - sorry).

Snow

Snow

Safe to say that we were not expecting the "snow emergency" when the group left national airport this afternoon.  And when I say national airport, I mean there was a lot of subterfuge going on before we arrived here at Deep Creek. That being said, before we settled in for the evening we dealt with a stuck MDX, a stuck Mercedes, and a stuck infinity sedan in the snow up here... Snow that everyone down in Alexandria did not deal with this evening.

In any case, we all finally arrived safely, though I definitely got my fill of snow for the winter... Pictures to come. (the fact that I had to push multiple cars this evening is a little annoying and unexpected).

But like I said, I will post some pictures of the debacle when we get back.

Friday, February 29, 2008

Treacherous Drive

So we are heading to the snowy mountains of MD. What's funny is that our friends back in dc won't see any of this snow. For us... We get snow.

The Big Day is Here...

... and I'm all packed up. Whether or not I'm going to be appropriately packed for this mystery weekend is an entirely different matter. I guess we'll have to wait and see what is in store for the big bachelor!

Given that I have no clue as to where we are going, I am unsure if I will be able to blog about the weekend as it is happening. If I get a phone signal, I'll try and post some pictures. If not, I'll recount as much as I can on Sunday when we get back.

For those of you joining me on this excursion, I want to extend my thanks for taking the time off from work to spend this time with me. I know what it's like to work around busy personal and work schedules, so this means a lot to me.

To everyone reading at home... have a great weekend!

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Firesale?

Firesale?

Looks like someone in the building is offloading some computers... That, or some very clever thieves are making off with the goods...

Annoyances of the Day

1) In an effort to further control the speeding that is happening in the parking lot here at work, the property management company has decided to raise the speed bump total from 20 to 40 (rough estimates) in our parking lot. Keep in mind that the original 15 are of the short but severely sharp kind, and the additional 25 are wider and a tad shorter. While this doesn't really bother me in the 4Runner, I am annoyed that this could have been nipped in the bud originally by posting stop signs at areas where traffic patterns cross rather than influence traffic patterns by arbitrarily throwing speed bumps down. I'll try and take a picture at some point to give you an idea of what I'm talking about, but for those of you working at WeatherBug, you KNOW what I'm saying...

2) My Outlook has up and decided not to work anymore. My "OST" file is "corrupt." As a company that relies on Outlook for communication and schedule management, not having Outlook since I got in working has been a real pain. I understand that there is a web version available, but it's just not the same... and I appreciate some of the suggestions, like "use your BlackBerry to do email" but in an effort to conserve my thumbs, I will pass.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Big Weekend Ahead

Big Weekend Ahead

Well, despite being a few months away from the big day, it's been decided that my bachelor party will be this weekend. And while it is technically my weekend I have been uninvolved in the planning. Traditionally, these type of things are more fun for the married friends than the bachelor or bachelorette, so we'll see how different this one is. I've received my official instructions as seen below...

b-RAD,

Your surprise weekend destination could require a multitude of clothing
requirements.  Here are a couple of things that you might want to throw in
the ol' duffel bag:

Swim trunks
Pair of shorts or two
T-shirts
Jeans
Clothes that can get gooey
Clean underwear
hiking boots
gloves
socks
toiletries
flip flops
towel
Government Issued ID
Some cash

So it appears that I will be going to a lakeside marshmellow fluff factory on top of a mountain that MIGHT be across some international border.

Hopefully, if I can get the photoblogging worked out I can keep you all posted on the events... It should be fun irregardless. These are my peeps and I'm pretty honored and psyched that they can all get away for a weekend with me.

Progress

Figured I'd keep you posted on the ever-growing Milestone Center Industrial Park area here in burgeoning Germantown. For those of you who do not traverse up 270 you would have no idea how many companies want to move into this area (I had no idea either). But apparently there is enough interest to justify another building.


Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Pulled the Trigger

Pulled the Trigger

I did it... Upgraded to the BlackBerry pearl yesterday. So far so good. I figure I'll test it out for the 30 days and decide if I want to keep it or change to a phone with a full keyboard. I'll keep you posted.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

West Virginia Weekend


View from the Backyard
Originally uploaded by psubuzz

We have a friend who has a cabin in the West Virginia mountains and we were fortunate enough to tag along with him this past weekend. The cabin is seriously in the middle of nowhere (couldn't find it in my GPS), and at night, it is about as quiet and dark as you can get. It was so dark and quiet in fact, I almost freaked myself out standing outside on the balcony Saturday night.

In any case, this is the view from the mountain that the cabin sits on, after a very steep 25 minute climb. Based on some of the maps we had, I think this is about at 3,200 ft. facing east towards VA.

It was really nice to get away from DC for the weekend and truly unwind, and the amazing part about it is that it is only 2 hours away. Pretty cool.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

The BlackBerry Saga

As some of you know, I have been jonesin' for a new blackberry for a few months now because: 1) this one is getting old and is much thicker than the new ones, 2) I want a phone with a camera so I can be cool, 3) I want to photo blog from my phone, and 4) everyone else has one.

Well, my anniversary date is February 22nd and I've tried everything I can think of at the Verizon store to get them to move it up without a fee and nothing has worked. When I say the phone doesn't work they give me a new one, when I say I'm spending a lot of money with them they don't care. I've even gone as far as to say that I am personally responsible for building the weather content on their phones, and they think that is cool, their standard response is, "call customer service."

But, the more that I think about it, the more I am inclined to switch carriers all together and go with someone that has the Curve so that I get the full keyboard AND has a camera. I'm not totally set to go this way, but as I am experiencing with Comcast (more on that in a forthcoming post), it may be time to move away from the incumbant. And no, this is not going to spiral into a political post as I am kind of getting sick of all of the primary coverage... Which by the way, thought it was interesting to hear this morning that the Chesapeake region (Maryland, DC, and Virginia) is a battleground area for Obama and Clinton. Our little area is finally politically relevant. Funny. But I digress...

Just in typing this alone, I had to spell Virginia 10 different times to get this small keyboard to figure out what I was typing so maybe it IS time for a switch... Though sources are saying that Verizon will be releasing a curve lookalike in the next few months... Should I wait? What do you think? Just think of all of the fun pictures you'll get once I have a camera on my phone!

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Babysitting


Who Me?
Originally uploaded by psubuzz

One of our birthday presents to my brother was babysitting for a little bit tonight so that he and his wife could go out for dinner on his big day. While it was only an hour and a half or so it seemed longer... We had fun though... We love the little guy!

Happy Birthday Bro

Happy Birthday Bro

My big (and only) brother turns 36 today! Happy birthday Steve! I'll have to dig around for a recent picture of him to post... Which I'm sure will thrill him tremendously.

Wedding Planning Update

For those of you who are nice enough to actually keep up on my blog, I thought I would let you know that we ARE actually listed on TheKnot.com under our first and last names and we ARE working on our registry. I was actually surprised at how complicated and exhausting it is to put together the darn registry, but after switching ideas of where we want to register a few times we have settled on 2 stores, of which details will be posted on the knot and my blog once complete. Should be in the next week or two.

Also, the save the dates are finally in (got them yesterday) and we will be putting together the packet and sending them out in the next week. We truly appreciate your patience, but this also took longer than expected.

That's the latest... More to come as we enter the final six months...

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

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...

Monday, January 28, 2008

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...

Monday, January 21, 2008

Nothing to Say

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!

Friday, January 18, 2008

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.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Two Wins

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.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

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...

Monday, December 24, 2007

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

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...

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

The Contest Begins

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...

Monday, December 17, 2007

Big Wins

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!

Sunday, December 16, 2007

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.

Friday, December 14, 2007

FFL Holiday Spirit

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!

Friday, November 30, 2007

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...

Thursday, November 29, 2007

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.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

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.

Monday, November 12, 2007

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...

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Why Me?

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.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Halftime 17-7

Halftime 17-7

Seems like the only way our defense can stop the Buckeyes is the clock running out for the half. It's a very rare that our offense is not giving away the game and our defense is not holding up.

JoePa better light a fire under their ass in the locker room to get them ready to play in the second half. The stadium is just waiting for something to go nuts on... I hope we get that in the 3rd quarter...

Until then... We are...

After One

After One

Defense has been hard to find so far... After each team had 2 possessions in the first quarter, OSU leads Penn State 10-7 after one.

That's What I'm Talking About

That's What I'm Talking About

7-3 after a possession from each squad. 7-3 Penn State that is...

The stadium is rocking and this promises to be a game to remember.

Game On Son

Game On Son

It's 30 minutes from kickoff and we are fighting our way through the crowd to get in.

So far the day has seen higher seeded south Florida, Kentucky, and Florida go down. Based on the crowd I have seen so far today, Ohio state will be no different.

Penn State 20
Ohio State 17

Game on son... We're ready.

We decide the snap count.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Speakerphone

Speakerphone

What's the deal with more and more people these days carrying on their private conversations on speakerphone? I really don't want to hear what Tito had for breakfast or why your daughter needs you to run to CVS. They make an earpiece so you can hold it up to your ear. Spare us the annoyance and use it please.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Unnecessary Nail Biter

Unnecessary Nail Biter

Unbelievable. As has been the case in the previous games when it looked like the Skins had it nicely sewn up, the game came down to the final play. After staking a 21-6 lead we let Arizona climb back into it after they scored the tying TD with 45 seconds left to go. However, the D came up big shutting the AZ O down on the 2 point conversion.

You'd think that was it... Which we did as we headed for the exit with the other thousands who assumed it was over. Yet, my cell phone was buzzing and the people around us were screaming as Arizona recovered the onside kickoff and lined up for a game winning, 55 yard field goal. So Phill and I huddled around a TV in the concourse and watched Rackers push the kick left. A nail biter indeed.

Redskins 21
Arizona 19

Next week: New England, 49-28 winners today. Brady had 6 TDs and is well on his way to breaking the TD record set by Manning a few years ago.

Should be an interesting game next Sunday. For now, I'll take the 4-2 record.

4th Quarter

After three quarters, the Skins lead 21-6 thanks to a short run from Portis. My Portis FFL stats at this point read 35 yards rushing and 2 TDs for 15 points. Thank god they are giving him the ball near the goal line...

Btw, can you believe Brady has 5 TDs already against Miami? Talk about a FFL dream...

At the Half

After it looked like the Redskins were poised to go into the half up 21-0 or at the minimum 17-0 Campbell turned the ball over which led to an eventual touchdown. The one bright spot on that unfortunate turn of events was that the extra point was blocked. Thus, at the end of the first half, the Skins are up 14-6.

But seriously, the sun is hot for October. This is ridiculous.

At the End of One

Thanks to a fortuitous interception (courtesy of Kurt Warner), the Redskins took 11 plays to punch it in the end zone for a 7-0 lead. I think I'm coming home with a sunburn...





Game Day

Beautiful day for football... Skins vs. the Cards.


The skins are 8 point favorites here with the Cardinals starting Warner despite the injury last week. That being said, the Skins are missing almost their entire offensive line... So we'll see...

There is supposedly a sold out stadium here today, though looking around it looks like a lot of people are choosing to pass up this amazing day to spend it somewhere else.



Stars

No I'm not seeing any. Last night Lauren and I went to the 930 Club to see the Canadian darlings, Stars. The place was sold out and a far contrast to what we saw on Tuesday for the Maroon 5 show at Verizon.

After navigating our way through a slightly frightening Howard University homecoming night, we arrived with enough time to grab a beer and catch up with some friends before the start of the show. Stars led off with their heart thumping instrumental from their new album, In the Bedroom After the War, and quickly transitioned into a few of their new songs. Despite the push to promote the new album, they played the songs that made me really take interest in them 2 years ago... Elevator Love Letter, Calender Girl, and of course Your Ex-Lover is Dead.

Safe to say their voices were amazing and the show was just as amazing.

When I get a second I'll try and grab some pics from Flickr from the show since I forgot yet again to take my camera.

Someone took a great series of photos from the show... click here for a closer look.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Maroon 5 at Verizon Center

Maroon 5
Originally uploaded by
MeetJustin

Last night Jeff, Katie, Lauren and I went to the Maroon 5 concert at the Verizon Center. A concert that was probably 4 to 1 girls to guys with all guys there either on dates, engaged, married, or the fathers of 13 year olds.

Looking around the audience, it was definitely a mixed crowd of 30 somethings out on girls night out, parents with their junior high kids, young couples, old couples, you name it. While the music was great, the lines for drinks were ridiculous with one line taking Jeff and I a good 25 minutes for a very strong mixed drink.

Since I forgot my camera last night, I had to borrow this photo from "MeetJustin" on Flickr, but it's a pretty good representation of what we saw from our seats in Section 102.

Besides a great show, the other highlight of the evening was dinner at Zengo a Latin-Asian fusion restaurant next door to the Verizon Center. While the food was a little pricey, it was EXTREMELY tasty and I definitely recommend it to anyone who is down in that part of town looking for something new.

All in all, a great night... though a very late night...

Monday, October 15, 2007

Quiet on Campus


Old Main in the Morning
Originally uploaded by
psubuzz

Amazing how quiet the campus can be on a Sunday morning... a mere 6 hours after most students had called it a night...

Funny when you think that this exact space can be jammed wall to wall people on a nice spring day and here you have it... completely empty.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Another New #1

Another New #1

With LSU losing, who will take over the number one spot this week? Seems like a curse doesn't it?

Will it be Ohio State? Cal? South Florida? Wow... Wouldn't that be something?

Bend But Don't Break

Bend But Don't Break

A great defensive philosophy that seems to have shut down the Badger offense. After a quick score in the first quarter, the Lion defense has quietly pitched a shutout the rest of the game.

Did I Say Close?

Did I Say Close?

When we play aggressive from start to finish it's a completely different team... 31-7 with 11 to go in the 3rd.

A Little VA Magic

Always good when the hometown boy, Evan Royster, runs it in from 22 yards out on 4th and 1. The boy carried westfield to a state championship 2 years ago, it's time for him to get more involved in our offense.



Turnovers

Always a good sign when you have 0 turnovers and the opponent has 2 and you have scored 2 TDs off of both of them.

A good day for sure.

10-7 After One

10-7 After One

After one frame Penn State has a 3 point advantage. So far, the offense seems to be more organized than in previous games with the coordinator calling relatively easy pass plays for Morelli. If only quarless would hold on to the ball.

We'll see, but I think my prediction of a tight game is on track...

Great start

Not only are our seats on the 40, 24 rows behind the Wisconsin bench, you gotta love when a team that desperately needs a gift to get one and take advantage of it.

First play of the game, Wisconsin fumbles and Penn State scores 3 plays later for a 7-0 lead.

Yeah!

Perfect Day

It doesn't get any better than this for football... It's about 60 degrees, sunny, and a slight fall breeze. A perfect day for an upset.

Tailgaters out in full force

Our quiet little spot (with the exception of Jeff)

Homecoming Love

Game Day

Game Day

The day of the Penn State-Wisconsin game has arrived and the day finds Lauren and I in State College with Jeff and Katie to witness what should be a tight game. After two Big Ten losses Penn State is unranked while Wisconsin has dropped to 19 after losing to Illinois last week. Most of the pundits are picking the lions to lose this game but having been here in person for these late afternoon games when the lights come on and the crowd screams, I think we'll pull it out 24-17.

5 hours will mark the start... And 8 hours from now we'll know who comes out on top.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

3-1

3-1

Yet another week passes and I am ashamed to touch on the performance of my Nittany Lions. Fortunately, we were not able to watch the game since we were on our way to meet the priest who will be performing our wedding mass at his parish up in Wilmington, DE. But try driving up 95 on a saturday when your team is losing and you are an hour late. It was a pleasant ride to say the least.

Anyway, Penn state choked it away again blowing countless opportunities to take the lead. I'm not sure what changes need to be made as I have been out of the loop, but as a fan, the season was over for me after the first loss, even though this past weekend opened the door for a potential one loss team making the national championship game. What a crazy NCAA weekend it was....

However, the sporting weekend was salvaged with a strong DC United win on saturday night over the hurting kids from Toronto and a dominant performance from my two fantasy football teams Socks but no Drawers and Live Action. My 2 wins this weekend put me in a solid position at 2-2 after 4 weeks.