Christmas Cheer

Because you like to see me dance.

These are a few of

My Favorite Things (by friends from London)

Pennies from heaven

who knew? http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061214/ap_on_bi_ge/mint_coins

tut tut, feels like rain

Driving to work today I thought, "Gee, what an ugly day." And then I thought, "This is what it's like in Seattle every day." Which took me down a line of thought. Here in Baltimore, we have multiple seasons with mulitiple weather patterns. The weather is a good general topic of discussion when you don't really have anything to say. If you're in a city where the weather is pretty much a constant, what do you small talk about? Do you have another equivalent to talking about the weather? (How bout those Mariners?) Or do you still talk about the weather? (Nice day out, only a slight drizzle.) Besides Seattle, I see this problem in San Diego. Do they say, "What a horrible day, look at those 5 clouds in the sky!" Is weather talk relative to the geographic location?

Morning Ritual

If any of you remember my first blog, you might remember my infatuation with apple spice hostess cup cakes. The cup cakes were part of my morning ritual - a schedule to help make the day get going.

I haven't seen an apple spice cup cake for a few years now. But I do still have a morning ritual. It begins when I'm still in bed. I set my alarm for 6:53 (with the clock set 7 minutes fast). Therefore, I can hit snooze 3 times and still be out of bed by 7:14. In between getting out of bed and leaving the house at 7:45 is free time to get dressed/eat/pack lunch in the order that matches my mood.

I take 95 to work and park in the farthest part of the lot and go up the side stairs. I set my things down, put on my badge then start my computer. After I enter the password, I go to the kitchen to make tea or hot chocolate.

The real ritual begins now. I sit at my computer and open my work email. Then I read CNN headlines, followed by Yahoo mail.

If no work is immediately expected of me, I embark on the following schedule:
http://www.aaronkaro.com/column.php (every other Monday)
http://allisonkasic.blogspot.com/ (for football, songs, and fun)
http://appetitivebehavior.blogspot.com/ (for recipes and style)
http://ramones.football.sportsline.com/ (on Tuesdays for picks)
http://bloggingprojectrunway.blogspot.com/ (but not so much since the season is over)
http://theonethirdwriter.blogspot.com/ (myself)
http://submarinewivesclub.org/ (to sympathize with the girls)

Welcome to the first 90 minutes of my day.

Bad football weekend, Good Basketball

Tears, my Redskins lost. Cheers, my Bison won (beating a final four team no less). Very strange seeing kids I knew at school on TV. And when I say knew, I mean I recognize them, saw them in the cafeteria, played intermural volleyball with, etc. In fact, I'm quite proud of the fact that my volleyball team beat McNaughton's team. That's right, and no one on our team was over 5'8". I had a mini-crush on Griffin (gosh, was he really a freshman when I was a senior?) because of his James Dean bad boy hair, but now that it's cut, I realize I'm completely over it. Anybody know what happened to last year's two assistant coaches?

Caveman Picks

Anybody can have a fantasy team. But can you win in a straight pick pool? My office does a pool, not based on getting points for upsets or anything, but a straight up 1 point=1 win pool. I pretty much suck at it, unless the week is full of upsets. I will tell you my strategy though, for at least I am ideologically rooted in my favorite teams.

Rule #1: Always pick the Redskins (I cannot deny the love for my childhood team and coach).
Rule #2: Always pick the Stillers (I may not say younz, but I do have a terrible towel - I missing the Bus, but I'm giving love to the reigning champs).
Rule #3: Always pick the Bears (Loved them since I was a wee one, love them now).
Rule #4: Always pick the Packers (I still have a crush on Brett Favre).
Rule #5: Always pick the Saints (They're like a pet hampster - I may love the dog better, but I still like the hampster and don't want to see it die).
Rule #6: Always pick the Broncos (Just for AK).
Rule #7: Always pick against the Cowboys.
Rule #8: Always pick against the Eagles.
Rule #9: Always pick against the Giants.
Rule #10: If any of the rules contradict one another in a match up, pick my favorite.
Rule #11: For all other picks, consider the mascots. Whichever mascot could beat up the other, pick that team (for instance, a Viking could step on a Cardinal - therefore Vikings get the pick. This usually means that all teams with numbers lose because a number is a pansy mascot).

I'm sure my rudimentary picks strategy dismays many football fans, and yet, I have come quite close to winning at least twice. I am proud to be the caveman of football picking.

Happy Thanksgiving Football watching!

BU vs. Wake

The good: 6 BU players scored in the double digits (on the court . . . ) and Vegotsky's 3 pointers in the first half.

The bad: The referees calling fouls on just about every single field goal attempt.

The serious (as Laura B. would say) ugly: The free throw line . . .I'm still shuddering it was so ugly.

Ode to a Submariner #1

Living in a submarine is like living in a time capsule.

You're packed away in it and buried (ocean, dirt, same difference). People start to forget about you, the sound of your voice, the curves of your face. The world above goes on its merry way and changes. The world series and elections are won and lost. Celebreties marry and divorce. War was declared as was a cease fire. And there you are in your floating time capsule wearing the same thing you wore when you left.

And then you are dug up (summoned by the powers that be at DoD). Maybe you've changed a little - your hair and toenails are longer, but the world has changed more. The woman that you love has cut her hair and painted her toenails and forgot how to kiss a little. You remember together until the next capsule is buried.

My Fall Line-Up

I used to not watch much tv. During undergrad I nearly stopped all together. But having a townhouse in the suburbs, a full time job and grad school homework, I find myself on the couch watching tv quite a bit. It all stems from doing homework while sitting on the couch. I turned the tv on for company and bada bing bada boom I have 4-6 shows that I now love to watch. Similar to how people make a "This is my playlist" list or a "On my I-pod" list, this is my tv list:

Sunday nights:
60 minutes
Nip/Tuck (I watch it Sundays, I guess it plays on Tuesdays and repeats on Sundays?)

Monday nights:
Nothing for now because of softball games, however food network during dinner and discovery health after the games fills the void of a real series

Tuesday nights:
Miami Ink

Wednesday nights:
ANTM
Project Runway (though not for long, tonight, the FINALE!)

Thursday nights:
Ugly Betty and/or
Til Death with Finch from American Pie and the brother from Everybody Loves Raymond (but when I went looking for the link I found out they had apparently cancelled it)
Grey's Anatomy (which I was totally opposed to watching since I generally don't like bandwagon things unless I was on first - but it was actually interesting and a fresh alternative to ER which should have been yanked 2 years ago)

The rest of the time I flip between channels 55-58 (Discovery Health, Style, Food Network, and HGTV respectively).

Many Uses . . .

Shelter, protection, getting high

Please do suggest alternate ideas for exterminating the umm . . . weeds.

Because I'm just that classy

Due to unforseen ridiculousness at the airport last night (and/or an airline employee's illiteracy) I found myself re-routed. The original plan was to take off from Kansas City, Missouri (I actually went to Topeka, KS on a business trip - very disappointing on some levels, didn't see cornfields, a bison - their state animal - or a tornado; but very satisfying on another, I got a burger, applesauce, pepsi with cherry flavoring, a coffee and a homemade piece of coconut cream merangue pie for $6) and land at BWI via Chicago. Instead I went via Dallas/Ft.Worth. I had to throw away my Auntie Anne's lemonade before I got on the plane, even though I clearly demonstrated it was not liquid nitrate by taking a few sips and not dying. I was very confused as to which group I was supposed to board with because instead of 1, 2, 3 etc, my ticket said "First". So I waited until they were letting all groups on just to avoid conflict at the gate ("Sorry ma'am, "First" must have been a typo, you're in group 6"). I walk by First Class to find my seat - 2E. I get to coach and start looking. It starts at row 8. Holy CRAP! I think I'm sitting in First Class, hence the "First" listed after group. Of course, at this point I have to back track against the 20 other people behind me trying to fight their way to coach. I finally get settled and realized what an ass I've looked like until this point. I have my back pack with all sorts of flair, my hair is a flat mess, and I'm wearing a "Property of Levenworth" T-shirt that I had bought at the airport because I was cold. No worries though, I didn't care how I looked after the waitress brought me out a pre-flight Jack and Coke while we were still putzing at the gate. I don't think we had quite taken off when I fell asleep in the nicely, proportionately designed chair. The thing in first class is that nobody bothers you. There weren't any crying babies, they let you watch tv (even on the short flights) and you don't have to wrestle with a midget for a blanket. Hot damn, I think I could get used to this.