It's the sincerest form of flattery. I've now had to posts stolen from ESPN columnists. First, Mark Schlabach ripped off my 2008 College Football Preview and now comes the imminent Jayson Stark.
In this article, his second question is Can Lance Berkman or Josh Hamilton win a Triple Crown?
Thank you Jayson. This one is free. The next one will cost you.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
TWIB
I used to love watching This Week in Baseball when I was growing up. I love hearing Mel Allen as he went through the show.
One of the token things I always look for during the season is the batting Triple Crown: lead the league in average, homers and ribbies.
Currently, one player from each league has a shot.
In the AL, Josh Hamilton is tied for second in BA (.333 [only .005 behind leader]), second in round trippers (12 [2 behind]) and first in RBI (53 [10 ahead]).
In the NL, Lance "Men at" Berkman is second in BA (.385 [-.032]), tied for first in homers (16) and first in RBI (46 [+3]).
This is only the second year in The Show for Hamilton, so I don't see him sustaining his pace, although he wasn't that shabby last year. He's a lefty, so he'll definitely get the opportunity against a lot of righties to pad those stats, especially since the Rangers aren't exactly a murderer's row. The main question is, will he get enough plate appearances?
Oddly enough, the top two men in average in the NL are switch-hitters. An article a week or so ago about Chipper Jones mentioned how hard it is for him because he has to practice two different swings. Berkman plays at HomeRun Park, so that'll help him a bit. His stats tell us that he's on pace with his 2002 and 2006 campaigns, which were his best years for average, homers and ribbies. He's more patient at the plate this year and he's an every-day player. The question though, is will his average hold up? He's a career .304 hitter. Those '02 and '06 seasons gave us .331 and .315. Plus, he's got Albert Pujols lying in wait for him. Sir Albert is a lifetime .332 hitter and his average, homers and RBI are all higher than Berkman.
One thing these guys can't control, however, is those RBI. They're kinda danged if they do, danged if they don't if the men in front of them get on base. They're likely to see better pitches with nobody on.
It'll be an exciting race to watch.
To be continued...
One of the token things I always look for during the season is the batting Triple Crown: lead the league in average, homers and ribbies.
Currently, one player from each league has a shot.
In the AL, Josh Hamilton is tied for second in BA (.333 [only .005 behind leader]), second in round trippers (12 [2 behind]) and first in RBI (53 [10 ahead]).
In the NL, Lance "Men at" Berkman is second in BA (.385 [-.032]), tied for first in homers (16) and first in RBI (46 [+3]).
This is only the second year in The Show for Hamilton, so I don't see him sustaining his pace, although he wasn't that shabby last year. He's a lefty, so he'll definitely get the opportunity against a lot of righties to pad those stats, especially since the Rangers aren't exactly a murderer's row. The main question is, will he get enough plate appearances?
Oddly enough, the top two men in average in the NL are switch-hitters. An article a week or so ago about Chipper Jones mentioned how hard it is for him because he has to practice two different swings. Berkman plays at HomeRun Park, so that'll help him a bit. His stats tell us that he's on pace with his 2002 and 2006 campaigns, which were his best years for average, homers and ribbies. He's more patient at the plate this year and he's an every-day player. The question though, is will his average hold up? He's a career .304 hitter. Those '02 and '06 seasons gave us .331 and .315. Plus, he's got Albert Pujols lying in wait for him. Sir Albert is a lifetime .332 hitter and his average, homers and RBI are all higher than Berkman.
One thing these guys can't control, however, is those RBI. They're kinda danged if they do, danged if they don't if the men in front of them get on base. They're likely to see better pitches with nobody on.
It'll be an exciting race to watch.
To be continued...
Grey's Anatomy
So, the season is over. What are we to expect from next season?
Meredith goes into bankruptcy after spending $2000 on candles and glasses for their future house because she can't afford medical care after winds whip up the flames and give her third degree burns over 90% of her body.
Derek gets hurt in an accident on his way to tell Rose that he's going back to Meredith and is in a coma for four weeks. He and Mer are put in the same room. Yang and Rose become best friends as they spend most of their time caring for the two invalids.
The girl that lived through the trial will be pregnant and her parents will sue Seattle Grace, Derek & Meredith. Her child will be a boy and she'll name it after her dead boyfriend with Derek as his middle name.
Meredith (and Derek in absentia) will be suspended for doing the extra attempt even though it worked. The chief will also be suspended for it being at his hospital.
George will retake his intern test, but fail again by one point because he is so disturbed by the new romance between Callie & Hahn. He will then become a manny for Bailey's boy so that her husband can go back to work. Several weeks later, a scoring error will be revealed from the first test, but George decides to stay a manny, saying he has found peace and enlightenment.
Tune in this fall to see what predictions come true.
Meredith goes into bankruptcy after spending $2000 on candles and glasses for their future house because she can't afford medical care after winds whip up the flames and give her third degree burns over 90% of her body.
Derek gets hurt in an accident on his way to tell Rose that he's going back to Meredith and is in a coma for four weeks. He and Mer are put in the same room. Yang and Rose become best friends as they spend most of their time caring for the two invalids.
The girl that lived through the trial will be pregnant and her parents will sue Seattle Grace, Derek & Meredith. Her child will be a boy and she'll name it after her dead boyfriend with Derek as his middle name.
Meredith (and Derek in absentia) will be suspended for doing the extra attempt even though it worked. The chief will also be suspended for it being at his hospital.
George will retake his intern test, but fail again by one point because he is so disturbed by the new romance between Callie & Hahn. He will then become a manny for Bailey's boy so that her husband can go back to work. Several weeks later, a scoring error will be revealed from the first test, but George decides to stay a manny, saying he has found peace and enlightenment.
Tune in this fall to see what predictions come true.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
CMAs
Me and the missus were watching the awards show tonight and two artists threw their guitars off-stage. Now, did they have to go hire a "hands team" to field the guitars, or is it someone from their crew they tour with whose responsibility is to catch the Fender? How much does that person get paid? If you drop one do you get fired? Or do you practice? If so, how many hours of practice do you go through? Do they have guitar crash-test dummies? Do you get your wages garnished if you drop one or break a string?
George Strait. Still going strong after all these years. To give some perspective on how many years that is, he was my big sister's heartthrob back in the day. Him and Joe Montana.
Why did Tony Romo dump Carrie Underwood for Jessica Simpson? That's like a new junior partner in a huge law firm being offered a Bentley as a signing bonus and saying "Do you have a used car I could lease?" Because everybody knows, if you got Jess, you get Joe too. *shudder*
George Strait. Still going strong after all these years. To give some perspective on how many years that is, he was my big sister's heartthrob back in the day. Him and Joe Montana.
Why did Tony Romo dump Carrie Underwood for Jessica Simpson? That's like a new junior partner in a huge law firm being offered a Bentley as a signing bonus and saying "Do you have a used car I could lease?" Because everybody knows, if you got Jess, you get Joe too. *shudder*
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
And The Answer Is...
Yes, I can walk today. The only thing I feel is my right shoulder clicking a little bit.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Old Man Haiku
I know, I know. I'm not officially old yet. That'll happen in October.
Nevertheless, I submit the following poem:
Haven't played hoops in
ten years. Will I be able
to walk tomorrow?
Nevertheless, I submit the following poem:
Haven't played hoops in
ten years. Will I be able
to walk tomorrow?
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Points Proved
In case you missed them, I panned both Jason Castro and Paula Abdul in two recent posts.
Jason did nothing tonight to prove me wrong, and, in fact, made things worse for himself. The only way he gets through is if that web site asks all its readers to vote for him.
Was Paula drunk tonight? I'll give her the benefit of the doubt that she was thrown off by Seacrest's impromptu call for a quick assessment. (He had previously said the judges would give their takes after the second song. When she started talking about Jason's second song, the cameras quickly focused in on the confused host, contestants, judges and audience. And once more I plead with you, LOSE THE BANGS! I know the '80s are coming back, but at least with those bangs we could still see your eyes. Maybe she was trying to hide the dark circles from her hangover!
Jason did nothing tonight to prove me wrong, and, in fact, made things worse for himself. The only way he gets through is if that web site asks all its readers to vote for him.
Was Paula drunk tonight? I'll give her the benefit of the doubt that she was thrown off by Seacrest's impromptu call for a quick assessment. (He had previously said the judges would give their takes after the second song. When she started talking about Jason's second song, the cameras quickly focused in on the confused host, contestants, judges and audience. And once more I plead with you, LOSE THE BANGS! I know the '80s are coming back, but at least with those bangs we could still see your eyes. Maybe she was trying to hide the dark circles from her hangover!
Friday, April 25, 2008
Simmons Cracks Me Up
For those of you that don't know, I'm a big fan of the Sports Guy on ESPN2. He's got a great sense of humor and regular gets me laughing.
Today at lunch I was reading his Awards column. Scroll to about two-thirds the way down and read the section entitled The Raymond Babbit Award, but especially the aside in parenthesis. I almost spewed the water in my mouth and I was literally crying.
Thanks SG. Keep it up.
Today at lunch I was reading his Awards column. Scroll to about two-thirds the way down and read the section entitled The Raymond Babbit Award, but especially the aside in parenthesis. I almost spewed the water in my mouth and I was literally crying.
Thanks SG. Keep it up.
Date Night
C and I went out on Wednesday night to the outlet mall.
You know how in most stores the clerks don't care if you go into the dressing room together? Well, we went to this one store called Papaya, where they had two signs posted outside the dressing room area that said "NO BOYS ALLOWED". I applaud them for having the mores to not allow guys in. While it may be a convenience for those married folks who want to put something flirty on just to see how it looks, I'd rather them have a moral compass.
After we were done shopping, we sat down in Starbucks to make some lists to help us be better organized. While we were there, I noticed a sign on a Sirena Espresso Machine that said:
"Everyday low price $399"
If that's the low price, I'd hate to pay the normal price. Sheesh.
You know how in most stores the clerks don't care if you go into the dressing room together? Well, we went to this one store called Papaya, where they had two signs posted outside the dressing room area that said "NO BOYS ALLOWED". I applaud them for having the mores to not allow guys in. While it may be a convenience for those married folks who want to put something flirty on just to see how it looks, I'd rather them have a moral compass.
After we were done shopping, we sat down in Starbucks to make some lists to help us be better organized. While we were there, I noticed a sign on a Sirena Espresso Machine that said:
"Everyday low price $399"
If that's the low price, I'd hate to pay the normal price. Sheesh.
American Idol Results Show
Last night on American Idol, Paula Abdul was voted off. A stunned Paula Abdul lashed out at the voting public "I just renewed my contract. You can't vote me off!" Ryan Seacrest asked fellow judges Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson what Paula could take away from her time on the show to help her in the future.
Randy said "You know, it was just a'ight for me. I wasn't really feeling it this season. I think she found her niche with all the complimenting. Maybe having actual thoughts isn't what she's best at. I think she should try motivational speaking."
Simon replied "I thought her judging this season has been rather cabaret. She had a strong show in week two of the finals when she actually gave a relevant opinion based on the singing. I think going forward she needs to stop focusing on the contestants' appearance and more on their vocals."
Producer Simon Fuller was seen backstage giving high-fives to everyone he saw. He gave an extended hug to a surprised key grip. Asked to explain his jubilation, Fuller gave the following press release, including a job posting:
Dear Idol fans,
Although we were given only six-and-a-half years of Paula's presence on Idol, it felt so much longer. She was a key third member of our judging panel and provided an uplifting spirit to help our contestants feel good about themselves even when they performed poorly. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to buy a Ford, a Coca-Cola product or donate to Idol Gives Back.
In the spirit of Idol Gives Back, we are sending Paula to Ethiopia for what would have been the remainder of her contract with Fox.
Consequently, we are in need of an analyst to join Simon and Randy. The successful candidate must have a mind of her own, be able to form a cogent analysis of the performances, and have a stylist with a sense of current fashion trends (Note: No bangs allowed). Experience feigning romantic tension a plus.
Sincerely,
Simon Fuller
(Sigh) If only that were true.
Randy said "You know, it was just a'ight for me. I wasn't really feeling it this season. I think she found her niche with all the complimenting. Maybe having actual thoughts isn't what she's best at. I think she should try motivational speaking."
Simon replied "I thought her judging this season has been rather cabaret. She had a strong show in week two of the finals when she actually gave a relevant opinion based on the singing. I think going forward she needs to stop focusing on the contestants' appearance and more on their vocals."
Producer Simon Fuller was seen backstage giving high-fives to everyone he saw. He gave an extended hug to a surprised key grip. Asked to explain his jubilation, Fuller gave the following press release, including a job posting:
Dear Idol fans,
Although we were given only six-and-a-half years of Paula's presence on Idol, it felt so much longer. She was a key third member of our judging panel and provided an uplifting spirit to help our contestants feel good about themselves even when they performed poorly. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to buy a Ford, a Coca-Cola product or donate to Idol Gives Back.
In the spirit of Idol Gives Back, we are sending Paula to Ethiopia for what would have been the remainder of her contract with Fox.
Consequently, we are in need of an analyst to join Simon and Randy. The successful candidate must have a mind of her own, be able to form a cogent analysis of the performances, and have a stylist with a sense of current fashion trends (Note: No bangs allowed). Experience feigning romantic tension a plus.
Sincerely,
Simon Fuller
(Sigh) If only that were true.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
American Idol
We have some neighbors who casually know Jason Castro.
He seems like a good kid.
But Top 10 good? I don't think so. If he didn't have those eyes of his, he would've been booted a long time ago. But he's garnering the coveted 12-30 female demographic because "He's so dreamy!".
He has yet to really show off his pipes, instead settling for ballads, which, in most Idol seasons, would be enough to get you gone early. But with the weak overall talent, especially from the ladies, he's been able to stay.
Let's just some it up with a question from my 3-year-old last night when we saw the recap:
"Mommy, what's her name?"
Aaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnd...
I'm out.
He seems like a good kid.
But Top 10 good? I don't think so. If he didn't have those eyes of his, he would've been booted a long time ago. But he's garnering the coveted 12-30 female demographic because "He's so dreamy!".
He has yet to really show off his pipes, instead settling for ballads, which, in most Idol seasons, would be enough to get you gone early. But with the weak overall talent, especially from the ladies, he's been able to stay.
Let's just some it up with a question from my 3-year-old last night when we saw the recap:
"Mommy, what's her name?"
Aaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnd...
I'm out.
Allergies
If you live in Austin long enough, you'll develop allergies, even if you haven't had them your whole life. We complain about the pollen around here, and rightfully so. Our daughters get nailed with it several times a year. Just recently, M was diagnosed with allergy-induced asthma, which gives her this horrible cough for weeks at a time. It usually hits during the winter, so we'll be ready for it later this year. When it hits S, she's a big snotty mess. C and I usually keep at least one tissue tucked in our pockets so we'll be able to wipe her face before she can get to it. She doesn't quite look like Pizza the Hut, but it can get gruesome.
A Forbes study on worst city for allergies lists Austin as only #54, down from #24 a year ago. It doesn't seem that much better. Of course it doesn't help that we have a yoooge (as The Donald would say) oak tree in our front yard.
Maybe I should just buy stock in Puffs.
A Forbes study on worst city for allergies lists Austin as only #54, down from #24 a year ago. It doesn't seem that much better. Of course it doesn't help that we have a yoooge (as The Donald would say) oak tree in our front yard.
Maybe I should just buy stock in Puffs.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Camping
We had a good time, the sleeping battles notwithstanding. We're gonna need a bigger tent next time.
Two nights did prove nicer than just one since we didn't have to hurriedly pack our bags first thing in the morning.
We couldn't have asked for better weather, even though it was in the upper 30s both nights.
Saturday morning I did a terrible job trying to start a fire from the hot ashes. Not being a person that likes to make the same mistake again, I watched Alpha Pig and came back Sunday morning with a good fire going to warm us up.
You know you've been outside too much when you look at your feet and wonder if it's a flip-flop tan or you just got the first layer of dirt off. Thankfully it's the former.
And finally, whereas I usually space out my farmer tanning over several weeks, I just decided to get it done in two days. Nice golden neck and arms. Pale everywhere else.
Two nights did prove nicer than just one since we didn't have to hurriedly pack our bags first thing in the morning.
We couldn't have asked for better weather, even though it was in the upper 30s both nights.
Saturday morning I did a terrible job trying to start a fire from the hot ashes. Not being a person that likes to make the same mistake again, I watched Alpha Pig and came back Sunday morning with a good fire going to warm us up.
You know you've been outside too much when you look at your feet and wonder if it's a flip-flop tan or you just got the first layer of dirt off. Thankfully it's the former.
And finally, whereas I usually space out my farmer tanning over several weeks, I just decided to get it done in two days. Nice golden neck and arms. Pale everywhere else.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Links
In this article excerpt republished as the NFL draft approaches, The Hair talks about how Ryan Leaf could throw accurate darts on the run and how it "make[s] you hit the rewind button on the VCR." Bye-bye VCR, hello TiVo. What will it be in 5 years?
A story out of India that a couple's first child has a rare malformation called craniofacial duplication. Beware photos of the child, which may be unsettling for young children possibly sitting in your lap. The unfortunate part is that, in this deeply superstitious part of rural India, people believe Lali is a reincarnation of the goddess Durga and they're petitioning the government for funds to build a shrine to their deity of valor.
This article details the "21 on 21" drinking binge that apparently 30% of kids take part in on their 21st birthday. I remember my freshman year at school when my roommate pledged Acacia house. They took him out drinking on his birthday. He came home in the early-morning hours and woke up still drunk at three in the afternoon. I personally think allowing a child to have a limited amount of alcohol before the turn 21, and maybe sooner, would drive down the incidence of binge drinking and alcoholism in young "adults". I think it's the mystique of illegality that drives young people to dangerous habits, whether it be alcohol or drugs. Take away that mystique before they leave the nest and they're probably less likely to engage in such destructive behavior.
Finally, there's an article about a magazine creator who gives this purpose and drive for his lifestyle:
"I could not bear just being a publisher or a planter of trees or just being a mad hedonist. I'm immensely greedy and I want it all. I'm just trying to have a bloody good time filling in the gap between being born and dying."
That's why I'm scared for my daughters. That is the prevailing mindset for so many lost souls. That is the epitaph for millions of young people and will be for millions, even billions more, if they don't hear about Jesus the Christ. Not the Jesus that's castigated and viewed as just a prophet or a good teacher, but the true Son of God whose perfect life and resurrection from the dead alone gives us the hope of eternal life.
A story out of India that a couple's first child has a rare malformation called craniofacial duplication. Beware photos of the child, which may be unsettling for young children possibly sitting in your lap. The unfortunate part is that, in this deeply superstitious part of rural India, people believe Lali is a reincarnation of the goddess Durga and they're petitioning the government for funds to build a shrine to their deity of valor.
This article details the "21 on 21" drinking binge that apparently 30% of kids take part in on their 21st birthday. I remember my freshman year at school when my roommate pledged Acacia house. They took him out drinking on his birthday. He came home in the early-morning hours and woke up still drunk at three in the afternoon. I personally think allowing a child to have a limited amount of alcohol before the turn 21, and maybe sooner, would drive down the incidence of binge drinking and alcoholism in young "adults". I think it's the mystique of illegality that drives young people to dangerous habits, whether it be alcohol or drugs. Take away that mystique before they leave the nest and they're probably less likely to engage in such destructive behavior.
Finally, there's an article about a magazine creator who gives this purpose and drive for his lifestyle:
"I could not bear just being a publisher or a planter of trees or just being a mad hedonist. I'm immensely greedy and I want it all. I'm just trying to have a bloody good time filling in the gap between being born and dying."
That's why I'm scared for my daughters. That is the prevailing mindset for so many lost souls. That is the epitaph for millions of young people and will be for millions, even billions more, if they don't hear about Jesus the Christ. Not the Jesus that's castigated and viewed as just a prophet or a good teacher, but the true Son of God whose perfect life and resurrection from the dead alone gives us the hope of eternal life.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Priceless
In this article on MSNBC.com, a Serbian farmer was ordered to give half of everything he owned to his ex-wife of 45 years.
Miffed at having to decide which farm tools to give up, he just cut them in half instead. Then he gave this quote:
"I still haven't decided how to split the cow," he told the newspaper. "She should just say what she wants — the part with the horns or the part with the tail."
Hope that brings a smile to your face. I know I needed it today.
Miffed at having to decide which farm tools to give up, he just cut them in half instead. Then he gave this quote:
"I still haven't decided how to split the cow," he told the newspaper. "She should just say what she wants — the part with the horns or the part with the tail."
Hope that brings a smile to your face. I know I needed it today.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Smarty-crats?
Growing up in the buckle of the Bible belt, I've heard the term "Dummycrats" more than my fair share. I was intrigued by this article in the online edition of Slate magazine.
The premise is rather fun. Before the general election, Obama and Clinton decide to split the term in some way. Whoever is the candidate for President will at some point cede power to the Veep. Then in '12, the Veep runs for President and flip-flops again. Repeat in '16 and '20. Those two would be able to run the country for 16 consecutive years, barring an injunction by the Supreme Court, which the author fails to mention. Could you imagine that? No matter the party, that would defeat the purpose of the 22nd Amendment. But I really like it. It's very clever, so it makes me a fan.
I don't see the Republicans being able to pull this one off since neither are vastly popular and especially since McCain is Bob Dole-ish in age during his run. I think also that the GOP needs a fresh new face, or at least a non-Bush pol, to have any shot in '12.
Personally, even though I tend to lean toward Republicans when voting, I'd like to see how the Dems do at 1600 Pennsylvania for a term or two, just to see how the press would handle them. Foxnews would most likely be the only large news agency willing to give them bad pub. After all the hemming and hawing during the George W. Bush Administration, it would be interesting to see if the Blue Base will get as annoyed and frustrated with the broken promises and bait-and-switches that will happen with their party prez.
God Bless America!
The premise is rather fun. Before the general election, Obama and Clinton decide to split the term in some way. Whoever is the candidate for President will at some point cede power to the Veep. Then in '12, the Veep runs for President and flip-flops again. Repeat in '16 and '20. Those two would be able to run the country for 16 consecutive years, barring an injunction by the Supreme Court, which the author fails to mention. Could you imagine that? No matter the party, that would defeat the purpose of the 22nd Amendment. But I really like it. It's very clever, so it makes me a fan.
I don't see the Republicans being able to pull this one off since neither are vastly popular and especially since McCain is Bob Dole-ish in age during his run. I think also that the GOP needs a fresh new face, or at least a non-Bush pol, to have any shot in '12.
Personally, even though I tend to lean toward Republicans when voting, I'd like to see how the Dems do at 1600 Pennsylvania for a term or two, just to see how the press would handle them. Foxnews would most likely be the only large news agency willing to give them bad pub. After all the hemming and hawing during the George W. Bush Administration, it would be interesting to see if the Blue Base will get as annoyed and frustrated with the broken promises and bait-and-switches that will happen with their party prez.
God Bless America!
Done
The UT mens basketball season is over. We were thrashed by a very talented and motivated Memphis teams. When they were up 50-20 over a very good defensive Michigan State team on Friday, I knew that spelled doom for our Tourney run. But hey, Elite 8 with a cast comprised mostly of sophomores and juniors. I'll take it. Fifth- to eighth-best team in the country? I'll more than take it.
Now our boys no what they need to do next year to advance further. Thanks for the memories 'Horns. See you next year.
P.S. All four #1 seeds advanced for the first time in history. That wind from Illinois is the collective sigh and rejoicing of the Selection Committee for being the first to "get it right". Congrats.
Now our boys no what they need to do next year to advance further. Thanks for the memories 'Horns. See you next year.
P.S. All four #1 seeds advanced for the first time in history. That wind from Illinois is the collective sigh and rejoicing of the Selection Committee for being the first to "get it right". Congrats.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
March Madness
I know it's been a while since I've last posted, but I didn't quite expect March 2. Things have been very busy at work and home since our 6th Anniversary.
Work hasn't really had any letup for these past three weeks, except maybe one day a week where I can come up for air. Things don't look like they're going to let up any time soon. I have to start a method validation on a certain raw material and it needs to be wrapped up before the end of April. Oh yeah, I have to do it on top of everything else that comes in. Caution: Rant Alert!! I am having the hardest time getting GCMS#2 to work right now. It won't pass a tune and I'm not sure what to do to get it to pass. I'm thinking about pulling on Office Space on it next week if it doesn't shape up. That or call our service contractor.
If you haven't heard, S got her cast off a week ago and the last few days she has been motoring. Everything clicked on Sunday night and she just started toddling around. It's so much fun to watch her amble around the house and hear the pitter-patter of those cute little feet.
M turns 3 on Good Friday. It doesn't seem like that long ago we brought her home from the hospital with her little conehead. While she's grown a lot, she's also gotten a little too big for her britches lately. She has developed an attitude that doesn't sit well with us. But she is still doing so well with a lot of things. I have to keep reminding myself that she is not an adult, even though she acts like one a lot of times.
C has been very busy lately. The girls' nap schedules have not overlapped much, so she hasn't been able to get much done around the house. And there's the new venture, a mission trip in June to Spain and Turkey to encourage some of Grace's missionaries, that we hope to raise support for. Since we both have full-time jobs, it's been hard to get everything done. She's done a fantastic job as much of the onus has fallen on her since she does have a little more downtime than I do.
So, there is this basketball tournament that starts tomorrow. Well, it technically started Tuesday night with a play-in game, but the real madness begins tomorrow. I think my bracket is already busted. I filled out 4 brackets on ESPN, including one I've dubbed my Formula Bracket. I am walking a very fine line between nerd and geek here lately with my spreadsheets to determine rankings. I want to see how it does compared to my gut instincts. I'll post the results later. I'll give you a couple of picks to get you started. The formula picks #15UMBC over #2Georgetown and #10Davidson over #7Gonzaga, which is the "sexy" upset pick. If everyone thinks it'll happen, is it really an upset? Whatever happens, I'm just happy they went back to the old East, West, South, Southwest for the region names. None of this pod business. At least the NCAA came to their senses.
Work hasn't really had any letup for these past three weeks, except maybe one day a week where I can come up for air. Things don't look like they're going to let up any time soon. I have to start a method validation on a certain raw material and it needs to be wrapped up before the end of April. Oh yeah, I have to do it on top of everything else that comes in. Caution: Rant Alert!! I am having the hardest time getting GCMS#2 to work right now. It won't pass a tune and I'm not sure what to do to get it to pass. I'm thinking about pulling on Office Space on it next week if it doesn't shape up. That or call our service contractor.
If you haven't heard, S got her cast off a week ago and the last few days she has been motoring. Everything clicked on Sunday night and she just started toddling around. It's so much fun to watch her amble around the house and hear the pitter-patter of those cute little feet.
M turns 3 on Good Friday. It doesn't seem like that long ago we brought her home from the hospital with her little conehead. While she's grown a lot, she's also gotten a little too big for her britches lately. She has developed an attitude that doesn't sit well with us. But she is still doing so well with a lot of things. I have to keep reminding myself that she is not an adult, even though she acts like one a lot of times.
C has been very busy lately. The girls' nap schedules have not overlapped much, so she hasn't been able to get much done around the house. And there's the new venture, a mission trip in June to Spain and Turkey to encourage some of Grace's missionaries, that we hope to raise support for. Since we both have full-time jobs, it's been hard to get everything done. She's done a fantastic job as much of the onus has fallen on her since she does have a little more downtime than I do.
So, there is this basketball tournament that starts tomorrow. Well, it technically started Tuesday night with a play-in game, but the real madness begins tomorrow. I think my bracket is already busted. I filled out 4 brackets on ESPN, including one I've dubbed my Formula Bracket. I am walking a very fine line between nerd and geek here lately with my spreadsheets to determine rankings. I want to see how it does compared to my gut instincts. I'll post the results later. I'll give you a couple of picks to get you started. The formula picks #15UMBC over #2Georgetown and #10Davidson over #7Gonzaga, which is the "sexy" upset pick. If everyone thinks it'll happen, is it really an upset? Whatever happens, I'm just happy they went back to the old East, West, South, Southwest for the region names. None of this pod business. At least the NCAA came to their senses.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
My Little Songbird
M's been singing up a storm lately and she added a new wrinkle this week.
Maybe it's the little bit of American Idol she's seen these past couple of weeks.
Maybe it's the little bit of American Idol she's seen these past couple of weeks.
Part of Something Special
Dude, this is my church!
We drove past it last night after a wedding and it looked incredible. But this overhead shot gives a better picture of what our new building is going to look like.
If I were a snowboarder, I'd say "I'm stoked!"
But I'll just say "sweeeeeeeet".
Happy Anniversary!
Okay husbands of the world. I dare you to find a better anniversary gift than this...
A two-and-a-half hour nap!
Thanks Hon for the best gift you could give me today.
I love you.
A two-and-a-half hour nap!
Thanks Hon for the best gift you could give me today.
I love you.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The Simple Things in Life
This was one of M's favorite past-times around our house.
S discovered the joy of the doorstop when we went to Keller for Christmas.
Always brings a smile to my face.
Hopefully you'll like it too.
S discovered the joy of the doorstop when we went to Keller for Christmas.
Always brings a smile to my face.
Hopefully you'll like it too.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Root, Root, Root For The Road Team
All season long as I've glanced at the NCAA Men's Basketball standings, one team has stood out.
Unfortunately, it's for futility.
The New Jersey Institute of Technology is oh-fer this year, standing at 0-28.
Their last game of the year is Thursday 2/23 at the Utah Valley State Wolverines.
Go Highlanders!!
Unfortunately, it's for futility.
The New Jersey Institute of Technology is oh-fer this year, standing at 0-28.
Their last game of the year is Thursday 2/23 at the Utah Valley State Wolverines.
Go Highlanders!!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Can You Be More Specific?
We had a good laugh the other night.
We were playing Tribond. The basic idea is that you are given three clues and you have to find what they have in common.
It was my opponents turn and the clues were Hit the Road Jack!, America the Beautiful, Georgia on my Mind.
The answer given was "Songs by the famous blind, black singer [sic]."
My retort was "Which one?"
Apologies to Mr. Wonder and the late Mr. Charles.
We were playing Tribond. The basic idea is that you are given three clues and you have to find what they have in common.
It was my opponents turn and the clues were Hit the Road Jack!, America the Beautiful, Georgia on my Mind.
The answer given was "Songs by the famous blind, black singer [sic]."
My retort was "Which one?"
Apologies to Mr. Wonder and the late Mr. Charles.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
CSI: Round Rock
She wasn't happy with the first outline because she couldn't see her ponytail.
This one was more satisfactory.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Winning The War
The fruits of the battle are beginning to emerge.
A couple of months ago, we had a tête-à -tête with M over food. We were challenging her attitude, not just eating itself. She would say that it was not good or she didn't like it before she ever tasted it. We wanted her to have a thankful heart and to understand that mommy and daddy won't give her bad things, just like her heavenly Father will not give her bad things.
Generally, all it takes now is to get the timer out and she'll eat her bites. Tonight I actually had to start the timer (1 minute for each year of her age), but she ate her bites before it elapsed, so we didn't need to go to discipline.
Thanks Lord for the victories you give us.
A couple of months ago, we had a tête-à -tête with M over food. We were challenging her attitude, not just eating itself. She would say that it was not good or she didn't like it before she ever tasted it. We wanted her to have a thankful heart and to understand that mommy and daddy won't give her bad things, just like her heavenly Father will not give her bad things.
Generally, all it takes now is to get the timer out and she'll eat her bites. Tonight I actually had to start the timer (1 minute for each year of her age), but she ate her bites before it elapsed, so we didn't need to go to discipline.
Thanks Lord for the victories you give us.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
So, if this is going to be the new normal...
Man. Another week in paradise.
Thankfully, C was able to schedule both of S's appointments for Monday morning. Yes, I said both. Not only did she need to get recasted, but she was NOT feeling good. Turns out she had an ear infection, a really bad one, that was giving her fits when she was lying on it at nap and bedtime. So, she's doing good in her new cast--and staying in it thanks to a bit more bend at the knee--and the drugs are getting rid of her infection.
Every night has been a struggle to get M to stay in bed. We've even been trying to go to bed later than usual. But she gets out of bed at least thrice each night. Right now, she's still awake, even though we put her to bed 'round about 90 minutes ago. I'm very frustrated. Maybe because she's encroaching on the "us time" C and I get an ever smaller amount of each week.
I have been seeing spots in my left eye recently, so I went to get my vision checked yesterday. The tech was having me look through that thing where they can flip all these lenses and ask you which one is better while you try to make out the letters. The bad news is that I'm a little near-sighted in my left eye. The good news is that the spots are probably because it's a little dry and not something bad like macular degeneration. I've always had exceptional eye-sight, but my parents and sister have worn glasses or contacts all their adult lives, with my sister beginning in her preteen years. It's almost as if 30 is taunting me, saying "Neener, neener, neener. This is what it's going to be like!"
Work has been at a good pace this week all things considered. I was able to pump out two backordered standards last night; this after months of investigation as to why such very similar compounds could be so far apart upon assay. We have a huge packaging job that has taken over our formulations lab and is now spilling over into QC as we check their work. It's fairly easy to do, but it's monotonous and there are almost 200 boxes to check. Thankfully, I have a couple of helping hands that are knocking it out slowly over the last three days.
As some of you may know, today was Valentine's Day--or as some call it, Singles Awareness Day (SAD, how cute). I actually didn't bungle it this year. I remembered both the card and the flowers. It's pretty poor that I've set the bar so low, but I'm not a gifts person. I'm working on it though. Thanks for hangin' in there hon. I'll get it one of these days.
Time to get some shut-eye.
G'night.
Thankfully, C was able to schedule both of S's appointments for Monday morning. Yes, I said both. Not only did she need to get recasted, but she was NOT feeling good. Turns out she had an ear infection, a really bad one, that was giving her fits when she was lying on it at nap and bedtime. So, she's doing good in her new cast--and staying in it thanks to a bit more bend at the knee--and the drugs are getting rid of her infection.
Every night has been a struggle to get M to stay in bed. We've even been trying to go to bed later than usual. But she gets out of bed at least thrice each night. Right now, she's still awake, even though we put her to bed 'round about 90 minutes ago. I'm very frustrated. Maybe because she's encroaching on the "us time" C and I get an ever smaller amount of each week.
I have been seeing spots in my left eye recently, so I went to get my vision checked yesterday. The tech was having me look through that thing where they can flip all these lenses and ask you which one is better while you try to make out the letters. The bad news is that I'm a little near-sighted in my left eye. The good news is that the spots are probably because it's a little dry and not something bad like macular degeneration. I've always had exceptional eye-sight, but my parents and sister have worn glasses or contacts all their adult lives, with my sister beginning in her preteen years. It's almost as if 30 is taunting me, saying "Neener, neener, neener. This is what it's going to be like!"
Work has been at a good pace this week all things considered. I was able to pump out two backordered standards last night; this after months of investigation as to why such very similar compounds could be so far apart upon assay. We have a huge packaging job that has taken over our formulations lab and is now spilling over into QC as we check their work. It's fairly easy to do, but it's monotonous and there are almost 200 boxes to check. Thankfully, I have a couple of helping hands that are knocking it out slowly over the last three days.
As some of you may know, today was Valentine's Day--or as some call it, Singles Awareness Day (SAD, how cute). I actually didn't bungle it this year. I remembered both the card and the flowers. It's pretty poor that I've set the bar so low, but I'm not a gifts person. I'm working on it though. Thanks for hangin' in there hon. I'll get it one of these days.
Time to get some shut-eye.
G'night.
Looking Back
There are so many things that you forget as a parent. I'm so glad that we've been able to catch so many memories on our camera. Back when M was smaller in June '06, about S's age, she was really into babbling. Here is a small clip:
She was able to do a lot that S isn't able to do right now, but that's okay with us. This little castage has set S back on her walking, she's even further "behind." But it's all relative.
She was able to do a lot that S isn't able to do right now, but that's okay with us. This little castage has set S back on her walking, she's even further "behind." But it's all relative.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Mixed Bag
Another busy week at work and there are definitely no signs of letting up. We've got all our positions filled and I like how the group is working together as a team helping each other out. I had instrument issues, which wouldn't be a problem if we had more than one ECD. The Agilent rep came out and replaced everything but the actual cell before he got it to work. I told him that I don't do anything half way. It's either really good or really bad.
Just when S was starting to get a hang of this walking thing, she up and breaks her little leg. That's right. Check out C's post about it. She's getting a better feel for crawling around with her cast, but walking won't really be an option for the next six weeks. Hopefully she's got her daddy's quick-healing genes and can get 'er done in four. She has been learning a lot more signs and shouts "A-Da" when she sees a dog. She's getting better at putting her cup on the table instead of pushing it on the floor. One of the signs she's mastering is "No", which she does whenever she passes the things she knows she shouldn't get into. And while she has been learning signs, she still has a hard time communicating, except for the not-so-occasional yells that mean more or all done. It doesn't change volume or intonation, so it's guesswork at best.
M is enjoying her 'nastics. Each Tuesday night (thanks Gramma) she goes to a gym owned by C's former boss for 45 minutes of a toddler class to get some running and jumping energy out of her. She has a lot of fun and finds a lot of time to practice her forward rolls. S will stick her head in the ground and hiney up in the air to signal us that she's ready to roll too. M's favorite video right now is Cinderella. Nary a day goes by that she isn't asking for it. She's had a lot of fun lately making cards for friends and their new siblings. She even made a card for S that said "Get well better." Tonight we were visiting some neighbors to show off S's cast and M was skipping and hopping down the sidewalk. She informed C that she was "hippin and hoppin." After she was all done with her dinner tonight she told me that she wanted some of our garlic bread. I reminded her that she said her tummy was full. Her reply: "But my tummy is hungry for bread." Gotta love those moments.
Did you catch the name of that truck that hit me? Something blew in Sunday night and just wrecked my allergies. I've been alternately stuffy and runny with a little sinus headache thrown in for good measure.
National Signing Day was yesterday and, although Texas didn't make out like bandits like they usually do, they filled all their needs except running back. However, I'm definitely excited to see what Vondrell McGee can do. Now if Colt can just halve his INT total from last year, I think we're headed for a 9-10 win season. It won't be easy, but we've got a shot.
NCAA Tourney time is just around the corner. Texas is rounding into form with a clutch win over Baylor and a demolition of OU in Norman. I worry about our team .683% from the charity stripe as well as the fact that our starting center averages as many rebounds as our guards. That and Rick Barnes is coaching. Has anyone ever seen coach Brown & coach Barnes in the same room together? Does coach Barnes put on a voice-modifier and a weight-suit during football season? Sorry. I'll stop.
Our new auditorium had some more foundation poured this past week and it's exciting to see the changes going on. It's cool to be a part of something that will change lives even after I'm dead and gone.
I think that 'bout covers it.
Until next time, God bless.
Just when S was starting to get a hang of this walking thing, she up and breaks her little leg. That's right. Check out C's post about it. She's getting a better feel for crawling around with her cast, but walking won't really be an option for the next six weeks. Hopefully she's got her daddy's quick-healing genes and can get 'er done in four. She has been learning a lot more signs and shouts "A-Da" when she sees a dog. She's getting better at putting her cup on the table instead of pushing it on the floor. One of the signs she's mastering is "No", which she does whenever she passes the things she knows she shouldn't get into. And while she has been learning signs, she still has a hard time communicating, except for the not-so-occasional yells that mean more or all done. It doesn't change volume or intonation, so it's guesswork at best.
M is enjoying her 'nastics. Each Tuesday night (thanks Gramma) she goes to a gym owned by C's former boss for 45 minutes of a toddler class to get some running and jumping energy out of her. She has a lot of fun and finds a lot of time to practice her forward rolls. S will stick her head in the ground and hiney up in the air to signal us that she's ready to roll too. M's favorite video right now is Cinderella. Nary a day goes by that she isn't asking for it. She's had a lot of fun lately making cards for friends and their new siblings. She even made a card for S that said "Get well better." Tonight we were visiting some neighbors to show off S's cast and M was skipping and hopping down the sidewalk. She informed C that she was "hippin and hoppin." After she was all done with her dinner tonight she told me that she wanted some of our garlic bread. I reminded her that she said her tummy was full. Her reply: "But my tummy is hungry for bread." Gotta love those moments.
Did you catch the name of that truck that hit me? Something blew in Sunday night and just wrecked my allergies. I've been alternately stuffy and runny with a little sinus headache thrown in for good measure.
National Signing Day was yesterday and, although Texas didn't make out like bandits like they usually do, they filled all their needs except running back. However, I'm definitely excited to see what Vondrell McGee can do. Now if Colt can just halve his INT total from last year, I think we're headed for a 9-10 win season. It won't be easy, but we've got a shot.
NCAA Tourney time is just around the corner. Texas is rounding into form with a clutch win over Baylor and a demolition of OU in Norman. I worry about our team .683% from the charity stripe as well as the fact that our starting center averages as many rebounds as our guards. That and Rick Barnes is coaching. Has anyone ever seen coach Brown & coach Barnes in the same room together? Does coach Barnes put on a voice-modifier and a weight-suit during football season? Sorry. I'll stop.
Our new auditorium had some more foundation poured this past week and it's exciting to see the changes going on. It's cool to be a part of something that will change lives even after I'm dead and gone.
I think that 'bout covers it.
Until next time, God bless.
Monday, January 28, 2008
First Steps
S has really been starting to walk lately. Sunday morning she walked to me for the first time. It's an exciting time to be a dad. She's still peg-leggy and wobbles quite a bit, but it's so fun to watch her test her legs out and try to walk. She's been walking around the house holding onto thing a lot the past two weeks, but she's beginning to learn to go without holding on. Our little miss independent!
I'm sure if you're a man, some time or another, you've struggled with the nebulous idea of what a spiritual leader means and looks like lived out in a daily walk with the Lord. This past weekend, Grace held its annual men's gathering. I'm hoping the bonds formed will continue to grow and the process begun there would work its way to completion. I'm most fearful of the mountain-top experience most often personified at Baptist youth retreats, where you get this emotional high that you can't/won't sustain because the cares of this world choke you out. It's like the man who looked in the mirror, but, when he went away, forgot what he looked like. Pray for me that I would be a doer of the Word and not just a hearer. That I would lead my family with integrity and wisdom. Most of all, pray that God would give me the energy to get my carcass out of bed in the morning to spend time with Him and my wife, both in the Holy Writ and in prayer.
Thanks,
R
I'm sure if you're a man, some time or another, you've struggled with the nebulous idea of what a spiritual leader means and looks like lived out in a daily walk with the Lord. This past weekend, Grace held its annual men's gathering. I'm hoping the bonds formed will continue to grow and the process begun there would work its way to completion. I'm most fearful of the mountain-top experience most often personified at Baptist youth retreats, where you get this emotional high that you can't/won't sustain because the cares of this world choke you out. It's like the man who looked in the mirror, but, when he went away, forgot what he looked like. Pray for me that I would be a doer of the Word and not just a hearer. That I would lead my family with integrity and wisdom. Most of all, pray that God would give me the energy to get my carcass out of bed in the morning to spend time with Him and my wife, both in the Holy Writ and in prayer.
Thanks,
R
Thursday, January 24, 2008
2008 Pharisees
By now you've already heard that Australian actor Heath Ledger died, possibly by overdosing on a mix of antihistamines, sleeping pills and anti-anxiety drugs.
You also may remember that he played one of the gay cowboys in "Brokeback Mountain."
It seems that the people of Westboro Baptist Church believe that being an actor and portraying a gay character is reprehensible. In an MSN.com article, a spokesperson is quoted as saying "“You cannot live in defiance of God. He got on that big screen with a big, fat message: God is a liar and it's OK to be gay.” They are so distraught that they plan to protest his funeral.
Let's lay out the facts:
1. God tells us in the Bible that homosexuality is a sin.
2. God tells us in the Bible that self-righteousness is a sin.
As far as I can tell, besides the sin of unbelief, all other sins are equal in God's eyes. Therefore, being self-righteous is equivalent to homosexuality. Both are equivalent to murder. However, there are different social consequences to each sin. So most people would agree that murder is worse than assault, which is worse than stealing/cheating/adultery, which is worse than addictions to substances/pornography, et cetera. That may seem the case because you can be put to death for murder, put in jail for stealing/cheating, made a pariah for adultery and who even knows if you suffer from addictions?
As Dave Dameshek might say "People of Westboro Baptist Church, you are the Jerks of the Week!" In the Darth Vader theme song: Jerk Jerk Jerk, of the Week, of the Week...He or she is the Jerk of the Week.
Use your passion for something that's useful, not to sound like a bunch of homophobic, bigotous, pompous windbags. Go feed the hungry or clothe the naked.
Otherwise, you are a brood of vipers. White-washed tombs.
You also may remember that he played one of the gay cowboys in "Brokeback Mountain."
It seems that the people of Westboro Baptist Church believe that being an actor and portraying a gay character is reprehensible. In an MSN.com article, a spokesperson is quoted as saying "“You cannot live in defiance of God. He got on that big screen with a big, fat message: God is a liar and it's OK to be gay.” They are so distraught that they plan to protest his funeral.
Let's lay out the facts:
1. God tells us in the Bible that homosexuality is a sin.
2. God tells us in the Bible that self-righteousness is a sin.
As far as I can tell, besides the sin of unbelief, all other sins are equal in God's eyes. Therefore, being self-righteous is equivalent to homosexuality. Both are equivalent to murder. However, there are different social consequences to each sin. So most people would agree that murder is worse than assault, which is worse than stealing/cheating/adultery, which is worse than addictions to substances/pornography, et cetera. That may seem the case because you can be put to death for murder, put in jail for stealing/cheating, made a pariah for adultery and who even knows if you suffer from addictions?
As Dave Dameshek might say "People of Westboro Baptist Church, you are the Jerks of the Week!" In the Darth Vader theme song: Jerk Jerk Jerk, of the Week, of the Week...He or she is the Jerk of the Week.
Use your passion for something that's useful, not to sound like a bunch of homophobic, bigotous, pompous windbags. Go feed the hungry or clothe the naked.
Otherwise, you are a brood of vipers. White-washed tombs.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Focus On The Family
One thing about our two little ladies is that they keep us both on our toes and knees. S is crawling around very quickly these days and you can lose her if you're not paying good enough attention. She can go from the play room to her room in about 5 seconds.
With all the whining and screaming going on, it's been increasingly important for us to go to God in prayer the moment that starts happening, or in my anger I will sin.
Please keep this in mind as the days get busier and more stressful.
Thanks,
R
With all the whining and screaming going on, it's been increasingly important for us to go to God in prayer the moment that starts happening, or in my anger I will sin.
Please keep this in mind as the days get busier and more stressful.
Thanks,
R
Boy Was I Wrong!
At the end of my last post I said that I thought our performance last week set us up for an easier time this week. Ha!
It's been more of the same and tomorrow shows no signs of letting up. I've barely had enough time to breathe these past two days. But hey, as many of you know, it's a whole lot better to be too busy than too slow. We're still cranking things out at a phenomenal rate and I'm looking forward to continued progress.
The good news is that some of my old responsibilities are being taken off my plate so I can focus on the new points of emphasis.
It's been more of the same and tomorrow shows no signs of letting up. I've barely had enough time to breathe these past two days. But hey, as many of you know, it's a whole lot better to be too busy than too slow. We're still cranking things out at a phenomenal rate and I'm looking forward to continued progress.
The good news is that some of my old responsibilities are being taken off my plate so I can focus on the new points of emphasis.
Friday, January 18, 2008
ROCKED IT OUT!
That's what I/we did at work this week. It was a doozy.
When I wrote last week I told of the winds of change that were sweeping through work and how Doc wants to do a reorg. My new job description as Supervisor is to manage the flow or our standards production as it comes into QC. I'm going to be overseeing the scheduling, data review and stability program for our reference standards. Maybe even more importantly, though, is that if there is an out-of-spec (OOS) result, it will be immediately sent my way so that I can make a quick assessment of the root cause and plan the next course of action. The reason being that, whenever we have our quarterly meetings, our CEO tends to point out QC's on-time percent as well as how long it takes to resolve an OOS. As you can imagine, they've been very poor the past two quarters. It's my job to change that. I don't know the exact numbers, but we churned out close to 15 standards this week, many of which were past due and a lot of which were (or close to) backorder. As our day wound down, Doc turned to me and said how good our log looks and that I did a good job.
I think our performance this week sets us up for an easier time next week. We only have a few standards in the lab now and there's only two max on an instrument, so we can focus on getting some extra tasks complete. I'm excited! I want to hear how much QC has improved in those two areas when we have our Q1 meeting.
Thanks for your prayers. Keep 'em coming. We have an audit Monday morning and a huge customer project that looms as a daily task for the next several weeks. Pray for staff cohesiveness, that everyone will settle into their new roles quickly, and that we will be able to find an experienced analyst to run NMR.
Thanks and have a great weekend.
I'm 'bout ready for some football.
R
When I wrote last week I told of the winds of change that were sweeping through work and how Doc wants to do a reorg. My new job description as Supervisor is to manage the flow or our standards production as it comes into QC. I'm going to be overseeing the scheduling, data review and stability program for our reference standards. Maybe even more importantly, though, is that if there is an out-of-spec (OOS) result, it will be immediately sent my way so that I can make a quick assessment of the root cause and plan the next course of action. The reason being that, whenever we have our quarterly meetings, our CEO tends to point out QC's on-time percent as well as how long it takes to resolve an OOS. As you can imagine, they've been very poor the past two quarters. It's my job to change that. I don't know the exact numbers, but we churned out close to 15 standards this week, many of which were past due and a lot of which were (or close to) backorder. As our day wound down, Doc turned to me and said how good our log looks and that I did a good job.
I think our performance this week sets us up for an easier time next week. We only have a few standards in the lab now and there's only two max on an instrument, so we can focus on getting some extra tasks complete. I'm excited! I want to hear how much QC has improved in those two areas when we have our Q1 meeting.
Thanks for your prayers. Keep 'em coming. We have an audit Monday morning and a huge customer project that looms as a daily task for the next several weeks. Pray for staff cohesiveness, that everyone will settle into their new roles quickly, and that we will be able to find an experienced analyst to run NMR.
Thanks and have a great weekend.
I'm 'bout ready for some football.
R
Friday, January 11, 2008
College Football Recap
College football fans were left unsatisfied this season. The two teams that finished the hottest, USC and Georgia, dominated their bowl opponents, but neither played in the BCS Championship Game. Either might've made for a better game against the Bayou Bengals. This season is the one that all the playoff proponents will point to as the final nail in the bowl system coffin. One has even gone too far.
Dr. Michael F. Adams, the president of the University of Georgia, said that "this year's experience with the BCS forces me to the conclusion that the current system has lost public confidence and simply does not work." What? The BCS came to your house and put a gun against your head and literally forced you to come to that conclusion? Nice rhetoric prez. Nobody forced you to do anything. I think Ivan Maisel did a great job calling you out for your press grab.
But what we saw is what makes college football the best sport in all the world. The regular season really is a playoff of sorts. Generally, lose one and you're done. Two and you're toast. High school & NFL football, Fútbol (a.k.a. Soccer), NCAA & NBA Basketball, MLB and NHL are all more kind upon losses. Not to mention the rivalries, the Best Conference debates and Heisman jockeying that happens every week. I think I like the idea of using the BCS Standings to put the top eight in a playoff, but I don't think a playoff will ever happen. There is just too much money involved in bowl games and the Big & Pac Ten are too engrossed in their "pageantry" to let it happen. I personally would like fewer bowl games, with only teams that are at least a game above .500 allowed to participate, preferably two games over. I don't like the idea of a team ending up with a losing record after they play in a bowl. It would also give greater meaning to the bowl season.
Anyway, I gotta go. I hope to revisit my 2008 predictions after National Signing Day and the NFL Draft.
Have a great weekend.
R
Dr. Michael F. Adams, the president of the University of Georgia, said that "this year's experience with the BCS forces me to the conclusion that the current system has lost public confidence and simply does not work." What? The BCS came to your house and put a gun against your head and literally forced you to come to that conclusion? Nice rhetoric prez. Nobody forced you to do anything. I think Ivan Maisel did a great job calling you out for your press grab.
But what we saw is what makes college football the best sport in all the world. The regular season really is a playoff of sorts. Generally, lose one and you're done. Two and you're toast. High school & NFL football, Fútbol (a.k.a. Soccer), NCAA & NBA Basketball, MLB and NHL are all more kind upon losses. Not to mention the rivalries, the Best Conference debates and Heisman jockeying that happens every week. I think I like the idea of using the BCS Standings to put the top eight in a playoff, but I don't think a playoff will ever happen. There is just too much money involved in bowl games and the Big & Pac Ten are too engrossed in their "pageantry" to let it happen. I personally would like fewer bowl games, with only teams that are at least a game above .500 allowed to participate, preferably two games over. I don't like the idea of a team ending up with a losing record after they play in a bowl. It would also give greater meaning to the bowl season.
Anyway, I gotta go. I hope to revisit my 2008 predictions after National Signing Day and the NFL Draft.
Have a great weekend.
R
The Winds of Change
(in my best Mike Wizowski voice): "You hear that? You hear that? That's the winds of change. Some day I am really gonna let you teach that guy a lesson!"
Changes at work, changes at home, changes in the weather.
Just to keep you on your toes, I'll go in reverse order.
The old axiom about our weather is true: If you don't like the weather in Texas, just wait five minutes. Well, maybe not that quick, but a day or two. It seems like every other day it goes from hot to cool, then cool to warm, then warm to frigid. We had to run the AC on Saturday and then the heater on Sunday.
S has been standing a lot lately. And walking along furniture. And just a couple of days ago, she took her first steps. Granted, she hasn't taken any toward me yet, but it's fun watching those little peg legs propel her forward to her loving mommy. I'm trying to make it as fresh and exciting as when M did these same things. She is also very happy to see me when the gals pick me up from work or when I pull up to the house. She gives me the biggest smiles and flails her legs. Lately S has been pushing anything and everything all around the house, whether it's her doll's crib, the hippo walker, the school bus or M's stool.
M continues to express her individuality and independence. The other day while watching football, the cameras panned to the band and she said "Look! Trumpets!" C asked her how she knew those were trumpets. Her answer, of course, "I just knewed it." It seems that our toddler is a bit of a tree-hugger, not that there's anything wrong with that. I was trying to hack out a willow tree next to the deck a few weeks back and she tells me "Don't hurt my tree Da-Da." She expressed similar scorn for C a couple of days ago when she was trimming bushes. I will not let her be a pantheist, so don't worry. These days she enjoys playing with friends, annoying her little sister and not taking naps.
C continues to enjoy being a SAHM, although the latter two of M's current faves keep her on her toes and out of energy a lot of the time. Trying to understand how to best parent M and channel her energy is keeping us both on our knees. Spring is coming and we've made a list of outdoor things to try to stay ahead of the weeds. She has spent many morning this week outside making piles of sticks for me to bundle. Thanks Hon! She also continues to be patient with me as I try to follow through on getting all our paperwork organized. I have a tendency to be so overwhelmed by the immensity of a project that I just put it off.
So, how many changes can occur in less than a month at such a small company? My old boss left just before Christmas, leaving a rather gaping hole in our team. We somehow managed to meet our revenue goals despite being short-staffed the week before and of Christmas. That's huge because we haven't met revenue goals in several years. It's a very exciting time at work. Well, since Jefe left, they needed to replace him. They did that within our group, promoting a PhD who runs LCMS and is the NMR & FTIR backup. That wouldn't be so bad if we also didn't lose another integral member of the team that does data review and is the primary NMR & FTIR analyst. Thankfully he's only moving 30 feet away into a product development marketing role, but still, we've suffered heavy personnel losses in a very short time. I told him "You know that leaves me as the only male in QC." He tells me the thought crossed his mind when he was considering the offer. So let's recap: I'm the only man at home...and the only man in my lab. And our new boss, I'll call her Doc, wants to do a little reorg of our lab to put people where they'd like to be, but where we'll be the most efficient team. It's gonna be rough for a while until we find someone to fill the needs left by Doc & D$ and everyone settles into their new roles. Pray for a good attitude, good team chemistry and that God will continue to prosper our business.
Changes at work, changes at home, changes in the weather.
Just to keep you on your toes, I'll go in reverse order.
The old axiom about our weather is true: If you don't like the weather in Texas, just wait five minutes. Well, maybe not that quick, but a day or two. It seems like every other day it goes from hot to cool, then cool to warm, then warm to frigid. We had to run the AC on Saturday and then the heater on Sunday.
S has been standing a lot lately. And walking along furniture. And just a couple of days ago, she took her first steps. Granted, she hasn't taken any toward me yet, but it's fun watching those little peg legs propel her forward to her loving mommy. I'm trying to make it as fresh and exciting as when M did these same things. She is also very happy to see me when the gals pick me up from work or when I pull up to the house. She gives me the biggest smiles and flails her legs. Lately S has been pushing anything and everything all around the house, whether it's her doll's crib, the hippo walker, the school bus or M's stool.
M continues to express her individuality and independence. The other day while watching football, the cameras panned to the band and she said "Look! Trumpets!" C asked her how she knew those were trumpets. Her answer, of course, "I just knewed it." It seems that our toddler is a bit of a tree-hugger, not that there's anything wrong with that. I was trying to hack out a willow tree next to the deck a few weeks back and she tells me "Don't hurt my tree Da-Da." She expressed similar scorn for C a couple of days ago when she was trimming bushes. I will not let her be a pantheist, so don't worry. These days she enjoys playing with friends, annoying her little sister and not taking naps.
C continues to enjoy being a SAHM, although the latter two of M's current faves keep her on her toes and out of energy a lot of the time. Trying to understand how to best parent M and channel her energy is keeping us both on our knees. Spring is coming and we've made a list of outdoor things to try to stay ahead of the weeds. She has spent many morning this week outside making piles of sticks for me to bundle. Thanks Hon! She also continues to be patient with me as I try to follow through on getting all our paperwork organized. I have a tendency to be so overwhelmed by the immensity of a project that I just put it off.
So, how many changes can occur in less than a month at such a small company? My old boss left just before Christmas, leaving a rather gaping hole in our team. We somehow managed to meet our revenue goals despite being short-staffed the week before and of Christmas. That's huge because we haven't met revenue goals in several years. It's a very exciting time at work. Well, since Jefe left, they needed to replace him. They did that within our group, promoting a PhD who runs LCMS and is the NMR & FTIR backup. That wouldn't be so bad if we also didn't lose another integral member of the team that does data review and is the primary NMR & FTIR analyst. Thankfully he's only moving 30 feet away into a product development marketing role, but still, we've suffered heavy personnel losses in a very short time. I told him "You know that leaves me as the only male in QC." He tells me the thought crossed his mind when he was considering the offer. So let's recap: I'm the only man at home...and the only man in my lab. And our new boss, I'll call her Doc, wants to do a little reorg of our lab to put people where they'd like to be, but where we'll be the most efficient team. It's gonna be rough for a while until we find someone to fill the needs left by Doc & D$ and everyone settles into their new roles. Pray for a good attitude, good team chemistry and that God will continue to prosper our business.
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Looking Forward to 2008
From watching all these bowl games, all I can say is WOW! Next year's gonna be one for the record books.
Let's look at some of my preseason favorites for next year:
USC Trojans
They have arguably one of the tougher schedules, opening at Virginia and home to Ohio State.
Key personnel losses: OT Sam Baker, QB John David Booty, TE Fred Davis, DT Sedrick Ellis, DE Lawrence Jackson, LB Keith Rivers and I suspect LB Rey Maualuga will leave for the NFL.
Georgia Bulldogs
They get Bama and the other UT at home, but most of their tough games are one the road.
Key personnel losses: WR Sean Bailey, K Brandon Coutu, WR Mikey Henderson, DE Marcus Howard and could lose LB Dannell Ellerbe to NFL.
Oklahoma Sooners
While not too shabby, there aren't really any games that stick out. They start the season at home against a tough Bearcats D before heading to Washington to face Jake Locker. And depending on which Josh Freeman shows up, they might have a tough test against KSU in the Little Apple.
Key personnel losses: DE Alonzo Dotson, K Garrett Hartley, RB Allen Patrick, DB D.J. Wolfe, FB Dane Zaslaw, LB Demarrio Pleasant and maybe WR Malcom Kelly to NFL.
None of these three teams play each other. One wildcard team could be the Buckeyes. If they get past USC in week three, they might not lose a game.
Now let's look at some interesting teams, some with changes and other with something to prove:
Michigan Wolverines
They lose the Henne-Hart-Long trio and welcome Rich Rodriguez and the spread to Ann Arbor. And they play OSU in the Horseshoe.
Missouri Tigers
They lose RB Tony Temple and TE Martin Rucker, but don't face OU until the Big XII Championship game. Can they repeat the success they had this year?
Kansas Jayhawks
They lose a lot at the skill positions, including their punter and place-kicker, top WR, top TE, top RB, not to mention CB Aqib Talib most likely bolting to the NFL. Their offense won't be as potent. They have a very friendly sked, with only 4 road games, two of with are USF and OU.
Va Tech Hokies
While they lose their top 3 receivers & LB Xavier Adibi, they have a creampuff schedule to break in some new wideouts before things get tough.
BYU Cougars
Can they repeat the success they had this year? Fourteen of their 18 seniors are on defense, which gave up only 18.8 points per game. They won't play too many high-octane offenses, but I don't think they can have as good a year next year.
Let's look at some of my preseason favorites for next year:
USC Trojans
They have arguably one of the tougher schedules, opening at Virginia and home to Ohio State.
Key personnel losses: OT Sam Baker, QB John David Booty, TE Fred Davis, DT Sedrick Ellis, DE Lawrence Jackson, LB Keith Rivers and I suspect LB Rey Maualuga will leave for the NFL.
Georgia Bulldogs
They get Bama and the other UT at home, but most of their tough games are one the road.
Key personnel losses: WR Sean Bailey, K Brandon Coutu, WR Mikey Henderson, DE Marcus Howard and could lose LB Dannell Ellerbe to NFL.
Oklahoma Sooners
While not too shabby, there aren't really any games that stick out. They start the season at home against a tough Bearcats D before heading to Washington to face Jake Locker. And depending on which Josh Freeman shows up, they might have a tough test against KSU in the Little Apple.
Key personnel losses: DE Alonzo Dotson, K Garrett Hartley, RB Allen Patrick, DB D.J. Wolfe, FB Dane Zaslaw, LB Demarrio Pleasant and maybe WR Malcom Kelly to NFL.
None of these three teams play each other. One wildcard team could be the Buckeyes. If they get past USC in week three, they might not lose a game.
Now let's look at some interesting teams, some with changes and other with something to prove:
Michigan Wolverines
They lose the Henne-Hart-Long trio and welcome Rich Rodriguez and the spread to Ann Arbor. And they play OSU in the Horseshoe.
Missouri Tigers
They lose RB Tony Temple and TE Martin Rucker, but don't face OU until the Big XII Championship game. Can they repeat the success they had this year?
Kansas Jayhawks
They lose a lot at the skill positions, including their punter and place-kicker, top WR, top TE, top RB, not to mention CB Aqib Talib most likely bolting to the NFL. Their offense won't be as potent. They have a very friendly sked, with only 4 road games, two of with are USF and OU.
Va Tech Hokies
While they lose their top 3 receivers & LB Xavier Adibi, they have a creampuff schedule to break in some new wideouts before things get tough.
BYU Cougars
Can they repeat the success they had this year? Fourteen of their 18 seniors are on defense, which gave up only 18.8 points per game. They won't play too many high-octane offenses, but I don't think they can have as good a year next year.
Holiday Bowl
Wow. What a thorough dismantling of a pretty solid ASU team. Thanks to ESPN360.com I was able to watch the game even without cable.
It should've been a higher score, but the officials said that a Texas coach touched the ball, even though he didn't. I think Chris Jesse, Mack Brown's stepson, will be in a Southwest TV ad in the next few weeks. Not the way to get your name in the papers and splashed across the internet.
I must say that I am still very worried about Colt McCoy next year. He had two total TDs, but had 4 fumbles. Thankfully only one of them was lost.
The D-line was very impressive against the run. But the men responsible for that are graduating: Lokey & Okam. The much-maligned secondary did a fairly respectable job against ASU, intercepting three passes and forcing a fumble. That one was sweet. Little Brandon Foster in there with the big fellas just ripping the ball away.
Here is a list of important seniors we'll lose to graduation this year:
And today Jamaal Charles announced he's declaring for the draft. Three more from the secondary gone, two starting O-linemen, and three top receivers. Yikes!
Next year will be a difficult one to keep the streak of 10+ wins alive past seven. Losing Charles might not hurt as much with the emergence of Vondrell McGee to keep defenses honest and allow Colt to hurt 'em with his wheels. We'll still have Jermichael Finley as Colt's security blanket.
If I were Mack Brown, with what I have returning, I would go to a 3-4 defense and use the LBs to shoot the gaps on rushes. On offense, I'd play ball control with only 2-3 receivers, Finley and McGee. I'd also find a better punter that can hit the coffin corner. From looking at our roster, those are the strengths I could find. We only lose 18 seniors, but as you can see 12 of them were key components this year.
September can't get here fast enough!
It should've been a higher score, but the officials said that a Texas coach touched the ball, even though he didn't. I think Chris Jesse, Mack Brown's stepson, will be in a Southwest TV ad in the next few weeks. Not the way to get your name in the papers and splashed across the internet.
I must say that I am still very worried about Colt McCoy next year. He had two total TDs, but had 4 fumbles. Thankfully only one of them was lost.
The D-line was very impressive against the run. But the men responsible for that are graduating: Lokey & Okam. The much-maligned secondary did a fairly respectable job against ASU, intercepting three passes and forcing a fumble. That one was sweet. Little Brandon Foster in there with the big fellas just ripping the ball away.
Here is a list of important seniors we'll lose to graduation this year:
| 33 | Scott Derry | LB |
| 28 | Brandon Foster | CB |
| 67 | Dallas Griffin | C |
| 26 | Marcus Griffin | S |
| 79 | Tony Hills | T |
| 9 | Nate Jones | WR |
| 4 | Drew Kelson | S |
| 40 | Robert Killebrew | LB |
| 96 | Derek Lokey | DT |
| 97 | Frank Okam | DT |
| 5 | Billy Pittman | WR |
| 4 | Limas Sweed | WR |
And today Jamaal Charles announced he's declaring for the draft. Three more from the secondary gone, two starting O-linemen, and three top receivers. Yikes!
Next year will be a difficult one to keep the streak of 10+ wins alive past seven. Losing Charles might not hurt as much with the emergence of Vondrell McGee to keep defenses honest and allow Colt to hurt 'em with his wheels. We'll still have Jermichael Finley as Colt's security blanket.
If I were Mack Brown, with what I have returning, I would go to a 3-4 defense and use the LBs to shoot the gaps on rushes. On offense, I'd play ball control with only 2-3 receivers, Finley and McGee. I'd also find a better punter that can hit the coffin corner. From looking at our roster, those are the strengths I could find. We only lose 18 seniors, but as you can see 12 of them were key components this year.
September can't get here fast enough!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas?
It's been a strange 24 hours.
Last night about this time, Papa came to deliver some presents. The thing is, we haven't seen Papa in a really long time. We were watching a movie and heard the leaves rustling in our doorway. I looked out the peep-hole to investigate and saw a man. I flicked on the lights and saw him run. I opened the door and saw him jump into his car and speed away. He's a guerilla grampa. So, after the adrenaline rush of fear, there came the sadness of longing for Papa to repent and be restored to the family. We love you Papa and are praying for you.
Then, at about 11:15, M woke up crying and said that she was hot and she was hurting. I'd be hot and hurting too if I was running a 101.5° fever. She was up until a quarter-till and S woke up at 6:15 with a low-grade fever as well. Ho Ho Ho.
C made some yummy cinnamon rolls and sticks for breakfast. I wouldn't mind that being a family Christmas tradition.
Since the girls were feverish, we didn't want to risk getting Mamá and Pop-Pop sick, so Nana came over for a little bit. We exchanged gifts with her and she went on her merry way.
We spent half the day making phone calls to family and friends wishing them well.
Then, this afternoon, we heard some bad news. A Christmas morning gone awry. Two girls went to wake up their parents for Christmas, but their daddy never woke up. Tragedy can't even begin to describe what they're going through. He is no longer in his broken body, but home with his Creator. Pray for the T family.
That helped put our Christmas in perspective. It also reminds me what a precious gift this breath of life I receive each second of every day is. I'm thankful that Christ died for my sins. For C's sins. And for M & S. I'm thankful that when He calls me home, I'll get to see BC. Be, therefore, watchmen. You never know when the Master will return home. Be a good steward of the talents He's given you.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
R
Last night about this time, Papa came to deliver some presents. The thing is, we haven't seen Papa in a really long time. We were watching a movie and heard the leaves rustling in our doorway. I looked out the peep-hole to investigate and saw a man. I flicked on the lights and saw him run. I opened the door and saw him jump into his car and speed away. He's a guerilla grampa. So, after the adrenaline rush of fear, there came the sadness of longing for Papa to repent and be restored to the family. We love you Papa and are praying for you.
Then, at about 11:15, M woke up crying and said that she was hot and she was hurting. I'd be hot and hurting too if I was running a 101.5° fever. She was up until a quarter-till and S woke up at 6:15 with a low-grade fever as well. Ho Ho Ho.
C made some yummy cinnamon rolls and sticks for breakfast. I wouldn't mind that being a family Christmas tradition.
Since the girls were feverish, we didn't want to risk getting Mamá and Pop-Pop sick, so Nana came over for a little bit. We exchanged gifts with her and she went on her merry way.
We spent half the day making phone calls to family and friends wishing them well.
Then, this afternoon, we heard some bad news. A Christmas morning gone awry. Two girls went to wake up their parents for Christmas, but their daddy never woke up. Tragedy can't even begin to describe what they're going through. He is no longer in his broken body, but home with his Creator. Pray for the T family.
That helped put our Christmas in perspective. It also reminds me what a precious gift this breath of life I receive each second of every day is. I'm thankful that Christ died for my sins. For C's sins. And for M & S. I'm thankful that when He calls me home, I'll get to see BC. Be, therefore, watchmen. You never know when the Master will return home. Be a good steward of the talents He's given you.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
R
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Mack Brown
So, I've never been a huge fan of Mack Brown and Greg Davis.
Here is a great quote from Pat Forde, taken from his bowl predictions:
"With Vince Young, Mack Brown is a BCS-level coach. Without Vince Young, Mack Brown is a Holiday Bowl-level coach."
You can't really say it any better than that.
Here is a great quote from Pat Forde, taken from his bowl predictions:
"With Vince Young, Mack Brown is a BCS-level coach. Without Vince Young, Mack Brown is a Holiday Bowl-level coach."
You can't really say it any better than that.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Keep It In Your Pants
There have been a couple of people in our household's sphere of friends that have gotten pregnant out of wedlock recently.
And apparently Jamie Lynn Spears (age 16) is taking one for the team to get big sis Britney out of the headlines. She says, and I quote: "It was a shock for both of us, so unexpected," she says. "I was in complete and total shock and so was he." YOU SHOULDN'T BE SHOCKED WHEN YOU'RE HAVING SEX!!
This is what happens when our government decides that schools should teach safe sex and not abstinence. You have parents who shirk their responsibilities because the school is teaching this mularkey. And the schools are caught because they have a curriculum to follow that can only be changed through legislation and elections.
But hey, when you have an older sibling like Britney to emulate, what can you expect? The saddest part is that these young girls (I will not use the term lady or woman) are somehow role models to millions of little girls.
I have enough to worry about when thinking ahead to what my kids will have to face as they grow up, I don't need this kind of stuff to add onto that already long list.
So kids, whether you're in middle school or out of school, make the right choice for abstinence. The Bible talks in Genesis 2 about how Adam and Eve were naked and not ashamed. If you're naked, partially or fully, and you feel ashamed, stop what you're doing, because that is not God's design.
And parents, help your kids out by talking to them about the consequences they face, both emotionally and physically. Don't go out and buy them condoms because "They're just gonna do it anyway; they might as well be safe." That's a lie and you know it. What it is is neglect.
And apparently Jamie Lynn Spears (age 16) is taking one for the team to get big sis Britney out of the headlines. She says, and I quote: "It was a shock for both of us, so unexpected," she says. "I was in complete and total shock and so was he." YOU SHOULDN'T BE SHOCKED WHEN YOU'RE HAVING SEX!!
This is what happens when our government decides that schools should teach safe sex and not abstinence. You have parents who shirk their responsibilities because the school is teaching this mularkey. And the schools are caught because they have a curriculum to follow that can only be changed through legislation and elections.
But hey, when you have an older sibling like Britney to emulate, what can you expect? The saddest part is that these young girls (I will not use the term lady or woman) are somehow role models to millions of little girls.
I have enough to worry about when thinking ahead to what my kids will have to face as they grow up, I don't need this kind of stuff to add onto that already long list.
So kids, whether you're in middle school or out of school, make the right choice for abstinence. The Bible talks in Genesis 2 about how Adam and Eve were naked and not ashamed. If you're naked, partially or fully, and you feel ashamed, stop what you're doing, because that is not God's design.
And parents, help your kids out by talking to them about the consequences they face, both emotionally and physically. Don't go out and buy them condoms because "They're just gonna do it anyway; they might as well be safe." That's a lie and you know it. What it is is neglect.
Biggest Loser Finale
The twins took home all the cash, but the eliminated brother gets bragging rights since he lost more percentage of weight, with over 51.5%. He lost 186 pounds, or me plus a few. Can you imagine someone carrying me around on their back and knees and heart for 20 years?
Congrats again to all those contestants who made being a loser a good thing.
One thing that is pretty icky is the fact they're calling the next one 'Couples'. This connotes a romantic relationship, whereas it should be 'Pairs' since the competing teams are couples, parent-child and lifelong friends.
Congrats again to all those contestants who made being a loser a good thing.
One thing that is pretty icky is the fact they're calling the next one 'Couples'. This connotes a romantic relationship, whereas it should be 'Pairs' since the competing teams are couples, parent-child and lifelong friends.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Unexpected Consequence
You know life will change in a lot of ways when you have kids.
Tonight C and I were making a grocery list and I mentioned I needed some cereal. I mentioned that I'm really craving some Count Chocula. But then I remembered the ordeal when I had the generic Fruity Pebbles and sighed at the loss of another fine treat that I will no longer be able to enjoy because M would most assuredly be covetous of them.
Not that I need to be eating them anyways. But it's the principle.
Tonight C and I were making a grocery list and I mentioned I needed some cereal. I mentioned that I'm really craving some Count Chocula. But then I remembered the ordeal when I had the generic Fruity Pebbles and sighed at the loss of another fine treat that I will no longer be able to enjoy because M would most assuredly be covetous of them.
Not that I need to be eating them anyways. But it's the principle.
Tiny Tots Update
The previous post notwithstanding, M has given us some real gems lately.
Tonight I was reading a card sent to us from the H family in New York. M asked me who it was from and I said mommy and daddy's friends. She said "My friend is Uncle N!" Even though she spent so much time with TÃo & TÃa lately, they still get trumped by Uncle N and his doggies.
Earlier tonight when we were on our walk in the older neighborhood nearby, she saw some reindeer and inflatable Santas. But they weren't moving. Apparently this is a bad thing. I guess she has higher standards than we do.
Tonight, after the walk and before the card, M and S were playing with the food toys from M's kitchen. Well, S had her eye on this lemon and was quite persistent about it. After she dropped it, M would scoop it up quickly and try to hide it between her legs. S would tire of whatever she had in her hand and would look for the lemon. Then she would seize it from M. I asked her if she was just holding it so S couldn't play with it and she agreed. After a few back and forths telling her she had one minute to play with it before it was S's turn, she, by herself, counted to 10 and gave it to her little sis. Praise the Lord! It's sinking in.
Eating has always been a battle with her. Typically, C would prepare a nice meal and M would take one look at it and say in her whiny voice "I don't liiike iiit." So, the last couple of weeks we've been telling her that she needs to eat 2 bites of several things on her plate since she's 2 years old. If she initially balks at the idea, we set a timer for 2 minutes to give her an audible signal that it's time to take a bite or else there will be consequences. After following through if she doesn't eat it at first, she will usually get back in the saddle again and obey. So that's been a great sense of victory for us. It's been hard, though, not to compare her to S, who eats pretty much everything we set before her.
S has been using her hippo walker lately to get around. She still crawls a majority of the time since she's faster. I thought for sure she'd be walking by Christmas, but, given her history of doing things later than M, it'll probably be well after the New Year. Don't you just love how, when they crawl, their little hineys shoomp back and forth. (As an aside, I wasn't sure how to spell hiney, so I checked on dictionary.com. It didn't have an entry, but suggested this link. Start with the Connotations section. I couldn't stop laughing for a good while. Beware of some vulgar uses.)
Her favorite thing to do lately is to bonk heads, especially with mommy. She slowly leans her head down and says khuh. After repeated bonks, she starts giggling and laughing. It's a lot of fun to watch. The only unfortunate thing is that she turns 1 next week. I can't believe she's already that old.
Tonight I was reading a card sent to us from the H family in New York. M asked me who it was from and I said mommy and daddy's friends. She said "My friend is Uncle N!" Even though she spent so much time with TÃo & TÃa lately, they still get trumped by Uncle N and his doggies.
Earlier tonight when we were on our walk in the older neighborhood nearby, she saw some reindeer and inflatable Santas. But they weren't moving. Apparently this is a bad thing. I guess she has higher standards than we do.
Tonight, after the walk and before the card, M and S were playing with the food toys from M's kitchen. Well, S had her eye on this lemon and was quite persistent about it. After she dropped it, M would scoop it up quickly and try to hide it between her legs. S would tire of whatever she had in her hand and would look for the lemon. Then she would seize it from M. I asked her if she was just holding it so S couldn't play with it and she agreed. After a few back and forths telling her she had one minute to play with it before it was S's turn, she, by herself, counted to 10 and gave it to her little sis. Praise the Lord! It's sinking in.
Eating has always been a battle with her. Typically, C would prepare a nice meal and M would take one look at it and say in her whiny voice "I don't liiike iiit." So, the last couple of weeks we've been telling her that she needs to eat 2 bites of several things on her plate since she's 2 years old. If she initially balks at the idea, we set a timer for 2 minutes to give her an audible signal that it's time to take a bite or else there will be consequences. After following through if she doesn't eat it at first, she will usually get back in the saddle again and obey. So that's been a great sense of victory for us. It's been hard, though, not to compare her to S, who eats pretty much everything we set before her.
S has been using her hippo walker lately to get around. She still crawls a majority of the time since she's faster. I thought for sure she'd be walking by Christmas, but, given her history of doing things later than M, it'll probably be well after the New Year. Don't you just love how, when they crawl, their little hineys shoomp back and forth. (As an aside, I wasn't sure how to spell hiney, so I checked on dictionary.com. It didn't have an entry, but suggested this link. Start with the Connotations section. I couldn't stop laughing for a good while. Beware of some vulgar uses.)
Her favorite thing to do lately is to bonk heads, especially with mommy. She slowly leans her head down and says khuh. After repeated bonks, she starts giggling and laughing. It's a lot of fun to watch. The only unfortunate thing is that she turns 1 next week. I can't believe she's already that old.
Chipmunks
Okay, so they're coming out with this new animated Alvin & The Chipmunks movie. I'm interested in it because I was a big fan back in the day. Notice how so many of the movies and toys coming out are themed around things when we were kids 20 years ago: Transformers, Care Bears, etc.
If you ever read or watched the stories about Alvin, Simon & Theodore, you know that half of the story is only one word long: AAAAAAAAAllllllllviiiiiinnnnn!!!! That's how I've been feeling with M the past week or so. Part of it is lack of good sleep. S has been waking up multiple times each night; we think she's teething. Part of it is our fault for not getting to bed early enough. And part of it is that she's 2.75 years old right now. She uses her whiny voice about 80% of the time and this drives me up the wall.
Have you ever had an extended period of time where, afterwards, you're just glad everyone survived. That's what we're going through right now. I had to go in to work last night and it was a good thing. C had a wedding shower to go to and I stayed home with the girls. S took a good long nap, which was great since she didn't take one at church. However, even after several yawns and I'm tireds, M would not take a nap. More importantly, she wouldn't be quiet in her room. And I told God when I was making my sammiches that I needed a nap and that I wouldn't be a good dad if I didn't get one. Now, was it a self-fulfilling prophecy or was it just knowing my weakness? M did good for an hour or so while I watched football to relax, but she turned to her whiny voice for the next two hours. I called C and told her I needed a break. When she got home she asked why M was in her room. It was so I didn't explode.
So, if you think of us, pray for patience and that M will stop using her whiny voice and use her sweet voice instead. Also pray for S to sleep through the night. That would be a big help. It just sets a bad tone for the next day.
If you ever read or watched the stories about Alvin, Simon & Theodore, you know that half of the story is only one word long: AAAAAAAAAllllllllviiiiiinnnnn!!!! That's how I've been feeling with M the past week or so. Part of it is lack of good sleep. S has been waking up multiple times each night; we think she's teething. Part of it is our fault for not getting to bed early enough. And part of it is that she's 2.75 years old right now. She uses her whiny voice about 80% of the time and this drives me up the wall.
Have you ever had an extended period of time where, afterwards, you're just glad everyone survived. That's what we're going through right now. I had to go in to work last night and it was a good thing. C had a wedding shower to go to and I stayed home with the girls. S took a good long nap, which was great since she didn't take one at church. However, even after several yawns and I'm tireds, M would not take a nap. More importantly, she wouldn't be quiet in her room. And I told God when I was making my sammiches that I needed a nap and that I wouldn't be a good dad if I didn't get one. Now, was it a self-fulfilling prophecy or was it just knowing my weakness? M did good for an hour or so while I watched football to relax, but she turned to her whiny voice for the next two hours. I called C and told her I needed a break. When she got home she asked why M was in her room. It was so I didn't explode.
So, if you think of us, pray for patience and that M will stop using her whiny voice and use her sweet voice instead. Also pray for S to sleep through the night. That would be a big help. It just sets a bad tone for the next day.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Biggest Loser
Tonight was the final weigh-in before the Final Four went home to see if they can keep it off and lose more.
Neil is 25, and 14 TV weeks ago weighed 421 pounds. On this week's show, he lost an additional 10 pounds to put his weight lost at around 156 pounds. To put that in perspective, he lost an entire adult human in three-and-a-half months. It's almost as if you took him at his current weight and he ate Michael J Fox. Can you imagine?!
Good luck to all the contestants.
Neil is 25, and 14 TV weeks ago weighed 421 pounds. On this week's show, he lost an additional 10 pounds to put his weight lost at around 156 pounds. To put that in perspective, he lost an entire adult human in three-and-a-half months. It's almost as if you took him at his current weight and he ate Michael J Fox. Can you imagine?!
Good luck to all the contestants.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Thanks For Coming. Now Git!
We went to Macaroni Grill tonight for dinner so that the gals could get out of the house. All that estrogen pent up in the house all day is not a good thing.
By the way, I have to brag on our girls. With very few exceptions, whenever we go out to a restaurant, they are very well behaved. M didn't take a nap again today, but was extremely well-behaved. She even ate a good portion of her chicken strips. I greased the wheels a bit by telling her they were BIIIIIGGGGG chicken nuggets. S just munched down on whatever C put in front of her and only toward the very end did she start to get a little fussy, but not much considering there was another tot making quite a bit of noise.
So, we've paid the tab and we head out to the car. I notice I forgot to grab the leftovers. Literally not even 30 seconds had passed during this time and they had already cleared our table and put a fresh slab of paper down. Our waiter had already tossed our bag of extras. C came out and gave me the bad news. Having been in the food service industry before, I knew I could be recompensed. I had half a Penne Rustica left for crying out loud! I spoke to a manager and he asked me if I wanted them to prep a new one. I said no, that a $5-$10 giftcard would do fine and he obliged.
As an efficiency nut, I applaud their expediency with which they operated, but just not on this occasion. It looks like we'll be making a return trip soon. Maybe I'll get to eat my whole dish next time.
By the way, I have to brag on our girls. With very few exceptions, whenever we go out to a restaurant, they are very well behaved. M didn't take a nap again today, but was extremely well-behaved. She even ate a good portion of her chicken strips. I greased the wheels a bit by telling her they were BIIIIIGGGGG chicken nuggets. S just munched down on whatever C put in front of her and only toward the very end did she start to get a little fussy, but not much considering there was another tot making quite a bit of noise.
So, we've paid the tab and we head out to the car. I notice I forgot to grab the leftovers. Literally not even 30 seconds had passed during this time and they had already cleared our table and put a fresh slab of paper down. Our waiter had already tossed our bag of extras. C came out and gave me the bad news. Having been in the food service industry before, I knew I could be recompensed. I had half a Penne Rustica left for crying out loud! I spoke to a manager and he asked me if I wanted them to prep a new one. I said no, that a $5-$10 giftcard would do fine and he obliged.
As an efficiency nut, I applaud their expediency with which they operated, but just not on this occasion. It looks like we'll be making a return trip soon. Maybe I'll get to eat my whole dish next time.
Just Curious
So, there are things in the Bible which are debatable, but, ultimately, will not determine our place in Heaven or Hell.
I just came across this one tonight.
Matt 19:28--Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
Fast forward to Acts 1:26--Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
Don't forget the Apostle Paul.
So the question, then, is even though Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus to fulfill the prophecy, does he still get to sit on one of twelve thrones judging one of the tribes? Or does that fall to Matthias? Or Paul?
Because Jesus said it, it must be true. So at first glance, you'd think it must be Judas. But in the context of His entire ministry, His disciples numbered in the hundreds. This passage calls out the disciples and not the Twelve, so it vary well could be Matthias. I think Paul is out of the question since he was not with Christ throughout His ministry.
The answer of Judas would be a very uncomfortable one, but God has never been One to call us to a life of comfort. And Luke's account of the betrayal says that Satan entered into him, and if a man is possessed by a demon, isn't it the demon acting and not the person? When Judas actually comes with the lynch mob, Jesus calls him 'Friend', but in the Greek, it's a lot more of fellow than actual friend. The American colloquial equivalent would probably be 'dude'.
I know you were probably coming to my blog to see what witty thing I'd say next. But this is my ramblings, and they are here and there, all around the square, saying catch me if you can.
Have a great rest of the week.
R
I just came across this one tonight.
Matt 19:28--Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
Fast forward to Acts 1:26--Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.
Don't forget the Apostle Paul.
So the question, then, is even though Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus to fulfill the prophecy, does he still get to sit on one of twelve thrones judging one of the tribes? Or does that fall to Matthias? Or Paul?
Because Jesus said it, it must be true. So at first glance, you'd think it must be Judas. But in the context of His entire ministry, His disciples numbered in the hundreds. This passage calls out the disciples and not the Twelve, so it vary well could be Matthias. I think Paul is out of the question since he was not with Christ throughout His ministry.
The answer of Judas would be a very uncomfortable one, but God has never been One to call us to a life of comfort. And Luke's account of the betrayal says that Satan entered into him, and if a man is possessed by a demon, isn't it the demon acting and not the person? When Judas actually comes with the lynch mob, Jesus calls him 'Friend', but in the Greek, it's a lot more of fellow than actual friend. The American colloquial equivalent would probably be 'dude'.
I know you were probably coming to my blog to see what witty thing I'd say next. But this is my ramblings, and they are here and there, all around the square, saying catch me if you can.
Have a great rest of the week.
R
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Random Thoughts
A lot of people in our neighborhood must've read my last post, because lots of Christmas lights were put up this weekend. Thanks folks. M is happy with your work.
C and I were watching The Amazing Race tonight. It's one of our favs, but we haven't caught it as consistently this season. There's this team of fairy goths (they wear pink) and the dude looks like Julia Roberts in the face. Sorry Julia. No offense.
The UT men's basketball team is 9-0 so far this year with two marquee victories over UCLA and the other UT (Tennessee). I'm excited to see how deep of a tourney run they'll make. Seth Davis has them in his final four. I think it's good for the kids to not have The Kevin Durant Show every few days. That must've been a circus last year. It looks like we have a serviceable big man and a bench deep enough to absorb fouls. I'm a little concerned that they're only attempting 15 free throws a game, which will hurt them in March if they're not as aggressive.
I got to play again for church today, the first time in over a year I think. Man I enjoyed the heck out of it. It was great seeing the little things that some of the musicians were doing that put the icing on the cake. A little four-note diddy by the pianist gave one song that extra something. I'm of the less-is-more ilk, so I enjoyed it immensely. Thanks Mike for giving me the call. Let's do it again sometime soon.
Tim Tebow won the Heisman, becoming the first underclassman to win the Downtown Athletic Club's trophy, which goes all the way back to Jay Berwanger in '35. Congrats kid. So let's recap. He shows up to Florida as a folk hero and, in backup change-of-pace duty, helps UF to a national title as a freshman. This year, under ginormous expectations, he leads the Gators to a respectable 9-3 record and actually exceeded the expectations. Incredible. If you haven't seen his acceptance speech, it's worth youtubing. That unexpected, exuberant rant that makes you appreciate that he's still just a kid. Good luck in your bowl game and with the rest of your career.
Winter's back. The cold front blasted through this afternoon, a little earlier than expected. Hopefully there will be pockets of no rain this week so the girls can get outside. I'm not sure I can cope with the pent-up energy they'll have everyday if they're couped up in the house.
Y'all have a great week.
C and I were watching The Amazing Race tonight. It's one of our favs, but we haven't caught it as consistently this season. There's this team of fairy goths (they wear pink) and the dude looks like Julia Roberts in the face. Sorry Julia. No offense.
The UT men's basketball team is 9-0 so far this year with two marquee victories over UCLA and the other UT (Tennessee). I'm excited to see how deep of a tourney run they'll make. Seth Davis has them in his final four. I think it's good for the kids to not have The Kevin Durant Show every few days. That must've been a circus last year. It looks like we have a serviceable big man and a bench deep enough to absorb fouls. I'm a little concerned that they're only attempting 15 free throws a game, which will hurt them in March if they're not as aggressive.
I got to play again for church today, the first time in over a year I think. Man I enjoyed the heck out of it. It was great seeing the little things that some of the musicians were doing that put the icing on the cake. A little four-note diddy by the pianist gave one song that extra something. I'm of the less-is-more ilk, so I enjoyed it immensely. Thanks Mike for giving me the call. Let's do it again sometime soon.
Tim Tebow won the Heisman, becoming the first underclassman to win the Downtown Athletic Club's trophy, which goes all the way back to Jay Berwanger in '35. Congrats kid. So let's recap. He shows up to Florida as a folk hero and, in backup change-of-pace duty, helps UF to a national title as a freshman. This year, under ginormous expectations, he leads the Gators to a respectable 9-3 record and actually exceeded the expectations. Incredible. If you haven't seen his acceptance speech, it's worth youtubing. That unexpected, exuberant rant that makes you appreciate that he's still just a kid. Good luck in your bowl game and with the rest of your career.
Winter's back. The cold front blasted through this afternoon, a little earlier than expected. Hopefully there will be pockets of no rain this week so the girls can get outside. I'm not sure I can cope with the pent-up energy they'll have everyday if they're couped up in the house.
Y'all have a great week.
Friday, December 07, 2007
Merry Slacker Christmas
I know the weather was cold and rainy in the days following Thanksgiving, but it seems like most people haven't gotten things in gear when it comes to Christmas decorations. Now, C and I are rather minimalist in our approach to outside decorations. A simple outline of our house with white lights will do. No blow-up things or gawdy scenes. No candy canes or longhorns.
We were the only house on our block with lights for an entire week. Even the houses that usually do lights and junk for every, and I mean every, holiday hadn't made an attempt until this week. Today the "Motorcycle Santa Claus" finally showed up. We were on our way home from work and from her back seat M spotted the jolly biker and shouted "LOOK!!" with her face in amazed familiarity. Like her face was saying "SWEET!"
The dog-walker was even getting into the act tonight. But there are still so many houses that had opulent displays last year that haven't even started. To those folks I say "Get into gear." Our daughter expects more from you. She's waited a whole year for Christmas and you better not let her down.
Oh, and thanks for spending all your money on the inflatables and tons of lights. My wallet thanks you for not having your electric bill.
We were the only house on our block with lights for an entire week. Even the houses that usually do lights and junk for every, and I mean every, holiday hadn't made an attempt until this week. Today the "Motorcycle Santa Claus" finally showed up. We were on our way home from work and from her back seat M spotted the jolly biker and shouted "LOOK!!" with her face in amazed familiarity. Like her face was saying "SWEET!"
The dog-walker was even getting into the act tonight. But there are still so many houses that had opulent displays last year that haven't even started. To those folks I say "Get into gear." Our daughter expects more from you. She's waited a whole year for Christmas and you better not let her down.
Oh, and thanks for spending all your money on the inflatables and tons of lights. My wallet thanks you for not having your electric bill.
Experiment No Longer in Progress
Just for the heck of it, I let my facial hair grow and trimmed it into a mustache & goatee combo. This was made possible by not being able to go to church since I was sick. Since I didn't go to church, I felt no need to shave. Those of you who know me are probably thinking to yourself "R. Your facial hair grows at a snails pace." And you're right. While the connectors were filled in enough, the hair is too light in most places to actually show. That and during high school I used to pick at my hair, pulling it out by the root so that there are patches with no hair.
C gave me the go ahead to give it a shot for a couple of weeks, but I didn't really like it that much. After 1.5 weeks it had gotten nice and soft, but was still prickly enough that the ladies in my house didn't like my kisses as much as they normally do. The folks at work gave me mixed reviews. A couple of people gave me pretty snarky comments, but that wasn't completely unexpected. One in particular is usually quite hateful and demeaning in her comments, unlike mine which are normally in jest. I told her it must be because she has an inferiority complex. She responded with her typical "Don't mess with me" routine, which grows quite thin as time passes. Intimidation only works if people are afraid of you. I'm at the point where I feel sorry for her because she feels she needs to hide behind that attitude.
Anyhow, I'm back to my normal baby-faced shaven self.
C gave me the go ahead to give it a shot for a couple of weeks, but I didn't really like it that much. After 1.5 weeks it had gotten nice and soft, but was still prickly enough that the ladies in my house didn't like my kisses as much as they normally do. The folks at work gave me mixed reviews. A couple of people gave me pretty snarky comments, but that wasn't completely unexpected. One in particular is usually quite hateful and demeaning in her comments, unlike mine which are normally in jest. I told her it must be because she has an inferiority complex. She responded with her typical "Don't mess with me" routine, which grows quite thin as time passes. Intimidation only works if people are afraid of you. I'm at the point where I feel sorry for her because she feels she needs to hide behind that attitude.
Anyhow, I'm back to my normal baby-faced shaven self.
Monday, December 03, 2007
RC Index Week 14
And the results are in...
So, what to make of this beautiful disaster?
Both indeces left out Boise, but they weren't that far behind.
In RC2, the difference between Missouri at #3 and Oklahoma at #8 was only 0.0072. So basically, it was a pick 'em. Also, only 0.0080 separate numbers 11-16 and only 0.0087 between #17 to #21.
I'm surprised that #6 Mizzou got left out of the BCS entirely, especially since it beat #8 Kansas and it's only losses were to #4 Oklahoma. They got gypped.
Texas is in the Holiday bowl against Arizona State on December 27th. I definitely like our chances in the game since most of our injured players will have had time to heal.
Time for me to go play Daddy.
Have a great day.
| RC1 | RC2 | BCS | ||||||||||||
| 1 | Ohio State | 11 | 1 | 0.8947 | 1 | LSU | 11 | 2 | 0.9040 | 1 | Ohio State | 0.9588 | ||
| 2 | LSU | 11 | 2 | 0.8864 | 2 | Ohio State | 11 | 1 | 0.8941 | 2 | LSU | 0.9394 | ||
| 3 | Missouri | 11 | 2 | 0.8824 | 3 | Missouri | 11 | 2 | 0.8817 | 3 | Va Tech | 0.8703 | ||
| 4 | Georgia | 10 | 2 | 0.8805 | 4 | Georgia | 10 | 2 | 0.8789 | 4 | Oklahoma | 0.8572 | ||
| 5 | Va Tech | 11 | 2 | 0.8779 | 5 | WVU | 10 | 2 | 0.8772 | 5 | Georgia | 0.8392 | ||
| 6 | Kansas | 11 | 1 | 0.8667 | 6 | Va Tech | 11 | 2 | 0.8766 | 6 | Missouri | 0.7763 | ||
| 7 | WVU | 10 | 2 | 0.8604 | 7 | Florida | 9 | 3 | 0.8750 | 7 | USC | 0.7637 | ||
| 8 | Oklahoma | 11 | 2 | 0.8581 | 8 | Oklahoma | 11 | 2 | 0.8745 | 8 | Kansas | 0.7589 | ||
| 9 | Florida | 9 | 3 | 0.8567 | 9 | Kansas | 11 | 1 | 0.8669 | 9 | WVU | 0.6628 | ||
| 10 | Hawaii | 12 | 0 | 0.8475 | 10 | Arizona St. | 10 | 2 | 0.8484 | 10 | Hawaii | 0.6468 | ||
| 11 | USF | 9 | 3 | 0.8413 | 11 | USF | 9 | 3 | 0.8391 | 11 | Arizona St. | 0.6204 | ||
| 12 | Illinois | 9 | 3 | 0.8400 | 12 | Illinois | 9 | 3 | 0.8380 | 12 | Florida | 0.6133 | ||
| 13 | BC | 10 | 3 | 0.8330 | 13 | Tennessee | 9 | 4 | 0.8356 | 13 | Illinois | 0.4597 | ||
| 14 | Arizona St. | 10 | 2 | 0.8326 | 14 | Hawaii | 12 | 0 | 0.8340 | 14 | BC | 0.4586 | ||
| 15 | BYU | 10 | 2 | 0.8201 | 15 | BC | 10 | 3 | 0.8321 | 15 | Clemson | 0.3844 | ||
| 16 | Cincinnati | 9 | 3 | 0.8181 | 16 | USC | 10 | 2 | 0.8311 | 16 | Tennessee | 0.3251 | ||
| 17 | Clemson | 9 | 3 | 0.8181 | 17 | Texas | 9 | 3 | 0.8204 | 17 | BYU | 0.3027 | ||
| 18 | Tennessee | 9 | 4 | 0.8178 | 18 | BYU | 10 | 2 | 0.8183 | 18 | Wisconsin | 0.2915 | ||
| 19 | UCONN | 9 | 3 | 0.8171 | 19 | Cincinnati | 9 | 3 | 0.8170 | 19 | Texas | 0.2523 | ||
| 20 | USC | 10 | 2 | 0.8160 | 20 | Clemson | 9 | 3 | 0.8159 | 20 | Virginia | 0.2349 | ||
| 21 | Wisconsin | 9 | 3 | 0.8123 | 21 | Wisconsin | 9 | 3 | 0.8117 | 21 | USF | 0.2112 | ||
| 22 | Auburn | 8 | 4 | 0.8048 | 22 | Virginia | 9 | 3 | 0.8084 | 22 | Cincinnati | 0.1789 | ||
| 23 | Texas | 9 | 3 | 0.8042 | 23 | Auburn | 8 | 4 | 0.8029 | 23 | Auburn | 0.1566 | ||
| 24 | Virginia | 9 | 3 | 0.7926 | 24 | Penn State | 8 | 4 | 0.8016 | 24 | Boise | 0.1179 | ||
| 25 | Michigan | 8 | 4 | 0.7918 | 25 | UCONN | 9 | 3 | 0.7983 | 25 | UCONN | 0.0745 | ||
| 26 | Boise State | 10 | 2 | 0.7864 | 28 | Boise State | 10 | 2 | 0.7851 |
So, what to make of this beautiful disaster?
Both indeces left out Boise, but they weren't that far behind.
In RC2, the difference between Missouri at #3 and Oklahoma at #8 was only 0.0072. So basically, it was a pick 'em. Also, only 0.0080 separate numbers 11-16 and only 0.0087 between #17 to #21.
I'm surprised that #6 Mizzou got left out of the BCS entirely, especially since it beat #8 Kansas and it's only losses were to #4 Oklahoma. They got gypped.
Texas is in the Holiday bowl against Arizona State on December 27th. I definitely like our chances in the game since most of our injured players will have had time to heal.
Time for me to go play Daddy.
Have a great day.
The Sick House
Okay people. Let's review. What are the three acceptable places for you to go when you know you or your child is sick?
1. Your house
2. Your doctor
3. Your pharmacy
Notice that WORK and CHURCH are not on the list!!! Or any other place with healthy people.
Some cretin gave me strep throat this past week. I had a little sore throat on Thursday night but thought it was just allergies. Well, Friday night I had a splitting headache I couldn't get rid of. It came back on Saturday along with a little chill. That afternoon it was followed by a 100.3° fever. So I stayed home. That night I ate a pretty healthy dinner, so I rejoiced and told C that is wasn't the flu since I didn't lose my appetite.
Sunday afternoon C started having some aches and a sore throat, so she took a look at her throat and asked to see mine. I believe "Wow!" was her reaction. She's had strep enough times that she knew I had it and that I'd given it to her. So she called the ARC After-Hours Clinic, but they said they were booked solid for adults. However, the nurse mentioned that the CVS on Gattis School has a MinuteClinic and they could do the swabs and cultures for strep. She went in first and I stayed in the car with M who had fallen asleep in the car on the way over--she didn't bother to take her nap after she got home from church. Her swab wasn't positive. So it was my turn. The took a look and said that's the worst she's seen. She took a double swab--I didn't gag--and within a minute or two it was positive. So she ordered us up some prescriptions and we went on our way.
Thankfully we were able to get in and get the antibiotics, because C has a really bad time of it. Her achyness got worse by the hour. I went into work for an hour-and-a-half because there was some R&D work that needed to be done for our API group and I'm the only one trained to run it that is currently in the country.
Today we're feeling much better and looking forward to going to the Lamb of God concert at church tonight...after we've been on meds for 24+ hours.
1. Your house
2. Your doctor
3. Your pharmacy
Notice that WORK and CHURCH are not on the list!!! Or any other place with healthy people.
Some cretin gave me strep throat this past week. I had a little sore throat on Thursday night but thought it was just allergies. Well, Friday night I had a splitting headache I couldn't get rid of. It came back on Saturday along with a little chill. That afternoon it was followed by a 100.3° fever. So I stayed home. That night I ate a pretty healthy dinner, so I rejoiced and told C that is wasn't the flu since I didn't lose my appetite.
Sunday afternoon C started having some aches and a sore throat, so she took a look at her throat and asked to see mine. I believe "Wow!" was her reaction. She's had strep enough times that she knew I had it and that I'd given it to her. So she called the ARC After-Hours Clinic, but they said they were booked solid for adults. However, the nurse mentioned that the CVS on Gattis School has a MinuteClinic and they could do the swabs and cultures for strep. She went in first and I stayed in the car with M who had fallen asleep in the car on the way over--she didn't bother to take her nap after she got home from church. Her swab wasn't positive. So it was my turn. The took a look and said that's the worst she's seen. She took a double swab--I didn't gag--and within a minute or two it was positive. So she ordered us up some prescriptions and we went on our way.
Thankfully we were able to get in and get the antibiotics, because C has a really bad time of it. Her achyness got worse by the hour. I went into work for an hour-and-a-half because there was some R&D work that needed to be done for our API group and I'm the only one trained to run it that is currently in the country.
Today we're feeling much better and looking forward to going to the Lamb of God concert at church tonight...after we've been on meds for 24+ hours.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Happenings
You'll have to pardon the Zapruder-esque quality of the video, but I had to catch little S at her sweetest. She's really been into making the machine gun sound lately, and it's especially funny when she changes octaves.
Can you believe today is December 1st? It's crazy isn't it? The Christmas season is upon us and M could not be more excited. Let's just say that last Christmas, I went around and took pictures of all the decorations in our subdivision so that when they got taken down she wouldn't go into depression.
Work has been fairly good lately. I had some down time this week so I was able to start updating a lot of our GC & GCMS methods to the current format. It's one of those things that needs to be done, but doesn't because it's busy work at best. Our Doc Control ladies love me!!
TINSTAAFW. There is no such things as a free weekend. I think we've been booked solid since September and there is no relief in sight. I don't mind all the things going on, but I don't have as much time to get things done around the house...not that I'm keen on housework. I need to put some weather stripping around our doors, but it's either been too cold or too moist to take care of that the past two weeks. I don't mind the cold. I wish it were winter more here in Central Texas.
Alas, the last weekend of college football on regular TV for three weeks. On Monday, as usual, I'll post my BCS Rankings as well as my thoughts on the Texas bowl matchup. Some time between now and the first bowl game I'll give my picks.
Have a great weekend.
R
Can you believe today is December 1st? It's crazy isn't it? The Christmas season is upon us and M could not be more excited. Let's just say that last Christmas, I went around and took pictures of all the decorations in our subdivision so that when they got taken down she wouldn't go into depression.
Work has been fairly good lately. I had some down time this week so I was able to start updating a lot of our GC & GCMS methods to the current format. It's one of those things that needs to be done, but doesn't because it's busy work at best. Our Doc Control ladies love me!!
TINSTAAFW. There is no such things as a free weekend. I think we've been booked solid since September and there is no relief in sight. I don't mind all the things going on, but I don't have as much time to get things done around the house...not that I'm keen on housework. I need to put some weather stripping around our doors, but it's either been too cold or too moist to take care of that the past two weeks. I don't mind the cold. I wish it were winter more here in Central Texas.
Alas, the last weekend of college football on regular TV for three weeks. On Monday, as usual, I'll post my BCS Rankings as well as my thoughts on the Texas bowl matchup. Some time between now and the first bowl game I'll give my picks.
Have a great weekend.
R
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Head On Straight
In a football landscape that sometimes seems like life-and-death, one man has kept his perspective on getting canned.
"Nobody likes to get fired," said Gailey, a former head coach with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys. "But all they can take is your job. They can't take your faith. They can't take your family. They can't take your integrity."
Thank you, Chan, for remembering that there are far more important things than winning and losing. If your players became men while under your tutelage, then you excelled in your job, no matter what your record was.
"Nobody likes to get fired," said Gailey, a former head coach with the NFL's Dallas Cowboys. "But all they can take is your job. They can't take your faith. They can't take your family. They can't take your integrity."
Thank you, Chan, for remembering that there are far more important things than winning and losing. If your players became men while under your tutelage, then you excelled in your job, no matter what your record was.
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