So, we don't have cable; therefore I had to listen to the game on KVET.
From the highlights I saw and from what I heard on the radio, I still think we're in good shape against OSU this Saturday.
1. Our stable of horses ground out over 200 yards.
2. Colt managed the game well. Sure he didn't throw for 250+ yards, but he didn't get picked either.
3. Our defense smothered UNT's offense. Granted, it's UNT, but still, 95 total yards is exceptional, with most of that coming on the initial drive of the second half.
4. 6/12 3rd down conversion and 2/2 on 4th down.
5. Only 4 penalties.
6. Of the two turnovers, both were fluke plays: one a weird hop on a punt that nicked Aaron Ross and the other on a ball that could've been caught being intercepted.
7. Decent special teams: Greg Johnson averaged 43.5 on two punts. Only 5/9 kickoffs were returnable.
In summation, great balance on offense, a smothering D and solid special teams.
A preview for Saturday:
1. Although Colt distributed the ball to 6 different receivers, none were to tight ends. They need to be involved against a much faster, stronger Buckeye D.
2. I really would've liked for our place kicker to have gotten a couple of tries to get him battle tested, even though this game will again be in the friendly confines of DKR/Memorial Stadium.
3. Whither Lyle Sendlein? I know he injured/tweaked an ankle in the first half. He needs to be 100% on Saturday.
4. We can exploit the left side of OSU's offensive line which starts two rookies this year.
5. You can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him: Troy Smith, Teddy Ginn Jr and Antonio Pittman. We could probably do a box-and-one on Ginn and limit his damage.
6. I think OSU got a better taste of a good rushing attack than we did this week, and they could punch us in the mouth early.
7. I think we have the advantage in that we can throw more fresh, talented bodies at OSU than they can throw at us.
My prediction:
Special teams, special teams, special teams. I think Robison and Michael Griffin will be disruptive enough in the kicking game. If our kickoff guy can consistently put it through the end zone, we can limit Ginn there. Colt McCoy will manage the game well enough to keep it close throughout, with a final score of Texas 28 - OSU 24.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Title Defense Preview
This is the email I sent to my boys about our chances this year on August 28th:
This is going to be a crazy year. Since Mack now has a National Championship under his belt, he can do a little dabbling without too much ruckus from the Longhorn rabble. I just hope he doesn't get all Phil Fulmer on us and play two QBs so that neither can get a feel. I don't think that's going to happen, however, as many reports out of Austin and in national media believe that it's Colt McCoy's job. I think that will go a long way in providing stability to the program, even though neither he nor Jevan have taken a college snap.
I actually really like our chances this year. Yes, we lost a lot on both sides of the ball, but there are players with game experience that are in place to take over. Our D will be in fine shape because there is stability on the line, with the backers and with the secondary. And it has another year and off-season with Gene Chizik's schemes. We still have a fine stable of receivers and running backs. I REALLY like our O-line. I think that whoever is under center/in shotgun will have plenty of time to scan the field and make good decisions. If not, it could be a rough year (see: Miami-Florida, University of; see also: Wright, Kyle). I think it's possible that we can lose the Ohio State game by a close margin, which wouldn't drop us too far in the polls, run the table to rest of the way and have a rematch in the Fiesta Bowl if everyone else loses a game. Call me crazy.
But this team is going to be focused. It desperately wants an identity outside of VY. This weekend I saw that Mack's team motto this year is "Do what you can do." It's simple, but powerful at the same time. It says don't try to be Vince. It says Be Smart. And oddly enough, that was Ohio State's game plan in 2001. Great D, great special teams, and have a QB who may not be spectacular, but won't get you killed.
I guess what worries me the most this year is special teams and the fullback position. Both our kickers and our FB are gone from last year. It's one of those things with the fullback that you don't realize what you had until it's gone. I still think that our RBs will be able to move the ball because our O-line will open up some nice holes in the trenches. But what scares me is the kicking game. A punter can be minimalized since we'll have a good cover team, but you can't have inconsistency with your PK. I think the one game that'll rear it's head the most is with Ohio State.
I wish I had tix to that game. The atmosphere will be arguably the most electric in the history of DKR/Memorial stadium. And have you seen the size of the "Godzillatron"? Wow. Heck, I'll just put a lawn chair and a minifridge up on the roof and watch the game from Round Rock.
This is going to be a crazy year. Since Mack now has a National Championship under his belt, he can do a little dabbling without too much ruckus from the Longhorn rabble. I just hope he doesn't get all Phil Fulmer on us and play two QBs so that neither can get a feel. I don't think that's going to happen, however, as many reports out of Austin and in national media believe that it's Colt McCoy's job. I think that will go a long way in providing stability to the program, even though neither he nor Jevan have taken a college snap.
I actually really like our chances this year. Yes, we lost a lot on both sides of the ball, but there are players with game experience that are in place to take over. Our D will be in fine shape because there is stability on the line, with the backers and with the secondary. And it has another year and off-season with Gene Chizik's schemes. We still have a fine stable of receivers and running backs. I REALLY like our O-line. I think that whoever is under center/in shotgun will have plenty of time to scan the field and make good decisions. If not, it could be a rough year (see: Miami-Florida, University of; see also: Wright, Kyle). I think it's possible that we can lose the Ohio State game by a close margin, which wouldn't drop us too far in the polls, run the table to rest of the way and have a rematch in the Fiesta Bowl if everyone else loses a game. Call me crazy.
But this team is going to be focused. It desperately wants an identity outside of VY. This weekend I saw that Mack's team motto this year is "Do what you can do." It's simple, but powerful at the same time. It says don't try to be Vince. It says Be Smart. And oddly enough, that was Ohio State's game plan in 2001. Great D, great special teams, and have a QB who may not be spectacular, but won't get you killed.
I guess what worries me the most this year is special teams and the fullback position. Both our kickers and our FB are gone from last year. It's one of those things with the fullback that you don't realize what you had until it's gone. I still think that our RBs will be able to move the ball because our O-line will open up some nice holes in the trenches. But what scares me is the kicking game. A punter can be minimalized since we'll have a good cover team, but you can't have inconsistency with your PK. I think the one game that'll rear it's head the most is with Ohio State.
I wish I had tix to that game. The atmosphere will be arguably the most electric in the history of DKR/Memorial stadium. And have you seen the size of the "Godzillatron"? Wow. Heck, I'll just put a lawn chair and a minifridge up on the roof and watch the game from Round Rock.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
A few more things
M has learned a new game this past week: 52-card pickup. She doesn't get the full enjoyment yet of spraying them around the room for me to pick up. She usually just takes them off my nightstand and spreads them in a small area on the floor nearby.
I'm glad "So You Think You Can Dance" is over. Was Cat Deeley not the most horrible host/hostess in the history of TV hosting? She wore hideous clothes 90% of the time, her English accent was a lot more annoying than cute, and any time she opened her mouth I just muted her because she never had anything of substance to say. That and Mary Murphy was often loud and screaming. Seriously though. That must be her schtick now. She can't leave it behind. Unless she starts appearing on infomercials.
My buddy D has a bumper sticker that says "Pray for Rain!" Obviously, I'm not praying fervently enough. But it did cool down to 95 earlier tonight and it felt great outside. Those clouds did their job today and held it to a mild 103 today. Summer in Texas. It's faaaaantastic.
At least we have an AC unit that works correctly now.
Have a great week folks.
R
I'm glad "So You Think You Can Dance" is over. Was Cat Deeley not the most horrible host/hostess in the history of TV hosting? She wore hideous clothes 90% of the time, her English accent was a lot more annoying than cute, and any time she opened her mouth I just muted her because she never had anything of substance to say. That and Mary Murphy was often loud and screaming. Seriously though. That must be her schtick now. She can't leave it behind. Unless she starts appearing on infomercials.
My buddy D has a bumper sticker that says "Pray for Rain!" Obviously, I'm not praying fervently enough. But it did cool down to 95 earlier tonight and it felt great outside. Those clouds did their job today and held it to a mild 103 today. Summer in Texas. It's faaaaantastic.
At least we have an AC unit that works correctly now.
Have a great week folks.
R
Friday, August 25, 2006
The Latest
What an incredible two weeks it's been.
Some of M's latest words that I've been working with her on: Honey, Dude and Two. She's been saying Honey quite a bit, but it all started after a long day of work. I plopped down on the floor and she plopped down on me and I said "I love you Honey" and she very cutely replied "Huh-nee!" Dude and Two are cute because she makes duck lips while saying them.
She must be growing because she's been eating/drinking and sleeping a lot this past week. I was noticing last night how long her little legs are.
Things continue to be crazy around here. After getting another obscene electric bill from TxU, we asked the neighbor across the street who we know does AC work and he came over and took a look at things. It took him an hour and a significant amount of our money, but things are much better now, especially in our room, which usually runs 5-10 degrees hotter than the rest of the house.
And my car was leaking gas. And it's got a wobble. I mean face it, it's 13 years old, it has no AC as of two years ago, the radio doesn't work. It's on it's last legs. I'll drive it till it won't go no more.
And C called me Wednesday morning to ask my help in changing a tire on the good car. It has a nice kiwi-sized hole in it. [Editor's note: It apparently was closer to orange-size than kiwi-size; that is, if we're using fruit as an analogy.] Thankfully, however, she was able to navigate her way to the side safely and was only 5 minutes away from work. We decided new tires wouldn't be such a bad idea.
All this to say that, without Christ and His perspective on money, we would probably be in worse moods right now, with God and with each other, especially since I have a tendency to get frustrated easily. We still are well in the black, but it was just one thing after another and it was really getting to me at times. But He is our Provider and He is sovereign.
Oh yeah, the knee. Well, it's been doing okay. The doc said the MRI showed a partial tear of the PCL, but it's in the right cavity and feels tighter than the first time he saw me. He doesn't consider reconstructive surgery an option since it looks so good, but I'll need to lay off it so that it can heal properly.
Work's been fine. A bunch of OOSes on some compounds that should've been run by HPLC, but the batch records weren't updated, which would've saved a LOT of work on my part. However, today was a little slower, so I was able to finish writing a procedure and three analytical methods.
We also said goodbye to Tío & Tía. They're headed back to Spain, particularly Malaga, to reach out spiritually to the students at the university through Campus Crusade for Christ's Agapé ministry. I know C will especially miss the friendship and sisterhood she experienced with Tía this year. We love y'all!
R
Some of M's latest words that I've been working with her on: Honey, Dude and Two. She's been saying Honey quite a bit, but it all started after a long day of work. I plopped down on the floor and she plopped down on me and I said "I love you Honey" and she very cutely replied "Huh-nee!" Dude and Two are cute because she makes duck lips while saying them.
She must be growing because she's been eating/drinking and sleeping a lot this past week. I was noticing last night how long her little legs are.
Things continue to be crazy around here. After getting another obscene electric bill from TxU, we asked the neighbor across the street who we know does AC work and he came over and took a look at things. It took him an hour and a significant amount of our money, but things are much better now, especially in our room, which usually runs 5-10 degrees hotter than the rest of the house.
And my car was leaking gas. And it's got a wobble. I mean face it, it's 13 years old, it has no AC as of two years ago, the radio doesn't work. It's on it's last legs. I'll drive it till it won't go no more.
And C called me Wednesday morning to ask my help in changing a tire on the good car. It has a nice kiwi-sized hole in it. [Editor's note: It apparently was closer to orange-size than kiwi-size; that is, if we're using fruit as an analogy.] Thankfully, however, she was able to navigate her way to the side safely and was only 5 minutes away from work. We decided new tires wouldn't be such a bad idea.
All this to say that, without Christ and His perspective on money, we would probably be in worse moods right now, with God and with each other, especially since I have a tendency to get frustrated easily. We still are well in the black, but it was just one thing after another and it was really getting to me at times. But He is our Provider and He is sovereign.
Oh yeah, the knee. Well, it's been doing okay. The doc said the MRI showed a partial tear of the PCL, but it's in the right cavity and feels tighter than the first time he saw me. He doesn't consider reconstructive surgery an option since it looks so good, but I'll need to lay off it so that it can heal properly.
Work's been fine. A bunch of OOSes on some compounds that should've been run by HPLC, but the batch records weren't updated, which would've saved a LOT of work on my part. However, today was a little slower, so I was able to finish writing a procedure and three analytical methods.
We also said goodbye to Tío & Tía. They're headed back to Spain, particularly Malaga, to reach out spiritually to the students at the university through Campus Crusade for Christ's Agapé ministry. I know C will especially miss the friendship and sisterhood she experienced with Tía this year. We love y'all!
R
Sunday, August 13, 2006
What a Week!
So, last week was crazy with work, but this week was crazy for different reasons.
Let's recap:
At work, I gave myself two titles:
Director of GC and GCMS Services, which is quite an accurate descriptor and it has a nice ring to it. I didn't want to say President because there are others in the lab that are more tenured and I didn't want to step on any toes.
Second, I dubbed myself Chief Morale Officer. This one got a lot of laughs, which fits right in with the name. I like to make people laugh and we have a pretty good time. We try not to take ourselves too seriously or we'll get too worked up over silly stuff that can stress you out. By the way, if you go to the profile and scroll to the bottom of the page, I'm the devilishly handsome fellow on the back row in the blue shirt and yellow tie.
Wednesday, we went to find out if M was having a baby brother or sister. Now, M took her dear sweet time before we poked and prodded her into moving her legs. This little one, however, only took 5 minutes after the sono tech was done with all the measurements. She was rambling on about "there's the feet...and the thigh...and here's the girl parts...and" Wait a minute! Girl parts? We were totally expecting a boy since C's symptoms were so different. But after the shock and mild disappointment wore off, we are very excited about our perfect little girl. So, your next question is obviously, do we have a name? Yes and no. Yes on the middle name, but no on the first. We're still working the kinks out.
We got ants. Not just any ants, fireants. Coming into the house. At multiple points. So we--we being C--called around and got somebody to come out Thursday afternoon and treat the house. We spent Thursday night killing hundreds of ants that had been creeping in through our closet and onto my clothes. Not good times friends; not good times.
Friday morning at work I posited to a coworker that maybe God was giving us fireants so that we could find something else wrong before it got much bigger. Well, since we had so many ants in the closet, the exterminator came out again Friday afternoon and, while he was spraying around the hot water heater, found that it was leaking. So, while we were less than happy about shelling out some more dough to fix the hot water heater, we're glad we caught it before it got much worse.
And in other news, M hasn't really been sleeping all that well. She's teething, which I'm sure doesn't help. Last night she was awake for 2.5 hours. C was very kind and allowed me to sleep in this morning. Thanks babe!
In still other news, FOOTBALL IS BACK!!! Woo-hoo! It's been a long seven months. Just as long as I spend as much time with my girls as I do in front of the tube, I think we'll be alright.
Take it easy and have a great week at work, whether it's in a building or at home.
R
Let's recap:
At work, I gave myself two titles:
Director of GC and GCMS Services, which is quite an accurate descriptor and it has a nice ring to it. I didn't want to say President because there are others in the lab that are more tenured and I didn't want to step on any toes.
Second, I dubbed myself Chief Morale Officer. This one got a lot of laughs, which fits right in with the name. I like to make people laugh and we have a pretty good time. We try not to take ourselves too seriously or we'll get too worked up over silly stuff that can stress you out. By the way, if you go to the profile and scroll to the bottom of the page, I'm the devilishly handsome fellow on the back row in the blue shirt and yellow tie.
Wednesday, we went to find out if M was having a baby brother or sister. Now, M took her dear sweet time before we poked and prodded her into moving her legs. This little one, however, only took 5 minutes after the sono tech was done with all the measurements. She was rambling on about "there's the feet...and the thigh...and here's the girl parts...and" Wait a minute! Girl parts? We were totally expecting a boy since C's symptoms were so different. But after the shock and mild disappointment wore off, we are very excited about our perfect little girl. So, your next question is obviously, do we have a name? Yes and no. Yes on the middle name, but no on the first. We're still working the kinks out.
We got ants. Not just any ants, fireants. Coming into the house. At multiple points. So we--we being C--called around and got somebody to come out Thursday afternoon and treat the house. We spent Thursday night killing hundreds of ants that had been creeping in through our closet and onto my clothes. Not good times friends; not good times.
Friday morning at work I posited to a coworker that maybe God was giving us fireants so that we could find something else wrong before it got much bigger. Well, since we had so many ants in the closet, the exterminator came out again Friday afternoon and, while he was spraying around the hot water heater, found that it was leaking. So, while we were less than happy about shelling out some more dough to fix the hot water heater, we're glad we caught it before it got much worse.
And in other news, M hasn't really been sleeping all that well. She's teething, which I'm sure doesn't help. Last night she was awake for 2.5 hours. C was very kind and allowed me to sleep in this morning. Thanks babe!
In still other news, FOOTBALL IS BACK!!! Woo-hoo! It's been a long seven months. Just as long as I spend as much time with my girls as I do in front of the tube, I think we'll be alright.
Take it easy and have a great week at work, whether it's in a building or at home.
R
Friday, August 11, 2006
Soapbox Time
Okay, so here's the deal: people tend not to take responsibility for their actions.
I know that's not a new one on anybody, but athletes take it to a whole new level.
The latest examples:
Maurice Clarett thinks he can drive around with a tenth of vodka in his system, wearing a bullet-proof vest and wielding four guns, including an AK-47. We all know, though, that this isn't his first run-in with the law. Compounding the issue is the fact that this "man" has entered the gene pool and is madly in love with his baby girl. The life guard must not have been on duty that day. And the worst part is that people are making excuses for him.
Says Dan Shanoff on the 8/11Daily Quickie: "Meanwhile, I can't help wondering if all this would have been avoided if the NFL had let Clarett into the league after his freshman year."
HUH??!!
No, this all could have been avoided if people quit glad-handing him and giving him special privileges since he can tote the rock. If someone said no to him. Maybe spanked him whenever he did something wrong. It's not the NFL's fault for not letting him in early. It's not the Denver Broncos' fault for "not connecting with him [sic]". It's Maurice Clarett's fault for making bad choices and for those in position of authority for not enforcing punishment, and therefore reality, to let him know he's not above the law.
Next up, Jeff Allison. After his second, not first, second, OD on heroin, his friend tells ESPN that "He screwed up a few times before, but he always had baseball to fall back on, and I always believed as long as he had baseball he'd pull out of this thing. It's possible that he doesn't have baseball anymore and I also think that's a deciding factor in what's going on and whether or not he'll be able to pull out of this."
So it's the Florida Marlins' fault that this kid likes to sniff the line, not walk it. Unbelievable.
People need to stop making excuses and start taking responsibility for their actions. Their family and friends need to stop being sycophants (yes-men). Authority figures need to stop brushing their "little indiscretions" aside and make sure that they understand that every decision has a price tag.
All right. I'm done. Taking a deep, cleansing breath. In with the good air, out with the bad.
I know that's not a new one on anybody, but athletes take it to a whole new level.
The latest examples:
Maurice Clarett thinks he can drive around with a tenth of vodka in his system, wearing a bullet-proof vest and wielding four guns, including an AK-47. We all know, though, that this isn't his first run-in with the law. Compounding the issue is the fact that this "man" has entered the gene pool and is madly in love with his baby girl. The life guard must not have been on duty that day. And the worst part is that people are making excuses for him.
Says Dan Shanoff on the 8/11Daily Quickie: "Meanwhile, I can't help wondering if all this would have been avoided if the NFL had let Clarett into the league after his freshman year."
HUH??!!
No, this all could have been avoided if people quit glad-handing him and giving him special privileges since he can tote the rock. If someone said no to him. Maybe spanked him whenever he did something wrong. It's not the NFL's fault for not letting him in early. It's not the Denver Broncos' fault for "not connecting with him [sic]". It's Maurice Clarett's fault for making bad choices and for those in position of authority for not enforcing punishment, and therefore reality, to let him know he's not above the law.
Next up, Jeff Allison. After his second, not first, second, OD on heroin, his friend tells ESPN that "He screwed up a few times before, but he always had baseball to fall back on, and I always believed as long as he had baseball he'd pull out of this thing. It's possible that he doesn't have baseball anymore and I also think that's a deciding factor in what's going on and whether or not he'll be able to pull out of this."
So it's the Florida Marlins' fault that this kid likes to sniff the line, not walk it. Unbelievable.
People need to stop making excuses and start taking responsibility for their actions. Their family and friends need to stop being sycophants (yes-men). Authority figures need to stop brushing their "little indiscretions" aside and make sure that they understand that every decision has a price tag.
All right. I'm done. Taking a deep, cleansing breath. In with the good air, out with the bad.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Update
So, the knee is feeling both better and worse. I'm going to see a highly-recommended orthopedic surgeon on Friday. At least I'll have answers.
Of course, Friday is pretty much doomsday at work. A very high priority project that has a drop-dead due date of next Monday has fallen on hard times. It doesn't help that the autosampler on GCMS#2 decided to quit last night...during the middle of my sequence...before it had finished one of my two standards I was running for this project. Oh well. Not much I can do about it. At least I had managed my expectations well for this week.
M continues to be the cutest thing. I piqued her curiosity the other day when I was practicing for my duet with D for last Sunday. She had a fun time ripping the mouthpiece out of my mouth while I was playing it. So I blew air through it and showed her how to push the buttons. She liked it but wasn't too enthused. So then she climbed up in the papasan and peaked over the cushion at me. Those two cute little beady eyes staring at me in wonderment. I wish I had the camera.
So, you know how competitive C and I are. Well, there's a game called Bejeweled, which I used to play a lot in college. When C plays I try to help her out when she gets stuck. I asked her if I could play a game. So I was doing pretty good and she left the room to check on M. She came back and was wondering if I had started another game. No, I insisted, I was still on the same one. To make a long story short, I played for 23:19, had over 80,000 points, cleared 107 jewels per minute and had a best score of 2800. And it wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't started the game at 5 till ten. But it was fun.
If you haven't heard by now, we are expecting number two at the beginning of January. We go to find out whether it's a boy or girl next Wednesday. I'm pretty convinced it's a boy since C's symptoms are so different, namely that she wasn't yakking every morning between weeks six and sixteen. She's had a fairly good pregnancy up till now considering how her allergies get worse and now that her sciatica is coming back.
How about this weather huh? I hear it's supposed to be a hundred and death-teen degrees tomorrow. Sheesh. Thankfully it's been a mostly dry heat. Because it ain't the heat that gets you--all together now--it's the humidity.
I must be off. C and I are trying to figure out a girl's name, just in case.
Take care and God bless,
R
Of course, Friday is pretty much doomsday at work. A very high priority project that has a drop-dead due date of next Monday has fallen on hard times. It doesn't help that the autosampler on GCMS#2 decided to quit last night...during the middle of my sequence...before it had finished one of my two standards I was running for this project. Oh well. Not much I can do about it. At least I had managed my expectations well for this week.
M continues to be the cutest thing. I piqued her curiosity the other day when I was practicing for my duet with D for last Sunday. She had a fun time ripping the mouthpiece out of my mouth while I was playing it. So I blew air through it and showed her how to push the buttons. She liked it but wasn't too enthused. So then she climbed up in the papasan and peaked over the cushion at me. Those two cute little beady eyes staring at me in wonderment. I wish I had the camera.
So, you know how competitive C and I are. Well, there's a game called Bejeweled, which I used to play a lot in college. When C plays I try to help her out when she gets stuck. I asked her if I could play a game. So I was doing pretty good and she left the room to check on M. She came back and was wondering if I had started another game. No, I insisted, I was still on the same one. To make a long story short, I played for 23:19, had over 80,000 points, cleared 107 jewels per minute and had a best score of 2800. And it wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't started the game at 5 till ten. But it was fun.
If you haven't heard by now, we are expecting number two at the beginning of January. We go to find out whether it's a boy or girl next Wednesday. I'm pretty convinced it's a boy since C's symptoms are so different, namely that she wasn't yakking every morning between weeks six and sixteen. She's had a fairly good pregnancy up till now considering how her allergies get worse and now that her sciatica is coming back.
How about this weather huh? I hear it's supposed to be a hundred and death-teen degrees tomorrow. Sheesh. Thankfully it's been a mostly dry heat. Because it ain't the heat that gets you--all together now--it's the humidity.
I must be off. C and I are trying to figure out a girl's name, just in case.
Take care and God bless,
R
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Getting Older and other things
There are many signs that one is getting older. The graying of the hair. The losing of the hair. The memory fading. And the body doing strange things.
Last Saturday, I was playing flag football and I received the ball, made a cut and was tackled, both literally and figuratively, and drove my right knee into the ground. So, I got up and took a step back to the huddle and my knee had a little give to it. And when I tried to run I heard this clicking sound in my knee. I stayed in for a couple more plays until halftime, even catching a ball and futily hopping on one leg toward the end zone before the safety flagged me at the 5-yard line. But I decided to be a man and stop so I wouldn't hurt myself worse. To make a long story short, I went to ARC's Far West clinic which has after-hours care and got myself a wheelchair ride, some X-rays that were negative, a leg immobilizer and some crutches. The last two things are very good for sympathy. A quick side note: my friend Fen's team was gracious enough to go a man down for the second half when they realized I was done for the game. An absolute splendid show of sportsmanship and Christian character.
Lemme tell you, you don't realize how much your knee means to you until you can't use it properly. For instance, I still can't bend it all the way back, which makes squatting impossible. Neither could I chase after M in my normal way. I like to get on my hands and knees and hit the floor announcing "Daddy's gonna gitcha!", which is shortly followed by my little one giggling and running away. I've been able to do it a little bit as my knee has gotten better, but it's just not the same. One other interesting thing is when you have restless legs and you have an immobilizer on. It's darn near impossible to get that puppy to sleep. But one of the highlights was driving home with the immobilizer on. Now, as I'm sure most of you have done, when I get bored on long drives or when my foot starts to hurt, I'll switch 'em and drive with my left foot. So, thankfully I've had practice making my left foot an ambidextrous driver. So I open the passenger door, pull myself through, get my leg in and then the crutches. Now the tricky part was that my leg was pushing against the shifter, so that it wasn't locking in Drive. So I had my right leg in the passenger side, my right hand holding the shifter in Drive, my left foot handling the braking and accelerating, and my left hand steering. I know if I'd've seen that next to me, I would've had a few laughs. So, "You're Welcome" to those of you who cracked a grin my way that day.
This morning I got to get M ready by myself since C was playing her violin for church. Wow! So much respect to those moms who get their basketball teams ready and to church on Sunday mornings. Let's just say that, although M's hair wasn't perfect and I left the Bible at home, we got there at 9:30. And that was with some mild speeding. But it was an interesting experience that showed me exactly why C wants to get ready before M wakes up. Makes total sense now.
Anyway, we had a fun afternoon with Bible study friends. Good burgers. Good fellowship. Good times. I must go now. Tis ev'n, and I needs my beauty rest.
Have a great week.
R
Last Saturday, I was playing flag football and I received the ball, made a cut and was tackled, both literally and figuratively, and drove my right knee into the ground. So, I got up and took a step back to the huddle and my knee had a little give to it. And when I tried to run I heard this clicking sound in my knee. I stayed in for a couple more plays until halftime, even catching a ball and futily hopping on one leg toward the end zone before the safety flagged me at the 5-yard line. But I decided to be a man and stop so I wouldn't hurt myself worse. To make a long story short, I went to ARC's Far West clinic which has after-hours care and got myself a wheelchair ride, some X-rays that were negative, a leg immobilizer and some crutches. The last two things are very good for sympathy. A quick side note: my friend Fen's team was gracious enough to go a man down for the second half when they realized I was done for the game. An absolute splendid show of sportsmanship and Christian character.
Lemme tell you, you don't realize how much your knee means to you until you can't use it properly. For instance, I still can't bend it all the way back, which makes squatting impossible. Neither could I chase after M in my normal way. I like to get on my hands and knees and hit the floor announcing "Daddy's gonna gitcha!", which is shortly followed by my little one giggling and running away. I've been able to do it a little bit as my knee has gotten better, but it's just not the same. One other interesting thing is when you have restless legs and you have an immobilizer on. It's darn near impossible to get that puppy to sleep. But one of the highlights was driving home with the immobilizer on. Now, as I'm sure most of you have done, when I get bored on long drives or when my foot starts to hurt, I'll switch 'em and drive with my left foot. So, thankfully I've had practice making my left foot an ambidextrous driver. So I open the passenger door, pull myself through, get my leg in and then the crutches. Now the tricky part was that my leg was pushing against the shifter, so that it wasn't locking in Drive. So I had my right leg in the passenger side, my right hand holding the shifter in Drive, my left foot handling the braking and accelerating, and my left hand steering. I know if I'd've seen that next to me, I would've had a few laughs. So, "You're Welcome" to those of you who cracked a grin my way that day.
This morning I got to get M ready by myself since C was playing her violin for church. Wow! So much respect to those moms who get their basketball teams ready and to church on Sunday mornings. Let's just say that, although M's hair wasn't perfect and I left the Bible at home, we got there at 9:30. And that was with some mild speeding. But it was an interesting experience that showed me exactly why C wants to get ready before M wakes up. Makes total sense now.
Anyway, we had a fun afternoon with Bible study friends. Good burgers. Good fellowship. Good times. I must go now. Tis ev'n, and I needs my beauty rest.
Have a great week.
R
Friday, July 07, 2006
Poor Little Cutie Pie
Before I proceed with today's post, I have to add something to the July 1st post. Another thing I really enjoy is how she uses me as her own personal jungle gym. Sometimes she'll sit on my tummy or my chest, and even my head, and bounce up and down like I'm an exercise ball. Good times are had by all.
So, M has been sick since Sunday with at least a viral croup, and the doctor thinks something more. She has this cough that just won't go away. Her throat 'll be so dry during the night that we've left some water in her crib for her. The other morning C went in to take care of her and she was so hoarse she could barely even say "wa-wa."
One cool thing was that our CEO gave us Monday off too, creating a nice little four-day weekend. Well, when Wednesday rolled around and it was time for me to head to work she gave me kisses and hugs and then cried as I pulled out of the driveway. Poor thing. Broke my heart.
One thing that doesn't break my heart though is how she is into this hitting thing. You mightuv heard of it. She rares back and slaps you in the face. Yeah. Not good times. Especially since she'll be a big sister around the Second of January.
WHOA!!! HOLD THE PHONE! YOU DIDN'T TELL ME Y'ALL WERE PREGNANT!
I know, I know. We just wanted to get past the tricky first trimester, and since C wasn't showing, we weren't in a hurry to tell folks. Sorry you've been kept in the dark. But she's been feeling really good with this one, which is what makes me think it's a boy. But we won't find out for another 5-6 weeks, so you'll have to wait with anticipation.
Well, my bride would like to do a puzzle, and, seeing as how blogging is counterproductive to puzzling, I must go.
Have a great weekend and feel free to give us a call.
So, M has been sick since Sunday with at least a viral croup, and the doctor thinks something more. She has this cough that just won't go away. Her throat 'll be so dry during the night that we've left some water in her crib for her. The other morning C went in to take care of her and she was so hoarse she could barely even say "wa-wa."
One cool thing was that our CEO gave us Monday off too, creating a nice little four-day weekend. Well, when Wednesday rolled around and it was time for me to head to work she gave me kisses and hugs and then cried as I pulled out of the driveway. Poor thing. Broke my heart.
One thing that doesn't break my heart though is how she is into this hitting thing. You mightuv heard of it. She rares back and slaps you in the face. Yeah. Not good times. Especially since she'll be a big sister around the Second of January.
WHOA!!! HOLD THE PHONE! YOU DIDN'T TELL ME Y'ALL WERE PREGNANT!
I know, I know. We just wanted to get past the tricky first trimester, and since C wasn't showing, we weren't in a hurry to tell folks. Sorry you've been kept in the dark. But she's been feeling really good with this one, which is what makes me think it's a boy. But we won't find out for another 5-6 weeks, so you'll have to wait with anticipation.
Well, my bride would like to do a puzzle, and, seeing as how blogging is counterproductive to puzzling, I must go.
Have a great weekend and feel free to give us a call.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Forget Me Not
So, M is just over 15 months old and it's getting hard to remember some of the things that she did when she was little. So here's a small list of some of those things:
I want to still be able to remember her "machine gun laugh" ten, twenty years down the road.
I want to recall all those silly faces she makes.
Her little square pouty lip whenever she bonked or didn't get her way.
The guilty way she ran away when Momma asked her "Whatareyoudoin?!" because she got caught getting into her night stand.
The hours spent rolling around on our bed.
Those precious moments when C was tickling her and they would laugh together for minutes on end.
All these mornings when we get her out of bed and she runs around her crib and flops like a rag doll.
The animal sounds she makes (dog, cat, elephant, cow).
All the signs that she doesn't do exactly right but we know what she wants anyway.
The wonderful snuggles when she's tired.
The slobbery kisses she gives.
How she always liked to bite my nose.
The look in her eyes when I'm wearing something that she's looking for, like "Heeeeyyy, wait a minute!"
Her concentration face when she's playing with one of the Metrushka dolls.
The way she likes to "Rock, Rock" on her horse or the Harley from Uncle N.
How she would giggle at her funny Tío.
The times that she chases after her best friend Chickpea whenever church is done, and especially the time she bear-hugged Tate from behind and ended up toppling over.
All those cute positions that she's sleeping in when Mommy and I check in on her each night.
Thankfully we've captured a lot of those memories on film or video. But there's a lot of times that we didn't have the camera ready.
I love you cutie pie. Thanks for all the fun memories. I look forward to all the many more we'll have together.
Daddy
I want to still be able to remember her "machine gun laugh" ten, twenty years down the road.
I want to recall all those silly faces she makes.
Her little square pouty lip whenever she bonked or didn't get her way.
The guilty way she ran away when Momma asked her "Whatareyoudoin?!" because she got caught getting into her night stand.
The hours spent rolling around on our bed.
Those precious moments when C was tickling her and they would laugh together for minutes on end.
All these mornings when we get her out of bed and she runs around her crib and flops like a rag doll.
The animal sounds she makes (dog, cat, elephant, cow).
All the signs that she doesn't do exactly right but we know what she wants anyway.
The wonderful snuggles when she's tired.
The slobbery kisses she gives.
How she always liked to bite my nose.
The look in her eyes when I'm wearing something that she's looking for, like "Heeeeyyy, wait a minute!"
Her concentration face when she's playing with one of the Metrushka dolls.
The way she likes to "Rock, Rock" on her horse or the Harley from Uncle N.
How she would giggle at her funny Tío.
The times that she chases after her best friend Chickpea whenever church is done, and especially the time she bear-hugged Tate from behind and ended up toppling over.
All those cute positions that she's sleeping in when Mommy and I check in on her each night.
Thankfully we've captured a lot of those memories on film or video. But there's a lot of times that we didn't have the camera ready.
I love you cutie pie. Thanks for all the fun memories. I look forward to all the many more we'll have together.
Daddy
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Eskimo Kisses
You know the song "Butterfly Kisses" by Bob Carlisle (I think)?
Well, for me, it's Eskimo Kisses! For about a month now, I'll go in to be with the ladies while C changes M's diaper, and while M is squirming on the changing table, I'll say "Eskimo Kisses!!" and proceed to rub noses with my dear little girl.
Fast forward to this weekend while we're visiting my folks in Fort Worth. We're all in the living room and it's way past M's bedtime, and I ask her if she wants to give Daddy some Eskimo kisses. She comes over and sticks her nose out and touches mine. Talk about melting your heart.
It's moments like that that make my heart jump for joy. I hope I can treasure these memories forever. And I also hope that she won't mind giving her Daddy some Eskimo kisses when she's a teenager. Who knows.
Thanks cutie-pie for making my day. I love you!
Well, for me, it's Eskimo Kisses! For about a month now, I'll go in to be with the ladies while C changes M's diaper, and while M is squirming on the changing table, I'll say "Eskimo Kisses!!" and proceed to rub noses with my dear little girl.
Fast forward to this weekend while we're visiting my folks in Fort Worth. We're all in the living room and it's way past M's bedtime, and I ask her if she wants to give Daddy some Eskimo kisses. She comes over and sticks her nose out and touches mine. Talk about melting your heart.
It's moments like that that make my heart jump for joy. I hope I can treasure these memories forever. And I also hope that she won't mind giving her Daddy some Eskimo kisses when she's a teenager. Who knows.
Thanks cutie-pie for making my day. I love you!
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Growing up so fast
So, M is 14 months old now. That statement enough is crazy to think about. But she is tall and she is talking all the time and learning new signs to help her communicate. You can see more about that on C's blog. It's how things work.
But the hardest thing is that, although we can take mental snapshots, and even some digital ones too, there's no way to remember everything, especially those special moments that don't happen that often and you can't get the camera fast enough.
Like the times she comes up and hugs one leg and pats the other one.
Or when I get home from work. She knows the sound the garage door makes and heads straight to it if she's not eating. I'll stoop down and open the door slowly and there she is, waiting for me, and greets me with an excited "Dada!!"
Or like last night. I was lying (laying? does anybody really know which one to use?) on the floor with my head propped up on the couch, and the little munchkin had decided that she didn't want to go to sleep, but she was sooooo tired. She was just toddling around in a sleepy stupor and came over to me and layed (laid?) on my chest for a good minute. I know; aaawwww! But this doesn't happen that often. She's never been a particularly cuddly girl after she turned 4 months. It's one of those things that I will cherish in my heart. Just like in Luke 2:19 "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."
She is a special young girl, this M. She has lived up to her middle name of Joy. She has a smile on her face wherever we go and waves at everyone she passes. Many people, including a grandma-ish woman at the restaurant last night, tell us how precious or sweet or cute she is. Those dimples could calm a savage beast.
She's also pretty smart, too. She and C watch these Signing Time videos and she has learned many signs, which enable her to communicate more effectively and lead to fewer tantrums and whining. Some of the signs she knows are: water, ball, please, help, cracker, strawberry, eat/food and the latest one, book. It's particularly satisfying for me when I make a concerted effort to teach her one and she gets it and uses it. The sign for help is one of those. Sure, she doesn't do it the exact way, but we know what she means. She was able to pick up book rather quickly, too.
Among all the prattling she does, M actually has a few words that she uses, such as wa-wa, ball, ees (please), esse (let me see, particularly in reference to our cell phones), mama (of course) and the multi-use da-da, which, in context, can mean dada, doggy, or all done.
And those are all the things I do get to see. I have a love-hate relationship with work. I love it because I enjoy the work for the most part and I really enjoy the folks I work with. And God uses it to provide for our family. But I hate it because it keeps me away from the ones I truly agape love. I usually leave around 8 in the morning and leave as close to 5 as possible so I can spend as much time with them as I can. For a month or two I would piddle around on the computer to relax in the evenings, but C reminded me that M was still awake. And God called to my attention the fact that I spend more time with my coworkers than I do with M. So now I at least wait until M goes to bed. But then C needs my attention too. Maybe that's part of picking up my cross daily and following Him. There are times when I just want to veg and have me-time, but I know my family needs and wants me more than I need the solitude. And all the stuff we've been blessed with won't be coming to Heaven with me.
Well, I've rambled long enough. I hope this is a sufficient update. I'll try to post more than once a month. But if I don't, you can always visit C's blog, where there are more frequent updates and a fair amount of pictures.
Take care and God bless,
R
But the hardest thing is that, although we can take mental snapshots, and even some digital ones too, there's no way to remember everything, especially those special moments that don't happen that often and you can't get the camera fast enough.
Like the times she comes up and hugs one leg and pats the other one.
Or when I get home from work. She knows the sound the garage door makes and heads straight to it if she's not eating. I'll stoop down and open the door slowly and there she is, waiting for me, and greets me with an excited "Dada!!"
Or like last night. I was lying (laying? does anybody really know which one to use?) on the floor with my head propped up on the couch, and the little munchkin had decided that she didn't want to go to sleep, but she was sooooo tired. She was just toddling around in a sleepy stupor and came over to me and layed (laid?) on my chest for a good minute. I know; aaawwww! But this doesn't happen that often. She's never been a particularly cuddly girl after she turned 4 months. It's one of those things that I will cherish in my heart. Just like in Luke 2:19 "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."
She is a special young girl, this M. She has lived up to her middle name of Joy. She has a smile on her face wherever we go and waves at everyone she passes. Many people, including a grandma-ish woman at the restaurant last night, tell us how precious or sweet or cute she is. Those dimples could calm a savage beast.
She's also pretty smart, too. She and C watch these Signing Time videos and she has learned many signs, which enable her to communicate more effectively and lead to fewer tantrums and whining. Some of the signs she knows are: water, ball, please, help, cracker, strawberry, eat/food and the latest one, book. It's particularly satisfying for me when I make a concerted effort to teach her one and she gets it and uses it. The sign for help is one of those. Sure, she doesn't do it the exact way, but we know what she means. She was able to pick up book rather quickly, too.
Among all the prattling she does, M actually has a few words that she uses, such as wa-wa, ball, ees (please), esse (let me see, particularly in reference to our cell phones), mama (of course) and the multi-use da-da, which, in context, can mean dada, doggy, or all done.
And those are all the things I do get to see. I have a love-hate relationship with work. I love it because I enjoy the work for the most part and I really enjoy the folks I work with. And God uses it to provide for our family. But I hate it because it keeps me away from the ones I truly agape love. I usually leave around 8 in the morning and leave as close to 5 as possible so I can spend as much time with them as I can. For a month or two I would piddle around on the computer to relax in the evenings, but C reminded me that M was still awake. And God called to my attention the fact that I spend more time with my coworkers than I do with M. So now I at least wait until M goes to bed. But then C needs my attention too. Maybe that's part of picking up my cross daily and following Him. There are times when I just want to veg and have me-time, but I know my family needs and wants me more than I need the solitude. And all the stuff we've been blessed with won't be coming to Heaven with me.
Well, I've rambled long enough. I hope this is a sufficient update. I'll try to post more than once a month. But if I don't, you can always visit C's blog, where there are more frequent updates and a fair amount of pictures.
Take care and God bless,
R
Thursday, March 30, 2006
The Atomic Poop
Wow! I'm sure you other parents out there have experienced this after your kid is on solids. But man, I was not ready for this one. Yesterday before I left for work, I was holding M and giving her some hugs and kisses when my nose was befouled. So, like any parent, I lifted her up to smell her bottom to see if that was in fact what was rotten in the state of Denmark. Nearly threw up. It was that bad. Fortunately for me, and unfortunately for C, I was needing to leave for work. Needless to say, that bag o' diapers went into the garage trash immediately. It's one of those things that you probably wouldn't even wish on your worst enemies, although it'd be far more innocuous than many other things that are racing through your mind.
Beware the Atomic Poop.
In other news, M continues to soak up sign language and is even practicing words. She signs the following words with regularity and understanding their meaning: eat, more, all done, water, ball, baby. She is close to saying three words other than mama and dada: ball (sounds like bah, as in humbug), dog (like dog without the g) and light (which is just the 'L' drawn out a couple seconds).
In still other news, M enjoys aping us as we say and do things. When I was watching my 'Horns finally lose their horribly played game against LSU, I was growling and grousing about. Mallory then echoed my sentiments.
That's pretty much it for now. Work has been a bear this week, and shows no sign of letting up. But that's a good thing. I'd rather be so busy than bored. Since our lab did such a great job with the retesting of one of our GMP products, our CEO gave our manager the green light for an activity on the company. So yesterday we went bowling. Had a lot of fun with everybody and I even bowled my high game: 164. I only had two open frames and even had two strikes in a row.
Enjoy your day.
Beware the Atomic Poop.
In other news, M continues to soak up sign language and is even practicing words. She signs the following words with regularity and understanding their meaning: eat, more, all done, water, ball, baby. She is close to saying three words other than mama and dada: ball (sounds like bah, as in humbug), dog (like dog without the g) and light (which is just the 'L' drawn out a couple seconds).
In still other news, M enjoys aping us as we say and do things. When I was watching my 'Horns finally lose their horribly played game against LSU, I was growling and grousing about. Mallory then echoed my sentiments.
That's pretty much it for now. Work has been a bear this week, and shows no sign of letting up. But that's a good thing. I'd rather be so busy than bored. Since our lab did such a great job with the retesting of one of our GMP products, our CEO gave our manager the green light for an activity on the company. So yesterday we went bowling. Had a lot of fun with everybody and I even bowled my high game: 164. I only had two open frames and even had two strikes in a row.
Enjoy your day.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
Happy Birthday M, Part 1: Conception to birth
It's crazy to think that it's been a year since you were born. There have been a few hard times, but overall it's been a great year. So let's start at the beginning.
It was early in the morning and Mommy had gotten out of bed because she was so anxious to see what the result was. We were trying to have you, but I still had no clue. So at about 6:30 in the morning, she crawled into bed and woke me up with the sweet words "Good morning Daddy." Now, I wasn't fully awake, but I understood exactly what she meant. And that's how it began.
Soon afterward, she started having morning sickness, so we kept a supply of crackers handy so she could munch on them in the morning to settle her tummy down. It didn't work most of the time, so I would get her some water and try to comfort her.
We wanted to wait as long as we could to tell people, but Mommy had to tell Mrs. Bird at work so she could find a new teacher. And since she had to know, we wanted to tell our family so they wouldn't get their feelings hurt. But it was good for Mommy so she could enjoy being pregnant more and could talk with other moms who could share in her excitement. One way we did that was by taking Bradley classes so Mommy could have you naturally. The breathing and mental exercises would come in handy later.
We were so excited to find out if you were a boy or girl so we could start calling you by your name instead of "it" and "the baby." But you were being modest, as Mommy liked to say, and you wouldn't let us see. So Mommy got up and walked around a little and the sonogram tech made an "earthquake" and you finally started to move your little leg. It took a lot of coercion, but we finally saw that we had a Mallory Joy on the way. However, it took mommy a lot of convincing, because she didn't want you to come out and be a boy and not have a set of boy clothes.
One of the things she loved to do was whenever she felt you kick, she would tell me to feel. It was fun the first few times, but it got a little old after awhile, because I felt that once you've felt one kick, you've felt them all. But as you got bigger, you started packing quite the punch.
We took a photo of you and Mommy every month so we could see the transformation taking place. As you got bigger, Mommy started getting sciatica, so we learned some exercises and she started sleeping with many pillows, so that Daddy only had a tiny sliver of bed to sleep on. One of my fondest memories during this time was helping both of you go to sleep. Mommy would lie on her side and you would immediately start flailing around. She thought maybe you were just jumping on the bed. But I would put my hand on her tummy and you would stop moving. It was something I looked forward to every night.
Perhaps the hardest part was having realistic expectations of when you would come. We both knew that first pregnancies usually went past the due date, but Mommy was convinced that she'd have you out by your due date. We went on long walks and even took a hike up Mount Bonnell to try to speed things up. When you still didn't come, we decided to induce. But after two hours on the highest levels of petocin, it was quite evident you were just gonna take your sweet time. The funny moment from that time was when our nurse Ed put your monitor on, your heartbeat was quite loud and so I asked him if we could turn it down. He said it'll be the last time we're able to turn your volume down. Boy was he right! God has given you quite the set of lungs.
That Saturday night, Mommy started to have real contractions. We started timing them around 8PM and saw that they were getting longer, stronger and closer together. Not wanting to go back to the hospital and come home empty-handed again, we tried everything to make sure this was it. We went on a walk, Mommy ate something, and then she took a shower. After all of this, the contractions still kept getting worse. So we decided to go in. The nurse examined Mommy and said that she was still only 1.5cm dilated. We decided shortly thereafter that you weren't coming and that we'd go home and try to get some sleep. Well, that really didn't happen. We probably only got 6 hours between us as the pain was getting worse.
Sunday morning we decided not to go to church, mainly because I didn't want Mommy to have to hear "You're still here?!" from all the well-meaning folks. And so we did all the exercises, went on a little walk and tried to keep her in as little pain as possible. But it was getting so bad Sunday night that we packed our bags and the cooler and headed on to the hospital to check in. Again. But this time there was great news. Mommy was at 4cm!! Which was good for the nurse, or Mommy might've hurt her. Just kidding. We had great care from all the nurses and doctors and Mommy was making good progress. The only bad thing was that you were face up, which meant very painful back labor for Mommy and the possibility of a C-section. So we settled into a routine of ice chips and peppermint oil after contractions, and Daddy counting for Mommy to help her hold the pushes. But you weren't coming, even after two hours of pushing. At this point, we decided that Mommy should get an epidural, even though we wanted no drugs. But she needed it. It was a very hard time, because I didn't want to see her in so much pain and she was doing such a good job. Dr. B-G said that if you were face down it wouldn't have taken nearly as long. Oh well. God had perfect timing as He always does. We just didn't feel it at the time. After another couple of hours of pushing, you were out and we were thankful Mommy didn't need a C-section. It was an amazing and disgusting thing, but you were here! It was exactly 5:30PM on Monday, March 21, 2005. I got to cut your umbilical cord and then I gave Mommy some hugs and kisses while they took you to clean you off and get weighed and checked. You were so tiny!!
We took some pictures and then let the family come in to see you and take pictures with you, but it had been pretty much since Friday night when we had any good sleep, so we took you to the room upstairs and settled in for the night. Everybody got some much-deserved rest!
It was early in the morning and Mommy had gotten out of bed because she was so anxious to see what the result was. We were trying to have you, but I still had no clue. So at about 6:30 in the morning, she crawled into bed and woke me up with the sweet words "Good morning Daddy." Now, I wasn't fully awake, but I understood exactly what she meant. And that's how it began.
Soon afterward, she started having morning sickness, so we kept a supply of crackers handy so she could munch on them in the morning to settle her tummy down. It didn't work most of the time, so I would get her some water and try to comfort her.
We wanted to wait as long as we could to tell people, but Mommy had to tell Mrs. Bird at work so she could find a new teacher. And since she had to know, we wanted to tell our family so they wouldn't get their feelings hurt. But it was good for Mommy so she could enjoy being pregnant more and could talk with other moms who could share in her excitement. One way we did that was by taking Bradley classes so Mommy could have you naturally. The breathing and mental exercises would come in handy later.
We were so excited to find out if you were a boy or girl so we could start calling you by your name instead of "it" and "the baby." But you were being modest, as Mommy liked to say, and you wouldn't let us see. So Mommy got up and walked around a little and the sonogram tech made an "earthquake" and you finally started to move your little leg. It took a lot of coercion, but we finally saw that we had a Mallory Joy on the way. However, it took mommy a lot of convincing, because she didn't want you to come out and be a boy and not have a set of boy clothes.
One of the things she loved to do was whenever she felt you kick, she would tell me to feel. It was fun the first few times, but it got a little old after awhile, because I felt that once you've felt one kick, you've felt them all. But as you got bigger, you started packing quite the punch.
We took a photo of you and Mommy every month so we could see the transformation taking place. As you got bigger, Mommy started getting sciatica, so we learned some exercises and she started sleeping with many pillows, so that Daddy only had a tiny sliver of bed to sleep on. One of my fondest memories during this time was helping both of you go to sleep. Mommy would lie on her side and you would immediately start flailing around. She thought maybe you were just jumping on the bed. But I would put my hand on her tummy and you would stop moving. It was something I looked forward to every night.
Perhaps the hardest part was having realistic expectations of when you would come. We both knew that first pregnancies usually went past the due date, but Mommy was convinced that she'd have you out by your due date. We went on long walks and even took a hike up Mount Bonnell to try to speed things up. When you still didn't come, we decided to induce. But after two hours on the highest levels of petocin, it was quite evident you were just gonna take your sweet time. The funny moment from that time was when our nurse Ed put your monitor on, your heartbeat was quite loud and so I asked him if we could turn it down. He said it'll be the last time we're able to turn your volume down. Boy was he right! God has given you quite the set of lungs.
That Saturday night, Mommy started to have real contractions. We started timing them around 8PM and saw that they were getting longer, stronger and closer together. Not wanting to go back to the hospital and come home empty-handed again, we tried everything to make sure this was it. We went on a walk, Mommy ate something, and then she took a shower. After all of this, the contractions still kept getting worse. So we decided to go in. The nurse examined Mommy and said that she was still only 1.5cm dilated. We decided shortly thereafter that you weren't coming and that we'd go home and try to get some sleep. Well, that really didn't happen. We probably only got 6 hours between us as the pain was getting worse.
Sunday morning we decided not to go to church, mainly because I didn't want Mommy to have to hear "You're still here?!" from all the well-meaning folks. And so we did all the exercises, went on a little walk and tried to keep her in as little pain as possible. But it was getting so bad Sunday night that we packed our bags and the cooler and headed on to the hospital to check in. Again. But this time there was great news. Mommy was at 4cm!! Which was good for the nurse, or Mommy might've hurt her. Just kidding. We had great care from all the nurses and doctors and Mommy was making good progress. The only bad thing was that you were face up, which meant very painful back labor for Mommy and the possibility of a C-section. So we settled into a routine of ice chips and peppermint oil after contractions, and Daddy counting for Mommy to help her hold the pushes. But you weren't coming, even after two hours of pushing. At this point, we decided that Mommy should get an epidural, even though we wanted no drugs. But she needed it. It was a very hard time, because I didn't want to see her in so much pain and she was doing such a good job. Dr. B-G said that if you were face down it wouldn't have taken nearly as long. Oh well. God had perfect timing as He always does. We just didn't feel it at the time. After another couple of hours of pushing, you were out and we were thankful Mommy didn't need a C-section. It was an amazing and disgusting thing, but you were here! It was exactly 5:30PM on Monday, March 21, 2005. I got to cut your umbilical cord and then I gave Mommy some hugs and kisses while they took you to clean you off and get weighed and checked. You were so tiny!!
We took some pictures and then let the family come in to see you and take pictures with you, but it had been pretty much since Friday night when we had any good sleep, so we took you to the room upstairs and settled in for the night. Everybody got some much-deserved rest!
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Bracket Busted
So, I picked Kansas to not only make the Final Four, but to lose to UConn in the title game. See, this is why I didn't fork over five bucks in my office pool. I hadn't watched much college ball, but I knew that KU had rock chalk Jay-hawked all over my 'Horns in the Big XII championship game. They're my 'Horns because I'm an alumnus of 2001. But for posterity and just to have something to talk about with friends and coworkers, I filled out a bracket on ESPN.
Some brief comments on the Tourney so far:
A&M suffered a severe Stomach Punch game against LSU last night. I really feel for my Aggie coworkers. But they have a bright future as long as Billy Gillespie stays.
Lamarcus Aldridge is for real. He's pretty much the only reason we won that Penn game on Friday night. He just needs to take it to the hole with more authority. None of this namby-pamby layup jazz. Throw it down like you mean it big man!
You thought the NFL had parity?! None of the 1-seeds beat the 16s by more than 16 points, with UConn nearly being on the wrong side of history against the Great Danes of Albany. And kudos for Jim Calhoun tipping his hat to those kids and their coach. They had a great game plan, but just couldn't hit those buckets at the end of the game.
The Big Least is exposed! Mo Valley and the CAA are not overinflated. I bet Dr. Littlepage from UVa is giddy as a school girl with the results of this first weekend, especially after the vitriol he endured from Jim Nance and Billy Packer during the Selection Show last Sunday. And major co-jones on his part for actually being accountable for the committee's picks. Sure, he danced around like a good politician, but it was good to see him defend himself. And even better when the Air Forces of the collegiate world backed him up.
The NCAA. It's faaaantastic.
And finally, props to my gal for letting me plop in front of the tube for hours on end watching this Madness. I love you C!
P.S. Coming Tuesday: Reminiscing on the first year of M and that crazy weekend one year ago.
Some brief comments on the Tourney so far:
A&M suffered a severe Stomach Punch game against LSU last night. I really feel for my Aggie coworkers. But they have a bright future as long as Billy Gillespie stays.
Lamarcus Aldridge is for real. He's pretty much the only reason we won that Penn game on Friday night. He just needs to take it to the hole with more authority. None of this namby-pamby layup jazz. Throw it down like you mean it big man!
You thought the NFL had parity?! None of the 1-seeds beat the 16s by more than 16 points, with UConn nearly being on the wrong side of history against the Great Danes of Albany. And kudos for Jim Calhoun tipping his hat to those kids and their coach. They had a great game plan, but just couldn't hit those buckets at the end of the game.
The Big Least is exposed! Mo Valley and the CAA are not overinflated. I bet Dr. Littlepage from UVa is giddy as a school girl with the results of this first weekend, especially after the vitriol he endured from Jim Nance and Billy Packer during the Selection Show last Sunday. And major co-jones on his part for actually being accountable for the committee's picks. Sure, he danced around like a good politician, but it was good to see him defend himself. And even better when the Air Forces of the collegiate world backed him up.
The NCAA. It's faaaantastic.
And finally, props to my gal for letting me plop in front of the tube for hours on end watching this Madness. I love you C!
P.S. Coming Tuesday: Reminiscing on the first year of M and that crazy weekend one year ago.
Friday, February 10, 2006
It's a Flurry!
No, unfortunately, I'm not talking about snow, although we are expecting a freeze tonight. I haven't written in a long time and tonight you get two blogs for the price of one. Well, this is going to encompass a lot of things since it's been so long, but that's what you came here for anyway. Right?
Awkward pause....
First things first, huh? How's the family? Doing great. C and I both just got over the flu. It was a pretty nasty one since it actually took me out. It's hard to imagine, but C and I will be married four years come early March. In some ways it doesn't seem that long, but in others, it seems like this is how it's always been. We continue to learn more things about each other. There are some overachievers out there who say they learn something new about their spouse everyday. Is that even possible? If it is, am I just being lazy? Wait, don't answer that one. M is 10.5 months now and has learned to walk. She's only stringing together 10-15 steps at the most right now, but she's picking it up fast. Looks like a zombie, but a cute zombie at that. She still doesn't have any teeth. She's a picky eater. Gee, I wonder who she got that from?
You guys moved into a house? Congratulations! How's home ownership? Harder than I expected, but superb nonetheless. We've had a lot of help from Opa and Grandma. But that's what's great about grandparents. They would help you do anything as long as they get some baby time. And that's scarce when you live 200 miles away. They really have been a great help, from helping us clear out our back yard and haul off the brush to helping us refinish our deck. The next time they come down, they'll actually see some green in our front yard. Yep, we're getting our grass tomorrow. It'll be nice when it's done, a culmination of a lot of sweat and not a few unhappy thoughts about the previous owner and all the trees and rocks she put in the yard. But hey, this will be the last time we have to do all this work for this front yard. And it'll be nice to have a place where M can play and we won't have to worry about her getting hurt. This house is such a blessing and the Lord gave us a great deal on it. It's not more than we need, but not less either.
So how's the job? The obligatory shooting the breeze question. Well, it's going alright. There've been a lot of changes in the seven months since I started and we're headed in the right direction. Sure, I may not have gotten the raise that I was hoping for, but any raise is a good raise. A lot better than a pink slip. I've learned a lot and there's still much more to learn to be the best analyst I can be. The best thing is that I've got a great team to work with. And you know how important that is, and what a luxury it can be, especially if you've had a not-so-good work environment. It really is fun to work with the folks I work with. Especially the Scrabble guys. D-Money, BES, A-Wong and G-Ray. They've worked together for several years now and they've let me join the club. I really look forward to those days when we gather around that board. You never know what you're going to get with these guys. Every now and then someone gets a little excited or someone slips Freudian-like and the hilarity ensues. I haven't laughed as hard with such frequency in a loooong time. Good times, good times. And you can't beat a <10-minute commute that doesn't include I-35 or Mopac. :o)
What are the other typical questions? Ooh, How bout those 'Horns? NATIONAL CHAMPS BABY!! I really do feel sorry for whatever pro team drafts Matt Leinart and his dad. Because they're a package deal, just like Doug and Mr. Christie. Do you really want a guy leading our team that spouts such an absurd statement "I still think we're the better team. They just made more plays than we did." Do you want some cheese with that whine? Was I disappointed that Vince left early? Of course. But I can't blame him.
Well, my computer's doing weird things, so I'm off for tonight.
Good-bye and good luck.
Awkward pause....
First things first, huh? How's the family? Doing great. C and I both just got over the flu. It was a pretty nasty one since it actually took me out. It's hard to imagine, but C and I will be married four years come early March. In some ways it doesn't seem that long, but in others, it seems like this is how it's always been. We continue to learn more things about each other. There are some overachievers out there who say they learn something new about their spouse everyday. Is that even possible? If it is, am I just being lazy? Wait, don't answer that one. M is 10.5 months now and has learned to walk. She's only stringing together 10-15 steps at the most right now, but she's picking it up fast. Looks like a zombie, but a cute zombie at that. She still doesn't have any teeth. She's a picky eater. Gee, I wonder who she got that from?
You guys moved into a house? Congratulations! How's home ownership? Harder than I expected, but superb nonetheless. We've had a lot of help from Opa and Grandma. But that's what's great about grandparents. They would help you do anything as long as they get some baby time. And that's scarce when you live 200 miles away. They really have been a great help, from helping us clear out our back yard and haul off the brush to helping us refinish our deck. The next time they come down, they'll actually see some green in our front yard. Yep, we're getting our grass tomorrow. It'll be nice when it's done, a culmination of a lot of sweat and not a few unhappy thoughts about the previous owner and all the trees and rocks she put in the yard. But hey, this will be the last time we have to do all this work for this front yard. And it'll be nice to have a place where M can play and we won't have to worry about her getting hurt. This house is such a blessing and the Lord gave us a great deal on it. It's not more than we need, but not less either.
So how's the job? The obligatory shooting the breeze question. Well, it's going alright. There've been a lot of changes in the seven months since I started and we're headed in the right direction. Sure, I may not have gotten the raise that I was hoping for, but any raise is a good raise. A lot better than a pink slip. I've learned a lot and there's still much more to learn to be the best analyst I can be. The best thing is that I've got a great team to work with. And you know how important that is, and what a luxury it can be, especially if you've had a not-so-good work environment. It really is fun to work with the folks I work with. Especially the Scrabble guys. D-Money, BES, A-Wong and G-Ray. They've worked together for several years now and they've let me join the club. I really look forward to those days when we gather around that board. You never know what you're going to get with these guys. Every now and then someone gets a little excited or someone slips Freudian-like and the hilarity ensues. I haven't laughed as hard with such frequency in a loooong time. Good times, good times. And you can't beat a <10-minute commute that doesn't include I-35 or Mopac. :o)
What are the other typical questions? Ooh, How bout those 'Horns? NATIONAL CHAMPS BABY!! I really do feel sorry for whatever pro team drafts Matt Leinart and his dad. Because they're a package deal, just like Doug and Mr. Christie. Do you really want a guy leading our team that spouts such an absurd statement "I still think we're the better team. They just made more plays than we did." Do you want some cheese with that whine? Was I disappointed that Vince left early? Of course. But I can't blame him.
Well, my computer's doing weird things, so I'm off for tonight.
Good-bye and good luck.
Underration (the state of being underrated)
So, I haven't had radio for a little over a year now in my car.
It stinks some times, because I want to kick out the jams.
But other times, it's nice not to have the radio.
Because then you get to hear things you might not have heard otherwise.
Namely, you can't just listen to the rain pelt the roof of your car.
You should try it some time. One might say it's therapeutic. To me it's just relaxing.
And that's a good thing driving in Austin traffic.
When I was growing up, one of the fondest memories I have is when it Texas-rained--and if you've lived in Texas long enough you know what I mean--we would open the garage door and put down the tailgate on my dad's truck and we'd just sit there watching it rain.
We'd feel the mist from those drops hitting the driveway.
And we'd take in a long, deep breath of the lovely smell of rain.
Aaaaahhhh.....
You know the smell, don't you?
Well, if you don't, I'd propose to you that the next time it rains, you take some time out of that busy schedule of yours and enjoy the rain.
Open the garage or sit on the porch with your socks off.
Pull up a chair and watch it come down.
Hear the ebb and flow of the intensity.
Watch it pour down in your yard and not in your neighbor's yard across the street.
Watch the wind blowing so hard that it's practically raining sideways.
And thank God for that wonderful smell and the peace that you feel in the midst of such violence.
Because only He could put those two together.
It stinks some times, because I want to kick out the jams.
But other times, it's nice not to have the radio.
Because then you get to hear things you might not have heard otherwise.
Namely, you can't just listen to the rain pelt the roof of your car.
You should try it some time. One might say it's therapeutic. To me it's just relaxing.
And that's a good thing driving in Austin traffic.
When I was growing up, one of the fondest memories I have is when it Texas-rained--and if you've lived in Texas long enough you know what I mean--we would open the garage door and put down the tailgate on my dad's truck and we'd just sit there watching it rain.
We'd feel the mist from those drops hitting the driveway.
And we'd take in a long, deep breath of the lovely smell of rain.
Aaaaahhhh.....
You know the smell, don't you?
Well, if you don't, I'd propose to you that the next time it rains, you take some time out of that busy schedule of yours and enjoy the rain.
Open the garage or sit on the porch with your socks off.
Pull up a chair and watch it come down.
Hear the ebb and flow of the intensity.
Watch it pour down in your yard and not in your neighbor's yard across the street.
Watch the wind blowing so hard that it's practically raining sideways.
And thank God for that wonderful smell and the peace that you feel in the midst of such violence.
Because only He could put those two together.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
The Return of the Dadi
So,
It's been I don't know how long since I last posted, and mainly due to the following reasons:
1. Having our little girl M
2. Being bitten by my honesty and stupidity
3. Our computer is in M's room
With that being said, here is a run-down on what's been going on these past few months:
1. M is now 5.5 months old and nearly crawling.
2. I have been at a new job since June 26. I'm still doing analytical chemistry as a Quality Control analyst with a 60+ employee business that has a definite corporate feel to it. I'm still getting used to all the meetings, politicking and red tape.
3. We bid on a house in Round Rock about 5 miles north of where we currently live. We're concurrently ecstatic and scared. Huge decision. It'll be tight the first year or two, but it'll be worth it.
The question might be asked, "How is being a parent?" The answer to that is obviously wonderful. But besides that, it has been a good learning experience for me. If you think you've got that whole patience thing under wraps, or even making significant progress, try having a kid who fights going to sleep. You're thinking to yourself "Why don't you want to go to sleep? It's good for you! I know I want to go to sleep!!" But since she can't express herself well and it just feels weird to her, she cries, then screams, and eventually will need consoling before she falls asleep. But you find out ways to help her along that journey. A couple of weeks ago, I found out that scratching her back puts her into a somewhat catatonic state from whence she falls asleep easier.
Another question might be "What's the best part of being a parent?" My answer is, no matter how hard my day at work was, or my drive home, walking in the door and saying "Daddy's home!" and our eyes meet and she just beams that beautiful smile of hers, makes it all worthwhile. Of course coming home to an awesome wife makes things even better. It's also really cool watching her grow and develop as we try to answer the question of who she looks more like, which can change on a weekly, if not daily, basis.
And you might wonder how this has affected my marriage. I'd say it's strengthened our bond. It's helped us to continually be going to God with everything, no matter how insignificant it may seem to us. We also must continue to work on our communication. We've had a few trials, but God has allowed us to not raise our voices or get overly frustrated with each other, so we can have rationale discussions and share our true feelings without fear of rejection or anger.
So, I will try to keep this site updated at least once a week. And I'll try to post along with those blurbs a photo or two of our family, or at least M, so y'all can see how she's growing.
Quick final note: This might be the year the Longhorns put it all together. I was at my brother-in-law's wedding this Saturday night and went from happy (ahead 10-0) to what-the-heck-happened (16-13 halftime) to it's-just-not-gonna-happen (22-16 w/ 5 minutes left) as I got sporadic updates from the DJ and my friend Aaron. As we drove home at 10:15 I caught Craig Way calling those epic last five minutes and pumping my fists and screaming on the inside so I didn't wake M up. All I can say is, thank God for that defense! And as a last thought, I'd like to pause for a moment of silence to recognize the passing of Selvin Young's career. Who knows what he could've been had he just stayed healthy.
Take care and God bless,
R
It's been I don't know how long since I last posted, and mainly due to the following reasons:
1. Having our little girl M
2. Being bitten by my honesty and stupidity
3. Our computer is in M's room
With that being said, here is a run-down on what's been going on these past few months:
1. M is now 5.5 months old and nearly crawling.
2. I have been at a new job since June 26. I'm still doing analytical chemistry as a Quality Control analyst with a 60+ employee business that has a definite corporate feel to it. I'm still getting used to all the meetings, politicking and red tape.
3. We bid on a house in Round Rock about 5 miles north of where we currently live. We're concurrently ecstatic and scared. Huge decision. It'll be tight the first year or two, but it'll be worth it.
The question might be asked, "How is being a parent?" The answer to that is obviously wonderful. But besides that, it has been a good learning experience for me. If you think you've got that whole patience thing under wraps, or even making significant progress, try having a kid who fights going to sleep. You're thinking to yourself "Why don't you want to go to sleep? It's good for you! I know I want to go to sleep!!" But since she can't express herself well and it just feels weird to her, she cries, then screams, and eventually will need consoling before she falls asleep. But you find out ways to help her along that journey. A couple of weeks ago, I found out that scratching her back puts her into a somewhat catatonic state from whence she falls asleep easier.
Another question might be "What's the best part of being a parent?" My answer is, no matter how hard my day at work was, or my drive home, walking in the door and saying "Daddy's home!" and our eyes meet and she just beams that beautiful smile of hers, makes it all worthwhile. Of course coming home to an awesome wife makes things even better. It's also really cool watching her grow and develop as we try to answer the question of who she looks more like, which can change on a weekly, if not daily, basis.
And you might wonder how this has affected my marriage. I'd say it's strengthened our bond. It's helped us to continually be going to God with everything, no matter how insignificant it may seem to us. We also must continue to work on our communication. We've had a few trials, but God has allowed us to not raise our voices or get overly frustrated with each other, so we can have rationale discussions and share our true feelings without fear of rejection or anger.
So, I will try to keep this site updated at least once a week. And I'll try to post along with those blurbs a photo or two of our family, or at least M, so y'all can see how she's growing.
Quick final note: This might be the year the Longhorns put it all together. I was at my brother-in-law's wedding this Saturday night and went from happy (ahead 10-0) to what-the-heck-happened (16-13 halftime) to it's-just-not-gonna-happen (22-16 w/ 5 minutes left) as I got sporadic updates from the DJ and my friend Aaron. As we drove home at 10:15 I caught Craig Way calling those epic last five minutes and pumping my fists and screaming on the inside so I didn't wake M up. All I can say is, thank God for that defense! And as a last thought, I'd like to pause for a moment of silence to recognize the passing of Selvin Young's career. Who knows what he could've been had he just stayed healthy.
Take care and God bless,
R
Monday, March 14, 2005
Wheel of Fortune Redux
Two things today:
First, people high-fiving after a solve. I mean, seriously people, what's up with that? If I'm on Wheel I'm looking to crush you, not be all fake-nice and stuff.
Second, Pat copping a feel during Bonus Time. Have you ever noticed that when the finalist is a woman that Pat always takes her by the hand and leads her to the spot; whereas when it's a man he always lets him find his own way? Creepy huh?
First, people high-fiving after a solve. I mean, seriously people, what's up with that? If I'm on Wheel I'm looking to crush you, not be all fake-nice and stuff.
Second, Pat copping a feel during Bonus Time. Have you ever noticed that when the finalist is a woman that Pat always takes her by the hand and leads her to the spot; whereas when it's a man he always lets him find his own way? Creepy huh?
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
We've got a lot of catching up to do
Can't sleep. Thankfully, C's conked out, but it's been hit and miss for me tonight--mostly miss. But hey, that gives me a chance to blog, which I haven't done in over two weeks. There are a lot of thoughts I've had, and I'll try to share as many as I can before hopefully getting tired enough to fall asleep.
The Kobe Bryant Saga: If Karl Malone had been a white man when making that "I'm hunting little Mexican girls" comment, he'd be strung up by now. But it's been brushed over by the media. Think about if someone like, say, President Bush said something like that they'd be holding a trial for sexual harassment and LULAC would be denouncing him and he would never get a single Hispanic vote again if he ran for public office. I'm surprised there hasn't been much of a fuss. But since it's Kobe, who knows if it's true or not. And that's probably why.
M has been kicking like crazy lately. It's amazing to feel her movements and watch her roll around in C's belly. A lot of folks who know C are making "We've got a gymnast on the way" comments. I'm thinking not so much. I mean sure, if I want her to be less than 5.5 feet tall, have delayed development, spend untold thousands of dollars for lessons, leotards and shipping her around for tournaments and have all sorts of bone problems when she's in her 30s and 40s. If she's tall like her daddy, then I'll teach her to play basketball she'll have it made. And if she makes it to the WNBA, if it still exists, then she can help retire her parents. That my friends is the American Dream.
Parenting, huh. That's gonna be a kick in the pants. But seriously folks tell your child no and stick by it, present a united front for your children and spank 'em every once and a while and the world would be a better place. And if someone tries to tell me it's wrong to spank your child, I'll point them to the Bible (Heb 12:4-11, Prov 13:24, Prov 23:13-14, Prov 29:15, etc) and I'll tell them that they can raise their kids their way and we'll raise 'em ours and I'll see you in 20 years and when mine turn out to be better citizens, then they'll see that spanking ain't so bad after all. Kids crave boundaries. They want to know what's right and wrong, what they can and can't do. Thankfully, God has given me an amazing woman who is going to be a great mother and has helped prepare me to be a good father. I'm excited to be a dad. I'm just wary of raising our children with all the political and social turmoil that awaits them. However, we're not going to try to shield them from everything, because that's impossible. And if we do, when they get to college it'll be total culture shock and there's pretty much two things that will happen: either they will entrench themselves deeper into isolation or they'll go hog wild, neither of which is healthy.
Texas in the Rose Bowl. Now, I do feel sorry for Cal players and coaches and fans, but, one, that's the way the system works, and two, if history is any indicator, they'll be in the BCS next year. Texas got jobbed last year, so it's their turn this Saturday. But they have to beat Michigan. No ifs ands or buts about it. If we--I speak in terms of we due to my alumni status--don't win, and it'll help to win big, then all the naysayers will have fodder for the "Cal is a better team than Texas" debate. Possibly. Possibly not. All I know is, breaking it down, it's gonna be a tough road ahead of our boys come 4pm CST. Let's break it down and give you the stats leaders for skill positions:
UT Off vs UM Def: Ernest Shazor & Marlin Jackson versus Vince Young & UT's weak receiving corps is the key matchup here. Cedric will get his yards and a TD or two, but they have a lockdown corner that'll take away one side of the field and a hard-hitting safety waiting for the deep ball. Our only chance is to use our talented tight ends to stretch the field, making the Michigan 'backers have to cover, thus opening up running lanes for Ced. I mean, just look at our receiving "leader" Tony Jeffery: 399 yards is pitiful. But it's not his fault VY can't throw the ball. Edge: Michigan
UT Def vs UM Off: No lockdown corner to put on Braylon Edwards scares me. People will say that Henne & Hart are freshman, but anyone who's not a casual fan of the game understands that by this time they've played in two tough conferences. It's like Diaper Dandies in the NCAAs. Just like Oklahoma's AD, Hart will get his yards, at least a buck fifty. They won't be employing the services of #2 receiver Jason Avant thankfully, but they still have Steve Breaston & Tim Massaquoi to create matchup problems with our defensive backfield. We've got the Dick Butkus and Bronko Nagurski Award-winning Derrick Johnson (DJ) wreaking havoc, but unless we get a decent pass rush and run defense from our front four, it's gonna be a long afternoon and evening. At the end of the day though, it's Braylon Edwards giving the Slight Edge: Michigan
Special Teams: We've got great kickers, but we don't have a return man. I mean, it's been since Eric Metcalf donned the Burnt Orange & White since we've had a game-changing kick returner. The Wolverines only weak link is PK Garret Rivas. However, the hidden yards of a field-position game will be won by Michigan, with a difference of about +14 yards per possession considering punting and return averages. Edge: Push
Coaching: As Bill Simmons would say, I just threw up in my mouth. You've got the Good Ole Boy Mack Brown versus the grating, stodgy Lloyd Carr. You also have Mack's "Stuck on You" partner Greg Davis, he of the "Gee, it's 3rd-7 and we've got Roy, BJ & Sloan, let's go 5-wide and run them on 3- to 5-yard slant and out patterns and let them make up the yardage needed for first down" fame. I mean seriously, if you had on coaching staff to win a game that determined your life or death, who would you pick? Me too. There's a reason a recent ESPN.com Sportsnation poll had the answer of Zero (26%) for the question "If OU & UT played ten times, how many would Texas win?" The kicker? 10 was not an option! Edge: Michigan
Intangibles: Players who grow up wanting to go to Michigan or any other Big10 or Pac10 school dream about playing in the Grandaddy of 'Em All. Texas players? I guess the Sugar Bowl. Here's the deal. Last year, Arkansas players were geared up about renewing the old SWC rivalry with Texas and our boys were ho-hum about it. They were like "Sure...Southwest Conference...makes my blood boil" while stifling yawns. It was just another game. The Hogs had the mental advantage. Fast forward to Jan 1 and you've got Texas with a just-happy-to-be-here we-need-to-beat-them attitude going against a team that understands and enjoys the pomp and circumstance that surround the Rose Bowl. They were bred for this game. Texas not so much. That's why I have to give a Slight Edge: Michigan
My final score prediction: UM 24 - UT 13
As much as it pains me to say that, I'm a realist. If I was just another fringe college football fan, you wouldn't get all that stuff I just said. Now, if you were to ask me about the USC-OU game, I honestly have no clue. They're evenly matched in all facets of the game, although OU got pushed around by balanced offenses late in the season. So maybe a very slight edge to USC. Traditional thinking says this game is gonna be a shootout, but then you have the OU-FSU title game a few years back that ended 13-2. And that, my friends, is why they play the games.
I leave you with a haiku...
BCS: Texas
At number four? Methinks Cal
Doeth protest too much.
The Kobe Bryant Saga: If Karl Malone had been a white man when making that "I'm hunting little Mexican girls" comment, he'd be strung up by now. But it's been brushed over by the media. Think about if someone like, say, President Bush said something like that they'd be holding a trial for sexual harassment and LULAC would be denouncing him and he would never get a single Hispanic vote again if he ran for public office. I'm surprised there hasn't been much of a fuss. But since it's Kobe, who knows if it's true or not. And that's probably why.
M has been kicking like crazy lately. It's amazing to feel her movements and watch her roll around in C's belly. A lot of folks who know C are making "We've got a gymnast on the way" comments. I'm thinking not so much. I mean sure, if I want her to be less than 5.5 feet tall, have delayed development, spend untold thousands of dollars for lessons, leotards and shipping her around for tournaments and have all sorts of bone problems when she's in her 30s and 40s. If she's tall like her daddy, then I'll teach her to play basketball she'll have it made. And if she makes it to the WNBA, if it still exists, then she can help retire her parents. That my friends is the American Dream.
Parenting, huh. That's gonna be a kick in the pants. But seriously folks tell your child no and stick by it, present a united front for your children and spank 'em every once and a while and the world would be a better place. And if someone tries to tell me it's wrong to spank your child, I'll point them to the Bible (Heb 12:4-11, Prov 13:24, Prov 23:13-14, Prov 29:15, etc) and I'll tell them that they can raise their kids their way and we'll raise 'em ours and I'll see you in 20 years and when mine turn out to be better citizens, then they'll see that spanking ain't so bad after all. Kids crave boundaries. They want to know what's right and wrong, what they can and can't do. Thankfully, God has given me an amazing woman who is going to be a great mother and has helped prepare me to be a good father. I'm excited to be a dad. I'm just wary of raising our children with all the political and social turmoil that awaits them. However, we're not going to try to shield them from everything, because that's impossible. And if we do, when they get to college it'll be total culture shock and there's pretty much two things that will happen: either they will entrench themselves deeper into isolation or they'll go hog wild, neither of which is healthy.
Texas in the Rose Bowl. Now, I do feel sorry for Cal players and coaches and fans, but, one, that's the way the system works, and two, if history is any indicator, they'll be in the BCS next year. Texas got jobbed last year, so it's their turn this Saturday. But they have to beat Michigan. No ifs ands or buts about it. If we--I speak in terms of we due to my alumni status--don't win, and it'll help to win big, then all the naysayers will have fodder for the "Cal is a better team than Texas" debate. Possibly. Possibly not. All I know is, breaking it down, it's gonna be a tough road ahead of our boys come 4pm CST. Let's break it down and give you the stats leaders for skill positions:
| PAS | Vince Young-1669 yds | Chad Henne-2516 yds |
| RSH | Cedric Benson-1764 yds | Mike Hart-1372 yds |
| REC | Tony Jeffery-399 yds | Braylon Edwards-1221 yds |
UT Def vs UM Off: No lockdown corner to put on Braylon Edwards scares me. People will say that Henne & Hart are freshman, but anyone who's not a casual fan of the game understands that by this time they've played in two tough conferences. It's like Diaper Dandies in the NCAAs. Just like Oklahoma's AD, Hart will get his yards, at least a buck fifty. They won't be employing the services of #2 receiver Jason Avant thankfully, but they still have Steve Breaston & Tim Massaquoi to create matchup problems with our defensive backfield. We've got the Dick Butkus and Bronko Nagurski Award-winning Derrick Johnson (DJ) wreaking havoc, but unless we get a decent pass rush and run defense from our front four, it's gonna be a long afternoon and evening. At the end of the day though, it's Braylon Edwards giving the Slight Edge: Michigan
Special Teams: We've got great kickers, but we don't have a return man. I mean, it's been since Eric Metcalf donned the Burnt Orange & White since we've had a game-changing kick returner. The Wolverines only weak link is PK Garret Rivas. However, the hidden yards of a field-position game will be won by Michigan, with a difference of about +14 yards per possession considering punting and return averages. Edge: Push
Coaching: As Bill Simmons would say, I just threw up in my mouth. You've got the Good Ole Boy Mack Brown versus the grating, stodgy Lloyd Carr. You also have Mack's "Stuck on You" partner Greg Davis, he of the "Gee, it's 3rd-7 and we've got Roy, BJ & Sloan, let's go 5-wide and run them on 3- to 5-yard slant and out patterns and let them make up the yardage needed for first down" fame. I mean seriously, if you had on coaching staff to win a game that determined your life or death, who would you pick? Me too. There's a reason a recent ESPN.com Sportsnation poll had the answer of Zero (26%) for the question "If OU & UT played ten times, how many would Texas win?" The kicker? 10 was not an option! Edge: Michigan
Intangibles: Players who grow up wanting to go to Michigan or any other Big10 or Pac10 school dream about playing in the Grandaddy of 'Em All. Texas players? I guess the Sugar Bowl. Here's the deal. Last year, Arkansas players were geared up about renewing the old SWC rivalry with Texas and our boys were ho-hum about it. They were like "Sure...Southwest Conference...makes my blood boil" while stifling yawns. It was just another game. The Hogs had the mental advantage. Fast forward to Jan 1 and you've got Texas with a just-happy-to-be-here we-need-to-beat-them attitude going against a team that understands and enjoys the pomp and circumstance that surround the Rose Bowl. They were bred for this game. Texas not so much. That's why I have to give a Slight Edge: Michigan
My final score prediction: UM 24 - UT 13
As much as it pains me to say that, I'm a realist. If I was just another fringe college football fan, you wouldn't get all that stuff I just said. Now, if you were to ask me about the USC-OU game, I honestly have no clue. They're evenly matched in all facets of the game, although OU got pushed around by balanced offenses late in the season. So maybe a very slight edge to USC. Traditional thinking says this game is gonna be a shootout, but then you have the OU-FSU title game a few years back that ended 13-2. And that, my friends, is why they play the games.
I leave you with a haiku...
BCS: Texas
At number four? Methinks Cal
Doeth protest too much.
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