Sunday, October 31, 2010

NFL Picks - Halloween Edition

Happy Halloween!  And... on to the picks!



Denver @ San Francisco - Aren't they in London this week? *checks quickly* Yes, they are.  And I'm going to pick the Broncos merely because they're made about last week's thrashing they took from the Raiders and they're not going to let it happen against the Niners. Not in front of an international audience.

Jacksonville @ Dallas - Eesh... Dallas, you really stink.  This is the most exciting thing ever!  Though, I don't know that your stinkage will be able to be contained against the stinkage of the Jaguars.  I say, this may be the week Dallas starts to figure out that they don't wan to stink anymore. *holds nose* Dallas

Miami @ Cincinnati - sigh... Miami

Buffalo @ Kansas City - KC

Washington @ Detroit - Redskins

Carolina @ St. Louis - Didn't we see this movie already?  Well... I think I'll go with the Rams.

Green Bay @ New York Jets - Green Bay

Tennessee @ San Diego - I would reeeeeally like the Chargers to pull it out, since any Titans' loss only help the Colts, but I don't think they can do it.  sigh... Titans

Minnesota @ New England - sigh... New England.  The Vikings just aren't playing good enough this year.

Tampa Bay @ Arizona - *flips coin* Tampa Bay

Seattle @ Oakland - Seattle

Pittsburgh @ New Orleans - Wait moment - here's a game that might actually be a good one?  In prime time?  On Sunday Night?  I must be living right!  Pittsburgh.

Houston @ Indianapolis - *paging the Texans, paging the Texans*  This is for you - Payback's a bitch.  Indy by five.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

NFL Week 7 - In Front Of My Sunday Ticket Poster

When our NFL Preview issue of Sports Illustrated came, there was a huge DirecTV poster promoting their NFL Sunday Ticket package.  The poster is designed as (A) a schedule of every regular season NFL game and (B) a collection of "tickets" to every game you can get on your TV if you have Sunday Ticket.  I had grand visions of me using this to keep track of every teams wins and losses this year... but the grand and ambitious visions I have often turn into just passing fancies.  But the poster looks great on my wall.

But the best thing is that I don't have to go searching for an NFL schedule to cut/paste into this post and then get rid of all the peripheral crap like the time, the stadium, the field conditions and whether or not Jerry Jones has money on the game.  I can just type up "Team A vs. Team B" and make my predictions.  I like being independent, personally.

On to the picks!

Saints vs. Browns - Saints

Titans vs. Eagles - Titans

Dolphins vs. Steelers - Steelers

Buccaneers vs. Rams - The Rams look to continue their *ahem* winning ways.

Bears vs. Redskins - As do the 'Skins (even though they lost last week - but it was to a good cause)

Panthers vs.49ers - Oh geez... more sack-of-crap games.  Though Carolina is new to this trend of sucking and I don't think they like it very much (shoot, I wouldn't).  Oh what the heck - Niners.

Chiefs vs. Jaguars - I would like the Chiefs to be better than they have been of late and I have no great love for the Jaguars (despite having served a mission in Jacksonville - there's a long story behind that).  This is a purely pick-with-my-heart vote - KC.

Ravens vs. Bills - *cough, cough* Ravens

Falcons vs. Bengals - Falcons

Seahawks vs. Cardinals - the *headdesk* game of the week - either I must cheer for the "Legends in Our Own Minds" Seachickens or I have to go with the "Classless Wonder Douche Bag, What do you MEAN he's Rookie of the Week" snotwipe max hall (Remember - Capital letters are reserve for classy people.  Like Jesus - no, I'm never going to let him live that one down)... You know what?  I really don't want to cheer for the Cardinals.  Hello, Seattle!

Chargers vs. Patriots - sigh... Before this year, this would have been a good matchup to watch, but I think since San Diego has taken over the "We-would-be-The-Sucky-McSuckerton-in-the-AFC-West-except-we-share-a-division-with-the-Raiders" position (previously held by Kansas City), I have to hold my nose and vote for the "Batriots."

Broncos vs. Raiders - Again with the holding-of-the-nose (well, I do have a little dog sitting in my room that is in dire need of a bath), I punch the ballot for the Broncos.

Packers vs. Vikings - One of these days, I'll be able to sit down to these games without hearing Brett Favre drama.  I'm sure Aaron Rodgers would appreciate it.  Good grief - can't the kid have a decent career in Green Bay with Teh Favre hanging over his head?  And it's a shame because I grew up thinking Favre was a pretty good guy, but I'm tired of the constant soap opera - just play the damn game already.  Just because I know the media analysis will be all BrettFavreBrettFavreBrettFavre - I'm picking Aaron Rodgers.  Green Bay for the win.

Cowboys vs. Giants - If I didn't absolutely despise the Cowboys, I would pity them.  Their owner (who has the mouth the size that rivals that monstrosity of a stadium), told everyone and their mom's goldfish that His Team would be in the Super Bowl and said Team has the gloriousness of the Son of God Himself (which must make Jerry Jones think He is God or some twisted thing like that - okay, I made that last part up - please don't hurt me) - and Teh 'Boys have nearly the same record as the Rams, the Lions, the 49ers and the Browns (the only reason the records are not the same is because Dallas has had their bye week).  If it was any other team, they would have fallen by the wayside and not even be mentioned during SportsCenter.  But it's the sainted Dallas Cowboys who can do no wrong - except when they suck and it suddenly becomes a national crisis.  I'm half expecting to hear of Wade Phillips being hauled in to testify before Congress over why Dallas is so stinking terrible this year and what the government can do to remedy this problem.  Barring that, maybe a "We Are the World" telethon with every brainless, vapid celebrity imaginable imploring the rest of the league to donate a few wins to the woebegone Cowboys.

*sniffle* Leave Tony Romo alone!! *sob, weep, wail* (Seriously, I could go on).

Anyway, the Cowboys suck, which my life is tolerable.  The NFC East is actually interesting to watch and I'm going with the Giants.

**My current standings - after last week's 8-4 performance - is 46-28.**

Friday, October 22, 2010

Yes, Virginia. There is Life West of Redwood Road.

Saw this on Facebook and I had to laugh.  But I wonder - isn't Callao a great candidate for the name of a town that no one knows how to pronounce?



When I looked this up on YouTube, there were some Wasatch Front dwellers commenting on how they'd never heard of some of these towns, despite having lived in Utah all their lives.

And they say we small-town folk are sheltered *shakes head* Poor, deprived souls....

Sunday, October 17, 2010

At Least Someone Named Francisco Does Something Good

Well, I guess the Niners won today.  So, Francisco is actually a very lucky name today.  Let's hear it for the one-handed catch!

I love my Colts.  To pieces.  But I am not loving this down-to-the-wire winning stuff.  Then again, I kind of grumble when the games are boring.  Upon further reflection, I don't know if I can handle this kind of nerve-wracking excitement.

When I first got home, the pre-SNF highlights showed all the games that my picks got wrong, so I thought that I had done terribly.  But I actually made a pretty decent 7-4 today (with the Titans-Jaguars game still to come).

I'm so glad that Johnny is NOT ribbing me about anything tonight. Whenever the Colts play in primetime, Johnny sits over here and makes his stupid little comments and snide little remarks (he doesn't like the Colts - he'd rather watch Backstreet Boy rejects masquerade as NFL quarterbacks). When the Colts lose, he is unbearable and I want to pop the little twerp. But when the Colts win, Johnny quietly takes his leave so I don't come down on him - I rarely do in these cases. It's like he thinks because he rags on me when the team I'm cheering for loses, that I will do the same to him. Granted, I sometimes do, but only if he's been overly obnoxious about it.

Bottom Line - Colts win! I can face the week *sigh in relief*

High Five Kid!

ETA:  My cousin had this little tidbit on her blog and I was on the floor.  I'm making it official - Tom Brady's new nickname is "Justin Bieber in a Helmet."   I seriously want someone from ESPN to pick this up - Boomer, Keyshawn, Frank Caliendo (even though he's with Fox Sports) - I don't care - just someone please make fun of this! (give it a spot on "C'mon Man!" - please!)

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Mom: "Why are you always in such liberal programs?" (and NFL Picks)

(NFL picks below the pointless blather).

I'm in my library classes this weekend and I am reminded of a comment my mother made to me some time ago.  I honestly have no idea why I am drawn to liberal professions while I remain ever-so-conservative in opinion.  Maybe it says something about my convictions that I can study literature, writing and library science in academia (which, I enjoy all three immensely) and still be a card-carrying member of the "Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy" (she says tongue-in-cheek... more or less... ^_^)  I dunno... some people question my senses, but I manage to sleep at night.

Anyway - on to something COMPLETELY different - it's Saturday, which means that I have football picks to make!  Shoot, making predictions off the wrong schedule (as happened momentarily last week) do not impede me from making my picks - why should a little thing like a class weekend do the same?

As things stand, my season record is.. well, look for yourself: I was 8-6 last week, which brings my season-to-date record to 38-24.  And for the record - Max Hall did NOT lead the Cardinals to the win.  Drew Brees just sucked last week.  Arizona's defense ate the Saints' lunch.  I would even venture to say that Arizona won IN SPITE of Max Hall's "stumblin', bumblin', fumblin'" (Imma lookin' at you, Deseret News!  Zoobie-lovin'-Cocktail-Party-wussies...  I can't stand the Tribune either - bunch of pinko commies - so I just don't read either one unless something big happens that I really want to know about.  But then, that's what Google is for :3)

This week -

Seattle at Chicago - Ugh... Seattle (the Bears' season so far is just one big "C'Mon Man!"  Them and the Cowboys.  I find it quite hilarious ^_^)

Miami at Green Bay - I like Green Bay.  Not in a bandwagon-jumper kind of way (even though the Packers have been on my list of "Yes, I'll Cheer for You" teams since forever), but I like Green Bay to win.

San Diego at St. Louis - San Diego

Baltimore at New England - My upset pick for the week is Baltimore to defeat the Patriots (heck, it's not like there are never any upsets ever, right?)

New Orleans at Tampa Bay - The Saints are playing pissed (after getting beat by the Tempe Toilet Bowl? Hoooo-yeah...).  New Orleans will wipe the floor with the Bucs.

Detroit at NY Giants - Giants (all my Detroit jokes are getting old, even if they did win last week).

Atlanta at Philadelphia - The "Days of Our Lives" game of the week - Michael Vick's new team against Michael Vick's old team (and who knows if Vick is even going to be playing).  Coin toss - tails - Philly

Cleveland at Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh

Kansas City at Houston - Oh gosh... this should be a barn-burner (now that I've said that... it'll be a blowout).  In all honesty, I have high hopes for Kansas City so I will pick them.

Oakland at San Francisco - The Black Hole Crazies head across the bay to Wine-and-Dine Yuppie Town (among other things that SF is associated with - but I'm not getting into that one 'cause I actually like the Niners, even though they stink)... I guess I'll go with Oakland since they're probably high off their win against San Diego (which doesn't make sense, since San Diego is probably playing pissed and they'll eat St. Louis' lunch - so why would Oakland win if they won last week... but the Raiders are playing San Francisco - now I'm just talking in circles... but my pick is Oakland - that's all you need to know)

NY Jets at Denver - I guess I'll go with the home team - Denver

Dallas at Minnesota - Battle of the teams-that-should-have-been-good-but-actually-suck (at least, this season).  If I have a choice, I don't pick Dallas as a rule.  Minnesota.

Indianapolis at Washington - Redskins... you're playing the Colts... By the grace of God go you.  I'm going with Indy.

Tennessee at Jacksonville - Ever since going to ESPN, Monday Night Football had gotten some pretty crap games (though the Eagles-Niners game on NBC last Sunday wasn't exactly Must-See-TV).  Sooo... gosh... I think I'll go with the Titans.

Good - I got that done.  I've got a Halloween party tonight, which I am totally stoked for.  Pictures will be posted soon afterward ^_^

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Taking an Early Weekend

As I left school today, I told the kids that I would see them on Monday because I'm not going to be there tomorrow.  One of the kids quipped that I was taking a three-day vacation, to which I replied that I was taking off early because I've got school this weekend.

I dunno... it was funny when it happened.  We've got our family Halloween party on Saturday, which I'm excited for.  My Tenth Doctor costume is nearly finished and I'm happy about that.  And I've been writing my little fingers off this week, which accounts for the lack of blog posts (some of the stuff I've come up with really surprised me... I'm wondering if I should share it... it's a little... strange, really.  Not my usual style of story-telling either and it kind of weirds me out.  But at the same time... I really like it.  Maybe I will finish it  *shrugs*).

But, life is grand ^_^

ETA: Oh, Stick Man Theatre (which I thought had gone defunct) posted a new "Twilight" parody, which pretty much cracked me up.  I have to admit, I have not read the Bree Tanner book because it's like... why?? (seriously - she was in "Eclipse" all of - what - two sentences?  If that?)  But I did catch the Cleolinda recap, which was brilliant and probably more than enough to enjoy Stick Man Theatre.  Since I like to pimp out internet things that make me laugh, this is worth a spot in my "I'm-not-dead-I-just-don't-have-anything-significant-to-post-about" update.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

HOLY CRAP YOU GUYS!!!

PARTS OF THE NEXT SEASON OF "DOCTOR WHO" WILL BE FILMED IN UTAH!!!  THAT'S, LIKE, MY HOME STATE - LIKE, WHERE I LIVE - LIKE, LIKE - OMG - OMG - OMG - *DIES*

And d'you wanna know the BEST part?  The article says the filming will take place in the "desert" and you don't get any more desert-y than where I live.  Granted, I highly doubt that Matt Smith's trailer will be parked in my driveway (my little town is waaaay too remote), but I do live in an area south of the Bonneville Salt Flats where parts of "Independence Day" and "Pirate of the Caribbean: At World's End" were filmed.  And it's not that big of a deal for me to go scope out the area, if that is truly where it's going to be filmed.

This is so AMAZING!  When I saw the news that DW filming was coming to the states, I thought somewhere like New York or California or even New Orleans - somewhere big and important and famous - but little ol' desert-dust-ball Utah?  Practically in my own backyard??? (To be fair, it's more likely to be in southern Utah where all the rock climbers and hikers and red rocks and warm weather are - but still... I'm up for a road trip!)

I just have to find out when and where exactly.  After I get done running around the house like a crazyperson. *flails*

Saturday, October 9, 2010

NFL Week 5 Picks

This has nothing to do with anything. I just thought it was funny ^_^



It's Pick Time again!  Woot!

(First, I have to send my condolences to Iowa State over the thrashing they experienced at the hands of Utah this weekend.  Yup.  That's all I have to say for that).

(EDIT - So, somehow I got he wrong schedule initially and made my picks from that and it was pretty funny.  But this morning, I realized I'd messed up, so before I've seen any results or even any in-progress games, these are my new picks)

New York Giants @ Houston Texans - Giants

Atlanta Falcons @ Cleveland Browns - Falcons

Chicago Bears @ Carolina Panthers - Bears

Denver Broncos @ Baltimore Ravens - Ravens

Green Bay Packers @ Washington Redskins - Ummm... *coin flip* Tails - Redskins

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Buffalo Bills - Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs @ Indianapolis Colts - Usually I wouldn't be so nervous... but I am.  And I'm still going with my boys in blue.

St. Louis Rams @ Detroit Lions - Rams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Cincinnati Bengals - Ick - Bengals

New Orleans Saints @ Arizona Cardinals - Saints

Tennessee Titans @ Dallas Cowboys - Again with the ick... Cowboys

San Diego Chargers @ Oakland Raiders - Chargers

Philadelphia Eagles @ San Francisco 49ers - Eagles

Minnesota Vikings @ New York Jets - More ick - Jets

Friday, October 8, 2010

It's Time for Another "Good Day, Bad Day"

Hey-oh - it's FRIDAY! *parties*

It's been a long time since I've written much.  But I have an valid excuse - I have been working on my four-page ('cept mine is five, but my fifth page doesn't have much on it) website that is due on Tuesday.  I finally got it done, but I also have a group-project-research-literature-review thing due on Sunday and that's kicking our collective butt (I'm so stinking glad this research class is all group work because I don't have the first idea of what I'm doing).  But it's becoming hard to squeeze blogging in between school and work and the other projects I get up to.  So, my blogging life must suffer (but not entirely - 'cause here I am!  Yay!)

School was very good today - the kids practiced their play and I have to say that this was the BEST play practice we've had so far.  We spent last Friday working on our set arrangements, so we finally feel like we can practice changing scenes and working with lighting and it starts to feel like this is really going to happen!  Even the elementary school kids were on-par with their lines and what-not.  We even got to run through a quick curtain-call and I spent my prep hour deciding on what music cues to use and where.  It was brilliant.

Except... there's one boy that really doesn't have his heart in this and he'd much rather be doing something else.  But with our small numbers, we need everyone we can get.  And this kid doesn't really have very many lines (that was by design), but when it came time for his small scene, there was a big ol' fight and he quit the play - which, on some level is okay because I really don't want to deal with people that don't want to be there and have them ruin for everyone else.  I ended up reading his lines, which I will probably do until we decide who should play his part.  We're already doubled-up on roles as it is - but we might be able to get away with the kid playing Ghost of Christmas Future filling this role (this kid has been so supportive of this whole endeavor, which truly, truly surprised me - if you knew how big of a goofball he was during regular class, you'd be surprised too).  But this whole situation is kind of a black mark on an otherwise fantastic play practice.  Hopefully we can take the weekend and cool off and be fine on Monday.  I think when you spend an entire week in school with the exact same people day in and day out, you tend to get sick of each other by the weekend.  Shoot, I'm only there half a day every day and I need a break.  Things will be okay, I think.

But for now, I've got plenty to keep me busy.

PS - If you really want a post-a-day, my cousin has this "Blogtober" thing going that I thought was pretty cool, until I realized how much stuff I had to contend with this month. Be warned - many of her political views are opposite of mine, but she still has some pretty funny non-political things she says.  Somehow, we still manage to get along (in this grand Facebook-blogging-internet life we lead ^_^)

Monday, October 4, 2010

How Do You Interpret that Garglemesh?

I've been working on my 4-page website and this sucker is kicking my butt!  I have to do something whackadoodle with CSS (which I understand in theory - getting it to work is the tricky part) plus some other stuff that I don't even know what the heck I'm doing.  I understand basic HTML, but the basic stuff just looks like poop.  And I wanted this website to be my portfolio/resume so I could just send the link to potential employers, so I kind of want it to look semi-professional (and it's nice to not have to have all the layouts and presentations I've done stuffed into a binder somewhere).  Brain... hurt... muchly....  This is what I get for being an overachiever, I suppose *sigh*  I think I'm going to call it a night on that front - I got the online discussion post in that's due tomorrow, so I can breathe a little easier.

School was fun today.  We got new library books in, so I spent my free period cataloging and getting the books ready for circulation (taping the jacket covers down was murder, though - that tape is sticky).  The kids asked for "The Hunger Games" trilogy, which I think looks interesting.  That's next on my list of things to read (right after I finish the Percy Jackson series - I'm in the middle of the fourth book).  If there's anything I've learned from being the librarian at the high school, it's that there are some pretty good young adult books out there.  Of course, there's plenty of crap to be had, but these kids have good taste in books.

In football news - the Giants won, which made up for that soul-crushing loss Indy suffered at the hands of Jacksonville (what the crap is up with my Colts?  Honestly...)  Right now, I'm watching the Patriots-Dolphins game with my little cousin.  He like the Pats, but I'm more or less "meh..." because I don't really like either of them.  And since it's October and it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the NFL has pink accented on all the players' uniforms and sideline gear.  For most teams, the pink accenture works (they've got pink cleats, gloves, towels, etc.), but the Dolphins - whose regular colors are turquoise and orange - look even girlier than they usually do (I call them the 1970s Lisa Frank rejects).  I think the turquoise makes the pink pop out more, so it's more noticeable.  Maybe Miami should go with their orange uniforms during October... I dunno...

It is cool that the NFL supports breast cancer research, though.  We had a family friend who passed away from breast cancer in 2005 and she was an absolutely amazing woman.  She and my mom helped us in our 4-H clubs and we'd hang out with her girls all the time (my younger sister moreso than me because her oldest girl was my sister's age).  So, whenever I see anything to do with breast cancer awareness, I think of her.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

NFL Week 4 Picks

And this is as late as I hope I'll ever be with this.

San Francisco at Atlanta - Oh, I wish, I wish, I wish the Niners would win... but I have to go with Atlanta.

Cincinnati at Cleveland - C'mon Browns... but I have to go with the divalicious Bengals - my pick record suffered greatly last week and I need a boost.

NY Jets at Buffalo - J!E!T!S! Jets, Jets, Jets!

Seattle at St. Louis - I'm going to go with the upset, just because - the Rams.

Denver at Tennessee - Titans

Detroit at Green Bay - Packers

Baltimore at Pittsburgh - Steelers

Carolina at New Orleans - Saints

Indianapolis at Jacksonville - Colts

Houston at Oakland - Texans

Washington at Philadelphia - Oooh... the "Days of Our Lives" game of the week!  I think McNabb and the 'Skins can pull it off ('specially since they're playing pissed that they lost last week).

Arizona at San Diego - Cardinals

Chicago at NY Giants - Let's go G-Men!!

Monday - New England at Miami - Oh yay... my two absolutely favorite teams... /sarcasm.  (I think I just don't like the AFC East as a whole).  Feh... New England.

Last week's results were a dismal 7-9, which means I'm up to 30-18 on the year *weep*

Friday, October 1, 2010

Romney Stadium Security - Abandon All Hope

SWEET MOTHER OF MERLIN - UTAH STATE BEAT BYU 31-16!!!

Heck Yes!

They are storming the field in Logan!  This calls for some major Scotsman action!



The Good News: Utah State beats BYU and gets bragging rights - after years of being the butt of football jokes in Utah.

The Even Better News: The Aggies beat the Zoo after the Zoo threw a diva fit about not being invited to join the PAC-10 and consequently went independent.

In other news - KSL breaks out the Loser Support Hotline a month early.

Sometimes, the jokes just write themselves.