Monday, November 27, 2006

Poor Playoff Performance Anxiety

As the fantasy football playoffs are approaching for the WEPCO league, I find myself experiencing a little deja vu. After everything shakes out next week (the last week of our league's regular season), chances are that I will find myself at #2 or #3 (of 12) in the league, which you would think would be a good thing. My problem is finishing off the year in the playoff tournament. Just take a look at how I have done in previous seasons:
  • 2003: Finished regular season #3 (of 13) - Finished tournament #7 (of 8)
  • 2004: Finished regular season #3 (of 18) - Finished tournament #8 (of 8)
  • 2005: Finished regular season #2 (of 8) - Finished tournament #6 (of 8)

So I am a little concerned about the upcoming playoffs. I think I have a good team and should do well, but you never know. I'll keep you posted.

Crappy Feet


Let me just go on the record saying that Happy Feet is one of the worst movies I have seen recently. The animation was amazing and the music and dancing were pretty entertaining, but the movie itself seemed way long and the plot (particularly how it all ended) was absolutely ridiculous and ruined the whole movie.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Diatribe from the pulpit

At church on Sunday, we had a guest speaker (High Councilman) speak to us in sacrament meeting. And I could not believe what was said. Previously in the meeting, the Bishop had told a story about flying this week and the scare when a fire started on a bus near his aircraft. Well, later on in the meeting, when the guest speaker got up to speak, he started off by saying:

"I am grateful for the Bishop's story about the difficulties of flying. I also had difficulties in flying this week. But while the Bishop's problems were with a fire, mine was in dealing with the TSA airport security."

The congregation chuckled a bit at this statement, as most of us have encountered the increased security measures recently. And if this was where the story ended, there would really not even be a story. But whether the speaker felt encouraged because of the congregation's response, or whether he just had some frustration to get off his chest, he decided to continue on this subject. He went off talking about how we still live in a free country and how airports are the only place that you are "checked, checked, checked, and re-checked." He explained situations where he has been traveling and had to go through these security procedures that have caused him to miss his flights. Another good quote:

"I don't see why somebody who is making $5.15 an hour should have the power to control our lives."

And it gets better. He told story of being in a security line where a 90 year-old man ahead of him in line was screened, and his baggage was opened up and searched. He exclaimed sarcastically: "Yeah, that guy sure looked like a terrorist to me!" This was followed a short time later by an African-American priest that was also searched. Again, came the sarcasm: "I'm sure this priest was a terrorist, too!" Then it came time for our story-teller himself, and he also was taken aside for additional screening. He concluded the story by saying:

"Behind me in line were a few passengers that were more ethnically appropriate passengers to be screened, and they passed through the security checkpoint without incident. There is something wrong with that picture."

Are you kidding me? Did he really just say that some passengers are "ethnically appropriate" to be screened? And during an address from the pulpit at church? He literally went off for ten minutes with his views about the airline security procedures. There were plenty of other inappropriate statements, but fortunately I have forgotten them for the most part. And the entire congregation was wondering why he was talking about it and if he was going to have any spiritually-based message at all. Finally, he moved on to the topic he had prepared for the last 5-10 minutes of his talk. But by then it was too late, at least for me. I could not focus on it, and I felt like the Spirit had already been lost. But it sure makes for a good blog entry. I don't know if this retelling even captures the horror, awe, and discomfort of the inappropriateness - maybe you had to be there.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Candid camera

I don't know how they got this video of me and Deidra at Sonic . . .

Friday, November 17, 2006

CAUTION!


If this is what Italians have to eat at their wedding, I am glad I am not Italian. I would stay a bachelor for my entire life. We saw this soup on sale and thought we'd buy a couple of cans and give it a try. It was N-A-S-T-Y! The broth is salty, the little balls of pasta are slimy, and the "meatballs" look (and probably taste) like dry dog food that's gotten soggy from being left out in the rain. I feel it my duty to warn the public to stay away from this soup. We're lucky we survived.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Lyrics of the Week

If you haven't noticed, I have posted a "Lyric of the Week" at the bottom of my blog, which I will try to keep updated as much as possible. I will use this post as an archive of past lyrics. So here we go:

April 27, 2007:
"Shot through the heart and you're to blame
You give love a bad name."
(Bon Jovi - You Give Love A Bad Name)

April 12, 2007:
"If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
We'd see the day when nobody died
(Nickelback - If Everyone Cared)

March 23, 2007:
"When the mountain is high
Just look up to the sky
Ask God to teach you
Then persevere with a smile."
(Lenny Kravitz - Dig In)


Mar. 7, 2007:
"My baby - she got thirty-two flavors
The first thirty-one are gonna burn your tongue, but the last one makes you crave her."
(Brown Couch - Track Shack)

Feb. 21, 2007:
"I hope those cigarettes are gonna make you cough
I hope you heard this this song and it pissed you off."
(Spin Doctors - Little Miss Can't Be Wrong)

Feb 5, 2007:
"Here we are, now entertain us."
(Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit)

January 17, 2007:
"I love you . . . because you make me sick."
(P.M. Dawn - The Beautiful)

Dec. 21, 2006:
"There has to be a change, I'm sure
Today was just a day fading into another
And that can't be what a life is for"
(Counting Crows - Amy Hit the Atmosphere)

Dec. 10, 2006:
"Whatever tomorrow brings, I'll be there with open arms and open eyes."
(Incubus - Drive)

Nov. 28, 2006:
"You can't fight the tears that ain't coming
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything feels like the movies
You bleed just to know you're alive."
(Goo Goo Dolls - Iris)

Nov. 16, 2006:
"Every new beginning starts with some other beginning's end."
(Semisonic - Closing Time)

Nov. 9, 2006:
"I have all my wisdom teeth
Two up top and two beneath
Yet I recognize
My mouth says things that aren't so wise."
(Crash Test Dummies - The Bereft Man's Song)

Nov. 1, 2006:
"Someday I will work with animals; all the tests I'm going to do
All my stuff's completely natural, and when we're done we'll boil 'em down for glue
That we can use to re-adhere your lips to mine if you were here."
(Barenaked Ladies - Some Fantastic)

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Textbook Travails

I am currently taking a couple of online classes at USU as pre-requisites for a Human Resources graduate program. For one of the classes, Deidra and I decided not to but the $150 textbook, but to check it out at the library instead. I can only check it out for three hours at a time, which usually works well for me. I check it out, read the chapter, do the assignment, and then hand the book back in. If I need additional time, I check it out for an additional three hours or come back and check it out another day.

For the first part of the semester, this worked out well. Most of the time i wanted to check out the book, they had it available, though every once in a while it would be checked out by somebody else. But ever since getting back from Boston, I have not been able to secure the book. I tried twice a day for almost two weeks straight. But each time I went in, I was told that the book was unavailable. Finally, about a week ago, one of the library employees told me that they actually have no idea where the book is - whether it is lost or if somebody checked it out and never returned it.

So I finally had to break down and order the book online. I have three assignments that are late, and a test to take next Thursday, so I didn't have many other options. Luckily, I was able to find the book online for only $80. It should be waiting for me when I get off work today, and I will have my nose in it almost constantly for the next week, in order to complete my late assignments and prepare for my test. I don't look forward to spending so much time on my back-logged assignments, but I will sure be glad to get caught up. Who knew that one textbook could cause so much of a hassle?