Medical Mal-pricing

As some of you know, I broke my arm a few weeks ago.

(For those interested in that story, see the post entitled: "In a beautifully choreographed ...")

There are important life lessons to be learned from this experience, namely: Don't anger the Emergency Room staff.

Let me explain. I did not go with a plan to anger the staff, there was no premeditation. Instead, a few hours after the accident, I went to the ER in a relatively calm manner.

At this point the alert reader will note I did not go to the ER right away. Why? (Husbands, world wide, already know the answer.) I had to clean the mess I made before my wife got home.

Anyway, expecting to wait 2 or 3 eons before I would be seen by medically inclined people at the ER, I brought a book to read. Surprisingly, I was admitted immediately. But it was a ploy, the ER people had developed new places to wait, inside the treatment area.

Periodically, medically inclined people would stop by and administer medical things in my general direction, sometimes directly at me. ("A proctology exam??! ... It's my arm! MY ARM!") Mostly, I was waiting with other people in the middle of the ER.

Every once in a while, announced over the loudspeaker, someone who needed more immediate medical attention, (e.g. "Code Yellow", serious but stable), would arrive "by air", i.e. helicopter. Otherwise, after they get those folk stabilized, there was just more waiting.

It was only later did I realize that important decisions I made earlier in life, would affect the the outcome of my current situation. And when I say "important decisions", I mean, picking the appropriate book to read in an ER.

- - - -

I chose to bring a book by the literary giant, Dave "Will Shakespeare" Barry, known to many for his deep, thoughtful, and carefully crafted booger jokes. He writes more than booger jokes; sometimes he ignites strawberry pop tarts and sometimes he explodes toilets. So, he is a true renaissance man.

If you have read any of his material, you may know that you will uncontrollably, and sometimes loudly, snort milk out of your nose. Fortunately, I wasn't drinking milk. But I found myself accidentally laughing loudly, very loudly.

- - - -

While reading the Dave Barry book, I had an outburst of uncontrollable laughing. It was poorly timed. Below is an unre-touched transcript based on the actual event.

Loudspeaker: Code Yellow, by air, 4 minutes
Me: BWAAAAA HA HA HA HA, .... HA HA ....
Families, Patients & ER Staff: (Really loud & stern glaring. Directly at me.)

I did not realize that this faux pas (from the French, faux meaning 'idiot', pas meaning 'says something stupid, out loud.'), would be recorded in my 'Permanent Record'. Yes, the very same 'Permanent Record' that has been in existence since elementary school. In which, every teacher told you, your every misdeed would be recorded. "Brian! That's going on your 'Permanent Record'!"

Apparently, I had a new entry.

Shortly after this, the ER People did some more medical things at me, referred me to a orthopedist, then shoved me out of the ER with a temporary splint. Apparently, they did not want "my kind" hanging around. "Look at his 'Permanent Record', let's discharge him."

- - - -

After a couple of days of waiting, I was able to see an orthopedist for approximately 37.3 seconds.

His entire conversation with me consisted of:
1) An unintelligible mumble, which translated as, "I don't want to be here, I'd rather be golfing".
2) "You have a break, these heal", which translated as, "You have a break, these heal".

Just kidding, he used a few additional words. But not many. Because it was a clean break, apparently a text-book "night stick wound", I did not need a full cast and was prescribed a brace. See image below.

Ultimately, I had to "co"-pay $165 USD for my brace, (which equals: £82 GBP, €121 EUR, ¥19,213,420,370,841 YEN) . I'm not sure, but I believe my 'Permanent Record' affected the rate of my "co"-pay for the brace

Also, I believe my insurance company had to pay only 3 cents. They haven't paid yet; they are still on the floor laughing because I actually paid the $165.

- - - -

Medical administrator: I need pre-authorization for a forearm brace.
Insurance claims person: A forearm brace? Sure. ... Wait! Look at his 'Permanent Record' ! I'm only authorizing 3 cents for him. HA HA HA! Have the stooge, I mean the client, "co" pay the balance. HA HA HA HA ...

- - - -

In my humble opinion, $165 is expensive for a piece of mass produced plastic. But I have no one to blame except for my 'Permanent Record'.

Next time I plan to break my arm, I may go to a witch doctor instead. I think that costs only three chickens. Or, I may go to a new-age crystal healing person, that way, they could bill my aura. I've seen my aura's bank statement, he's flush in aura money, and he has a better 'Permanent Record'.

Brian

PS. This is a joke image, you can't actually buy a forearm brace on a TV shopping channel. Who would want to?

PPS. hmmm.....However, shortly, you be may lucky enough to buy this beauty on ebay. It's a one of a kind, exquisite, 'work of art'. I'm sad to part with it. Minimum bid: $165.


(c) 2007

All in Perspective

Every year, Beloit College in Beloit, WI, publishes its Mindset List of 70 items that "provide a look at the cultural touchstones that have shaped the lives of today’s first-year [college] students."

Here's a few highlights for the class of 2011.

• They never “rolled down” a car window.
• Nelson Mandela has always been free and a force in South Africa.
• Pete Rose has never played baseball.
• Russia has always had a multi-party political system.
• Classmates could include Michelle Wie, Jordin Sparks, and Bart Simpson.
• Al Gore has always been running for president or thinking about it.
• U2 has always been more than a spy plane.
• Fox has always been a major network.
• They drove their parents crazy with the Beavis and Butt-Head laugh.
• The “Blue Man Group” has always been everywhere.
• Thanks to MySpace and Facebook, autobiography can happen in real time.
• Smoking has never been allowed in public spaces in France.
• Tiananmen Square is a 2008 Olympics venue, not the scene of a massacre.
• MTV has never featured music videos.
• The space program has never really caught their attention except in disasters.
• They get much more information from Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert than from the newspaper.
• They’re always texting 1 n other.
• They never saw Johnny Carson live on television.
• The World Wide Web has been an online tool since they were born.
• Dilbert has always been ridiculing cubicle culture.

Complete Mindset List

Do Not Call the ASPCA or PETA

Statement: Mid-Atlantic Squirrels are not as smart as Squirrels in the Midwest.

Proof: How do I know this? Because, you see a significantly larger number of roadkill squirrels.

Reason: My theory is that winters are not cold enough in the Mid-Atlantic region to sufficiently naturally select the smarter of the bunch.

Now, before, you get upset or send the ASPCA after me or call PETA, please understand that I have no ill-will for the furry, little mammal. Really. I grew up where mosquitoes are the state bird; Bambi could be dinner; Nemo is caught through a hole from one of 10,000 frozen lakes; home to Blatz, Schlitz and Pabst; where real football is played outside on the frozen tundra; and where lutefisk isn't just for breakfast any more.

Truly, I like them. They provide plenty of entertainment for our squirrel-proof bird feeders. And, we even feed them corn from a squngee (very entertaining!).

What the cars fail to select, the red fox in our neighbor's bush completes.

Grace via Hummingbird

(photo by ©Dan True from hummingbirds.net)

Off and on all summer I have put out my hummingbird feeder. However, to no avail. I put out the feeder later than normal in the season or perhaps it was nesting season.

This morning, I thought I'd try it again and put it out before going to church. As I pulled into the driveway, I looked toward the backyard and saw a hummingbird hovering and then head toward the feeder. Since then I've seen as many as two hummingbirds together at the feeder.

It's what I needed to see today.

In a beautifully choreographed ...

In a beautifully choreographed, meticulously executed, oh-so-graceful move, I accidentally broke my left arm.

But all was not lost. Because of my left arm's sacrifice and, from years of practice, subconsciously, I was able to save most of what was in my right hand, a Healthy Choice brand 'Sweet Bourbon Steak', TV dinner, recently microwaved.

I suppose I looked like an American Football player sprawled on the ground, with his hand in the air, grasping the football to show he had caught the winning touchdown pass. Except, he would be holding a microwaveable TV dinner... and ... he would be on my staircase ... and ... he would be thinking that his socks were pretty slippery.

But he would have been proud that the TV dinner was saved. Well, most of it.

The rest of my TV dinner was artfully decorating part of my wall. (Jackson Pollock. Ha! He's called an abstract expressionist? Ha! He has nothing compared to my creation! I bet he had never expressed Garlic Mashed Potatoes!)

- - - - -

Before you think I'm only focused on the food, let me just say, recently I've taken up a sport - the great game of Golf. When people see me golf, they usually say I remind them of Tiger Woods, if he were to have John Daly's physique, and if missing the golf ball on the down stroke was okay. Actually, I'm not as bad as John Daly, but my wife can tell you that I'm trying.

At this point, the alert readers may say:
1) Ah-ha! A wife! Why would she let me, a circumferentially growing boy, eat TV dinners?
2) Why would such a beautiful creature marry a goober like me?
Let me just respond to each:
1) My wife was visiting her sister for the weekend.
I was left home. Alone. Unsupervised.
2) I don't know.

- - - - -

I have learned the difficulty of having full use of only one hand. Although, there are some things that aren't as difficult as I imagined:

• Typing on my Blackberry - not too difficult,
• Driving - not too bad,
• Typing on my Blackberry while I'm driving in heavy traffic - not easy, do-able, but I'm practicing. (Just kidding; I would never, ever do that and publicly admit to it. Instead, I would just tell you I was kidding. Um...I've said too much.)
  
• Socks - not too bad,
• shirts - not too bad, and
  
• I've convinced my firm that I'm just wearing loafers and I'm not wearing a tie again until the cast/splint is off.

Anyway, all of this is relatively easy with only one hand, especially when it's compared to the most difficult task that I've found: buttoning my suit trousers.

Two days ago, I may have spent 10 minutes trying to button my trousers with my one available hand in a men's room stall at my firm. I was banging from side to side, making an awful racket. A couple of times, I heard footsteps of someone entering the mens room. Both times, I heard them stop, then turn, and scamper out.

I don't remember exactly, but I could have been grunting slightly while I was attempting to button my trousers. Really, I am not making this up. Had I heard all of that from a men's room stall, I would have scampered, too. I dare YOU to try to put on your suit pants with one hand in your company's rest room !

- - - - -

So, in closing, after two days of having full use of only my right arm, I have learned important lessons and come to appreciate important aspects of my world around me, namely, my left arm.

Brian

Up-set

A work team outing found us at today's Legg Mason Tennis Classic quarterfinals where we saw the 6’9”, NCAA top-seeded John Isner from the University of Georgia defeat the Number 2 seed, Tommy Haas.

Thoughts and Prayers

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those touched by the Minneapolis bridge collapse. As a Minneapolis-native, my thoughts immediately went to family members and friends that live there.

San Diego

What I enjoyed about San Diego:

• Visiting my aunt and uncle
• Running into a cousin whom I hadn't seen in nine years and his wife, whom I hadn't met before
• Playing golf at Aviara
• Staying at the Four Seasons (what's not to enjoy!)
• Jamba Juice (it's always a treat when I visit New York or California)
• Gaslamp Quarter
• Walking the streets of San Diego while Comic-Con is in town - I've never seen so many light sabers in my life! (who are these people and where do they find the time!)
• Seeing the Mexico border
• There's nothing like coming over a hill and seeing the vast Pacific coast

Fore!

This is a warning to any creature with two or more legs, we have recently taken up golf. After taking lessons more than five years ago, a friend who is currently taking lessons convinced us to venture out on to the course.

Needless to say, we are having a blast. Our area has some lovely regional nine-hole golf courses. A great place to learn and not feel completely overwhelmed.

However, when we need to feel completely overwhelmed, we can play at courses like we did this past weekend. We were in San Diego and played at the Arnold Palmer designed course at the Four Seasons Resort Aviara Golf Club.

Honoured in 2006 as Golf Magazine's number one golf resort in Southern California, and as Condé Nast Traveler readers' number one golf resort on the West Coast, Four Seasons Resort Aviara Golf Club offers superb golf facilities. Its memorable coastal layout – par 72 over 18 holes and 7,007 yards – was designed by Arnold Palmer. The course is sculpted around natural topography, with water hazards positioned as visual extensions of the lagoon. The club includes a 32,000-square-foot (3,000-square-metre), two-storey Spanish colonial clubhouse with a complete golf shop. Read more

Seventeen balls later, we still had fun and hadn't killed, marred or injured anyone including ourselves. Brian says we really got our money's worth as we had enough shots for 36 holes! By the way, I single-handedly lost three balls at the hole pictured here.

What comes after triple bogey?

You can tell a lot about someone by the way they say "Good-bye"

You can tell a lot about someone by the way they leave for an errand or leave for work and say "good bye". For example, my wife, who is very efficient, will be the first to leave the house.

This is because her work schedule starts earlier in the day than mine, primarily due to the life-balance, technical fact that I'm lazy. So, when she leaves for work in the morning, I may still be preparing for my busy day, typically in a supine position.

At that time, she may sit on the 4-Post, Queen-Sized Preparation Area, next to where I'm still preparing, and lean over to chat with me about the day. Because, I'm typically still in my diligent preparation phase for the day, I'll manage to look at her with only one eye, because the other eye is closed so it can focus on continuing the preparation activities.

So, we chat, and then she kisses me, and says good-bye and that she'll be back at her usual time, which is only 2 or 3 hours after her colleagues leave their offices for the evening. For me, that translates.... um... let me get my calculator....yes ... about 4 or 5 hours after I stop working for the day.

Anyway, you may have drifted from my point. Here is my point. After she makes up her side of the 4-Post, Queen-Sized Preparation Area, she efficiently leaves the room where I was still preparing. But, she actually doesn't leave the house. She says "good-bye", but doesn't leave the house. She just leaves the room, where I've probably fallen soundly into preparation, and she goes downstairs.

This is where, in my Preparation Area #2 of our facility, she may have breakfast.

Because of the differences in our work schedules for the aforementioned reason, I haven't been able to coordinate our schedules to actually see what she's doing outside of Preparation Area #1, where I've rolled to another position of preparation. Regardless, she's probably doing something efficient, charitable, work-related, or frequently, all of the above, as well as, the chores for the next three weeks.

After a half-hour or so, I may hear the downstairs door open, close, then dead-bolted in a very efficient manner.

Anyway, you may have drifted away from my point again. My point is that my wife chooses to efficiently say good bye while she is upstairs. She could have waited till she completed all of the other efficient activities in the morning, then return upstairs, say good-bye, go back downstairs, then leave the house. But that's not very efficient.

I'm not complaining at all, I wouldn't want her to change anything, and, like most everything about her, I admire her efficiency, too.

Besides, probably, I'm back in deep preparation by then.

Brian

Happy Independence Day!

No ER visits as a result of the slip 'n slide or the firecrackers; a friend's death-by-chocolate, caramel and extra cocoa, yummy brownies; the brand new grill initiation and an afternoon spent with friends. Despite a downpour and a few thunderstorms, we had a great 4th. Hope you did too!

The Hazy Days of Summer

Flying into New York this week, I was looking out the window and could barely make out the profile of the city. You could tell it was a city, but it was hard to distinguish the major characteristics of the city. Like a sheer veil of clouds that had settled over the city. It made it look rather mysterious. Such an enigma to be explored.

Gullible as a Squirrel

A squirrel can find a bird feeder within 100 miles. Needless to say, our bird feeders and the birds trying to feed at them have been tormented by many a squirrel.

Last month, when we were in the Mall of America in Minnesota, we walked by the Wild Bird Store and saw a feeder by Droll Yankees, called the Yankee Flipper Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder. Here are its many claims:

• Motor driven, battery powered, weight activated perch ring
• Weight calibrated to allow birds to eat, flips squirrels off
• Powder coated in forest green
• Advanced technology provides the ultimate experience
• Hottest Selling bird feeder in the industry

Key words that sold at least one member of our household: motor-driven, flips squirrels off, advanced technology ... SOLD!

So this weekend, we took the plunge to the new feeder, obviously as much for the entertainment factor as to squirrel proof. We have waited patiently, however, the feeder itself seems to be a deterrent as we have yet to see a squirrel take a spin. Only time will tell who the gullible one is!

**We promise, no squirrels were hurt in the making of this post.

Final New York Observations

Here are a few differences that I noticed between New York and Washington, DC.

1. Magazine stores - there's nothing like it in DC
2. I am admittedly an urban dweller, but even I would miss green
3. Where else can you find Ess-a-Bagel and La Maison du Chocolat in one city?
4. The metro is so much cleaner than the subway
5. But, the subway runs 24 hours
6. There are as many Jamba Juices as Starbucks; you're right, impossible
7. New York's Chinatown is really a Chinatown
8. How much electricity is used in Times Square?
9. In New York, an entire block can have the same address number
10. Where do I find soup dumplings in DC?

Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)

When you find yourself in New York's Chinatown, besides the fun street shopping and knock-off you-name-it, scout out Joe's Shanghai Restaurant for soup dumplings. A friend recommended this culinary experience and we will be back for sure! You will find Joe's at 9 Pell Street between Mott and Bowery. It's a very small, one-way street and it's easy to miss. In this rather compact setting, the seating is sort of family style for smaller parties.

From Joe's Shanghai Restaurant:

Xiao Long Bao or "Little Dumplings from Basket" was originated from Nan Xiang, a suburb of Shanghai. Their perfectly symmetrical shape, resembles a pagoda.

These tender pouches, "little dumplings", are freshly made to order. They arrive at the table in piping hot bamboo steamers. Each plump dumpling contains a little pork meatball surrounded by a delightful meaty broth.

To prevent burning one's mouth and to savor the dumpling, the preferred method of consumption is to bite off a little piece of the doughy wrapper, suck the broth with a "slurp", then eat the rest.

There are two variations available at Joe's Shanghai - crab meat and pork meat. Each basket is freshly made to order, so don't forget to order your Soup Dumpling upon arrival at your table. Otherwise it might be a long wait.

A cartoonist, Robert Zimmerman, had drawn "Soup Dumplings: A Survival Course" comic strip that was once published in the newspapers. It comedically depicts the hazard of eating a fresh, piping hot dumpling. Although a little extreme, the danger of burning one's mouth is no different from the dangers of enjoying a hot cup of coffee.

Art Appreciation

I admit that I'm not one to appreciate all-things art. To me, a canvas with a single stripe of paint isn't necessarily art with someone's deep, inner spiritual meaning of life. I just have a difficult time with that.

I know it's all about styles and preferences. I suppose my preference is a PICTURE of something . . . anything, as long as it is even a somewhat recognizable object. I say this somewhat in jest, as I do like a few modern artists such as Gregg Robinson and I can even appreciate the abstract work of Salvadore Dalí.

My art appreciation was tested this weekend at the Guggenheim Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art and the International Center of Photography, which although recognizeable objects, not spectaculorly photographed. However, I'm most spoiled as I believe Brian's photography could easily match most I've seen this weekend.

New York

We're in New York for the weekend. We recommend seeing Frost/Nixon written by Peter Morgan starring Frank Langella and Michael Sheen at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, which we saw this evening. It was really well done.

The most exciting news so far is that Brian is the new owner of a Sony® α (alpha) DSLR-A100K (digital single-lens reflex camera for non-camera acronym knowing people like me!). His camera buying experience at J&R is captured on the Digital Photography Review discussion forum.

We are staying in the theater district and Times Square is a mere three blocks away. Right next to our hotel is a magazine store, literally a little store with magazine racks surrounding all sides. We both commented on how New York-esque the store is.

Look-ALike?

Does anyone else think that Brian looks a little like Tony?

Will Tony have a new teammate next year? Brian predicts that Dale Earnhardt Jr will drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008. You heard it here first!

No Drivers Injured in the Taking of this Photo

No worries, Brian had nothing to do with taking this photo. He took the real photos (like the car), check back later.

Tony Stewart made an appearance in the Home Depot suite (I was within an arm's length). Rain was the other appearance of the evening, which postponed the race until Sunday. On the spur of the moment, we decided to drive back down to Richmond. It was a really fun race. Richmond is a short track so you can easily see all of the cars going around the entire track.

Tony had a pretty good race. After starting 22 and a few radical car adjustments, he moved steadily up to fourth. However, several cautions toward the end of the race, and no long green flag stretches to work his way through lapped traffic, he got caught in a late race crash. Despite the damage to the front of the car, he managed to complete the race and take eighth.

A Spot of Tea

We are to Richmond to have a spot of tea with the Queen. (Did you read that with an English accent?)

Okay, Queen Elizabeth is/was in Richmond. And, yes, we are going to Richmond. However, not to have tea with the Queen.

We're going to Saturday's Nextel Cup NASCAR race! We are Tony Stewart fans, or as Brian says when I tease him about that, "we like the drivers that race for Joe Gibbs." Tony is one of them, along with Denny Hamlin #11 and JJ Yeley #18 who race in the Nextel series. But, for tomorrow evening's race, we will definitely be Tony fans as we're guests of The Home Depot! Check back for a few pictures.

Nostalgic Weekend

Visiting Luther College feels like coming home. It's a feeling that is hard to explain until you've experienced it. It's the community that is Luther College.

The weekend celebrated the 25th Anniversary of Norsemen and Pike Kor (Valley Singers) Alumni Choirs. (No! I haven't been out of college for 25 years.) It was a fun weekend to re-connect with a few professors and to see how Luther has changed. The highlight was being able to sing with the current Norsemen, Pike Kor and Nordic Choirs.

If you ever find yourself in Decorah, Iowa, I recommend the following:

• Stay at Hotel Winneshiek
• Eat at Mabes Pizza
• Shop at Vanberia
• Tour the Vesterheim Museum
• Take a class at Luther College
• Get dessert at Whippy Dip

Premeditated Stupidity

When other people break their cameras, it's usually an accident. These normal people accidentally break their camera in normal ways - drop it on the floor, drop it in the vat of guacamole, drop it out of the helicopter - you see, perfectly normal accidents.

Sadly, my camera's demise was not an accident in a normal sense. My camera's demise was a self-inflicted, but fatal camera-wound.

Sometimes these normal people lament that their accident was partially self-inflicted or 'they saw it coming, and they could have avoided it'.

Regardless, they should not award themselves the dolt of the year awards, yet. I think I'm the bigger dolt, and may be able to out dolt them for this year's award.

On the other hand, if the accident was completely out of their control, then, they have no chance and I'm a shoo-in to win the dolt of the year award.

Like a tv series you may have watched recently, based on actual events, the following takes place between the minutes of 6:23pm and 6:31pm, a couple of months ago ... give or take.

Heres my account.

- - - -

As some may know transferring images from my camera to an iPod through the iPod Camera Connector is painfully slow. (For you non-camera people, just pretend what I said makes sense)

Well, in one of my infrequent bouts of lucidity, I thought I should provide A/C power to preclude my camera's battery from draining.

"You're pretty smart, Brian" I said to myself. Ironically, I didn't remember where I put the original A/C adapter....

I thought, "No worries. I'll just use my trusty iGo universal a/c power adapter"

Tickled with my oh-so-smart-work-around, I quickly assembled the power adapter.

Once assembled, I proudly thought, "Power Problem solved, I'm brilliant." Which, at this point, I recovered from the temporal bout of lucidity, back to my normal self.

Unsupervised, I continued, "Well, good, the power adapter tip fits the camera ...hmmm... I wonder what this little plus symbol thingy means? I'll just plug it in and see if it works"

- - - -

Have you heard the piece of wisdom, "Pride comes before a fall"?

In this case, pride came before an almost inaudible 'pffffttt' sound
... and a very bright, but brief flash from my camera's rear LCD.

"Note to self: When using a power adapter, check polarity of the adapter tip."

- - - -


Sometimes, normal people lose their photographic equipment in some brief but catastrophic instance. Sometimes, they feel they may have been able to avoid their demise. If so, they may be able to get a lesser charge. Or, perhaps they were innocent bystanders.

Unlike their incidents, I did not stand by innocently on anything.

Nor would I be eligible for the lesser "negligent camera-cide" charge.

Nope. My camera's heinous demise was calculated and careful.

My camera's demise was premeditated stupidity.

(c) 2007

It's 10PM. Do you know where your photos are?

Recently, someone asked the question if I secretly take photographs of people in public or am I overt about my photography. He phrased that question this way, "Do you steal pictures or take them?"

His question lead me to think of this topic. You may ask - What was the brilliant sequitur that led from his question to your topic "It's 10PM. Do you know where your photos are"?
Well, it's not hard to answer: I have the attention span of a gnat.

- - - -

When the gentleman used the phrase of "stealing pictures", I realized I stole other people’s pictures.

You may ask - What do you mean by "stealing other people’s pictures"?

Well, I'm glad you asked. You know, sneak into their house at night, and grab their Compact Flash Memory cards, the photos off of the wall, too. Just kidding.

What I really mean - those times when I notice somebody figured out a great vantage point to compose a presumably great image.

In such cases, I just wait, pretending to be interested in something else, "Oh look! A new menu item on my camera! How Exciting!"

But as soon as they leave, I run to their spot and clik, clik, clik....

Then, after my completely random shots, I calm down and actually try using my underused brain to figure exactly what they were composing.

I believe this compulsion is diagnosed as "Shot-Kleptomania".

I didn't compose that shot. It was somebody else's; I'm just a copy cat. It all makes me feel guilty, but not enough to stop. Yep. Textbook case of Shot-kleptomania.

- - - -

As a matter of fact, while I'm confessing, I think I've stolen shots right out of travel guides, too!

- The cliché shot from Carlton Hill looking over Edinburgh - Yep. Did It.

- cliché shot from Notre Dame, “cleverly” looking with the Gargoyle over Paris. Yep. Copied that too.

- cliché shot from the volcano looking down at Waikiki. Yep. I'm so shameless.

- Oh! I have years of the Thomas Jefferson memorial that is so-cleverly-framed-by-the-cherry-blossoms.
Same shot, different year. Yawn.

I have no idea who first took that shot years ago, but I'm compelled to take that same ...[yawn], excuse me....take the that same shot every year. What's with me?!

- - - -

I know I'm not alone in this. So 'fess-up and here are my questions for you:

Does everyone suffer from CSC (Cliché shot compulsion), like me?
Does everyone suffer from Shot-Kleptomania as I do?
Finally, what do you do to get something unique?
Please tell me, so I can copy it. ..... Ugh! ..... This is bad, I can't stop!

(c) 2007

Blackberry Anonymous

Periodically, you may see me at a Starbucks before work, sipping my latte, business-section of our local paper tucked under my arm, reading my Blackberry, apparently doing something high-powered and important. Not true. I'm really surfing the internet, looking for info on the latest gadgets, checking scores on ESPN, playing Sudoku, or other not very important nor high-powered activities.

Sometimes my colleagues, also at the same Starbucks, see me "diligently working", which causes them to start "diligently" reviewing the contents of their Blackberry, apparently something high-powered and important.

In reality, they are doing exactly what I am doing ... surfing the internet, playing games, and other not very important nor high-powered activities.

Warning! Not suited for children under 85
Graphic scenes of Blackberry Addiction

If you have an addiction prone personality, don't get a Blackberry. Really, don't do it.

The Blackberry addiction is why we Blackberry junkies call them "crackberrys". The Blackberry addiction is a secret and dark world, known only to other "berry-heads". Sometimes, you may hear us use certain code phrases to other junkies like, "I'm going out for some 'juice'. Do you need some?" In the world of Blackberry junkies, this means, "Lets get 'juiced' on our Blackberrys".

Frequently, you can find us behind dumpsters of even the most prestigious firms, shaking in the cold, typing on our Blackberrys, mumbling to ourselves. It's sad, really.

Don't let those pinstripes fool you, even the most respectable looking professional can be an addict crying out for help.

Is someone you love a Blackberry Addict?

If you suspect that one of your family members may be a 'berry-head' there are certain tell-tale signs you should monitor.

1) Watch how they handle small objects in your house. Do they grab these objects with both hands and repeatedly tap the object with their thumbs? This is particularly true of small pets and children. Does this behavior seem to be subconscious, as if the berry-head doesn't realize he or she is doing it?

2) Listen for phrases indicative of a Blackberry addiction. For example, you may ask that the 'berry-head' call you on your phone; the berry-head my slip and say, "Sure, I'll "PIN" you".

3) Look for physical effects of the Blackberry addiction. Check the tips of their thumbs. Calluses on the thumbs don't lie. Little "Johnny Professional" is really little "Johnny Berry-head".

Help a berry-head become free from the pain

Next time you see a 'berry-head' on the subway/tube/metro/bus getting their "juice", that is, getting their Blackberry fix, help them. Such flagrant public use of a Blackberry is their cry for help. It's your moral obligation to knock the Blackberry to the floor and stamp on it.

You will be doing them a favor. On the outside, they may be turning red and shouting, but on the inside, they are very grateful that someone cares; they are relieved someone has freed them from the addiction.

Public Service Announcement #20
Sponsored by the Blackberry Freedom Foundation

(c) 2007

Black Tie, Stars and Packers

That sounds like an interesting combination! No, I didn't actually wear a gown to a hockey or football game.

I did attend the annual black tie Folger Gala-75th Anniversary Celebration (thankfully, no pix are available). The Folger Shakespeare Library, located on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, is a world-class research center on Shakespeare and on the early modern age in the West. It is home to the world’s largest and finest collection of Shakespeare materials and to major collections of other rare Renaissance books, manuscripts, and works of art.

The Folger opened in 1932 as a gift to the American nation from Henry Clay Folger and his wife Emily Jordan Folger. It is administered by a Board of Governors under the auspices of Amherst College, Henry Folger’s alma mater.

Thankfully, the Stars game didn't start until 9pmEDT as I didn't get home until well after 10pm from the Gala. It was a heartbreaker. Marty Turco had an outstanding series, but despite three shutouts, the Stars still couldn't advance. When does pre-season start?

On to the football draft! The Packers pick 16th overall in this year's draft. (They could trade up or back in the draft on or before draft day.) First pre-season game is August 11th in Pittsburgh. I feel a road trip in my future!!!

Two in a Row

The Stars forced a final Game 7 in the series as Marty Turco shutout the Canucks again in tonight's Game #6. With a score of 2-0 in regulation, Turco has been good. Of course, I am rooting for the Stars, but Turco and Vancouver's Roberto Luongo have definitely made this series fun. Off Wing Opinion's Eric McErlain calls it the "best goalie showdown in recent memory."

One point of interest. Other than Game #1, neither team has been able to score more than 2 goals.

GM 1: Canucks 5, Stars 4 (4OT)
GM 2: Stars 2, Canucks 0
GM 3: Canucks 2, Stars 1 (OT)
GM 4: Canucks 2, Stars 1
GM 5: Stars 1, Canucks 0 (OT)
GM 6: Stars 2, Canucks 0
GM 7: Mon, April 23 @ VAN 9 pm ET

No Joking Matter

Lest you think I jest, here's today's Washington Post headline about the BlackBerry outage earlier this week.

RIM finally breaks silence on Blackberry outage
The addition of a new software routine caused the multi-hour failure of the Blackberry messaging service.

Upgrade at your own risk: Don't get between a BlackBerry and its owner!

In Memoriam

O/T #3

Three of the Star's five games so far have gone into over time. Fortunately, unlike the other O/Ts, this one went in favor of the Stars, and it didn't take four periods! In previous posts, I've been fairly critical of Marty Turco. I would have to say that he's been very good in this series, despite the Stars being down 3-2 in the series. Offense needs to pick up their game in order for the Stars to get any further.

As of 1amEDT and with less than four minutes remaining in the third period, it looks like the Minnesota Wild will be golfing for the remaining of the NHL playoffs.

Put the BlackBerry Down...And Slowly Walk Away

Here's a story for all of you, including myself, BlackBerry addicts out there!

Praying for the Virginia Tech Community

Our thoughts and prayers are with Virginia Tech students, faculty and staff as they mourn the loss of friends, family and colleagues. As many of you know, Brian is a Hokie alum and has many fond memories from his time in Blacksburg. As an engineering student, he had several classes in the buildings that have been mentioned over the past couple of days. I also have a cousin that is currently a coach.

When tragedies like this happen, it's always such a stark reminder of how precious life is and how quickly it can end. It's sobering that it can take such a tragedy to put life into perspective.

Please say a prayer for those impacted by the immense loss.

Shutout

Due to the birthday party we attended on Friday, I missed the game. No marathon game though. Star's goalie, Marty Turco posted his first playoff game shutout, making 35 saves. The series is tied 1-1.

The Minnesota Wild didn't fare as well in their game. They're down two games in their series.

Four

Do you remember your fourth birthday? Or, for that matter, any other memories when you were four? It was the topic of discussion on Friday evening.

Any recollection I have is from pictures I've seen or stories I've been told. I know that when I turned four, my sister would have been four weeks and two days old. So, I might have had a more quiet birthday. Plus, my Mom caught a staph infection while in the hospital with my sister, which delayed her return home. My Grandma came to stay with us for a little while, there's some fun pictures of my brother and me playing in a big leaf pile.

Quad O/T

After nearly seven periods of hockey, the Stars lost 5-4 in the sixth-longest game in Stanley Cup Playoffs history. Star's goalie, Marty Turco stopped 51 of the 56 shots, while Vancouver's Roberto Luongo faced a record 76 shots in his playoff debut. The game, which was played in Vancouver, ended at 12:32 a.m. Pacific time (3:32 a.m. EDT). Needless to say, I only made it through O/T #1!

All around it wasn't a good night, the Minnesota Wild also lost their game 2-1 to Anaheim.

My Hero

After suffering since Thursday with a kink on one side of my neck and stiff muscles on the other side of my back, my massage therapist worked wonders today! She does a type of massage called, connective tissue. No pain, no gain.

Die-Hard Stars Fan

As I have mentioned many times. I'm a Stars fan. Forgive me for being a little gun shy when rooting for the Stars in the playoffs. The last few years have been rough. They've had a great regular season and somehow fold in the first round of the playoffs. (Don't even get me started on Marty Turco.) Nevertheless, I will be rooting for the Stars on Wednesday night. And, I'll be keeping one little eye on the Minnesota Wild.

Wed, April 11 at VAN 10:00 p.m.(CBC, RDS, VERSUS)
Fri, April 13 at VAN 9:00 p.m.(CBC, RDS, VERSUS)
Sun, April 15 at DAL 9:30 p.m.(CBC, RDS)
Tue April 17 at DAL 8:00 p.m.(CBC, RDS )
*Thu, April 19 at VAN TBD(CBC, RDS, VERSUS)
*Sat, April 21 at DAL 8:00 p.m.(VERSUS, CBC, RDS )
*Mon, April 23 at VAN TBD(CBC, RDS, VERSUS)
*if necessary

Happy Easter

Eight adults, seven children, pork loin roast, egg and ham dish, baked french toast, sauteed asparagus and snap peas, seven Easter baskets, an Easter egg hunt, delicious cheese and cracker plate, mimosas, salad, cupcakes and cheesecake brought by friends...we had a blessed Easter! Hope you did too!

The sound of pitter patter...from twelve little feet

My favorite lines from today...

Said in a whisper, "Do you have Easter baskets for us, because you did last year."

"Two little monkeys jumping on the bed..."

"The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house All that cold, cold, wet day..."

"We're playing in the closet." (from a room that we use for storage, there were six children sitting on the floor around a lamp)

The sound of the phone dialing Timbaktu.

"I found this quarter/dime/nickel/penny..."

"You don't always get what you want." (one sibling to another)

Midwest Greeting

One nice thing about growing up in the Midwest is relationships. My east coast-reared husband reminds me that our connections and relationships are a special thing and in some way unique to the Midwest.

As an example, this evening, our church played host to the Houghton College Choir. As I read about the Brandon Johnson in the program, I learned that he had completed his undergraduate work at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. Like my alma mater Luther College, Concordia is one of the five Norwegian-founded, private, four-year liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

After the concert, I introduced myself by saying I needed to greet a fellow-Midwesterner and that I had attended Luther. Before I could even realize it, he was giving me the Midwestern greeting, which is almost always a hug, even if you don't know the person. We exchanged a few college notes, he told me that he and Luther's Nordic Choir's conductor, Craig Arnold grew up in the same town. I told him that I was recently at Augustana College and that their choir conductor is a Luther grad. And, then we said mean things about St. Olaf. Kidding!

References Available Upon Request

In preparation for Easter brunch/lunch, I included a little information about each of the families and children that are planning to come. This was one of the responses.

Nice. Only in Washington do you get everyone's bio with an invite to Easter--good work.

Everyone is invited, no references required!

"Striving for Peace: The Impact of One"

This past weekend, Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD, hosted the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Forum honoring the 2005 Peace Prize recipients the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its Director General, Mohamed ElBaradei.

The theme of this year's Forum was "Striving for Peace: The Impact of One." The weekend's highlight was the closing plenary speech by Dr. ElBaradei's speechwriter. It was inspiring, and I'm not an easy critic.

I attended the Forum to participate on an alumni panel of representatives of the five sponsoring colleges to share careers for the common good and "The Impact of One." The panel was moderated by Jonathan Henkes, Vice President for Advancement at Augustana College. Panelists included Dr. Cyndi Jones, Senior Technical Advisor for Nuclear Security at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (Augsburg); Dr. Jarret Brachman, Professor and Director of Research for the Combating Terrorism Center at the US Military Academy (Augustana); Dr. Rein Uritam, Professor of Physics at Boston College (Concordia); and little 'ole me (Luther).

The weekend wove in a musical presentation and concert by Brulé and AIRO, one of the top-selling Native American recording artists. Now normally this might not be my type of music, but it was a really neat group and music genre.

Host Augustana College is in an area rich with Native American history. The 2007 Forum Poster features "Buffalo Woman," a painting by Colorado artist Willow Arlenea. The Lakota (Sioux) Nation has passed down the "The Legend of the White Buffalo"--a story now approximately 2,000 years old--at council meetings, sacred ceremonies, and through the tribe's storytellers. There are many variations on the legend, but all are tied to a central theme - when one white buffalo is born and lives to maturity, then there will be peace and harmony throughout the nations. White Buffalo are sacred amongst native peoples.

Here's a little background about the Nobel Peace Prize Forum.

Chicken McNugget Saves the Day

Most often, it's the guys who are accused of liking/having/coveting gadgets. I admit that I am a gadget girl. Have gadget; will travel: iPod Nano, BlackBerry, Bluetooth, laptop...

On my most recent business trip, my need-of-gadget almost got me into trouble. On arriving at the airport, I realized that I had forgot my hard token. Not the hard token! Yes, the hard token. A small, thin, oval-shaped piece of plastic, slightly larger than a large chicken McNugget that magically displays a numerical code to access my laptop. Which without it, there's no email, no access to work files, nothing, nada, zip.

After pondering options, which in any superior circumstance at best, would mean no hard token until Tuesday, I asked the cab driver to return all the way home to retrieve the hard token. In all seriousness, it's an irreplaceable item. For instance, if I forget my toiletry kit, underwear, jewelry, all of which I have done at some point in time, I can theoretically stop at some type of store; however, the hard token can not be substituted.

PS - if you're in Miami, I highly recommend China Grill and Mark's South Beach! Yum. Unfortunately, I don't highly recommend the Miami Beach Resort & Spa.

We have a new niece!

Avery Victoria was born on February 12. She was 8lbs, 1oz and 20 1/4 inches!

Guys guide to prepare for PMA: Diamonds, Dinner, & Flowers

There are two events that occur that send shock waves throughout the Camera enthusiast world, Photokina which happens every other year, and the PMA which occurs annually. Each of these international conferences/trade shows/pilgrimages are used by Photographic equipment manufactures such as Nikon, Canon, & now Sony to introduce their new wares.

The manufacturers use 'leaks', pre-show announcements, pre-show demo's in order to build the buzz. In the minds of the enthusiasts, these new products quickly transform into their own Grails. Consequently, the enthusiasts focus almost all of their energy into anticipating, predicting, and planning their acquisitions on their new objet du désir. To the enthusiast, this enveloping preoccupation can be to the exclusion non-essentials such as bread or water.

I wrote the below entry in a renown & global digital photography forum called www.dpreview.com.


Guys,

As you know, one of our own special holidays is just around the corner. That's right, the Glorious Days-of-PMA Festival, also known to some merely as "PMA".


Perhaps like you, during such time, I wonder if I've been good enough so that when Mr. Sony Claus or Mr. Santa Canon visit during PMA season, I'll get more than coal. So to make sure we don't get coal during the PMA season, now is the time to prepare.

Some may ask, "How do we prepare for the Glorious Days-of-PMA Festival"? Here I will give my guidance to the Men of dpreview.com. Women of dpreview should shield their eyes and, for their own sakes, not read the following.

Men, we prepare for this important holiday, the Glorious Days-of-PMA Festival, with a little investment in one of the lesser known holidays. Here I speak of "Valentines Day".

Although this lesser holiday often passes the photographic gadget lover with out notice, it is important to fulfill the requirements of this so-called Valentines Day.

**"Why?", you may ask. Because, in order to earn the right to the new camera and PMA ...(Here Is The Secret)... we must fully satisfy the traditional Valentines Day requirements.

Moreover, nota bene, this so-called Valentines Day, unlike the other holidays, requires work on our part. There is no grace here.

Before I detail the preparation for the Glorious Days-of-PMA Festival, let me address the skeptics and unbelievers for a moment.

Perhaps you don't believe that Valentines Day even exists, as once I didn't believe. Well, my gracious wife of... um ... 8... no, wait ...um...9 years carefully and gently pointed out this holiday on an official Hallmark(c) calendar. There it was, in plain pink and white writing; smack-dab in the middle of a perfectly good workweek. Wednesday, 14th of February, 2007 is, in fact, "Valentines Day"

Although the history of Valentines Day is shrouded in a bit of mystery it somehow relates to martyrdom on the 14th of Feb. This makes sense to me, since husbands and boyfriends have to do most of the work on this holiday. (Which I'm told does not nearly make up for the remaining 364 days of the year)
Anyway, back to preparation for the Glorious Days-of-PMA Festival.

Men, the important things to note are the traditional Valentines Day requirements that are placed on the shoulders of photographic gadget lovers.
Why?
As I said earlier -

In order to earn the right to the new camera...[ raise your hand and repeat after me ]... "We must fully satisfy the traditional Valentines Day requirements." [OK, say it again...stop..OK...put your hand down...close enough. ]

In order to earn the right to the new camera & trip to PMA you may ask, "What are those traditional V-day requirements"? Well, I'm glad you asked.
They are:
1) GIFTS
2) FLOWERS & CHOCOLATE (which I have been taught are not gifts)
3) TIME WITH YOU (which still is a mystery to me)
4) THOUGHTFULNESS (in all the above.)

Below are the preparation instructions & some explanations.

1) GIFTS
1.1) You will buy a gift for your spouse/girlfriend/co-signer/better-half.
1.2) You will be thoughtful in your gift, which means that,
1.3) You will not buy something from your wish list, instead,
1.4) You will buy a gift that she really wants.
1.4.1) She may have been hinting at this since early Jan.
1.4.2) If, like me sometimes, you weren't really listening, you may:
1.4.2.1) ask her sister or
1.4.2.2) ask one of her friends, (except the slutty one).
(I have asked her sister, and it helped). Regardless,
1.5) You must have the gift by COB Tuesday.
EXPLANATION: It is expected that photographic and other gadget lovers, for this day, ** will NOT ** spend money on their collection of gadgets, photographic supplies, cables, lens, filters, software, lighting supplies, tripods, mono-pods etc. As shocking as this sounds, your wish list is 'streng verboten'.

2) FLOWERS & CHOCOLATE
2.1) 12 Red Long-stem Roses, plus,
2.2) The other type of flower she really likes anyways.
2.3) You will buy Chocolate - something:
2.3.1) with a fancy name,
2.3.2) in fancy packaging,
2.3.3) from a fancy store.
EXPLANATION: M&Ms are great for you, not for her. This has to do with her sense of portions. If she eats just one, she does not consider herself to be bad. So, you can help her to find a way to eat as many "just ones" as possible. Boxes with individually placed / wrapped chocolates is such a mechanism for her to eat "just one" through the entire box.

3) TIME WITH YOU.
3.1) Yuck.
3.2) Eeeuuuw.
EXPLANATION: Why would someone want to spend time with you or with me? Now, wanting to spend time with my beautiful wife, that, I understand. Anyway, plan on at least dinner...make it, if you have skills. Or, go to a really cool place you know. She may have already hinted. If all is going to plan, and you really want to earn that camera ... go to a different, but equally cool place for dessert.

4) THOUGHTFULNESS (in all the above.)
4.1) Start planning your work today!
4.2) Start working your plan tomorrow!
EXPLANATION: All of this must be as carefully thought out as you have with your predictions on the new camera models and their corresponding names.

BOTTOM-LINE.

Men, look at the names on the forum list, I don't expect all of you will make it through Valentines Day successfully.

However for the few of you that will do the right thing and prevail, here is the bottom-line: If you have accomplished your Valentines Day mission competently, you MAY, at the end of the complete & successful Valentines Day regimen, mention only one thing about the Glorious Days-of-PMA Festival.

At the end of the day, when it is quiet, when the Valentines Day mission is a success, and you are close to each other, you can say only this one thing - You may say, "We should go somewhere in March."


Men, good luck on your mission.



brian

Two Inches

Many of you think I jest when I talk about DC and snow. This is a news story from this weekend. If you read the article, one would think we're expecting six inches or a foot, perhaps two feet! Alas, two inches.

DC Gets Ready For Snow
Area Prepares For Possible Snow

Read the full story.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

We wish all of you a blessed Christmas and New Year!

Hat Trick Win

Photo by Kate McGovern
www.offwingopinion.com
Okay, we saw the Dallas Stars almost beat the Washington Capitals in DC this evening. It was almost fun. It was almost a great game.

FINE...

It was a competitive game. The Stars came back from a 4-1 deficit to almost tie the game at the end. The final score was 4-3 Caps.

Is it really asking TOO MUCH for Washington to lose ONE game? Last year, we had an 11-game season ticket package. Out of 11 games, I think they won three or four. This year, we have no season tickets, but have bought three individual games. They've won all three ("hat trick win"). So, again, would it really be too much to ask? I guess so.

Of celebrity note: Pat Sajack and what seemed like his two sons, or a son and his friend were sitting two rows and a few seats down from us. During the second intermission, Verizon Center posts text messages on the jumbo-tran. We sent in: "Pat S., if you are at the game, who's tending the wheel?" We did see him smile at the post.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. First, we spent most of Thanksgiving day with our good friends in Maryland. We flew to Minneapolis in the evening to spend a long weekend with my sister and her husband in their new house; my parents and my brother and his wife. We had Thanksgiving dinner all over on Friday with all of them and my sister's in-laws.

On Saturday, we went to Wisconsin to see my new step-niece, Gracie Marin born in October and step-nephew, Ryan Vincent born in August. I also got to see my Uncle. It was a special visit all the way around!

On Sunday, we went to the church that I grew up in. It was fun to see old friends. We also went to my brother-in-law's restaurant. It was delicious. He made special appetizers, a crab cake with two skewered shrimp with a mango salsa and steamed mussels. My main entree was one of the specials for the evening, penne pasta with shrimp and artichokes in a light cream garlic sauce. He also made special desserts, chocolate mousse, turtle brownie, chocolate crème brûlée and a cranberry/pear cobbler with ice cream.

Despite the Packer loss on Monday, it was fun to watch the game with my sister.

It was a memorable Thanksgiving!

She took the spoon....She took the spoon!

This was my refrain, horrified that I utilized the wrong utensil at our recent Anniversary dinner at Le Paradou. We celebrated at a very lovely, French restaurant that neither of us had been to before. We splurged on the 6-course tasting menu.

My major faux pas came with the 4th course, which was lumps of lobster in a wonderful sauce. The server had placed both a new fork and a spoon for this course. I confidently chose the spoon while Brian opted for the fork. As they cleared our setting and replaced the silver for the next course, much to my horror, the spoon was replaced!

Well, having survived that french table setting, we did have a lovely dinner. Here were all of the courses (#3 and 6 are the restaurant description).

The starter was a single rock shrimp in a tasty sauce

1. Diced Scallops in another delicious sauce, Served in an egg shell - it was gorgeous
2. Two Oysters in a cream sauce
3. Carpaccio of Smoked Salmon, Crème Fraîche and ‘Osetra’ Caviar
4. Lumps of Lobster served with enough sauce to warrant a spoon!
5. Squab served with an asparagus sauce and truffle
6. Stuffed Quail with Pistachios, Celeriac and ‘Cèpes’ Mushrooms with Chervil

Dessert was a chocolate ‘Crème Brûlée’ with a Coconut Ice Cream (and one additional flavor, I'm forgetting)
A small plate of nine different sweets and a cappuccino topped the evening

They knew we were celebrating our Anniversary, so during the dessert course, they brought out a white rectangle shaped plate that had spelled ochocolateoalate, Happy Anniversary, with a small, lit candle.

It was a real treat.

Technically

Photo by Jim Biever
(Packers.com)
Okay, so technically speaking, I didn't see any of the Packers' scores yesterday. I did see the last few minutes of the game and highlights of most of the TDs, but not the live game. The Packers are 3-4, which seems nearly respectable from where they started. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my husband has reminded me that when I don't watch, they win.

Also, the Cheeseheads FFootball is going to pull off their first win of the season! Long time in coming. It seems like I found the right combination to win this week. In FFootball, it has everything to do with individuals and very little to do with teams. Here's the line-up for this week:
P. Manning (IND) QB
D. Rhodes (IND) RB
T. Henry (TEN) RB
T. Houshmandzadeh (CIN) WR
M. Colston (NO) WR
M. Harrison (IND) WR
H. Miller (PIT) TE
A. Vinatieri (IND) K
Minnesota Vikings DEF

To round it out, the Dallas Stars won on Saturday and Brian's favorite Gibbs' driver, Tony Stewart had a strong win in Atlanta on Sunday. It was a good sports weekend; maybe they were helping me celebrate my birthday!

...but later is now!

One of my first birthday presents from Brian was to have two photographs of the Eiffel Tower beautifully framed. They are black and white photos, one taken during the day, one at night. Now, as spectacular as they are, Brian was even more surprised that I guessed what it was with this clue: "you have it, but you cannot use it." I guessed correctly. Alas, that was the last year that I actually received any real clues.

So, at dinner the night before my birthday I asked for a clue and he said we weren't going to be able to do what he'd planned because of the rain. A couple of additional targeted questions almost had me guessing correctly, so much so that there was almost a little white lie, because I was getting a little too close.

At about 12:01 a.m. on my birthday, I told him it was my birthday and I should be able to know what the present was. He said that I should wait until later because I had a lot of time left on my birthday. My prompt response was, "but later is now!" I did opt to wait. Although, I found out a little earlier than had been planned due to a BlackBerry phone mishap!

Anyway, as you can tell, my birthday present is a hot air balloon ride some time when it's not raining!

Congratulations!

Congratulations on the safe arrival of my step-niece, Grace (Gracie) Marin!

Guilty

It's true. I transported bagels across state lines. Maybe it was the undeniable wafting of the onion or garlic. Perhaps it was the scent of cinnamon raisin, 9-grain honey or whole wheat. However, I was once again a successful bagel courier, much to the delight of two little girls who were anxiously awaiting Ess-a-Bagel!

Santa Barbara

Instead of complaining about sports this weekend, I will tell you about our fabulous weekend in Santa Barbara, CA.

We stayed at the lovely Four Seasons The Biltmore, quite a treat. I had attended a meeting at the hotel during the end of the week. On Friday afternoon, we visited Mission Santa Barbara and we both had massages at the spa. We had dinner at a little restaurant called, Cava. We recommend trying the zarzuela - a mediterranean seafood stew with shrimp, clams, scallops, mussels & white fish.

On Saturday, we began with a very tasty breakfast at Jeannine's Bakery - Montecito. We spent most of the day exploring the Santa Ynez Mountains. The scenery was beautiful and the climate was surprisingly arid. I didn't expect desert-like vegetation so close to the ocean. Lunch was New Mexican fare at Zia Cafe. We sat outside and had fun people-watching. We also drove and walked up and down State Street several times and walked the wharf. Dinner was at Kai Sushi Shabu-Shabu. We had sushi and beef sukiyaki. Although, the shabu-shabu looked very delicious.

Bye

Yes, my FFootball team has yet to see a win. Week #6 is an interesting one for the Cheeseheads. In the league that I play in, each team has 17 players. On any given week, we play nine and bench eight. My record includes two blow-out loses, a tie and losses by one and two points. In at least a couple of games, the players on my bench actually scored more than the players I started. So, my point, with a good share of my players playing for either Indianapolis or Green Bay, I have seven players that have a bye this week. For several weeks, FFootball commissioner, Craig, has been giving me a hard time about having seven players on a bye at the same time. At this point, what do I have to lose by starting some players that have seen the pine more than the ball. We'll see if this forced strategy works this week.

The Cheeseheads FFootball line-up for this week:
R. Grossman (CHI) QB
C. Portis (WAS) RB
R. Bush (NO) RB
T. Houshmandzadeh (CIN) WR
M. Colston (NO) WR
L. Coles (NYJ) WR
H. Miller (PIT) TE
J. Carney (NO) K
Seattle Seahawks DEF

Deen-oh

One of the great pleasures in life is to be able to see regularly some of our friends that have kids. This week, I had the pleasure of having dinner with Juliette and Evie. Sometimes, when I get a call, it's Juliette and she asks, "are you coming over for 'deen-oh'?" Usual activities include playing, reading books and of course mandatory bedtime hugs & kisses. On this particular evening, Juliette wanted to read to me, "The Ugly 'W'egetables" a very endearing book by Grace Lin about a neighborhood that comes together to share flowers and ugly vegetables soup, and the young gardener learns that regardless of appearances, everything has its own beauty and purpose.

Caps Game

This is how close we were at the game! Here's a picture of team introductions at the home opener. Only Brian can capture the essence of some of these moments. Check out a few more of his pictures from the game.

Week #5

Green Bay seems to play two different games. Most of this year's stats will show a pretty close game in the first half. The second half is where the Packers seem to let the game get away. Defense seems to break down. Favre has been off a little today. A few passes going askew. One bright note is running back Noah Herron.

This is the Cheeseheads FFootball line-up for week #5.
P. Manning (IND) QB
C. Portis (WAS) RB
D. Rhodes (IND) RB
M. Harrison (IND) WR
M. Colston (NO) WR
L. Coles (NYJ) WR
H. Miller (PIT) TE
A. Vinatieri (IND) K
KC Chiefs DEF

A couple of FFootball observations so far. First of all, for the second week in a row, Vinatieri was de-activated less than an hour before the game. Also, who knew that underdog Tennessee would be beating Indianapolis?

Alexanders the Great

We went to the first Caps home game on Saturday night. Very fun! It helps, too, that they won the game, beating the defending Stanley Cup champs, Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 5-2. It was the game of the Alexanders. Alexander Semin had a hat trick and Alexander Ovechkin had two goals. Honorable mention goes to Brian Pothier and Chris Clark who both had three assists. Instead of a season ticket package, I've decided to buy fewer games, but better seats. Last night, we had great third row seats. Look for a post with some of B's outstanding photos.

Stars vs. Avs

As I described earlier, the sports trifecta is truly complete with the start of the NHL regular season. Opening night features my team, the Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche. It's a repeat game from the play-off series that ended the '05-'06 season for the Stars. Yes, I admit it's hard to cheer for a team that's from shhhhh, "Dallas." So, why am I a Stars fan? As a young girl, I grew up watching (and listening via radio) to the Minnesota North Stars. My 11th and 12th birthdays were spent at the Met Center watching a North Stars game, and being able to name all of the team's players. Maybe it's the green and gold that does it for me!

Delay by Shoe

There are no shortages of black tie events in DC. From time to time, staff is needed to fill seats at a charity dinner. Tonight was one of those nights and I drew the short straw. So, after determining that either of the two "little black dresses" that every girl must have in the back of their closet would work, I set out yesterday to find shoes. Going to my favorite shoe warehouse, Off Broadway Shoes, I actually found three pairs including the shoes for tonight's event. After getting my loot home, I pulled out the shoe box only to find that I had grabbed a wrong box and had a duplicate pair of shoes. Of course, the one that I was missing was the pair that I needed tonight. The store did not open until 10 a.m. this morning. Thankfully, it's on the way to the office. The office got a good chuckle out of my delayed arrival due to black tie shoe mishap.

Loser

My Fantasy Football team is 0-3-1. I'm a loser! As the fantasy football "league commissioner" said, close only counts in horseshoes and grenades. So my 1 point loss in this week's game was disappointing. That makes two losses of 2 points and 1 point. Very brutal.

Nearly as brutal as last night's Green Bay game. First half not too bad; second half...ummm, there's not a word to describe how bad the second half was. Dropped and tipped balls are killing the offense, and there's no way to expect them to keep up with the failure of the defense. How we still have Ahmad Carroll and Al Harris, I will never understand. Did the defense stop a punt or kick-off under 40 yards? If there were any bright spots, a 54-yard field goal by Rayner and rookie Greg Jennings has great potential.

UPDATE: Okay, as I was checking a stat, I noticed that Ahmad Carroll was put on waivers today. I guess I wasn't the only one thinking the same thing!

Sports Trifecta

The confluence of sports comes together in September: NFL regular season, NASCAR final chase to the Nextel Cup and NHL pre-season. There are never enough screens to monitor them all!

In case you're at all interested, this is my starting line-up for Cheeseheads this week.

P. Manning (IND) QB
R. Bush (NO) RB
D. Rhodes (IND) RB
M. Harrison (IND) WR
D. Driver (GB) WR
L. Coles (NYJ) WR
H. Miller (PIT) TE
R. Gould (CHI) K
Seattle Seahawks DEF

UPDATE (Packers vs. Lions): Win #1! Favre scores #400, #401 and #402. This week's observation concludes that it is not realistic to expect Packer offense to score and then negate it by weak Packer Defense. Defense must come up with bigger stops and get better on not allowing so much yardage on first and 10. The offensive line looked better; Favre was not sacked this week. Running backs must hang on to the ball, thankfully their late half fumbles did not result in points, but that was lucky.

UPDATE (FFootball Cheeseheads): As I mentioned last week, the final FFootball score/ratings aren't final until Tuesday. However, it's not a good sign when your eight benched players have scored more fantasy points than your nine starters.

Observation

I wasn't able to watch the game on Sunday; however, DIRECTV® has NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ SuperFan, which offers commercial-free game replays, showing every play, in 30 minutes or less. It's a neat feature. Anyway, it allowed me to watch the plays of the game. Among many things, I noticed there was a substantial number of dropped balls. Way too many. Rookies, yes, but if this team has any chance of turning itself around, they need to step up their game.

On another note, I received my annual notice of my Green Bay Packers season ticket waiting list. I moved up to #56,267 from #57,027. I guess that means I have approximately 74.035526315789473684210526315789 years before I'm eligible for my season tickets.

Consolation

There is usually very little consolation for a Packer loss. However, this week, it is the fact that my inaugural season Fantasy Football team, Cheeseheads (very original as I've been teased), is winning (so far). I am undefeated so far. Okay, so there's only been one game this season and I tied against the other team I played last week. But, I'm hoping for a win this week. So far, I'm currently leading, but the official score/ratings aren't final until Tuesday.

This football season, I was invited/cajoled/encouraged to join a friend's Fantasy Football league. After many years of ignoring this fad, I succumbed and am managing the Cheeseheads. There may be some drop/adds coming up. For any given week, I have 9 starters and 8 backups. Here's my current line up, as of the second week.

P. Manning (IND) QB
D. Bledsoe (DAL) QB
B. Favre (GB) QB

R. Bush (NO) RB
C. Portis (WAS) RB
T. Henry (TEN) RB
D. Rhodes (IND) RB

M. Harrison (IND) WR
D. Driver (GB) WR
TJ Houshmandzadeh (CIN) WR
G. Jennings (GB) WR
L. Coles (NYJ) WR

H. Miller (PIT) TE
V. Davis (SF) TE

A. Vinatieri (IND) K

Buccaneers DEF
Seahawks DEF

UPDATE: I'm a loser! My FFootball team lost 126-128 in week #2.

A‧BYS‧MAL

a‧bys‧mal [uh-biz-muhl] - dictionary.com defines it as "extremely or hopelessly bad or severe" although after this week's Packer game, you may see a new definition. I saw the first 10-0 before having to fly to Ft. Lauderdale on business. It was enough. Thereafter, it was just painful to hit the refresh on the BlackBerry to get the last play.

In Remembrance

As I have mentioned previously, the company I work for is headquartered directly across the street from where the World Trade Center towers stood. Although, I did not work for my current employer five years ago, I take this moment to remember the eleven employees that lost their lives that day.

As you reflect on the day, I hope you'll also join me in remembering those eleven people too.

Ocean View

Along with the NASCAR experience, I was treated to a Labor Day weekend ocean view getaway. We spent the weekend in North Myrtle Beach. The weather has been picture perfect. We had a gorgeous room, ocean view and a huge balcony. My favorite is the sound of the ocean; it's such a soothing sound.

Day Jobs

So, instead of Kahne, Johnson and Stewart, it was Sterling Marlin and Dale Jr. We strapped into the #40 and #8. Needless to say, we broke no time records and probably scared our instructors out of the car. As you can see, we were modeling the latest in fire-proof jumpsuits. Of course, helmets are important and should be worn at all times, especially when driving with us!

Seriously, it was a fun, exhilirating experience. Driving a few "hot" laps with the instructor when you're really going 150+ mph was quite a rush. It's not as easy as it looks. There's a lot more than just "turning left." You have to watch your line, hit your marks, know when to accelerate, decelerate, actually steer towards the wall, watch the flag-person, keep an eye on your gauges, passing, being passed, accomplish all of that going more than 150 mph and not hit anyone on pit road.

Anyway, we had a great time, but we've been asked to keep our day jobs!