FOOTBALL!!!
Hmm. Friday I had my day off, as usual, so I went into the city to have lunch with Marcy and Suzanne. I saw Marcy a couple months ago when she returned back to the US from Prague, but I hadn't even talked to Suzanne, still at EPA, for a long long time. It was nice. We went to Joe's Pizza II for some tasty slices -- I had a broc, tomato, and ricotta and a 4-cheese. Spent Suzanne's lunch hour just catching up on all fronts. She's heard from the other VISTAs about as frequently as I have, though she revealed to me what Jessi and Dan are doing; Jessi is still unexpectedly in Philly and Dan has turned gay, and now living down in Panama Beach, FL. With this being a work day for her, we walked Suzanne back, but I told her I'd inform her of any possible getting-together with Fanta and Ellie.
From there, Marcy and I walked to Liberty Place, to meet up with her family. Her sister's wedding shower was yesterday, so that is why Marcy and her parents were in town. They were shopping for dresses, and whatnot, with Jessica while Marcy and I ate. I'd met Jessie once before, and she's really nice, so it was good to see her. I'd never met their parents before, as they normally reside in Kansas, but they were both really nice, as well. Marcy is 5'9", and Jessie even taller, but it was revealed that both their parents are even taller, still. Their dad is a big man, indeed. After Jessie and their mom was done shopping, I joined the fam for a nice cold drink and some conversation at the food court (their middle sister, Dara, is still in Mozambique for Peace Corps).
After that, I trained back home for a few hours to relax, then changed and trained back down to Manayunk to meet Marcy and her family again. These weren't in my original plans, but when I spent the afternoon with them, they invited me to have drinks after their dinner on Main Street. They ate Thai, but I met them at Flat Rock a bit after 9:00, and stayed for about an hour-and-a-half. This time, Jessie's fiancee, Daniel (who is Irish), was also there, so I talked to him a brief bit, before he drove the 'rents home. Officially, I guess this was supposed to be a hang-out night for Jessie and tons of her friends, as it was. I felt a tad out of place, but I hung with Marcy the whole time, Jessie was accommodating and inclusive, and her friends were nice enough.
So right at the end of October, Marcy is off to New Zealand for 6 months, sorta like how she went to Edinburgh, Dublin, and Prague for the last year -- just to live, travel, and work, which is always awesome. If I can at all swing it, that'd be a perfect time to visit her, since I would LOVE to go to NZ, but who knows if the timing or money will work it for me. Jessie gets married on October 20, I think, and I wasn't sure if I'd see Marcy again before she leaves the country, but it sounds like she'll be around Philly for at least a week, leading up to the wedding, so that sounds hopeful, indeed!
Yesterday, then, I drove up to Allentown to watch the Penn State-Notre Dame game at Mom's house, with Melissa and Ted joining me on PSU's side, and Dwight rooting for his Notre Dame. Mom was "neutral." Well, Penn State got thrashed; pretty much everything that could go wrong, did. Unless their quarterback and offensive line pick things up, we could be in for a tough season. As it were, our QB is only a junior, so hopefully this year's experience will at least help for next year. Supposedly, though, he is quite dumb. He was the 2nd-rated passer in the country, out of high school and has all the talent in the world, but they say he isn't very good at the mental part of the game, which is problematic. He also looks like a human version of Bert, from Sesame Street.
The most excitement of the day -- since the game certainly wasn't -- was my drive up to Allentown. I always avoid the turnpike, so I don't have to pay the toll, but I decided to take it today for a nice, quick, sunny drive up. All was well, until I found myself driving down the on-ramp and yelling "shit" and "fuck" in close succession. Traffic was an absolute stand-still -- not even the tiniest crawl. I don't listen to 1060, so I had no idea why, but it sucked either way. So I sat, in the on-ramp, right where it intersected the right lane, for about 5 or 10 minutes, until I started noticing cars moving in my rear-view mirrors. It appeared a few were reversing their way back up the on-ramp, in the wrong direction. I hate when people do that, as it is unsafe, but when more and more cars were moving to the same idea, including some around me, I decided to do it, too. I backed up a bit, then K-turned, so I actually drove up the on-ramp going forward. We basically made it into a 2-lane road using the shoulder.
I couldn't go all the way back through the toll booth, though, cause those cars still had no clue about the traffic, so I just turned toward the Philly on-ramp. I wasn't sure how I was gonna turn back north, but then I saw a few cars turn off the on-ramp and U-turn back onto the south-bound off-ramp back to Lansdale, where there was a little gap of gravel between there the ramps' median ended and the grass started, if you get what I'm saying. So I did that, too, made it back to the toll booth, then just drove over toward 309. I thought that maybe that'd be very trafficy, too, if people were hearing of the turnpike's troubles, so I took Allentown Road all the way up to Quakertown before grabbing 309. I'd never done that before, so I was kinda driving blindly, but it was really scenic, and I found my way. In the end, I made it up just in time for kickoff, and it was all stellar (except for the game).
Today I slept nice and late again, then woke to Laurie's making of a breakfast feast -- pancakes with fresh blueberries, and bacon, with fruit salad on the side. It was excellent. Then football!! Finally!! I'm most excited for the Eagles' season to start, but I was also excited for my fantasy team to start action. Still, it's always the Birds first, and foremost, and will always be. They had a slow start on both sides, but the D and offense eventually settled down and put together a really solid, balanced game. Our two defensive line rotation worked superbly, and Westbrook and Buckhalter both ran quite effectively, which was great to see. Also, Donte' Stallworth was kingly in his first game as an Eagle; LJ and Reggie Brown both had really nice games, as well, as predicted. So that was excellent, and now we lead the division!
As it so happens, I also have Donte' on my fantasy team, making me the genius of the year. He was my fourth, of five, receivers drafted. He was also originally a no. 2 for New Orleans, but became a no. 1 in Philly, so now I basically have 4 top receivers on my team. AND, he tied his career best with something around 141 yards on 7 or 8 catches today, and one touchdown, and just looked fantastic! He clearly led my team this week. I also have LJ and David "Automatic" Akers on my team, who both played well. The best is that Shap also has McNabb (well, he actually stole him from me in the draft), so except for the one week we play each other, we can just totally cheer when the Birds are winning because a) they are doing well in real life and, to a lesser extent b) that means my team is doing well and c) Shap's team is doing well. A great situation.
After the Eagles game, I made us all some Hachos Supremo -- the typical Hachos, but kicked up with some added spices and onions, and topped with fresh lettuce, tomato, and salsa. They were quite good. But they also made me poop twice in close succession, probably cause we used ground beef, and I rarely eat beef. Man, that was fun.
For the rest of my team, my receivers both had really solid games, and my running backs had stellar games on Thursday. My D was pretty good, but my IDP, Derrick Brooks, was particularly great. Also, my backup TE, Vernon Davis, had a great debut game for San Fran. My main problems are at quarterback, where both my starter and backup blew massive chunks. Culpepper and Collins both had over 200 passing yards, but both also had 2 interceptions and neither had any touchdowns. So that is very bad. Though, both are in new situations -- Culpepper is coming back from serious injury and on a new team, and Kerry Collins only signed with the Titans last week -- so I'm still fairly hopeful that they'll both get a better hang of things in the coming few weeks, when they become more familiar with their respective offenses. I'm not panicing, yet.
So, in the end, my team scored a shade over 110 points, well over Yahoo's projection of 94.5. So eff their "experts." My opponent, Jeff, our commissioner and also reigning champ, has finished the eve at 71.23, with only his TE and IDP left to play tomorrow night, so I feel pretty comfortable. It's largely improbable that those two positions could combine for 40 points, so I'll probably win, which is an excellent way to start the season. I was also the only one in the league who thought I'd win my matchup, so it feels good to be the only one not retarded. Also, other than starting LJ over Vernon Davis, I put out my "optimum lineup," giving me the most points possible for my team. So other than having an astute mind for talent and a shrewd sense for assembling a team, that shows that I am also a masterful strategist, which is quite true. This is fun stuff!
From there, Marcy and I walked to Liberty Place, to meet up with her family. Her sister's wedding shower was yesterday, so that is why Marcy and her parents were in town. They were shopping for dresses, and whatnot, with Jessica while Marcy and I ate. I'd met Jessie once before, and she's really nice, so it was good to see her. I'd never met their parents before, as they normally reside in Kansas, but they were both really nice, as well. Marcy is 5'9", and Jessie even taller, but it was revealed that both their parents are even taller, still. Their dad is a big man, indeed. After Jessie and their mom was done shopping, I joined the fam for a nice cold drink and some conversation at the food court (their middle sister, Dara, is still in Mozambique for Peace Corps).
After that, I trained back home for a few hours to relax, then changed and trained back down to Manayunk to meet Marcy and her family again. These weren't in my original plans, but when I spent the afternoon with them, they invited me to have drinks after their dinner on Main Street. They ate Thai, but I met them at Flat Rock a bit after 9:00, and stayed for about an hour-and-a-half. This time, Jessie's fiancee, Daniel (who is Irish), was also there, so I talked to him a brief bit, before he drove the 'rents home. Officially, I guess this was supposed to be a hang-out night for Jessie and tons of her friends, as it was. I felt a tad out of place, but I hung with Marcy the whole time, Jessie was accommodating and inclusive, and her friends were nice enough.
So right at the end of October, Marcy is off to New Zealand for 6 months, sorta like how she went to Edinburgh, Dublin, and Prague for the last year -- just to live, travel, and work, which is always awesome. If I can at all swing it, that'd be a perfect time to visit her, since I would LOVE to go to NZ, but who knows if the timing or money will work it for me. Jessie gets married on October 20, I think, and I wasn't sure if I'd see Marcy again before she leaves the country, but it sounds like she'll be around Philly for at least a week, leading up to the wedding, so that sounds hopeful, indeed!
Yesterday, then, I drove up to Allentown to watch the Penn State-Notre Dame game at Mom's house, with Melissa and Ted joining me on PSU's side, and Dwight rooting for his Notre Dame. Mom was "neutral." Well, Penn State got thrashed; pretty much everything that could go wrong, did. Unless their quarterback and offensive line pick things up, we could be in for a tough season. As it were, our QB is only a junior, so hopefully this year's experience will at least help for next year. Supposedly, though, he is quite dumb. He was the 2nd-rated passer in the country, out of high school and has all the talent in the world, but they say he isn't very good at the mental part of the game, which is problematic. He also looks like a human version of Bert, from Sesame Street.
The most excitement of the day -- since the game certainly wasn't -- was my drive up to Allentown. I always avoid the turnpike, so I don't have to pay the toll, but I decided to take it today for a nice, quick, sunny drive up. All was well, until I found myself driving down the on-ramp and yelling "shit" and "fuck" in close succession. Traffic was an absolute stand-still -- not even the tiniest crawl. I don't listen to 1060, so I had no idea why, but it sucked either way. So I sat, in the on-ramp, right where it intersected the right lane, for about 5 or 10 minutes, until I started noticing cars moving in my rear-view mirrors. It appeared a few were reversing their way back up the on-ramp, in the wrong direction. I hate when people do that, as it is unsafe, but when more and more cars were moving to the same idea, including some around me, I decided to do it, too. I backed up a bit, then K-turned, so I actually drove up the on-ramp going forward. We basically made it into a 2-lane road using the shoulder.
I couldn't go all the way back through the toll booth, though, cause those cars still had no clue about the traffic, so I just turned toward the Philly on-ramp. I wasn't sure how I was gonna turn back north, but then I saw a few cars turn off the on-ramp and U-turn back onto the south-bound off-ramp back to Lansdale, where there was a little gap of gravel between there the ramps' median ended and the grass started, if you get what I'm saying. So I did that, too, made it back to the toll booth, then just drove over toward 309. I thought that maybe that'd be very trafficy, too, if people were hearing of the turnpike's troubles, so I took Allentown Road all the way up to Quakertown before grabbing 309. I'd never done that before, so I was kinda driving blindly, but it was really scenic, and I found my way. In the end, I made it up just in time for kickoff, and it was all stellar (except for the game).
Today I slept nice and late again, then woke to Laurie's making of a breakfast feast -- pancakes with fresh blueberries, and bacon, with fruit salad on the side. It was excellent. Then football!! Finally!! I'm most excited for the Eagles' season to start, but I was also excited for my fantasy team to start action. Still, it's always the Birds first, and foremost, and will always be. They had a slow start on both sides, but the D and offense eventually settled down and put together a really solid, balanced game. Our two defensive line rotation worked superbly, and Westbrook and Buckhalter both ran quite effectively, which was great to see. Also, Donte' Stallworth was kingly in his first game as an Eagle; LJ and Reggie Brown both had really nice games, as well, as predicted. So that was excellent, and now we lead the division!
As it so happens, I also have Donte' on my fantasy team, making me the genius of the year. He was my fourth, of five, receivers drafted. He was also originally a no. 2 for New Orleans, but became a no. 1 in Philly, so now I basically have 4 top receivers on my team. AND, he tied his career best with something around 141 yards on 7 or 8 catches today, and one touchdown, and just looked fantastic! He clearly led my team this week. I also have LJ and David "Automatic" Akers on my team, who both played well. The best is that Shap also has McNabb (well, he actually stole him from me in the draft), so except for the one week we play each other, we can just totally cheer when the Birds are winning because a) they are doing well in real life and, to a lesser extent b) that means my team is doing well and c) Shap's team is doing well. A great situation.
After the Eagles game, I made us all some Hachos Supremo -- the typical Hachos, but kicked up with some added spices and onions, and topped with fresh lettuce, tomato, and salsa. They were quite good. But they also made me poop twice in close succession, probably cause we used ground beef, and I rarely eat beef. Man, that was fun.
For the rest of my team, my receivers both had really solid games, and my running backs had stellar games on Thursday. My D was pretty good, but my IDP, Derrick Brooks, was particularly great. Also, my backup TE, Vernon Davis, had a great debut game for San Fran. My main problems are at quarterback, where both my starter and backup blew massive chunks. Culpepper and Collins both had over 200 passing yards, but both also had 2 interceptions and neither had any touchdowns. So that is very bad. Though, both are in new situations -- Culpepper is coming back from serious injury and on a new team, and Kerry Collins only signed with the Titans last week -- so I'm still fairly hopeful that they'll both get a better hang of things in the coming few weeks, when they become more familiar with their respective offenses. I'm not panicing, yet.
So, in the end, my team scored a shade over 110 points, well over Yahoo's projection of 94.5. So eff their "experts." My opponent, Jeff, our commissioner and also reigning champ, has finished the eve at 71.23, with only his TE and IDP left to play tomorrow night, so I feel pretty comfortable. It's largely improbable that those two positions could combine for 40 points, so I'll probably win, which is an excellent way to start the season. I was also the only one in the league who thought I'd win my matchup, so it feels good to be the only one not retarded. Also, other than starting LJ over Vernon Davis, I put out my "optimum lineup," giving me the most points possible for my team. So other than having an astute mind for talent and a shrewd sense for assembling a team, that shows that I am also a masterful strategist, which is quite true. This is fun stuff!