Up All Night?

You know how sometimes your schedule gets all out of whack?  Well I'm right in the middle of that.  Like right now, as I type this.  When you read this, I hope to be in whack.  That's a term right?

So I'm sick.  

I feel asleep sometime around 5 PM.  I woke up a few minutes later and marched right up into my bedroom.  I just woke up.  It's almost midnight.  This puts me in an odd spot, particularly for tomorrow. 

It's not often that I fall ill so I wonder how this happened.  I'm a big fan of going back and retracing my steps to figure out where a problem, or change came from in the first place.

BTW, this is how I felt earlier.  Damn you Ferris!

OK so my best three guesses include:

1.  It was FREEZING in the media room at Verizon on Monday.  There was an arctic blast that everybody was complaining about.  I mean it was pretty nice outside and all but there was absolutely no reason for the AC to be crankin' like that.  NONE.

2.  My colleague from Comcast - Ben - was sick.  I sat next to him during the game.  This may have been a poor decision, for a variety of reasons.  I kid, I kid!

3.  Later in the night I was out in the rain for a bit, so it could have been that.  It actually felt pretty good so I'm not high on this guess.  

OK I'm out of ideas.  Like most things in life, it's probably a collection of all three added up.

So you know who is a great 'being sick' buddy?  Rocky.  He's always ready to take a nap.  I'm actually pretty jealous that he can fall asleep so quick.  It's a skill that I really wish I had full command over.

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Anybody have any plans for the weekend of January 5th?  

Flights to Miami are pretty cheap ($200) and for the first time since 1988, Notre Dame is in the National Title game.  Plus, I'm anticipating the weather to be pretty awesome.  

I'll expand on this idea more next time.

Goodnight

Robert

Tis the Season....to blog :)

Hello, friends.

Look, I know.  I know.

I almost never post here anymore.  I could give you reason X and reason Y, but they're really nothing more than excuses and NOBODY likes those, so, we move on.

Actually this post will double - will double - my output for the year!  See what I did there?

Let me see if I can add some personal content between now and the end of the year, which is more commonly known, at least around my house, as my Birthday.

Tomorrow when we wake up it will be December 10th.  That's awesome!  Both the waking up part and the time of year part.

It's also scary.

It's scary because this is the absolute best time of the year and I'm a bit concerned - no I'm VERY concerned - that's it going by far too quickly.  I mean just today I was buying more Christmas lights.  I should already be done with that little chore.  Ah, Christmas lights.  More on this in a second.

Look, aside from the weather, and I actually enjoy the seasons, everything is better right now.  But like everything, it doesn't last for long.  We gotta get on this.  Well, I need to get on this.

Free advice, go out as much as possible.  Eat/drink, just some good ol' fashioned people watching at the mall, whatever.  As much time out and about enjoying those Christmas lights has to be the goal for the next two weeks.  You know what makes any restaurant better?  Well besides good company and an ugly sweater of course.  Its Christmas lights, inside.  It's a match made it heaven.

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Ha, so I just read my last post on here.

I was a bit off, or at least very generous, with Rocky's weight.  It was more like 130, not 118.  Well, no bother.  I'm going to take the big kid in to get weighed tomorrow but, at the time of his last check, he was 98 lbs.

But yeah, Rock-O is doing really well.  I'm really glad that the awesome staff at Village Vet didn't start referring to him as the 'Miracle Dog' until after he was basically well on his way towards a comeback.  I'd have been a bit freaked out had that moniker been tossed around so freely during times of complications.

You know it's funny, I consider myself to be fairly strong, even after one shoulder surgery and still in the need of another one, but that 30 lbs that he lost, makes a HUGE difference in picking him up.  Seriously, huge. ---

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OK, time to fall asleep.  In keeping with the spirit of the season, I'll leave you with one of my favorite Christmas Songs...

Until next time, I'm Robert, and it's been a pleasure...

No Dog Left Behind

It's been a hot summer.

You know it's hot when anything cooler than 90 degrees seems reasonable.  For the most part I can handle the heat. It's just something that you sorta get used to after awhile.  Especially with a little help from a great invention called air conditioning.

Well the same can't be said for my best friend, my second in command.  I am of course referring to Rocky, my 11-year old black lab that is weighing in the neighborhood of 118 lbs or so at the moment.  To put his current physique in perspective, he's been as high as 141 and as low as 105 during his 'adult' life.  I think it's also worth noting that the term adult applies to age only as his maturity level seems to rival mine at times.

OK let's just be honest, Rock-O wasn't built for this weather, nor will he ever get used to it.

All of this leads me to my main point which fascinates me.  Under no circumstances must Rocky be alone.  Heat be damned.  While I sit outside on my back deck in the sweltering July heat, Rocky has to be close by, even if it means a non-stop panting show.

I try my best to keep him inside under the cool watch of the AC, but the second I shut the door, he starts banging on it with his big paws to come back outside.  It makes no sense but it's a game we play.

Here's a picture of him waiting to come outside to experience, yet again, the horrifying heat -

This is where the line starts to get outside.

Well that's it for today.  Just thought I'd post a personal blog post.  It's been awhile.

Peach brah

Tuesday Oct 18

I bought a case of Dogfish Head Punkin Ale the other day.  No matter how many cases I buy per season, it's never enough.  I'm drinking one right now and watching the original Footloose.  Spoiler Alert: it's not making the movie any better.  I mean what dude gets mad and then speeds off to an abandoned factory to dance?  Honestly the plot for Transformers 3 seems more realistic.

So it just came out that Charlie Davies is suing somebody for his bad judgement.  I've been tired of CD9 since about May.  He needs to go rehab somewhere else.

Wait I just realized something.  I think Kevin Bacon's character is a gymnast who got cut.  Of course he is.

Speaking of seasonal treats, I went grocery shopping today and I didn't see any Pumpkin Delights at Giant.  PDs have been scarce this year and I'm worried that Little Debbie might put an end to my favorite snack of all time.  I don't care if some of my friends think that it tastes like tree bark.  They are just jealous.

If you aren't watching Workaholics, you don't like yourself.

Peace brah

Virginia Tech Hokies Preview 2011

Coach:  Frank Beamer - at Virginia Tech; 198-95-2 in 24 years
Overall:  240-118-4 in 30 years
Last Season:  11-3 (8-0 ACC, Champions)
Last Bowl Game:  2011 Orange Bowl (12-40 L vs Stanford)
Returning Starters:  11; 6 offense, 5 defense
Preseason Ranking:  13th AP, 13th Coaches

Virginia Tech had one of the strangest seasons in all of college football last year as they experienced some of the lowest lows and highest highs possible in a five month span.

After opening up with a tough 33-30 loss to Boise State at FedEx Field in Landover, MD, the Hokies seemed to hit rock bottom with a loss to James Madison the following weekend.  Virginia Tech promptly responded by rolling off eleven straight victories, including a 44-33 ACC Championship Game win over Florida State, in the process of securing yet another spot in the BCS.  Just another average year in Blacksburg right?

Coach Frank Beamer enters his 25th year at his alma mater with a well oiled machine primed to make another run at the ACC Championship.  In the six years since the ACC began holding Conference Title games, Virginia Tech has played in four, while winning three of them.  In other words, they own the conference.


Offense: Gone is Tyrod Taylor who captured two ACC MVP awards in leading the Hokies to two ACC Titles.  That's the bad news.  The good news is that his replacement, sophomore Logan Thomas, grabbed great Spring Game reviews from Beamer.  Even better is the news that Thomas will have some of the most explosive play makers in the league at his disposal.

Junior David Wilson racked up 619 yards as the No.3 back on the depth chart last season so his transition to the starting spot should be seamless.  He's also considered to be one of the fastest players in college football.

Returning senior starters Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale will provide Thomas with excellent options through the air thanks to Boykin's size and Coale's reliability.

While not always glamorous, one of the most important parts of any successful team is the play off their offensive line. The Hokies return four starters from last year's Orange Bowl.  Guard Jaymes Brooks and tackle Blake DeChristopher find themselves on just about every publication's All-ACC preseason teams.

Defense:  Over the years Virginia Tech has been defined by takeways, special teams, and the lunch pail that defensive coordinator Bud Foster awards to the team's best defensive players each week.  After having an entire off-season to remind his players of their lopsided defeat to Stanford in the Orange Bowl, in which the Cardinal ran all over the Hokies, it's a good bet that they will respond.

The secondary might just be one of the best in the nation.  Junior cornerback Jayron Hosley was a consensus All-American last year after picking off nine passes.  Sophomore Kyle Fuller will probably have more than enough opportunities at making big plays as most teams will likely throw away from Hosley.  Senior free safety Eddie Whitley is also one of the best in the ACC at making plays.  Sophomore rover Antone Exum, one of the team's best hitters, rounds out the group.

The linebacker corps is another position of strength led by junior Bruce Taylor and junior Jeron Gouveia-Winslow.  Barquell Rivers, the team's leading tackler from 2009 before missing last season with an injury, is currently on the outside looking in.

The biggest question mark on defense is the front four.  Defending the run was a problem all season but was never more evident than in the Orange Bowl loss.  Antoine Hopkins is the lone returning starter at tackle and looks to be joined by his brother Derrick.  The Hokies will be young at the end positions with sophomores James Gayle and J.R. Collins as well as red-shirt freshman Zack McCray getting a shot to play.

Biggest conference game:  October 1 vs Clemson

Clemson comes to Blacksburg for the first ACC game of the year for Virginia Tech.  It will also be the first chance for Thomas to really see a fast defense after playing lesser competition in the first four weeks of the season.  The Tigers are being tabbed by most to be neck-and-neck with Florida State in the Atlantic Division. Clemson brings back 15 starters from last year's disappointing 6-7 campaign.  Virginia Tech will need to slow down junior running back Andre Ellington who was easily one of the top backs last season before going out with a toe injury.  Working in the Hokies favor for this one will be the fact that it's a home game and that Clemson will be coming off of their biggest conference game of the season against Florida State the previous week.

Biggest non-conference game:  September 3 vs Appalachian State

Nobody will confuse Virgnia Tech's non-conference schedule with murderer's row this season as it includes three non-BCS schools (at East Carolina, Arkansas State, at Marshall) and one team from the lower subdivision of FCS (Appalachian State).  After opening up with a Top Ten opponent in Boise State last season, the Hokies have taken a serious step back in the scheduling department.  Believe it or not, the biggest non-conference test  for Virginia Tech in 2011 could be with FCS perennial power Appalachian State.  The Mountaineers begin the season as the #2 ranked team in the FCS Coaches Poll and will undoubtedly use Virginia Tech's loss to fellow FCS'er James Madison last season as inspiration.  For a program that has come away with a win in Michigan's Big House, being intimidated at Lane Stadium shouldn't be an issue.

Best Case Scenario: Sophomore quarterback Logan Thomas picks up right where Tyrod Taylor left off and the Hokies high scoring offense doesn't miss a beat with the first year signal caller.  Bud Foster works his magic along the defensive line and forces other teams to try and pass against his stellar secondary.  With a weak non-conference schedule it's not out of the question that the Hokies could find themselves with a chance to play for National Championship if other results work in their favor.

Worst Case Scenario: The Hokies stub their toe against a weak non-conference opponent and immediately eliminate themselves from any National Championship Game discussions before even getting into their ACC Schedule.  The only realistic chance a team from the ACC has of playing for the National Championship is to remain undefeated.

Prediction:  It's really hard to imagine anybody catching Virginia Tech in the Coastal Division after both Miami and North Carolina have seemingly taken themselves out of the race with off the field issues.  The Hokies should find themselves in Charlotte at the end of the season for the ACC Championship Game, most likely against Florida State.  A win against the Seminoles would once again put the Hokies in the BCS, something their fans have grown quite accustomed to over the years.

Echoes in April

Versus must be part of the NBC family.  I had never really thought about it before but after watching the Notre Dame Blue-Gold Spring game with all of the NBC graphics and announcers, it is readily apparent that they are related.  It makes even more sense when you think about how they both carry hockey.  Of course I try not to think about hockey that much.

Former Tulane and Tampa Bay Buccanneer quarterback Shaun King is doing some sideline stuff today.  I hope he's the back-up plan for the 2011 season.

OMG they just played an instrumental of Like a G6 going into the last commercial break.  Wow.  They are really looking to skew young today.  I didn't know Versus got down like that.  Now I'm feeling so fly like a G6.

Color Blind:  So it's called the Blue-Gold game right?  Well that doesn't make any sense.  Both teams are wearing gold pants and gold helmets.  One team is wearing blue jerseys.  The other is wearing white jerseys.  In fact both teams have guys wearing green (offensive lineman) and red (quarterbacks and others who aren't supposed to get hit).  Blue-Gold game my ass.

What to look for:  How do the early entry freshman look?  Who changed positions?  Who left?  Does Crist look healthy?

Everett Golson is manning up for the Irish today.  He's the only quarterback not wearing red.  He is "live" fellas.  The freshman from Myrtle Beach is not messing around.  I didn't know people were actually from Myrtle Beach.

Yeah it's 6-3 midway through the 2nd quarter.  Offense sucks so far.  Defense doesn't suck as much.  Or do they?

Look I can't keep watching this.  It was cool for about about 10 minutes.

Biggest difference that I saw?  Collinsworth was switched from WR to SS. I wonder if he will still be doing kickoffs.  Quite the question to ponder.  Until next time.

Peace brah

FSU vs ND - In game thread - 2nd Half

Hansbrough is really getting after it on defense.  It doesn't seem to matter right now though as the 'Noles have already scored 9 points in the first 4 minutes.

FSU scored 57 against A&M on Friday.  They already have 43 with 15:50 remaining.

The guys from the WarChant.com are telling me that FSU never shoots like this.  I believe them.  50% from three is a pretty good number.  The lower seeded team has done very well from that distance this weekend.

Abromaitis is noticeably frustrated.  We are well on our way for both of the "home" schools to lose tonight.

ND is down 19  at 47 - 28 and for the first time tonight, I think they are going to lose.  They need Hansbrough to take over because he's the only one not playing tentative out there right now.

Notre Dame has 6 losses this year.  Five are by double digits.

It's 52-29 at the under 12 minute TV timeout.  FSU is shooting better than 50% from the field and from deep.  ND is stuck at 28% and 13% respectively.  OUCH.

Brey is really working the sidelines.  He's going to be exhausted after tonight.  He's like a 6th defender as ND has none gone to a press.

Hansbrough just hit a three and Snaer picked up a technical.

It's an 11-0 run for the Irish and the pro-Irish crowd has come to life.

There are some pretty witty FSU fans behind me.  Sounds like they enjoyed themselves well before coming into this dry arena.

It's 54-40 at the under 8 minute TV Timeout.  That's 11-2 since the last one.  ND needs a similar type run to really give themeslves a chance to win.

Abromaitis is 0-5 from deep and a couple of them have been wide open.  He's killing them.

FSU should go right after Hansbrough.  He's got 4 fouls  and this game would be put to bed if he fouled out

It's 62-47 at the under 4 minute TV Timetout.  This one is over.  I'm gonna ask Mike Brey about the Big East.  I asked Thompson the other day what he thought.

ND is 4 for 25 from three.  Georgetown had the same problem.  I wouldn't say that either are flawed.  Given their roster's, what strategy would have been better.  Neither have good big man.  You can blame the coach for recruiting and that's valid.  But that's how both of these teams had to play to win.

Hansbrough just fouled out and the crowd is killing him.  He's taking it pretty well.  The house stat channel has the name HANSBROUGH written in just like that.

FSU barely got by A&M the other day.  I figured they had a better chance at beating ND.  I was right.

Abromaitis has hit a couple of meaningless 3's.  His box score won't look as bad now.  They had no impact on the game.

Final FSU 71 ND 57

United Center Observations 3/20 - Third Round

There is a steady drip from the ceiling a few rows behind me.  Some ND fans are complaining about it.  I'd love to know what the usher is supposed to do about it.  I bet they wish it was raining 3's.

Well this is now the only game on TV right now.  They delay is about 7 seconds.  I like it.

The FSU dance team is ridiculous.  I mean that in a good way.

The FSU radio play-by-play guy reminds me of Jim Ross.

ND fans left way too early.  I'll never understand that move.  It's not just their fans.  It's fans of every team in every sport.  They spend a lot of time/effort/money to get to games and then they leave early.

The drum that starts the Tomahawk Chop is insane.  It puts the ones at DC United games to shame.  Sorry fellas.