:: Life on Planet Dan-E ::

:: Somtimes, Being a Sports Nut does Pay off ::

The restaurant I work at does a weekly football pool; $10 in and winner takes all. Each week, the take is anywhere from $90 to $110 and I've played all three weeks so far. And before I go any further, you should probably know that in my not very active history of sports pools, I've won a grand total of zero. I've either missed by a one game (say, week 2), been completely blown out of the water (the Hockey World Cup last year in Prague, where I can in LAST), or was too chicken shit to even place a bet even though I was 99% sure of the outcome (The Patriots/Rams Super Bowl).

Sure enough I started off inauspiciously enough when my picks for the pool and my Blog Picks didn't even match. I started writing my picks before I had to go to work and once there, I couldn't even remember who I was going to pick. In my blog, i picked Jags over Colts and Lions over Packers (look, I finished writing my picks at three in the morning after a busy, yet dull Satruday night, ok?).

So I go to work Sunday thinking I'm already behind and don't even bother with the updates after 8:00. I watched the Monday Night just because of the backstory and the fact that I was the only one at the restaurant (and probabaly the entire planet) who picked the Saints to win.

As it turns out, two other people and I were tied going into Monday and they picked Atlanta. Of course, I didn't know any of this until Tuesday morning, when I walked into work grumpier than usual, regretting having picked up a day shift. Mick, the line cook, (who I beat) sees me walk in and says "you lovin' New Orleans a lot now, ain't you Dan-E-boy?" I look over at him rather wearily and reply, "huh?" A little later, the GM shows up and bows to me in mock reverence and hands me my $110.

Not a bad way to start a work week.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 4:55 PM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Week 3 Picks: ::

I know, I know. Two sports related posts in a row. I'm a guy that loves sports almost as much as I love hot chicks and rare steaks (not necessarily in that order). Anyway, I seem to be off to be a decent start this season but what I'm really stoked about is My 49ers actually affirmimg my beliefs and beating the Rams last week. So already my Niners are three games away from tying last season's record with fourteen games remaining. Hey, nobody said being a loyal fan is always pretty.

Last week: 11-5
Season tota: 20-12

Week 3:
Dolphins beat Titans:
I live in Miami and I have absolutely no idea what the hell happened with the Dolphins last week. True story: I work with a prep cook who's a diehard Dolphan. Nobody, and I mean absolutely NOBODY was happier than him when Daunte Culpepper was traded here. Sunday night at work, after that fiasco against the Bills, he says to me, "you know what mahn? I never liked Culpepper anyway" If they somehow manage to lose against the pathetic Titans this week, someone needs to put all of South Florida on suicide watch.

Vikings beat Bears:
To continue with the "Daunte sucks" theme, is anyone really surprised that the Vikes are playing better with him and Randy Moss gone? I wonder if they're experiencing the same kind of bitterness that a guy would have if they ever saw an ex-girlfriend they just dumped, only to see her three months later after she dropped 10 pounds, sporting a new hairdo, a great tan, and looking happier than she ever was with you; all the while you're slumming at dank bars, unemployed, and scratching that rash you got after a drunken hook-up with some filthy bar skank. (Not that I would know anything about that.)

Panthers maul Pirates of the Caribbean (Bucs):
I remember last season when Hall of Fame and Super Bowl MVP SanFran 49ers QB Steve Young (yes I typed that all out on purpose) questioned Chris Simms toughness after being raised in "...a laissez-faire kind of atmosphere." I haven't seen any Bucs games this season but from I read about him, I'm thinking Johnny Depp would have a better game right now.

Redskins beat Texans:
The 'Skins played so bad last week that they somehow managed to make Drew Bledsoe look like an elite QB. That's how bad they are. I don't have any jokes, other than to point out Mark Brunell's recent play.

Jets beat Bills:
Chad Pennington, where have you been? Sure the Bills' D might be vastly improved and all but, you still have to score once in a while, and with J.P Losman back there, that's gonna happen about as often as Mel Gibson passes up a chance to make Jewish jokes.

Bengals beat Steelers:
You know things aren't going well for the Steelers when Big Ben plays so bad that fans are calling for The Chin to bring in Charlie Batch. And you know what? If you saw him play in week one, that would have been the smart call. If Chuck was starting this week, I'd call it a push but since Ben and his appendix scar are playing, I'm calling Cincy all the way.

Lion eat Packers:
One thing I noticed during last week's loss to the Bears is that a lot of the Lions' players seem to be playing with certain fervor, noticeable difference from the last few season where it looked liked they were mailing it in. Sure, this group of Lions might bear a stronger resmeblance to Simba in the middle part of "Lion King" when he was too busy singing "Hakuna Mattata" and playing grab-ass with Timone and Pumba, but at least they seem to be headed down the right track.

Jaguars eat Colts:
Since I can't think of anything funny to write, I'm calling my Nature Theory on this game.

Ravens beat Browns:
The Ravens offense seems more disorganized than an art history student during finals week but the Browns as whole seem like they're in yet another rebuilding year. And Romeo Crenel is fat.

49ers beat Eagles:
Alright, I'm not just picking my Niners because I'm a shameless homer. (I am a shameless homer but that's not why I'm picking them.) The Eagles get their guts ripped out in overtime against the Giants after dominating the first three quarters, they lose Jevon "The Freak" Kearse for the year to a (sorry) freak injury, Brian Westbrook is hurt, McNabb is having TO flashbacks, and they have to fly cross-country to battle a fiesty underdog that has no pressure to even win six games? If I was a Philly fan, I probably threw up in mouth after last week's game.

Seahawks beat Giants:
I love how some analysts were lauding Eli Manning's "clutch" TD throw to Plaxico Burress when in reality, that was a borderline Hail-Mary pass that he pulled out of his ass in desperation. Sure, Seattle's offense is looking softer than Mike Golic's belly but until the G-man get some consistency from the little Manning, they'll be perennial underachievers.

Rams over Cardinals:
The Rams suck. So do the Cards. I hate them both. Terrell Owens sucks.

Patriots tame Broncos:
New Bronco wideout Jevon Walker suffered through playing with INT-machine Brett Favre last season, and now he has to play with INT-machine Jake Plummer this season. The guy must be confused, wondering when he got switched from wide receiver to cornerback.

Saints beat Falcons:
This is purely an emotional pick. Partly because I really believe New Orleans can use some good vibes sent their way, but also because they're playing in the only football arean to host U2 twice for nationally televised games. You better believe I'll be glued to the TV when they come on.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 3:11 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: The Impossible has Happened ::

"I don't believe what I just saw." - Jack Buck

With apologies to my non-baseball fan readers, this post is just for me. It's a way for me to jot down my thoughts and emotions from one of the greatest games in Dodger history. If you watch SportsCenter, you've probably seen highlights of my Dodgers coming back from being down 9-5 by hitting four home runs in a row to tie the game and send it into extra innings. Back to back to back to back.

I wish I had been there. Hell, I wish I could have just seen it live.

Because I didn't know the outcome until after one that evening.

"In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened." - Vin Scully

I got home late that night and I had just turned on SportsCenter. It broke to a late live update after the game had just ended. The anchor started off saying the Dodgers were down in the 9th inning 9-6, which caused me to utter a few profanities.

This game against the San Diego Padres had playoff implications. They were 1 1/2 games back entering this four-game series. We took the first one behind another Greg Maddux masterpiece, only to lose the next two and relinquishing the division lead.

And we were about to lose another to drop further back. I turned away from the TV and went back to checking that day's scores (yes, I check scores on my laptop while I have SportsCenter on. Shut up).

"I really love baseball. The guys and the game, and I love the challenge of describing things."

Then the anchor says Jeff Kent homers to center. Cool. Whatever. Of course he would. He has a mustache, after all. I shrug it off.

Immediately following is homer to right by J.D. Drew. J.D. Drew? That stiff? Hmm. I turn back to the TV.

Call to the bullpen, and Trevor Hoffman, the Hall of Fame closer who's currently one save behind Lee Smith on the all-time saves list, is called to finish it. On his very first pitch rookie catcher Russell Martin sends the ball into the left-field bleachers to bring my Dodgers back to within one.

I'm out of my chair. Holy shit, is this really happening? For the next 60 seconds, the rest of the world will cease to exist.

Because on Hoffman's very next pitch, utility player Marlon Anderson (WHO?) skies one back back back back into the right field pavilion seats.

Tie game. My arms are raised. Four in a row. Are you fucking kidding me?!?!?! From THIS team? In THAT ballpark? I'm ecstatic, but I'm trying to minimize the noise since The Girlfriend is alseep.

(This is where I remind you that I'm wigging out to a highlight reel.)

This is awesome. What a comeback! But suddenly San Diego scores another run at the top of the 10th and just like that, I'm back on Earth. All that for nothing. Excitement and hope quickly give way to disappointment. But the highlights continue and I'm still on my feet.

"Boy is this a game, huh? And the crowd is loving it. From depression to euphoria and all the stops in between. It's not Monday night here. No way. It is Mardi Gras, it is New Year's Eve."

Kenny Lofton draws a walk. Then Nomar Garciaparra is up to bat. Yeah, that Nomar.

The same Nomar that was once the face of the Red Sox and beloved by the city of Boston.

The same Nomar that was so valued, that management decided the best way to acquire that long-elusive World Series Title was to trade him away.

The same Nomar that lost almost two years of his career thanks to numerous injuries.

The same Nomar who at one point was an elite shortstop, was forced to switch to first base for a team to take a chance on him.

The same Nomar that became known as "Mr. Mia Hamm."

The same Nomar that was grateful just to back in uniform, back in a locker room, back on the field, back in the batter's box, and back to some sense of relevance.

The same Nomar that despite all that, despite having a Comeback Player of the Year-worthy season, despite simply being able to play almost a full season, was still looking for some sort of personal validation.

The same Nomar Garciaparra, fighting a gimpy leg, who grounded out and struck out his previous at-bats - possibly because he's worn out from carrying all the vowels in his last name - connected on a 3-1 pitch that arced majestically over the left-field wall.

Ballgame.

YES YES YES YES! The Girlfriend wakes up and looks at me like I've lost my mind. (I'm used that look, actually.) I'm hopping up and down in my apartment. Almost 3,000 miles away from my team. About a game they ended a few minutes before. I couldn't believe what I just saw.

"This is why baseball is such a wonderful game. You just never know what you're going to see."

It took me this long to write about it because it took a couple of days just to sink in. I follow my team pretty closely (don't even try to tell me West Coast sports fans are apathetic and uninformed; I'm certainly not apathetic) so I knew that my Dodgers had the fewest homeruns in the league. Four homeruns in a game would be nice once in a while but... four in a row? In a span of seven pitches?

Even people at work who know I'm from Los Angeles asked me days later if I saw that game. Four days later, I still get excited talking about it. Hell I still get giddy simply thinking about it.

I know the fans in attendance were apoplectic. Dodger Stadium hasn't enjoyed a great moment since the Gibson Homerun in 1998. We went on to win the World Series. The closest we came to that since then was in 2003 when Jose Lima (whose career has been so sporadic that he's most famous for singing the National Anthem once while playing for the Dodgers and having a hot wife with gigantic boobs) pitched a masterful complete-game shutout against the Cardinals, only to lost the next game and get knocked out of the playoffs. Until now. Finally, we saw this game. We tasted a morsel of greatness. And we witnessed history happening right in front of our bloodshot eyes.

September game. First place at stake. A possible momentum shift near the end of a maddeningly streaky season. Back. To back. To back. To back. I with I had been there. But you know what? For those few seconds, in my mind, I was. (And I wasn't on drugs or anything.) Back there in the Right Field Pavilion. Back when I was still young and being a Dodger fan was new and exciting. I was there and it was glorious.

"...that's what it means to love baseball. Having an unwavering faith and an undying loyalty, not just in your team, but in looking forward to and hoping for those brief, historic moments of greatness that stick with you forever." - some guy named Dan-E (WHO?), July 2004

- Photos courtesy Francis Specker and Jeff Lewis of AP photo; Gina Ferazzi LAT.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 1:54 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Only in Miami ::

Interesting thing about Miami, especially in South Beach, is that you often see the the abject poor interspersed with the filthy rich. It would seem that sometimes, these types are the same person. I'll explain:

A while ago, I was gassing up The Girlfriend's car. A guy pulls up alongside and asks me, if I could spare a couple of bucks so he could get back to where ever it was he said he was going. I wasn't really paying attention since my mind suffered a PC-like crash the moment a guy wearing a gaudy gold chain with a cross the size of Fisher Island, driving a large, black Mercedes 500S asked me, a perpetually broke waiter wearing my favorite tattered T-shirt and worn sweat pants, driving a Malibu (not even my car) "yo man, I need gas up my ride. You got a couple of extra bucks?"

Don't get me wrong, I'm not unsympathetic to the plight of the needy - even rich people misplace their Platinum Mastercards from time to time - but given surface disparity of our economic profiles, I just looked at him with impassively for a brief moment, wondering if he knew just how ridiculous he looked. My first reaction was to ask him "are you fucking kidding me?" but decided against it since it would have been rude and possibly might have gotten me shot. So when my internal computer rebooted, I simply looked at him in the eye and replied "no."

I had just started gassing my my car so I had a couple minutes to laugh at what just happened. I was about to leave when I noticed that guy had parked outside the convenience store and I suddenly realized I was thirsty. (Yeah, right.) I walked past his car (he was panhandling from other customers) and got myself a Gatorade (waitering makes me thirsty... yeah right). I twisted it open when I got back outside, with a nice loud *snap* sound that those tops make. He looked over, I looked back and took a pull, and walked back to my car. I know, I can be dick sometimes.

Then again, I might have been a little harsh. His Mercedes was two generations old.

(Yeah, right.)

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 2:20 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Week 2 Picks ::

Talk about a pretty sweet Week 1 in the NFL. Green Bay got shut out for the first time since the Lombardi era and Tampa Bay got shut out, making it Tamps biggest football-related news since the Carolina Panthers cheerleaders got caught making out in a woman's bathroom. Last year's Super Bowl runner-up Seattle Seahawks couldn't score a touchdown against the lowly Detroit Lions. Week 1 of Houston's "MARIO WILLIAMS?!?! ARE YOU F***ING KIDDING?!" lament proved entertaining. Dallas' is another 3-INT Drew Bledsoe game away from a Terrell Owens meltdown. And my favorite, my Frisco 49ers almost came back against a heavily favored team despite having a QB that looks like he's belongs in a SciFI convention more than a football game.

(Yes, I said almost. Even though we lost, considering the suffering Niners fans have endured the past few years, you look for positives where ever possible.)

Last Week: 9-7

Onto Week 2:

Miami over Buffalo:
Remember back when trading away Drew Bledsoe seemed like a good idea? I know I bitch about my Niners have had lousy years but it must be so bad in Buffalo that they're pining for the days when they lost FOUR STRAIGHT Super Bowls in a row. There has to be some kind of award for that level of Futility. (Which bring up the question: you think Peyton Manning was a Bills fan? Just asking.)

Minnesota over Carolina:
Last year, the Vikings had that Love Boat scandal and Carolina had their two hot, drunk lesbian cheerleaders (where the hell is the FHM spread?!?! It's been a year people! Someone get on this! I'm serious!). How this relates to the game between these two... umm, nothing really. I'm just trying to see how often I can mention hot, drunk lesbian cheerleaders.

Eagles over Giants:
After last week's Manning Bowl, did anyone else notice that when Peyton and Eli went to shake hands, that Eli looked like he wanted to rear back and sucker-punch big brother? Or is that just me?

Baltimore over Oakland:
Game 1 of the "Coach Art Shell: the Return" couldn't have gone any better for those of us who love unintentional comedy. Forget that Randy Moss' hair was housing a nest of pigeons, that the Raider's O and D-lines were more porous than my face at age 15, or that Aaron Brooks was vintage Aaron Brooks. Other than the gray hairs and an extra 20 pounds, it was vintage Art Shell. This guy has two facial expressions: impassive and less than impassive. You'll see it if you look for it.

Atlanta over Tampa Bay:
Watching John Gruden's face after last week's loss both fascinated me and scared the living crap out of at the same time. I can't wait to see it again this week.

Detroit over Chicago:
I can't believe I'm picking the Lions and for reasons other than trying to get sex from my Michigan-native Girlfriend. But as good as the Bear's defense is, I'm pretty sure Rex Grossman is going to suffer yet another injury under the Lion's vastly improved D-line. I have no way to prove this but I'm pretty sure a main reason the defense is playing better is because their new coordinator, who got pulled over naked, threatened to show up to team meetings without pants if they played poorly.

Cincinnati over Cleveland:
Speaking of guys no one wants to see naked, has anyone seen Browns coach Romeo Crenel lately? This guy looks more bloated than Pavarotti after a pasta buffet. In this coaching matchup of two big black guys, I'm gonna pick the one that looks least likely to have a coronary.

New Orleans over Green Bay:
Did anyone else know that before last season, Green Bay made a concerted effort to trade for new Saints QB Drew Brees as Brett Favre's successor? You think the managers are kicking themselves now for not being able to pull that off now?

Indy over Houston:
Week 2 of the Texans' Fan Suicide Watch isn't going to get any easier with Peyton Manning coming into town.

SanFran over St. Louis:
My upset pick of the week: and not just because I might be a blissfully ignorant, blindly loyal, mouth-breathing 49ers fan. (I'm hardly blissful.) As many holes as the Niners have they came within a Hail-Mary of taking a superior Cardinals team into overtime in a game that had no business being that close. New Tight End Vernon Davis is a Tony Gonzalez/Antonio Gates in waiting but right now, Running Back Frank Gore is a stud. And I hate the Rams but whatever.

Arizona over Seahawks:
I couldn't tell you if Detroit is just that much better or Seattle has regressed just that much since I didn't see that game. But come on, 9-6? No TDs from last season's team with the most prolific rushing offense? That's like Christian Troy from "Nip/Tuck" suddenly only being able to score with fat chicks (and not, say, hot drunk lesbian, er, bisexual cheerleaders) just because he aged 12 months.

Denver over Kansas City:
Sure that was an ugly hit that Trent Green took, but it still wasn't as ugly as the Chiefs' overall game plan. Seriously, what was that?

San Diego over Tennessee:
The Chargers' Philip Rivers looked just good enough last week that he might be this year's Ben Roethlisberger but there's still enough time in this season for him to become another Ryan Leaf. That said The Tennessee management thought they could go into the season with Billy (Billy!) Volek as their starter, only to realize he might be this year's Joey Harrington.

New England over Jets:
Since I don?t really have anything to say about this game: hot, drunk lesbian cheerleaders! (By the way, I'm 32 years old.)

Washington over Dallas:
I didn't know about the TomKat Cruise sighting until Monday and my first thought was "I wonder who's shorter?" Anyway, in this matchup of two teams with horrible QBs that show flashes of mediocrity backed up by a good defense, go for the team with the horrible QB that isn't coached by a large bag of gas.

Pittsburg over Jacksonville:
Normally you back the home team in Monday Night Football but last week, the home teams went 0 for 2. Granted one of those teams were the Raiders so it might be too soon to call that a trend. But I'm gonna see if I can somehow start a Charles Batch resurgence bandwagon through my blog.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 1:45 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Week 1 Picks: Football Season 2006 ::

Are you ready for some football?!? Few things get me more excited than the start of Football season. (Some of those things are baseball playoffs, new episodes of "Lost," and all-you-can-drink beer.) Just like last season, I'm going to try to maintain a weekly post with my picks for that week. I would have posted this a couple of days ago but I've been busy with work, but not so busy that I was able to take fifteen minutes to jot down selections during a slow moment at work for our office, er, restaurant pool and that's what I'm posting here.

There is the possibility that I'll be very horrible this week since the news of the pool came to me on Wednesday and even though I did a little research and regretted some of my picks, the ones here are identical to the pool picks. (Of course, if I go 14-1, it's simply because I'm Football Genius.)

Pittsburg beats Miami:
I won't go out of my way to try to convince you that I knew the Steelers would win and I'm not just posting this after the fact. (The Girlfriend is a witness.) But if you know anything about football, you should know that "Daunte Culpepper" and "Fantasy Team Pariah" go hand-in-hand for a reason (namely, 6 TD-12 INT ratio last season). Sure Big Ben is out but the game is IN Pittsburg and, oh yeah, they're the Super Bowl Champs. That and their signature Primanti Brother's sandwich beats the crap out of a Cuban Sandwich any day.

Baltimore beats Tampa:
I don't know what I was thinking with this one. I knew the new Ravens QB was a vast improvement over last year but that's like saying you dumped Tara Reid to date Paris Hilton: sure it might be an improvement but your trading one set of problems for another and you don't necessarily feel better about yourself in the morning.

Carolina beats Atlanta:
This seemed like an easy pick until I heard that No.1 WR Steve Smith is out with TWO bad hamstrings and for a guy who's known for speed, that's bad. But then I remembered that the Panthers swept the Falcons last season and Michael Vick got smacked around like Dukakis in the 1984 elections.

Denver beats St. Louis
This pick is my first "What Might Happen in Real Life" theory of 2006. Sure, rams have horns but a bucking bronco is much larger and would kick the crap out of a ram. And if you think I'm just picking against the Rams because I they're a division rival, then you know me too well.

New England beats Buffalo:
Deion Branch is holding out because he wants more money, Pats think he's not worth No.1 WR money yet is demanding two 1st round picks for him. And none of this matters because J.P. Losman is the starting QB for the Bills. (For this week anyway.) Their Qb situation is so bad that they're actually longing for the good old days of Drew Bledsoe. And to think I bitch about being a 49ers fan.

Philly beats Houston:
Game 1 in Season 1 of Houston's annual "WHY THE HELL DIDN'T WE PICK REGGIE BUSH?!?!" outcry begins today.

Cleveland beats new Orleans:
I was most unsure about this one and I'm still not sure. We're talking two underachieving franchises that underwent personnel and management upheavals in the offseason, and starting what's supposed to be the start of a more positive, albeit another, rebuilding season. New Orleans is still trying to recover from Katrina and Cleveland has, well, the Browns and the Indians. If I had to pick today, I'd have picked the Saints instead.

Seattle beats Detroit:
Sure, one of the Lions' assistant coaches might have been arrested for driving drunk in the nude but that still doesn't make up for the fact that new offensive coordinator/egomaniac Mike Martz is to coaching staffs what Terrell Owens is to football franchises. Jon Kitna, a QB so worthless that his parents couldn't bother adding an "h" to his name, is the Lions starter. At least the Tigers don't suck any more.

Tennessee beats New York:
Disregard that Chad Pennington's shoulder might be healthy and he's good to go. The simple fact is that I throw harder than he does and the last time I went to a speedpitch booth, my fastest pitch was 59mph.

Cincinnati beats Kansas City:
I must have forgotten that half of the Bengals are only playing because they're on a work-release program from Bengals. Chad Johnson and T.J. Hoshmanzadeh (and yet I can't spell Big Ben's last name) are studs but the Chiefs have Larry Johnson, who clearly seems to have taken the diapers off.

Chicago beats Green Bay:
Bears QBs Brian Griese, Rex Grossman, and Kyle Orton can collectively tiptoe and still not sniff Packers QB Brett Favre's jock strap. However football is a team sport and unlike Chicago, Green Bay seems to have forgotten that they need a defensive unit. Oh wait, they have one? Never mind. *Chortle*

SanFran beats Arizona:
Half of ESPN radio's "Mike and Mike" Mike Golic, who's also an ESPN football analyst, is the only one who thinks my 49ers can beat the Cardinals. Since he's the guy who I named my turtle after, I'm going to pick my Niners, too (even though logic says they have almost no chance). Sometimes, I'm that easy.

Dallas beats Jacksonville:
I vividly remember this one time The Girlfriend and I went to get ice cream. We were sitting outside and this asshole blaring his radio in a Crown Vic with flashy rims parks in the handicap spot in front of our table. He gets out and walks into Coldstone's, while leaving the radio blaring, loud enough that we have to shout to converse. I want to leave but in a few minutes a cop pulls up. Not only is the guy verbally reprimanded in front of the girl behind the counter he was trying to impress, he gets ticketed for both parking in a handicap spot and for the loud radio. For whatever reason, I found myself enjoying watching that spectacle a bit more than I should have. This relates to this game because I hate the Cowboys and I'm pretty sure I'm going enjoy watching the spectacle of Terrell Owens torpedo-ing that team and watching them implode worse than the way Philly did last year. And in this case I will absolutely enjoy seeing that happen.

Washington beats Minnesota:
The first Monday Night Football on ESPN and it's a DOUBLEHEADER. I officially love Mondays now. Or I do for the next 17 weeks.

San Diego beats Oakland:
Let's see now, inexperienced rookie QB (Phillip Rivers) with potential playing with the best running back in the league (LaDanian Tomlinson) vs. veteran QB (Aaron Brooks) who makes quite possibly the dumbest on-field decisions since Ryan Leaf handing off to a guy who played backup to a past-his-prime Curtis Martin. Hmmmmm.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 2:29 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: Really? ::

Crikey!

Hmm, maybe.

WTF?.

BAD kitty.

SWEET.

OWW. (*wince* *cringe* *shudder*)

Well, shit.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 3:53 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
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:: My Turtle is getting Huge ::

I was supposed to work tonight but thanks to some strenuous drills during a tennis clinic, I can barely put my weight on my left foot thanks to a stress fracture. I probably should have called in gimpy but I thought I could grind it out but the moment I put my shoes on, I was a limping mess. Our manager Luke graciously sent me home early, being as it business has been dead (like "Michael Keaton's career"-dead) since Tropical Flame-out Ernesto (it's been dead pretty much everywhere on the beach) he decided they could get by with four servers.

So I spent the evening alone with a tall glass of Black 'n Tan and The Girlfriend's kittens. And as I'm typing this out, Buttercup (she named the other one Wesley; anyone know the reference? First one to guess gets, well, bragging rights) walked up to my chair is meowing for attention. At the same time, Mike is swimming up against his tank doing his frantic "FEED ME" paddle.

Ok, I dropped a few food sticks into his tank and I locked Buttercup in the closet. (Just kidding. He's purring in my lap right now.)

I've always been a dog person so I never thought I'd get so attached to a turtle. It's not like you can pet them or play fetch with them or anything. All the really do is swim, sleep, and eat. And boy does he eat. It sometimes feels like I'm feeding him every hour or so. It's also fascinating to watching him tear into a grape. I mean, the thing is bigger than his head but he attacks it like, well, me dismantling a rack of ribs (and considering how often I clean his tank, he shits about as often as I do. I feel like you should know these things). What was the point? Oh right. I've developed a rather deep affection for my turtle.

Anyway, what you can't see from the photo is how much he's grown since I posted his photos four months ago. He's gotten than the platform that Little Mike (God rest his soul) is sleeping on.

Anyway, he's doing his FEED ME swim again.

:: Miscellaneous Ramblings by Dan-E at 2:29 AM [+] :: | 0 comments
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