The Works

Logan the Scout

2012-01-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

I was never much into Scouts. I had some decent leaders but it just was not my thing. Logan on the other hand likes Scouts and I have absolutely no problem with that. We had a Court of Honor this evening and Logan received his Wolf along with some other awards.

Logan putting the pin on his mom.

Like I said, I have no problem that Logan is into Scouting. I am pretty proud of my kid.

Random Ramblings: It's My Blog...

2012-01-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

... and I will blog when I want to.

Blogging: So I missed another Sunday. Well, it is my blog so I can do whatever I want to do. So I have decided that for the remainder of my BlogBlitz(tm) I will be skipping Sundays.

Reading: For my quarterly book I am reading the sequel to Mick Foley's Have a Nice Day. Yup, another wrasslin' book. Hey, I know what I like.

Writing: I have had this comic book idea pop in and out of my mind these last couple of days. I am combining that idea with another novel idea The Samaritans with it and seeing where it is going. And surprising myself, I have also scripted a few pages. I think I am going to use this idea for the upcoming ScriptFrenzy. Before I script more I am going to plot out some stuff. This idea was something my friend Joel and I developed way back in the day but we decided to go in another direction. Hopefully he doesn't mind me dusting this off and adding a coat of paint.

Planning: What to eat here in two weeks for the Superbowl. Yesterday we ate these yummy sweet pork sandwiches/salads while catching the games. Now that the stupid Pats and Giants made the Superbowl, the only important thing about the Superbowl will be the food.

Disappointing: While both games yesterday were exciting, two of my least favorite teams won. I was hoping for the Ravens and 49ers but I guess I cannot win them all. But on the other hand, I felt this way four years ago when the same teams faced each other and it turned out to be one of the greatest games ever. Oh well, there is always next year.

Reading Part II: I have decided to read all my X-Men books from the beginning which leads me to this:

Blogging Part II: The comic book geek inside of me is going to do a comic book blog sometime later this year. I just have to find a clever name for my blog and set it up. I am planning on blogging about each X-Men book I am reading and I am choosing 3 panels from each book to blog about. I'll be blogging about other stuff as well.

Strange Weather

2012-01-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

We took Logan to his basketball game this morning and I went with a light jacket, no coat. It has been unseasonably warm here. In fact, we had rain these last couple of days which melted all the snow we had.

Those smudges are not smudges at all. Those are some snowflakes!

Now we have some snow on the ground. It first rained a lot then suddenly it switched to the largest snowflakes I have ever seen. And then back to rain and then it came down as ice pellets.

Strange weather indeed. But at least we do not have tornadoes coming down.

The End of an Era

2012-01-20T14:04:00.001-07:00

Next month marks the end of a huge era for me.

For the first time since December, 1985 I will not be picking up a monthly issue of the Uncanny X-Men.

This was my first issue of the Uncanny X-Men that I bought monthly.

I am sure most of you are thinking this is not a big deal but this certainly is a big deal for me. Imagine for second that you bought and read a comic (or something else) every month for the last 27 years.

Now I am ending that streak and it is ALL Marvel's fault. Don't get me wrong, I still love and am interested in the X-Men franchise but I can no longer afford it.

Back in the day, when I first began to read comics there was only one X-title, Uncanny X-Men. But now there are five main X-Men books and at $4 a pop that can definitely add up. But then Marvel decided to be greedy and publish these X-Men books more than once a month.

Because of this obvious money-grab, I was forced to drop other titles that I was reading (and loved) so I could just keep up with the main X-Men books. I was hoping that this would not become a regular thing since Marvel was not consistent in these double-shipped books so I hung on for as long as I could.

Uncanny X-Men #4... ...my LAST issue

But then I had to drop the Avengers, then Captain America, then Secret Avengers, then the plain X-Men, then X-Men Legacy, then Astonishing X-Men, then Captain America and Bucky and now finally Uncanny X-Men. Not only am I done with the X-titles but it looks like I am done with Marvel completely. The new Avengers vs X-Men miniseries will be my swan song for Marvel.

I am not done with comics completely. There is still a ton of classic material that really interests me but my days of buying comics monthly seems to be over. The only book that I will continue to get monthly is an independent book called The Savage Dragon.

I'll have to blog about this comic sometime in the future.

It is sad that after 27 years and 348 (344 issues of Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 and 4 issues of Uncanny X-Men Vol 2) straight issues that I have to quit something that I love so much.

I sent Marvel an e-mail about this issue back in July but received no reply. I just sent them another e-mail this morning informing them that I am dropping all the books because of this. If I get a response, I will blog about it here.

School Daze: Logan's 3rd Grade Class

2012-01-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

I am not sure if my little experience qualifies as a true "First Kiss" but I am counting it. When I was in the 3rd Grade I was kissed by a girl named Carmen. Ar first I thought she was cute but then when she kissed me, I hated her. Hmmmm... now that I think about it, that was something that became standard.

Here is Logan and his 3rd grade class. Here I thought I was hot stuff in the 3rd grade and then I look at my kid and I think he is just a little kid. I wonder if he has a crush on any of the girls in his class.

End Piracy, Not Liberty

2012-01-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

**I ripped this off of Google. They explained it a lot better than I would.**

Tell Congress: Don’t censor the Web

Millions of Americans oppose SOPA and PIPA because these bills would censor the Internet and slow economic growth in the U.S.

Two bills before Congress, known as the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House, would censor the Web and impose harmful regulations on American business. Millions of Internet users and entrepreneurs already oppose SOPA and PIPA.

Fighting online piracy is important. The most effective way to shut down pirate websites is through targeted legislation that cuts off their funding. There’s no need to make American social networks, blogs and search engines censor the Internet or undermine the existing laws that have enabled the Web to thrive, creating millions of U.S. jobs.

Too much is at stake – please vote NO on PIPA and SOPA.

The Senate will begin voting on January 24th. Please let them know how you feel. Click on the link below and sign this petition urging Congress to vote NO on PIPA and SOPA before it is too late.

For more information and to sign an online petition click here!

Sing Along With...

2012-01-17T14:14:00.000-07:00

This last December has been all about the music it seems. I joined the Logan Community Choir and performed on December 11th. I also sang in out Church choir and a special performance on the 18th and I also was invited to join the Logan High School's performance of the Messiah.

A few months ago I blogged that I joined the Logan Community Choir and I am so glad that I did. I had a hoot learning new music and also meeting new people. The performance is an annual tradition to drum up support and food for the Cache County Food Pantry and includes the Logan Community Choir, the Logan High Crimson Colony, the Westminister Bell Choir and the First Presbyterian Choir. I was a bit nervous that Sunday morning but after our Church choir practice, I was feeling pretty confident. My friends came and picked me up and I arrived in the beautiful Logan Tabernacle and I was no longer feeling nervous. There is just something about being in that awesome building. I was a bit disappointed that the building did not fill up but it was nice to have my parents attend to support me and it was very nice to see a few of my neighbors.

We sang the following songs:

Still, Still, Still -- I was not as comfortable with this song as the others, I could have used more practice with this one. It sounded phenomenal with the bell choir accompanying us.
Breathe of Heaven -- Now I knew this song beforehand but had never attempted to sing it before. This song is just so beautiful and the tenor part is absolutely fun to sing.
The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy -- Now we are getting to the fun stuff. Beforehand they handed out these small plastic shakers for us to shake while we sung. This is way fun song to sing and it definitely has a spirit to it.
Praise His Holy Name -- Oh boy... ...this was intimidating since it asked for not only an insanely high tenor part but it also called for some movement. I will never forget this song. I managed to hit some notes that I didn't think I could hit and it was emotionally and physically draining.
The Hallelujah Chorus -- I wish we practiced this more. I think I might have been the only person in the choir(s) that have never sang it before. Luckily I found a cool tenor tutorial on YouTube that I used to practice. Hearing and feeling the organ pound was almost literally breathtaking. What a way to end it!

Can you see me?

That next Sunday we had our Christmas program at Church and it was amazing. Every one sang absolutely beautiful and I was impressed by our small group of very talented people. I was mostly nervous because I sang in a men's quartet. We sang I Know That My Redeemer Lives and I sang the melody. I was a little intimidated because the highest note is slightly out of my range and if I screw up, every one would know since I am singing the most familiar tune. But it went off without a hitch.

I even received in the mail a very nice and unexpected note from someone anonymous. It is so nice to get things like this. I really appreciate whoever sent this and to all those that supported me in these singing endeavors. It is greatly appreciated.

Kristy, Logan and I also attended the Christmas Program put on by Logan High. One of the girls that came to see me sing with the Logan Community Choir was singing tonight. I wanted to show her how much I appreciated her support by coming and supporting her. And one of my friends who sung with me also came and sat with us. At the bottom of the program it invited anyone who knew the Messiah to come and sing along. I was not going to go down but Logan and Danielle talked me into it. I am glad I went down, it was fun to perform that song again.

I never would have thought that one of my favorite hobbies would be to sing.

Ugh...

2012-01-16T12:51:00.000-07:00

I woke up the night before feeling really sick to my stomach. I don't think that my dreams of puking helped any. So I stayed home from Church and rested and I didn't blog, much less hit the computer.

I am still feeling a bit out of sorts so I calling this day off too.

Survey Says: X-Men Omnibus Vol 2

2012-01-14T18:39:00.000-07:00

It finally came!

A few months ago I blogged about this survey place and was able to do some surveys to earn the Claremont/Lee X-Men Omnibus 2. Months passed and I finally got this book in my grubby hands!

So giddy...

List-Mania: Music from Musicals

2012-01-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

Two List-Manias in one week? I have always wanted to do this one during my 365 Challenge but I never got around to it. I found these type of columns to be the most taxing but now since I am well-rested, I have the energy to put this one together.

5) My Friends (from Sweeney Todd)

I don't think I was prepared when I first listened to Sweeney Todd and even that didn't prepare me to seeing it live. Sweeney Todd himself is such a tragic figure, here you have a cold-blooded killer and yet you feel for the man. This song is just so haunting and yet beautiful as well. And I love the line "And we'll do wonders, won't we?"

4) Skid Row (from Little Shop of Horrors)

I remember seeing this movie with my family in the movie theaters. This was the first time I was exposed to musicals that went to the beat of a different drum. And I knew I loved it as soon as this song was finished. Playing Seymour would be my dream acting job.

3) Quartet (from Secret Garden)

I had never heard of the Secret Garden before I went and saw it. This musical surprised me in its dark tone. All of the songs had a hint of sadness and this one really hit me. Archibald is one of those characters that steals the show to me and he is the most human out of all of them. Can you really blame him for acting the way he does?

2) One Day More! (from Les Miserables)

I get goosebumps every time I hear this song. It makes me want to stand up for something and fight.

1) Pity the Child (from Chess)

Again, the bad guys win out again. Three of the songs I have picked are sung by those that are villainous or have some hidden agenda. One Night in Bangkok made me pick this CD up but this song is what won me over. The audience is made to hate this guy but he bears his soul in this song and you can see why he is the way he is. I remember watching a girl cry outright when this song was performed when I was apart of this musical. I love this rendition the best although the rocking guitar solo at the end was cut dramatically short.

Who Wants To Live Forever?

2012-01-12T22:40:00.000-07:00

For the last few years one of my New Year's Resolutions was to do some Queen art. Now I have always wanted to do a Queen/art blog and I even developed a blog (which is now deactivated) called Sheer Art Attack. (a play on Queen's Sheer Heart Attack album)

It was supposed to be a bi-weekly art celebration of the songs of Queen. Every two weeks a new song is chosen and posted on Mondays and then participants/followers are invited during the two week period to illustrate their own interpretation of the song chosen. I had this idea in high school and I did some basic doodles of Queen songs but that is about as far as I have got. This quote from Freddie is what motivates me to try this out.

"That's what the song is about, though I'd prefer people to put their interpretation upon it - to read into it what they like."
-Freddie Mercury

This is the picture that started it all. I drew this picture representing the beautiful song Who Wants To Live Forever?

It was based off the video and this picture in particular:

I got the effect that I wanted but I would love to do this all over again. I will have to post some of the doodles/rough sketched I did as well.

So when is dinner?

2012-01-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

We took this picture years and years ago and it is still one of my favorites. We were at my sister's house for dinner and we were patiently waiting.

Brian and Makenzie's Wedding

2012-01-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

A few months ago my family and I had the great privilege to travel down south to attend my cousin Brian's wedding down at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple down in South Jordan. And we almost didn't make it!

Originally I was going to travel to the early morning wedding that Saturday morning and Kristy and Logan were going to leave the night before with Lynn so they could attend a Girl's Night Out Party. But the weather was once again not cooperating with us. The snow came down fast and was piling up quickly and I thought it would be better to have a bad night's sleep than to have to travel through the snow in the canyon so early in the morning. So Lynn and her daughter Jessica came over and I drove them all down to Kristy's parents home.

The drive was harrowing to say the least. The snow was coming in hard and fast and the roads were not clear at all. And it was worse driving through Logan Canyon. I could barely see the road from all the snow and to make matters worse our heater was not working. The stupid thing only blows out the front and you cannot turn it on to other places, like the windows, to help clear them up. So I could not see out my window either! I had a small space to see through and unfortunately for everyone else, I was forced to roll down the window to help clear the window up.

Logan: "It's cold in here!"
Me: "Well, you can either freeze or die."

It was horrible. We got up this huge hill and we saw this semi in the middle of the road and it didn't look like it was moving very fast. We realized that the semi was actually backing up down the hill. We decided to follow the car in front of us and pass it on the left but as we headed that way, the semi was backing right into us! And we could not get any traction and I couldn't move further away since I was so close to the median-blocks that I could touch them. Thankfully, we managed to swing around. We made it through the canyon and stopped at a gas station to clean the windows up and the thankfully the rest of the drive went normally.

The next morning we awoke early and went to the beautiful Oquirrh Mountain Temple and it was a joy to see my aunts and uncles and cousins. The ceremony was awesome, both the groom and bride were stunning and the officiator had a fantastic sense of humor. After the wedding we hung around and chatted and went back to Kristy's home and got Logan and took him over to Renae's. Then we cruised down to Orem to meet the family again for lunch. We had a fun time killing ourselves with food and also with laughter. We then went back to Kristy's home to grab Logan and then head back down to the reception.

The reception was very nice. The food was good (I cannot believe I ate more food) and the company was great. My mom and sister came down for the reception and we all hung around the Anhder table. That is until it was time to decorate the car. And Logan was way excited to see and to participate. My cousin Kari asked Logan to come along and of course, I had to see what was going on. I only wish I had some lunch meat to stuff under the door handles. Logan was quite proud of himself that he showed everyone that he could.

Brian's sisters getting revenge.

We are so thankful that we were invited to the wedding and to hang out with my family. I appreciate my Uncle Mark and his neat family for allowing my family to attend. And a special thanks to Brian and his cool new wife Makenzie for inviting my wife and I to the wedding ceremony, that meant a lot to us.

The drive home was a lot better than the drive down thankfully. It was worth it almost being squished by a semi in a blizzard!

The Breinholt Family Christmas Party 2011

2012-01-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

Every year, the weekend before Christmas we gather at the Breinholt's for the annual Christmas party. Sadly, two of the families were unable to attend and their presence was missed.

Logan and Kristy left the night before hitching a ride with Lynn and I left the morning of. I had a big choir practice that I needed to be at. Funny thing is even though I was running late and leaving from Logan, I still managed to beat most of the family to the party. And what was really strange is that the weather was perfect! In fact, driving through the canyon was the best part since it was so sunny and clear! That was definitely out of the ordinary.

Logan doing his best elephant impression.

Zade just lost his cookie.

The party was very nice with a ton of great food. After stuffing ourselves silly we went and played some Minute-To-Win-It games. We divided ourselves into four groups and played. The games were a lot of fun and it was nice to be in each other's company.

After the party. Kristy, Logan and I gave Steve a ride home since we were leaving for Logan. We were going to take off after but we decided to go and get some ice cream at this new Sub Zero place. It was some of the best ice cream I have ever had. It was Dr. Pepper flavored with bits of Twix and cherries in it. It was nice to spend a little time with Steve and his family. His little girls are just the sweetest. I wish I would have gotten some pictures while we were there.

All in all I had a very nice time seeing my family.

Been Caught Stealin'

2012-01-08T11:01:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I said that I was cleaning out some of my old stuff and I came across a box with old VHS tapes. Now we don't have a VHS player, ours died a couple of years ago so I have no idea why I was keeping them. I honestly thought I threw them out a long time ago.

What I found were mostly old Church tapes along with a WCW event (the one that I attended live) and my Missionary Moments tape that I made on my mission. I didn't throw those out since I still want them and I will find a way to transfer those to DVD. As I chucked out the other tapes, I opened one of the tape cases and peered inside and found this:

Now I do remember taking this tape home from my mission but I thought I had bought my own. Guess not.

For those that have seen the video, On The Way Home, the kid who plays basketball served in the New York New York North Mission (I was in the South at the same time) and he really wasn't that good at playing basketball.

List-Mania: Fleetwood Mac Songs

2012-01-07T22:25:00.000-07:00

I seem to go in cycles when it comes to listening to music. I will spend a lot of time on one band and then suddenly switch and pick another band to listen to. This time around I went to a band that I am sure I heard first from my list of favorite musicians/bands.

My parents owned and the fantastic Rumors album and they must have played it over and over again to engrave it on my mind. I quickly became a fan of them when they released the album Tango in the Night and it was like being reunited with some old friends. I then became reaquainted with them and they are never far from my playlist. One of the reasons that I love about them is that there is not a single lead singer. Stevie Nicks definitely made an impression on me with her raspy voice and I grew up wanting to be just like Lindsey Buckingham (I still do). They have such a unique sound.

5) Hold Me

I love to play the bass along with this song. While I prefer Stevie to Christine, I absolutely adore Christine on this track.

4) Seven Wonders

This was the song that made me pay attention. I watched MTV's Top 20 Countdown pretty religiously back in those days and this video/song was one that I made sure I caught.

3) Go Your Own Way

This song makes me want to get up and go. Lindsey's vocals and the thunderous drums are the perfect combination.

2) Silver Springs

This is one of those songs that I will stop whatever I am doing and sit back and listen. Stevie is absolutely perfect on this track

1) Tango in the Night

This song gives me the chills. I love to pluck the bass to this song nice and loud.

Mission Memoirs: Afterglow

2012-01-06T12:51:00.000-07:00

It seems like I get melancholy every Christmas season and I like to go through my things and reminisce. I was cleaning out some old files in my filing cabinet and I came across a Bible that I used on my mission. It is marked up and banged up. I had this Bible since I took seminary in high school so it has been awhile. I also took this set with me on my mission, and I used this set out on the streets. I didn't want to take my nice leather ones out in case I get mugged and someone takes off with my scriptures.

I thumbed through the pages and out fell this note:

This note was written by Elder Buckner (one of the missionaries I lived with) when I served in Jamaica, Queens. His companion when he was getting ready would carry this portable tape player with him constantly and he would only play Afterglow. For those that are not familiar with Afterglow, they are an LDS duo that sings LDS material. Now I have nothing against them or their music, it is not my cup of tea (and I like cheesy music!). But Elder Buckner's companion listened to them non-stop for months and it was grating on all of our nerves. Elder Buckner passed this note to me when I was reading in bed right after his companion passed me singing and listening to Afterglow loudly.

I am totally hanging on to this keepsake. It is now a bookmark in my set of scriptures.

2011 Resolutions Finale

2012-01-05T15:21:00.002-07:00

So where did 2011 go?

It is hard for me to believe that it has been a year already. This year has certainly had its ups and downs but I think it was still a pretty good year. I am hoping for a better 2012 and I have a bunch of new goals/resolutions that I want to undertake, which I blogged about yesterday. And since I made new goals/resolutions, I should take a look back at the past year and see how I did.

Once again I will use the Mountain Dew LiveWire Rating System with 5 Dews being the best (meaning I totally nailed the goal) and 0 Dews meaning I totally flopped.

Resolution #1
"Take Time to Write More"
I completed both the ScriptFrenzy and Nanowrimo competitions. Unfortunately I didn't do much writing aside from that. I did do some minor edits in my Official Missionary Journal but that's all folks! I did alright with the blogging as well. Not as good as I wanted but I am at least still doing it.

Resolution #2
"Read More"
The year started out really good. But then the wheels slowly came off the wagon. I did complete my goal of reading a book a quarter. I read all the Diary of a Wimpy Kid the first quarter, Mick Foley's Have A Nice Day the second quarter, Belinda Carlisle's Lipps Unsealed for the third quarter and I just finished (a day late) Ozzy Osbourne's autobiography I am Ozzy. I did manage to read the Ensign every month for the first three months but I failed the rest of the year. And I don't really want to bring up the scriptures, I did a really lousy job with that. At times I was breezing through the New Testament and then it would stall. I don't think I did a bad job but I could have definitely done better.

Resolution #3
"Be Healthy"
My resolution stated that I would exercise 5 days a week and I think for the most part I succeeded. I know I missed some days and the month of December suffered a bit but I think I did pretty well. I rode my bike 8 miles to work almost daily, I played a lot of racquetball and I did my Total Gym too. Unfortunately due to my knee I was unable to run the 5K marathon. But on the other hand I did run a 1 mile race. For the most part I have eaten more healthier, I pay a lot more attention to serving sizes now and I have cut my soda consumption down quite a bit. I think for the most part I knocked this one outta the park!

Resolution #4
"Pick up a Pen and Draw!"
Uh oh. I have not done any type of art since the mid-point of the year. I have taken some time to do some doodling but that is about it. I didn't do any Queen-related art which I still want to do. Ugh, I failed on this one.

Resolution #5
"Play the Bass"
For the most part I played the bass pretty regularly. I wouldn't say every day but I know that I did it at least weekly. And I am slowly expanding all the songs that I can now cover. The other part of my resolution was to use my musical talents (and I use that term lightly) and look for more opportunities to sing. Now that I have done, I sang in my local Church choir and I have joined a few others as well. I can safely say that I killed this goal/resolution!

Some of the time I feel like I am not accomplishing anything but then I take a long look (and blog about them) and I think I have done a pretty good job. And I do owe it to the blog, if I didn't have to list goals/resolutions and then have to own up to them, I doubt I would have done anything at all.

2012 Resolutions

2012-01-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

Kristy, Logan and I celebrated an early New Year with a glass of Ginger Ale at 9:00 PM, New Year's Eve. We did this so Logan could celebrate the New Year along with Kristy and I. We hoisted our glasses in the air and I made a toast.

"Here is to a Happy 2013. I hope it is better than the last year."

Logan and Kristy immediately busted up with laughter. I guess I was getting a little ahead of myself. I think I wanted to skip making resolutions for 2012!

I really liked the format I used last year so I am doing it again.

I RESOLVE...

to go back to school and get an education. I am still not sure exactly what I will studying, I am going back and forth from Pharmacist to Paralegal. Either way, I will be heading back to school sometime this year.

I RESOLVE...

to continue to read more. I think I will continue with reading a book every quarter and I am sure I can find more autobiographies or instructional books that I can read. Along with that I am going to try to read the Ensign magazine monthly again. Last summer we also had the cool opportunity to hear from Elder Bednar and he gave us all a neat promise that I am going to work on to fulfill.

I RESOLVE...

to continue exercising and trying to eat right. I will still continue to eat what I want but I am going to limit my portions more carefully. I still would like to run a 5K race but I am unsure how my knee will react. If all goes good, I will try to run the Top of Utah 5K. If that does not work I might run the 1 mile race at Logan's school again. I will continue with my walking DVDs, playing racquetball and going out for runs.

I RESOLVE...

to actually do some drawing or some kind of art this year. Even if I do some rough sketches that would be good enough. I used to do some art while watching Lost a few years ago so I know that I have the time. I just need to get disciplined and do it. I still am highly interested in doing some Queen art.

I RESOLVE...

to continue to use and hone my musical talents. I will continue to play the bass guitar and participate in as many choirs and other singing opportunities. Along with that, I am also going to spend some time learning about music. I would like to get to the point where I can actually read music.

I RESOLVE...

to take the time to write more. I have a lot of projects that I need to edit and work on again. I will participate in the Nanowrimo competition again this November and I will give ScriptFrenzy a whirl again here in April. This time I think I might try out something completely different with ScriptFrenzy. I might do a TV show or a musical. I will also blog a bit more than I did last year. I might have to do a few more BlogBlitzes to accomplish that goal.

I RESOLVE...

to use my time wisely. I am going to shut off the TV at 9:00pm and spend an hour until bedtime completing my resolutions. So I can draw, read or practice music during this time. I am going to give myself a floating day or two where I can watch TV or a movie or something. Basically so I can veg out once in awhile.

That should keep me busy this coming year.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

My family and I had a very nice Christmas. It was loaded with food and family and was very relaxing.

Christmas Eve we had my mom come over for dinner and to play some games. We ate a ton of good food. Kristy made a cheese fondue and some meatballs and french bread to dip them in and Eggnog Bread Pudding for dessert. It was a very nice evening. After Logan went to bed, Kristy and I prepared the rest of Christmas and watched our annual tradition of Christmas Vacation.

The next morning we awoke and got ready for Church. It was only an hour and it was fantastic. I wish I could start every Christmas morning this way. We came home after visiting with a few people after the services and ate some breakfast and opened gifts. To say that Logan was excited was definitely an overstatement! We opened up our awesome gifts and then proceeded to stuff ourselves sick with candy. That evening we played games and watched the football game. Like I said, it was nice and relaxing.

I absolutely hate putting up/taking down lights from the Christmas Tree. I don't know if you can tell that from how I look.

Logan in his obligatory Christmas pic.

For Boxing Day we went over to my dad's to spend the day there. We ordered Chinese food and once again I stuffed myself with too much candy. I have a major weakness for fudge and (un)fortunately dad had a ton of it. I must have eaten a couple pounds of the stuff. We played cards and games and did our $5 Gift Card Pool. I got a K-Mart gift card which I traded for a Walmart one which I traded for an Amazon gift card. Which interestingly enough is the gift card which I purchased for the party. And I already know what I want to get!

So all in all I had a very nice Christmas. Unfortunately now that Christmas has passed, I have to get on with some New Year's Resolutions and lose the weight I gained and eat better!

Sports, Sports and more Sports

2012-01-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

I like sports. I especially like football and I am a huge fan of the NFL. Even though my team choked the last three games and will miss the playoffs, I can still enjoy watching other teams compete. I am already looking forward to this coming weekends slate of games.

I respect all teams even though there are a few teams that I despise. As a Jets fan, I have to hate on the Dolphins and Patriots. As a Jazz fan I have to hate on divisional rivals. That is just part of sports. But I do respect all those organizations.

Now when it comes to players, it gets a bit tricky. There are some players that I dislike that I still respect. Patriot QB Tom Brady is the best example. But then there are players that I just don't like and usually it is because of how they act beyond the sport. I don't think I could ever like Steelers QB Big Ben because of his actions off the field. And some players I don't like because of their attitude. One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing players that have all the talent in the world act like an idiot and the lose all that they had. That just drives me nuts.

But then there are some players that I just don't like and it has nothing to do with them. I am talking about BYU's Jimmer and the Bronco's Tebow. It has nothing to do with their abilities, it has nothing to do with their actions off the field. In fact, these players are very classy and actually make their sport better. But for some reason I just can't get behind them. And I know exactly who to blame.

Rick Aaron. President of the Jimmer Fanclub.

I don't blame Rick entirely. I blame all those local media sportscasters that are in love with Jimmer and Tebow. Seriously, there are times that if Jimmer were in the same room as Rick, Rick would end up kissing Jimmer on the mouth. It never ends and it never fails, even though Jimmer is beyond BYU, Rick keeps bringing him back to the sportscast. Even when he is doing basketball highlights that are not BYU/NBA -related he will still sneak in a Jimmer reference. "He took that shot from Jimmer range!" That sort of comment makes me want to puke.

The biggest reason I am not a fan of Jimmer and Tebow is because they are constantly being shoved down my throat. Don't get me wrong, I respect each athlete. I am just sick and tired of sportscasters (Rick Aaron is the worst of them) treating them like it is the Second Coming and then preaching (kissing butt) to all of us to worship at the feet of these athletes. When Jimmer and Tebow play in the Super Bowl or NBA Championship game than I think all this fuss would be warranted. Tone down your man-love!

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T22:05:00.000-07:00

Where In the World is Matt Platis?

I have not fallen off the face of the planet. It may seem that way since I have not blogged in over a month! But things started to get busy last month and part of me just was not in the mood to blog. Personally, I think I am stuck in a small rut and feeling a bit overwhelmed.

It is not like nothing good has happened this past month because that is definitely not true. A lot of neat things have happened to me this last month and I will be blogging about it in the near future.

This month I will be participating in a BlogBlitz (tm). Meaning I am going to blog daily for the next 31 days.

The Visiters

2011-12-01T15:25:00.000-07:00

The other day I was hard at work cranking out some words for my novel when a knock came to the door. Kristy was busy in the kitchen and Logan was playing on the Wii. Logan answered the door and I could hear a couple of girls. Now this is not out of the ordinary, Kristy works with the Young Women so I just expected it to be them. But then I heard the voices again and they sounded very young.

I peered around the corner and saw two of our neighbor girls Payton (age 7) and Carissa (age 6) carrying a box of fingernail polish. They asked if they could paint Kristy's nails. So Kristy stopped whatever she was doing and they all sat down. Kristy chose purple and they painted one hand purple but then Carissa chose yellow for the other hand.

They would have painted Logan's too if he would have let them. I thought it was way cute for them to come and want to serve.

SLACKER UPDATE: I also forgot about last Sunday's games. Oh well, I missed a week last year too.
Philadelphia at Seattle:
While I think the Eagles are more talented, I also think that they are hurting both physically and mentally more. Because of this and because the Seahawks are home, I am taking them.
Winner: Seattle Seahawks

Winnah!

2011-11-30T15:49:00.000-07:00

I have been really bad at blogging this being the most time I have missed in two years. I really don't know how I did the 365 Days Blog along with Nanowrimo especially considering I did them both my first month!

Well, I finally crossed the finish line and I have completed the Nanowrimo challenge 3 years in a row! Now my goal is to get back to blogging.

Upon Further Review: Thanksgiving Edition

2011-11-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

First off I want to thank my dad and sister for putting on one heck of a Pre-Thanksgiving meal. The ribs and salads were all wonderful. I am stuffed!

Now to some game picks. I have to crank out some more words on my novel before the end of the night so I can eat and watch football in peace tomorrow.

Green Bay at Detroit:
The Lions will play hard but unfortunately they will will not be able to come from behind against the Packers. Should be a fun game to watch.
Winner: Green Bay Packers

Miami at Dallas:
The Dolphins could play the spoiler here with Dallas looking to take control of the NFC East. Too bad that the Cowboys have way too much talent for the Phins to overcome.
Winner: Dallas Cowboys

San Francisco at Baltimore:
I like what the 49ers are doing and I think the Raven are one of the best teams in the AFC. What bugs me about the Ravens is the losses against teams they should not have lost too. But on the other hand they are beating other top teams. Gotta pull for the Ravens in this one since the 49ers are a top team.
Winner: Baltimore Ravens

Upon Further Review: Week Eleven Picks

2011-11-20T00:22:00.000-07:00

It's late.

I just got home after a harrowing trip down to Salt Lake City for a cousin's wedding. I'll blog about that more in length this week.

So here are some quick picks.

Cleveland Browns over Jacksonville
Detroit Lions over Carolina
Green Bay Packers over Tampa Bay
Miami Dolphins over Buffalo
Oakland Raiders over Minnesota
Dallas Cowboys over Washington
Baltimore Ravens over Cincinnati
St. Louis Rams over Seattle
San Francisco 49ers over Arizona
Atlanta Falcons over Tennessee
Chicago Bears over San Diego
NY Giants over Philadelphia
New England Patriots over Kansas City

Here's a Quickie

2011-11-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

I have a lot going on unfortunately I have not had a lot of time to blog. The novel is progressing well, last night I hit 33,333 words and I am well ahead of schedule. And the novel has unexpectedly gone some directions I didn't think it would go. Some situations in the book have come more quickly and it looks like a MAJOR confrontation that I had briefly thought about will happen and it will be a doozy!

And part of me is not liking writing about the bad stuff that is going to happen to my main character. A lot of bad stuff is coming and it has to come so the character will grow.

Anyway, I am not here to blog about my book but to pick the winner of the NFL game tonight.

NY Jets at Denver:
Oh, this game worries me. The Jets need this game in a bad way since they sucked it last week. And I don't blame QB Sanchez at all for the loss last week. I blame the Offensive Coordinator, while at times he can be brilliant and some of his play design is fantastic but the guy does not know how to run a game. Last week the Jets should have thrown all over the Pats but they didn't. A few good throws but they should have really attacked the Pats. I think the Jets have more talent than the Broncos but the Broncos are riding high with an unconventional Tebow game. I think this week against an angry Jets team, the lack of throwing offense will cost the Broncos the game.
Winner: New York Jets*

*yeah did you think I would pick the Broncos? Especially since I will be seeing my aunt and uncle from Colorado tonight? And yes, I am already wearing my Jets gear proudly.

Upon Further Review: Week Ten Picks

2011-11-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that I have made picks for 10 weeks already. Time sure passes by quickly especially during football season. I dropped off to a pathetic 9/14 in picking games and already this week I am 0-1. Stupid Raiders, they failed me twice!

New Orleans at Atlanta:
This game could decide the division and will definitely feel like a playoff game. The Saints are struggling on the road and the Falcons are red-hot. While I do think this could go both ways and I expect both teams to come out swinging, I am going with the home team.
Winner: Atlanta Falcons

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati:
Another game that could have major playoff implications. The under-the-radar Bengals face a true test against an angry Steelers team wanting revenge from last week. For some reason I feel that the untested and unknown Bengals will no longer be under-the-radar after this game. I just see the Steelers looking past the Bengals a bit just enough for them to get bitten. I smell an upset.
Winner: Cincinnati Bengals

St. Louis at Cleveland:
The Rams were so close last week and the Browns are just not improving. The Browns will keep it close but I think it will all come down to the running game which the Rams have with RB Steven Jackson.
Winner: St. Louis Rams

Buffalo at Dallas:
It will be interesting to see how the Bills react after a big loss at home. The Cowboys finally posted a good win unfortunately it was against the hapless Seahawks. But a win is a win and I think the Cowboys will continue their dominance over the Bills.
Winner: Dallas Cowboys

Jacksonville at Indianapolis:
This is a winnable game for the Colts but I have this feeling that the Jaguars are going to cut their rookie QB loose and see what he has. The Colts are at least competitive and I think they rattle off a win here.
Winner: Indianapolis Colts

Denver at Kansas City:
If Miami can come into KC and put a butt-whuppin on the Chiefs, the Broncos definitely can. But I think the Chiefs will respond to an ugly loss especially against a divisional foe.
Winner: Kansas City Chiefs

Washington at Miami:
Winning sure cures a lot of things and Miami will come out fighting. The Redskins are in some serious trouble and unfortunately the injuries will play a major factor in the game. It will be close but the Dolphins will prove they are too much for a weakened team.
Winner: Miami Dolphins

Arizona at Philadelphia:
The Eagles sure laid an egg Monday night and they are slowly playing themselves out of contention. Head Coach Andy Reid will have them prepared to play one game at a time. The Eagles just have too much talent that they could lose to the Cards.
Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

Houston at Tampa Bay:
A lot of Texans fans are angry that experts are only grading them a "B" so far this season. They claim the running game is the best and the defense has made a huge jump from last year. Those facts are true and I agree but the Texans need to beat the teams they should beat and quit laying eggs. They should be able to beat a Tampa Bay team and to get to the next level they need to win this game. And I think they are ready.
Winner: Houston Texans

Tennessee at Carolina:
The Panthers are at home so they should win. You cannot count on the Titans so they probably should win. Guess I should flip a coin. It came up Cam Newton.
Winner: Carolina Panthers

Baltimore at Seattle:
Please Ravens don't lose your heads. This is a classic trap game.
Winner: Baltimore Ravens

Detroit at Chicago:
The Bears certainly looked good last Monday night but they faced a lazy and unmotivated Eagles defense. The Lions are coming off a bye week and once again the Lions are getting no respect. No one at ESPN picked the Lions. Now to prove that I am better than the experts at ESPN.
Winner: Detroit Lions

NY Giants at San Francisco:
Ooooo this is gonna be good. The Giants are flying high and the 49ers are playing hard and winning by pushing other teams around. I am still not convinced that the Giants are for real yet.
Winner: San Francisco 49ers

Sunday Night
New England at NY Jets:
I think I am going to die from excitement. Are the Pats sliding down? Can the Jets use this opportunity to take the division? I think the Jets play best when their backs are against the wall and I still think they are not getting enough credit. The Pats will be tough but I gotta go with the Jets!
Winner: New York Jets

Monday Night
Minnesota at Green Bay:
The Packers have to lose sometime right? RB Adrian Peterson could give the Packers fits but the Pack can gun it out through the air to keep up. The Packers continue to roll.
Winner: Green Bay Packers

Random Ramblings: Too Many Questions

2011-11-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

And not enough answers...

Writing: I am now 9 days (I have not written yet today) into my new novel and I am proud to say that I have posted 20,773 words and I am way ahead of schedule. Like I have said before, one of the most satisfying things is when the novel begins to write itself. When story beats suddenly come out of nowhere and characters come to life. I was worried that my novel was lacking in an antagonist when suddenly the idea of turning a good supporting character into one of the main villains came to me. And it fits so perfectly and I don't have to change anything that I have written before. So when should the main protagonist discover the true antagonist?

Listening Part I: While I write I like to listen to music. I usually get distracted when I listen to Queen (I start to sing along) so I try to listen to movie soundtracks and the like. And one of my favorite bands/orchestras came out with another album. E.S. Posthumus's new album Makara is fantastic and the cover of Moonlight Sonata (featured below) is wonderful. What other music do you recommend I should listen to when I write?

Debating: So I feel that I am at a moral crossroads. I see something in the future that I feel can either turn into some sort of Dateline show or could be completely innocent. What makes matters worse is that I recently saw a Dateline episode that was basically the same thing I am seeing now and that did not end well. So what should I do?

Listening Part II: I have gone through the last five studio Queen albums and I have to say that these new remasters were well worth the purchase. The sound is so much clearer and crisp on the Miracle and Innuendo albums especially. The last two albums are bittersweet, Freddie knew the end was coming and it shows through the songs. While artistically I feel Queen was at their best on these final albums, the songs definitely had hints of retrospect, sadness and dealing with the cards you have been dealt with. So when am I going to post my reviews of each album?

Wishing: I wish I had the NFL Network so I can catch the Thursday games. I just cannot justify paying that much more a month for a TV package when the NFL Network would really be the only channel I would watch. I think I may cancel my TV when the football season ends. It could be that I am getting old but there is just nothing good on TV anymore. The bad stuff on TV clearly overshadows the good. And what TV I would watch, I can catch on the Internet. So should I cancel my TV service at the end of the season?

Calling: Speaking of the NFL game tonight...

Oakland at San Diego:

Both the Chargers and Raiders are in a free fall. Oakland is without RB McFadden and I think that is what will be crucial in this game. RB Michael Bush can also run the ball but lacks the explosiveness that McFadden has. The Chargers usually wake up at this point in the season and I think they will bounce back here.

Winner: San Diego Chargers

Singing: So a couple of Sundays ago I was attending the community choir practice and I got to hear the gospel song we are going to do. Oh boy... ...I really am going to be stepping out of my comfort zone here. A lot of dancing and hand waving and praising. I like to sing and the song is a ton of fun but the actions are not my style. I am going to have to hype myself up to do what they want me to do. I am gonna have to channel my inner Blues Brother.

And shame on you if you don't know who the Blues Brothers are. Have you seen this movie?

So there are some questions... ...now to find some answers.

Upon Further Review: Week Nine Picks

2011-11-05T12:02:00.000-06:00

My picks were not looking good during the second half of the first games on Sunday and I was starting to sweat. But then some teams rallied and won and I scored an impressive11/13! My best percentage record yet! This week looks to be a little more tricky.

NY Jets at Buffalo:

Everyone is so high on the Bills and they have a good reason. But the Jets have held QB Tom Brady and Phillip Rivers to very little production and I definitely see that happening to QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. He has a bruised chest and I am positive that they Jets will throw Bills-castoff Aaron Maybin his way to get some sacks. If the Jets can slow the running game down they have an excellent shot at beating this team. I smell an upset.

Winner: New York Jets

Seattle at Dallas:

The Cowboys need this game in a big bad way. This could be a trap game and the Cowboys need to be careful. But they should be able to win easily.

Winner: Dallas Cowboys

Atlanta at Indianapolis:

You have to hand it to the Colts, they are playing hard. It would be interesting to see how the Colts team would have been with Manning.

Winner: Atlanta Falcons

Miami at Kansas City:

If the Chiefs win this game it will be 5 straight. Let me rephrase that, WHEN the Chiefs win it will be 5 straight. The Dolphins will play hard but the Chiefs are one of the hottest teams in the NFL.

Winner: Kansas City Chiefs

Tampa Bay at New Orleans:

Good thing for the Saints is that they are at home. I am sure they want to win big this week so they can erase that ugly ugly loss last week. They should rebound decently against a tough Bucs team.

Winner: New Orleans Saints

San Francisco at Washington:

This is a classic trap game for the 49ers. The Redskins will play tough at home and the 49ers just need to play their type of football. It will be close but I think the 49ers will win it in the end.

Winner: San Francisco 49ers

Cleveland at Houston:

Another trap game and since this is the Texans, they will probably blow it. I am really tempted to go with the Browns here and if it was in Cleveland, I would take them. But they are not so...

Winner: Houston Texans

Cincinnati at Tennessee:

Boy was I wrong about the Bengals. I think they are playing with a great nothing-to-lose attitude and it is paying off. While I think the Titans could win this, I gotta go with the hot team.

Winner: Cincinnati Bengals

Denver at Oakland:

If it was in Denver, I would pick the Broncos. It will be fun to watch QB Tim Tebow play in the Black Hole. Even though RB McFadden is out, I still think that the Raiders will run all over the Broncos. Close by half time, blow out by the end.

Winner: Oakland Raiders

NY Giants at New England:

I am not very high on the Giants and I think they are overrated. They got pushed around by the Dolphins and the Pats will be no pushovers. I would not want to face an angry Patriots team at home. I will be rooting for the Giants though.

Winner: New England Patriots

St. Louis at Arizona:

The Rams got their first unlikely win last week and I think that will give them enough energy to win again against a terrible Cardinals team. I give the Cardinals some props for almost beating a tough Ravens team but in the end they lost and that will carry on here.

Winner: St. Louis Rams

Green Bay at San Diego:

Something is wrong with QB Phillip Rivers. He just is not the same confident QB that he was last season, it seems like he is distracted. Unfortunately the World Champions are coming to town. The Packers have to lose sometime right? This will be a close one especially since it is in San Diego but I am giving the Pack the victory since they are coming off their bye week.

Winner: Green Bay Packers

Sunday Night

Baltimore at Pittsburgh:

Oh baby. I am so glad that I do not have choir practice that night. This will be an ugly smash-mouth game full of hits and blitzes and power running. Great way to end the day. The Steelers are riding high after last week and they want revenge. The Ravens came from behind to win last week so they are both coming off positive games. So who wants it more? I smell another upset.

Winner: Baltimore Ravens

Monday Night

Chicago at Philadelphia:

The Eagles are not out of it yet. The Bears need to win to keep up with the Packers and Lions. Something has got to give. The Bears will go all out but the game resides in the hands of QB Jay Cutler versus the Philly D. I will take the Philly D.

Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

The End of the Season

2011-11-04T16:16:00.000-06:00

Logan has his last game of football last Wednesday night.

And he played pretty well. He had four "tackles" and he tipped three balls in pass defense. He tried his hardest to intercept a ball but he just was not tall enough to snag a ball but he was able to deflect them. His team played really good at the end of the season, we figure that the game just finally clicked.

On offense Logan played Guard and he was the backup Center. I was pretty proud that he would take on kids bigger than he was. He was not afraid of taking to a kid. On defense Logan played Corner and he was real good at watching for a pass. He definitely liked playing defense better than offense.

It was kind of bittersweet at the end of the game (which ended in a tie). I was happy that he was done since it was so frigid at his last two games but we were sad since he got along real good with his teammates and his coach really liked him. We told the coach that Logan was planning on playing Flag Football next year and he remarked "I would love to have a player like Logan on my team again."

What drove me nuts about this kid of mine is that he could act like an idiot (and I say this lovingly) between plays and horse around but when it came to game time he got all serious and took the game seriously. I am looking forward to football season next year already.

Late Update

2011-11-01T19:01:00.000-06:00

I had to blog on this historic date!

11/01/11

Isn't it that cool? I swear that I grew up during the best time of history. I got the best toys, best music, best movies and now best dates!

So I have started my Nanowrimo novel and I am happy (and yes I am tooting my own horn) that I am now at 3, 301 words!

And I had a major distraction as my final Queen boxset arrived today. HUZZAH! I really want to do a review on each disc. I am looking forward to rediscovering these songs.

I had a fun evening yesterday at my dad's and trick-or-treating around his neighborhood. We ate a ton of pizza and a ton of candy. And Logan was able to go around the block with his cousins and come back with a decent haul.

Logan was a Dementor this year. I did his make up even though he didn't think he needed it.

Happy Halloween (and more)!

2011-10-31T14:46:00.000-06:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Logan went as a spider last year. This year he is a Dementor from Harry Potter

Today not only is Halloween but it also marks the 1-year Anniversary of the conclusion of the 365-Day Blog Challenge. And if you re-read that last entry you will also see that it was the last time that I have spoken in Church as well.

It is hard to believe that it was only a year ago that I finished up this quest. It doesn't seem that long ago at all. This year I obviously have not blogged as much, by my count, including this column, I have blogged 192 times this year. Which is ten more than if I blogged half the time during the year. So I did blog more than half the time (although that was just barely)!

I do plan on blogging a little more this year than I did last year but if I got the same amount, I think I would be satisfied enough. But don't look for a lot of blogs coming this coming month. The Nanowrimo competition starts tomorrow and I plan on cranking out my novel furiously. I even have some new music that I got just for this occasion.

I will still be blogging but it may only be once or twice a week during this coming month.

Random Ramblings: Da-Doo

2011-10-29T13:21:00.000-06:00

Shivering: I rather would have cold weather than I would having it unbearably hot. But then I would like to live in a place that has a decent furnace. Our place gets soooo cold. It is nice in the summer because it stays pretty cool most of the time. We finally turned on our heater the other day after trying to go through days without it on.

Watching Part 1: Speaking of shivering. I watched the 2nd episode of the Walking Dead. I cannot recommend this show enough if you like your TV a bit spooky.

Writing: You are going to see this every Random Rambling I do. The Nanowrimo competition starts this Tuesday and I am looking forward to cranking out the first couple thousand words. Reaching 50,000 words really is not that bad when you average out how many words you should do a day. You need to do 1,667 words a day, I like to do more on an average because I like to take Sundays off from writing. Seriously, if you can blog for 365 days in a row, this is a walk in the park!

Meeting: I am meeting with my writer's group here in a couple of hours. Unfortunately I cannot stay to long but I look forward to getting some motivation going.

Watching Part II: Last night Kristy and I went and saw a production of "Little Shop of Horrors" put on by Utah State University. Now I love the movie a lot and I absolutely love the music. But I have not seen the original Broadway musical. This production was set in this small and tight theatre and it was a blast. We sat only a few rows from the stage and I was amazed at how detailed this small production was. The sets and costumes were absolutely perfect and the plant was surprisingly detailed and animated. It actually felt like it was its own person. I know an actor was in the plant giving its motion but the plant felt like it had its own emotion. I won't spoil the ending here if you have not seen the musical and have only seen the movie. It is a lot darker than the movie but a whole lot more entertaining. I would love to see this again.

Singing: Last Sunday I joined the Logan Community Choir with a friend of mine. He asked if I like to sing Christmas songs (which I love to do) and said that this choir is a lot of fun. We sat in the tenor section and I was overwhelmed. Luckily we were sitting by a guy that knew the music. I am really looking forward to tomorrow's session when we are introduced to a couple of new songs that we will perform. Last Sunday we started to learn "Still, Still, Still", "The Virgin Mary had a Baby Boy" and the main chorus from the Messiah. Tomorrow we learn some sort of song heavily influenced by gospel music and he expects us to dance and really go to town. Should be a lot of fun.

Upon Further Review: Week Eight Picks

2011-10-28T11:40:00.000-06:00

Week 8? Yikes! That means that the season is half over!

I am back down to scoring an 8/13, which is still pretty decent but I would love to have a week where I only miss a game or two. In the fifteen years that I have made picks, I have never got a perfect score. Maybe this week right?

Indianapolis at Tennessee:
The Colts are at least fighting hard but I like the Titans chances at home. And if the Titan's RB Chris Johnson decides to play they definitely should win this one.
Winner: Tennessee Titans

New Orleans at St. Louis:
The Saints have a chance at improving on their score total from last week in this one.
Winner: New Orleans Saints

Miami at NY Giants:
If they couldn't defeat the Broncos at home, I doubt they can beat the Giants on the road. But it depends on which Eli Manning will show. Still, I agree with the Dolphin's RB Reggie Bush. They stink.
Winner: NY Giants

Minnesota at Carolina:
I am impressed with the Viking's rookie QB and I don't like the Panthers running defense. I small an upset here and I think the Vikings take advantage and hopefully for the whole game instead of just a half.
Winner: Minnesota Vikings

Arizona at Baltimore:
These picks (so far at least) are a whole lot easier to make this week. The Ravens are angry and will show it at home against an underachieving team.
Winner: Baltimore Ravens

Jacksonville at Houston:
Both teams got huge wins last week but I only see a letdown with the Jags. It will be a very close one and Houston will win the turnover battle.
Winner: Houston Texans

Washington at Buffalo in Toronto:
The Redskins are hurting and the Bills have never won in Canada. But these Bills are different right?
Winner: Buffalo Bills

Detroit at Denver:
The Broncos are riding the Tebow Madness Train(tm) but I think it all comes to a halt this week. The Lions need to prove that this losing steak is not a trend. Still, I think the Lions have more offensive firepower that even home-field advantage cannot take away.
Winner: Detroit Lions

New England at Pittsburgh:
Now here is a game! The Pats own the Steelers but I just don't see the New England defense holding up. I suspect that this will be a high-scoring game with the Steelers winning on a field goal.
Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers

Cleveland at San Fransisco:
Now back to an easier pick. The Browns will fight hard and maybe lead once but the 49ers are really that good this season.
Winner: San Francisco

Cincinnati at Seattle:
Seattle is a tough place to play but the Bengals are playing good ball and really have nothing to lose. I love teams that fly just under the radar.
Winner: Cincinnati Bengals

Sunday Night
Dallas at Philadelphia:
Both of these teams have been disappointment. I have such high hopes for each of these teams (especially when I pick them to win) and almost every time they disappoint. So I am going for the team that would disappoint me the least.
Winner: Dallas Cowboys

Monday Night
San Diego at Kansas City:
You have to hand it to the Chiefs for pulling off 3 wins after a 3-game losing streak. Playing at Kansas City will be tough for the Chargers who literally threw the last game away. The Chargers should play better but I see them taking the Chiefs lightly.
Winner: Kansas City Chiefs

The Crooked Man

2011-10-26T15:14:00.000-06:00

For the last couple of weeks I have been plugging through my series of Hellboy books. All of them have been extremely entertaining and full of action but I have not come across a story yet that sent shivers down my spine. It is possible that I am hard-hearted, desensitized perhaps would be the better word. But none of the scary stories have truly scared me.

That is until The Crooked Man.

In 1956, somewhere in the mountains of West Virginia, Hellboy encounters Tom, a man who in his youth sold his sold to a backwoods demon known as the Crooked Man. Together they travel back into the dark heart of the Appalachian Mountains to confront that demon and see if Tom's soul can't be saved.

Maybe it got to me because this was the first supernatural Hellboy story that took place in the United States, you know, close to home. It could have been because of its location in the mountains. That is kinda freaky since I live so close to the mountains. It also could be that it had to do with demons, and that can be very real to me. There are a ton of reasons, watching a witch slip into a human skin, the Mellingeon Witches (which are the settlers that disappeared at Roanoke which mixed in with the Croatan Indians) who follow and call for them while they hike to find the Crooked Man and the tense stand-off between the Crooked Man and his followers and Tom, Hellboy and a priest in a church.

While all that can be downright spooky, that is not what makes this story so spine-chilling.

I'll never EVER go hiking in the Appalachian Mountains.

What really got me was the creepy art by legend Richard Corben. His interpretation and first appearance of the Crooked Man is what gave me a huge case of the willies.

This fantastically creepy story is now my all-time favorite Hellboy stories. If you like to be frightened and haunted by something odd and unsettling, this book is for you. I won't give away any more details or what happens to Tom. You'll just have to read it for yourself.

Halloween Flashback

2011-10-24T13:25:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite costumes as a kid was when I dressed up like a mummy. I remember that we took pictures of me in my costume but they were not in the large orange crate that my mom has that has all of our photos in.

My mom came over recently and she had found a mess of pictures which included me as the mummy.

The Plot Bunny

2011-10-22T15:51:00.000-06:00

Today I met with some other Nanowrimo writers at the local Hastings.

I like to meet new people but I do find myself incredibly shy at times. And I honestly don't want to share my stories, I guess I am paranoid in my old age. We have a nice little group of writers and I am looking forward to hearing their experiences with writing. Hopefully it will motivate me when I get behind or when I am at a loss for words.

One of the members of the group gave me a real cute homemade Plot Bunny. A Plot Bunny is the term some groups of writers give to the little ideas that start off big stories. Basically, a Plot Bunny gives you a small idea and it reproduces... ...like a bunny. These little creatures will not rest until you write what they are telling (begging) you to write. Even if has nothing to do with your story, or it goes in a direction you don't think it should go, this bunny will eat at you until you do. Some just come right up and tell you what to write, some just carefully weave its way into your novel.

I just need a name for my Plot Bunny. Any ideas?

Upon Further Review: Week Seven Picks

2011-10-21T13:09:00.000-06:00

I avoided packing up all my Jets stuff this week with a nice win by the Jets against the hated rival Dolphins. My Jets still have a ton of work to do but I did see some improvements last Monday. I am hoping that the offense just picks it up this week and they will need it against a high-scoring offense in the Chargers.

I scored a decent 9/13 which is one better than last week. I had some close calls and I am wagging my Finger of Shame at you Cowboys! They really should have had that game.

Seattle at Cleveland:
Both teams have been inconsistent this year. Seattle is better than I thought and Cleveland is worse than I thought. I see the fortunes being reversed here:
Winner: Cleveland Browns

Atlanta at Detroit:
The Falcons came away with a great win against the rival Panthers and they have some momentum. The Lions lost at the end and I am curious to see how this team reacts to a loss like that. Can the Lions prove that they are a good team by bouncing back? This will show us how mentally tough the Lions are. I think they win in a squeaker.
Winner: Detroit Lions

Houston at Tennessee:
Tough game to call here. The Texans need this win to end a 2-game losing streak. The Titans have nothing to lose and could really make the AFC South interesting by pulling a win out. And that is exactly what I think they will do.
Winner: Tennessee Titans

Denver at Miami:
So Miami wants to celebrate Tim Tebow and they are throwing this huge celebration. Doesn't he play for the other team? I am sure the Dolphins want to do everything they can to spoil Tim Tebow but from what I saw Monday night, I don't think the Dolphins have enough in the tank to take an emotional Tebow out. And Miami is terrible at home too.
Winner: Denver Broncos

San Diego at NY Jets:
The Jets need this game and I think they could pull off a win in New York. If the Jets defense can slow the running game, I think they have a chance. And I think the two former Chargers in Cromartie and Thomlinson will want to beat their former team.
Winner: New York Jets

Chicago at Tampa Bay:
Boy I didn't expect the Bucs to reply to a butt-whupping like that! Beating the Saints on their turf will give them major momentum and I expect them to come out firing against the Bears. The Bears and QB Jay Cutler looked fantastic against the Vikings but don't expect a repeat.
Winner: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington at Carolina:
I am still not a believer in the Redskins and the Panthers are playing a lot better than anyone expected. It seems to me that the pressure to perform is on the Redskins and the Panthers are just playing loose. That is not to say that the Panthers are not being serious, I just think they are playing with no expectations. And that will be the difference in this one.
Winner: Carolina Panthers

Kansas City at Oakland:
This will be a lot closer than anyone thinks. If the Chiefs can slow down the run, they have a glimmer of hope. Sounds easy right? Yup, it's not. The Raiders will run, run, RUN on the Chiefs.
Winner: Oakland Raiders

Pittsburgh at Arizona:
It will take awhile for the Steelers to find their footing but once they do they will dominate the Cards. The Superbowl rematch will not even be close.
Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers

St. Louis at Dallas:
The Cowboys should have had that game against the Pats. Luckily for them, the injured Rams roll into town. The Cowboys better take them seriously.
Winner: Dallas Cowboys

Green Bay at Minnesota:
Rookie QB Ponder will provide a small spark but the Packers are just too much for them. The Packers have to lose sometime right? Not this week.
Winner: Green Bay Packers

Sunday Night
Indianapolis at New Orleans:
This Superbowl rematch will not be close either. I am sure QB Drew Brees will want to vent against the hapless Colts.
Winner: New Orleans Saints

Monday Night
Baltimore at Jacksonville:
I still think that the Jags have some talent but I don't think they have enough to take out one of the top teams in the NFL in the Ravens. And I am sure the Ravens are slobbering at the bit to take on a rookie QB.
Winner: Baltimore Ravens

Random Ramblings: Insert Title Here

2011-10-20T16:11:00.000-06:00

Blogging: It seems that I just don't have enough to blog about anymore. These Random Ramblings blogs cover most of the stuff that happens to my family and I. I want to blog more, I just don't know what else to say aside from the column and my NFL-inspired blogs. I might have to resort to mission stories or comic book stuff.

Listening: For some reason the Phantom of the Opera has been calling my name. That was the first major musical I saw and from the moment I heard the music, I loved it. It also takes me back to my college days with my friend Lared where we would crank this out in the car and sing. And I usually would do Christine's part and surprisingly I could hit a lot of her notes. Now I didn't say that I sounded good but at least I could hit them!

Surveying: I know I have been pimping this out a lot lately but it really works. Since June, I have made a little over in $200 worth of Amazon gift codes. I just recently placed an order for the Queen Boxset #3, which I paid NOTHING for. It comes out in a few weeks and I am giddy with anticipation.

Singing: Speaking of singing and music, I was invited to join a community choir. They are setting up a Christmas program and they even have a baritone section! I am thrilled to be invited and I hope it is a lot of fun. It should be since we are singing Christmas music. But I hope it continues past the Christmas season.

Eating: One of the tastiest coconut-cream donuts EVER! Just thought you would all like to know.

Reading: I am plowing through my collection of spooky/horror comics and I am almost halfway through my Hellboy collection. By Yoda, I love these books. I highly recommend this set of books. The art has a spooky atmosphere and the writing is top-notch. What I really love about these books are the various folk stories from all over the world which he investigates. The strange other-worldly fairy tales and legends really make for some spooky and funny moments. If you liked the movie, you will love the books. Seriously, check them out! They are available not just in comic book form, you can also pick them up in bound tradepaperback editions and I am sure you can find them at your local library.

The Wolves of St. August, The Corpse and the Iron Shoes, the Conqueror Worm and Darkness Falls are some of my favorite Hellboy tales.

Plotting: I am getting really eager to start writing for the NaNoWriMo competition. This will be the third year in a row for me and I cannot recommend it enough. Seriously, if you have any desire to do some writing, you should check this out and try it. It is extremely rewarding. You know who I am talking to! I am meeting up with a couple of local writers this Saturday to chat and plot our novels. Should be fun!

Cheering: Logan and his football team got their first win last night in a blowout. Logan had to block against this huge kid and did really well. They definitely played like a team last night and it was fun to watch. Logan definitely like defense and he is pretty good at snatching flags. We only have two more games.

Logan and his small team. We are missing three kids. One quit, one is a bit flaky and one broke his arm.

An action shot. Not sure who that is. So let's pretend it is Logan.

Watching: I watched one of the saddest things yesterday. I watched an ESPN E:60 special on professional wrestler Scott Hall. He was always one of my favorites and it was extremely sad to see him in such condition. Have you seen the movie The Wrestler? This guy is living it. So sad, I really wish I could do something.

Watching Part II: The season premiere of the Walking Dead. Holy crap, the first thirty minutes was fantastic. I must have bitten off all my nails! I know (mostly) what is going to happen since I read the comics but seeing it in full color (the comic is in black and white) and hearing the sounds really make a huge difference in how scary it is. I am surprised at the amount of gore is allowed for this TV show but I cannot see it any other way. I look forward to the rest of the season.

Saturday's Warrior

2011-10-15T13:21:00.000-06:00

Last night our Stake put on Saturday's Warrior. What I like about Stake productions is that while the talent may not all be there (there still was a lot of talent, don't get me wrong) the heart is there. These actors/actresses have sacrificed a tremendous amount of time to put on this show and it certainly shows.

Some members of our ward were in it and a lot of the Young Men and Young Women were in it. So Kristy, Logan and I had to attend to see and support them.

I have not seen the show or heard the music in years. Seriously, YEARS. I don't think I have heard the music since I was a toddler. My mom had helped produce this musical for our Stake in Edmonton years and years ago and the music must have been beaten into me. Once the opening song hit I immediately remembered it. And some of the songs I surprisingly remembered the words.

Our YM/YW were the bad guys.

The musical was fantastic and the cast did really well. I was especially proud of those that I knew that were in the play. I wish I had tried out (I knew it was a musical but I didn't know it was Saturday's Warrior) but there is always next time.

Afterwords, I treated the family to some Wendy's Frosties. What a nice ending to a nice evening being with friends and listening to some fun (and sometimes cheesy) music.

Upon Further Review: Week Six Picks

2011-10-14T17:30:00.000-06:00

For the last two weeks I have mentioned that I should be better at picking the games. Now it seems that I am slowly getting worse in my picks. So instead of saying how I'll be better this week, I am instead going to say absolutely nothing.

Nada... zip...

Last week I scored an alright 8/13, I am still above 50% but I would like... ...nevermind. I'll let my picks do the talking.

Carolina at Atlanta:
I could see this going both ways. The Panthers are a lot more competitive and will be hungry to defeat a divisional foe like the Falcons but I think the Falcons will want to enact revenge for their loss last week and they will have the crowd and the veteran leadership to do it. But only barely...
Winner: Atlanta Falcons

Indianapolis at Cincinnati:
Who would have thought that Cincinnati would act more like the Bengals than the Bungles? I sure didn't see it coming at all but I do have to appreciate the fight the Bengals are coming out with and I also appreciate the taste of my foot. I thought the Colts would have a win or two by this point as well. The Colts will fight hard as always but the Bengals are at home and have nothing to lose.
Winner: Cincinnati Bengals

San Francisco at Detroit:
Now back in the Tecmo Bowl NES days this would be an outstanding game between powerhouses but fast forward a decade or two and... wait a sec... they are a combined 9-1? I do believe that the Lions are for real but I am still not sure about the 49ers.
Winner: Detroit Lions

I spent hours... days playing that game

St. Louis at Green Bay:
Green Bay has to lose sometime this season right? But not at home and not against the Rams.
Winner: Green Bay Packers

Buffalo at NY Giants:
Speaking of the ol' NES Tecmo Bowl days... here is another powerhouse game. I hated playing the Bills in that game and I hated the Giants more because they could block kicks. I think the Bills get revenge for the Superbowl loss (like winning this would really help) and they also show that they are New York's real team (that plays in New York).
Winner: Buffalo Bills

Jacksonville at Pittsburgh:
The Steelers seem to play better when they are hurt. If this was at Jacksonville, I would be tempted to pick the Jags in an upset but I am trying to improve my.... ...not going to talk about it!
Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers

Philadelphia at Washington:
The Redskins are in a good position to heap more dirt on the Eagles but I just cannot see the Eagles packing it in. Even in all their defeats, they play hard and to win. And I am just not convinced the Redskins are that good.
Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

Cleveland at Oakland:
The Raiders are still feeling the emotional effects of the passing of owner Al Davis and that will carry on back to Oakland. They will fight to win at home for Al.
Winner: Oakland Raiders

Houston at Baltimore:
The Texans really should have won last week and that hangover will carry on to Baltimore. I thought that this year's Texans would be different than years past but they are still showing boneheaded ways to lose games.
Winner: Baltimore Ravens

Dallas at New England:
Did anyone else catch the hilarious NFL Live skit featuring the Romo-coaster? For some reason, I am thinking Romo is going up on the coaster. With Bryant and Austin playing and knowing the Cowboys will run the ball on the worst run defense in league, I think I am smelling an upset here. The Patriots are still one of the best teams but they are looking a lot more human... ...and beatable.
Winner: Dallas Cowboys

New Orleans at Tampa Bay:
The Bucs should play pretty good here since they didn't go to SF last week at all. But the Saints are still the team to beat in that division. Closer than many will think but the Saints are just too much.
Winner: New Orleans Saints

Sunday Night:
Minnesota at Chicago:
The Vikings finally ran the ball but unfortunately they did it all in the 1st half again. The Bears collapsed last week in the 2nd half. So how is the NFL math going to add up here:
Winner: Chicago Bears

Monday Night:
Miami at NY Jets:
It always seems to me that the Jets are just horrible when they play in prime time games. And Rex Ryan's Jets are only 1-4 (and losing all home games) against the Dolphins. This smells like disaster for the Jets, they cannot lose this game. The good thing is that Mark Sanchez has thrown over 200 yards and two touchdowns in each game (except for the Ravens game) and the Dolphins are easy in the middle. The Jets have to win...
Winner: New York Jets

Random Ramblings: Ugh

2011-10-13T13:03:00.000-06:00

Sneezing, Aching, Coughing: Yeah, I have been sick the last couple of days. UGH. It started Sunday night with a sore throat and by morning I was hurting all over. Each day has been a new symptom. Today my chest feels as if a hippos was using it as a pillow. But on the bright side, I am not sore and my throat feels much better. Wonder what tomorrow will bring.

Pondering: So I am still thinking of going back to school. And I am leaning on going back to school to learn to become a paralegal. I spoke to a recruiter on the horn yesterday and got some great information. I also spoke to our new Bishop as well. He is a lawyer and I wanted to know his opinion on a paralegal career. I got some really good information from him as well. He basically told me that if I am really good, I will be in high demand. I am checking a few other places out and we'll see what comes from that.

Coaching: Last night Logan had a football game and I was called into action to coach. The real coach's son had his wrist snapped during a play and you could hear that poor kid scream. Now this kid seems to get hurt every week and comes crying off the field. And I am ashamed to say that I thought the same thing was happening. His dad teases him and when he was carrying him off the field he was saying that his wrist was broke. We didn't know how to act, it looked like he could be dramatizing the whole incident for his son, who also likes to dramatize things. And then I saw the huge bump by his wrist. It was for real. So he called me in to coach the team. This accident really shook the boys and it was hard to get them to focus. I have to admit that I was a bit distracted by it as well. Poor kid, Logan was already traumatized when the team tried to play "skins". We didn't have enough players on our team so the other coach lent us a few of his players.

Reading: It came!

My big free X-Men Omnibus came in the mail yesterday and it is glorious! And the best part is that it is FREE! So that whole survey thing that I have blogged about? It is for real, I got my Amazon codes and the codes worked and I got my first product. Looking forward to January to get the 2nd volume free and I already have another $60 in codes waiting to be used. It looks like the 3rd Queen Boxset will be mine next month!

Brainstorming: Next month is NaNoWriMo. And I am a bit excited to get cranking on a new novel. I don't want to share the main idea (it would blow the whole mystery) but it involves a man who begins to realize that the life he currently leads is not the life he remembers. But his past life seems so ridiculous that it couldn't possibly be true. The novel will either be called "Parallel Lies" or "Secrets" or something like that.

Growing: Not only did we get some great green peppers but we also got some awesome pumpkins. We got about 8 pumpkins and we cooked on this morning to make cupcakes out of. Look how pretty they are!

Anticipating: I love Halloween. I love strange and spooky things. And I am looking forward to Season 2 of the Walking Dead. And I am looking forward to my annual tradition of reading horror comic books and novels and also watching Ichabod Crane, The Great Pumpkin and hours of the Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episodes.

Upon Further Review: Week Five Picks

2011-10-08T16:38:00.000-06:00

Yikes, instead of scoring higher, I scored much lower. I still got over 50% of the games with a final score of 9/16. Now I am not so confident this week with my picks.

Philadelphia at Buffalo:
Now this has the makings of being a high scoring game. The Bills will want to avenge their loss against the Bengals last week and the Eagles want to show that they are the NFC East leaders. One team will not get what it wants and I see a close one with the Eagles squeaking out a win in a very hostile environment.
Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

Kansas City at Indianapolis:
You have to hand it to the Colts, they have played the last two games competitively but unfortunately they were both in losing efforts. That will begin to take its toll while the Chiefs are coming off a gutsy win. I am not a fan of the loser of a Monday Night game in winning the next week but I think the Colts have a chance against the Chiefs. It will be close but I think the Colts will win this one.
Winner: Indianapolis Colts

Arizona at Minnesota:
Sure we all know that the Vikings can get the lead going into the 2nd half but can they keep it for the whole game? I think they can, even though they will try their hardest to lose it.
Winner: Minnesota Vikings

Seattle at NY Giants:
The Seahawks are another team that I cannot call. I think they will be outclassed in this cross-country game but then if I say that, they will absolutely clobber the Giants. Sorry, Giants fans, I gotta go with you.
Winner: NY Giants

Tennessee at Pittsburgh:
The Titans saw the blueprint from the Texans and Ravens and I think they have enough talent and guts to win at Pittsburgh. But then, the Titans beat the Ravens who beat the Steelers. And we know how things add up in the NFL right? The math never works.
Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers

New Orleans at Carolina:
The Panthers will make a run at it but the Saints just have way too much firepower and just enough defense to take the Panthers out.
Winner: New Orleans Saints

Cincinnati at Jacksonville:
The Bengals proved that they will go down fighting and will take a few teams with them. The Jaguars unfortunately had to go with a rookie to win games. While I eventually think they will, I don't see it happening much this season. But this game will give them a taste.
Winner: Jacksonville Jaguars

Oakland at Houston:
The Raiders will fight hard in honor of Al Davis. Unfortunately they are going up against a team that is loaded offensively. But then these are the Texans and they usually fold after good games. I think the Raiders shock the NFL and put a pounding on the Texans in an upset.
Winner: Oakland Raiders

Tampa Bay at San Francisco:
Both teams had good wins last week and I think this will come down to the long cross-country trip, the short week to prepare and the homefield advantage. But then these are the 49ers. Better flip a coin.
Winner: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (by tails)

San Diego at Denver:
The Broncos are always tough at home but the Chargers will pull away in the 2nd half.
Winner: San Diego Chargers

NY Jets at New England:
My heart wants to pick the Jets. And I think they have what it takes to pull off a win. They did it at New England last year in the playoffs. No one is picking the Jets, just like last year. The Pats will want to avenge a loss and unfortunately I think they will. This will put the Jets in a terrible situation and the Pats will want to stick to them. I hate to do this but...
Winner: New England Patriots

I hate myself now.

Sunday Night
Green Bay at Atlanta:
The Packers have to lose sometime right? But I don't think the Falcons have an edge to them. It will start close but the Packers are just too powerful.
Winner: Green Bay Packers

Monday Night
Chicago at Detroit:
The crowd will be hot and the Lions will be jacked up for this game. The Bears will try their best but the Lions will put on a show. The Lions remind me of the Saints a few seasons ago when the Saints won the Superbowl. They are finding other ways to win.
Winner: Detroit Lions

List-Mania: Queen T-Shirts

2011-10-06T08:29:00.000-06:00

Yeah, I am still around. Just not in the mood for blogging and really nothing has happened this week. Well, that is not exactly true. A lot has transpired this week but nothing that I should publicly blog here. These things have been weighing on me pretty good lately. But enough of that, I wanted to blog about something fun and a List-Mania return is just what the doctor ordered.

I decided to combine my love of t-shirts and Queen into one List-Mania and blog about which Queen shirts I want to own.

5) A Day at the Races T-Shirt

It is my current favorite Queen album (it changes often) and it gives off a sense of grandeur and royalty. Which makes perfect sense for this band.

4) The Miracle T-Shirt

Another memorable cover (you can see it in the background image of my blog) of Queen. It is something you can stare at for hours and it amazes me how well each member of the band blends together. What is even more amazing is that picture was composed over twenty years ago!

3) News of the World T-Shirt

News of the World has my favorite album art of all the Queen albums. You can see more of it here. I absolutely love how the robot looks like a kid and is looking up at a disapproving parent and shocked and saddened that he killed his pets. This t-shirt captures that look perfectly.

2) Hot Space T-Shirt

Hot Space is one of the worst Queen albums but it makes one of the best t-shirts. I love the bright colors of the album cover contrasted with the dark gray background. Ever since the release of the new remasters, my opinion of Hot Space (the album) has changed. While not my favorite, it is a lot of fun to listen to. And I would be proud to display my new love of the album by wearing this shirt.

1) Flash Gordon T-Shirt

It is no secret that I absolutely love the old cheesy movie and music. But what I really like about this t-shirt is that it captures the Flash Gordon look but it also honors the album since the album cover is exactly the same as the shirt.

The Race

2011-10-01T14:27:00.000-06:00

It was just a few days ago that I mentioned that I was a little down for not being able to complete one of my goals for the year. Funny how life goes sometimes. Last Thursday Logan came home with some information from his school about a 5K and a 1 mile race coming this Saturday to help raise money for his school.

Now my knee has not agreed with me at all this summer and that is the main reason why I am not able to run. I have not ran or played racquetball for a couple of weeks and my knee has felt better recently but I have not put it to the test.

So we all decided that it would be fun to run the race this Saturday (today) together as a family. We didn't do the 5K race we only did the mile. And I am proud to say that my knee did not hurt at all and that I felt pretty good running.

So I am calling my goal of racing a 5K COMPLETED. Sure, I only ran a mile race but it was a race none the less. And I didn't think that I would be able to run at all so I am calling this good!

Upon Further Review: Week Four Picks

2011-09-30T14:09:00.000-06:00

Yikes, Week 4 of the NFL means that we are a quarter way through the season! I scored another 11/16 last week (thanks to both the Broncos/Bengals for going the way I called it) but I am looking to do better this week.

Detroit at Dallas:
Sooner or later the Lions will lose and I only say that because it is extremely hard to make it through the season undefeated. But the Cowboys secondary is a little beat up and I see the Lions receivers having a monster game. The Lions are for real and this game will prove it.
Winner: Detroit Lions

Carolina at Chicago:
Carolina is a much better team than I figured and I credit the coaching staff for getting rookie QB Cam Newton ready to play. Of course they guy is extremely talented and that helps as well. But it is time to come back to Earth. The Bears defense will make a comeback this week.
Winner: Chicago Bears

Buffalo at Cincinnati:
This is a classic trap game for the Bills but for all the things I have seen and read, I don't think the Bills will be overlooking the Bengals. Beating New England will not make this team cocky, it will only instill in them a vast amount of confidence. The Bengals will give the Bills all they have but the better team will win.
Winner: Buffalo Bills

SIDENOTE: It has been a long, long time that I picked both the Bills and Lions to win during the same week. I know it is WAY early in the season but how freaking magical would a Lions/Bills Superbowl be?

Tennessee at Cleveland:
The Browns impressed me with how they won against Miami last week. Unfortunately that was against a hapless Dolphin team and I don't expect the Browns to be able to do what they did last week this week against the Titans. But the Browns are at home and I might give them another chance this week to show that they a better team.
Winner: Cleveland Browns

Minnesota at Kansas City:
I really want to pick the Chiefs here to win. The Vikings have showed me that they are a scared team. They have no heart and no desire to win. If they did, they would have won last week for sure. Personally, I think it would be easy to hold a lead. Just feed RB Adrian Peterson the ball when you have it. The Chiefs should win but the Vikings have too much talent. And I am hoping that they learned a lesson and give Adrian the ball.
Winner: Minnesota Vikings

Washington at St. Louis:
The Redskins should have beat Dallas last Monday night and it is all Deangelo Hall's fault. As long as this guy is on the Redskins, the Redskins will not progress into the playoffs. The more he runs his mouth, the more it ruins the team. I think the Redskins could beat the Rams but unless they take care of this issue, they won't be able to come together as a team.
Winner: St. Louis Rams

New Orleans at Jacksonville:
The Jaguars will fight hard but rookie QB mistakes will be too much for them to overcome. The Saints easy in this one.
Winner: New Orleans Saints

Pittsburgh at Houston:
Oh, I hope this game is on TV. I have a feeling that Houston is going to come out big in this game. The home-field crowd, the air attack and the much-improved Houston D will have the Steelers on their back. For every good thing the Steelers accomplish, the Texans will trump them. Well, I hope so...
Winner: Houston Texans

San Francisco at Philadelphia:
The Eagles want to forget about that awful loss last week and the best way to wash that awful taste out of their mouths is to win. Luckily the 49ers are coming to town. The game will be competitive but the Eagles will want it more.
Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

New York Giants at Arizona:
My heart says to go for the Cardinals but I think that the Giants are rolling quietly in the right direction. It will not be easy for the Giants and they may have to overcome some mistakes or bad play early for them to win.
Winner: New York Giants

Atlanta at Seattle:
We will see how much heart the Falcons have. They lost a heart breaker last week and they have to travel across the country to face a team that won unexpectedly last week. I think the Falcons have some fight to take out a weaker team.
Winner: Atlanta Falcons

Miami at San Diego:
The good news is that Miami is on the road. But the bad news is that they have to travel across the country and face one of the better AFC teams who are still angry losing to the Pats two weeks ago.
Winner: San Diego Chargers

New England at Oakland:
Even though it really ticked me off, I was really impressed with the Raiders and how they ran against a tough Jets D. When it came down to it, the Raiders got what they needed out of the running game, out of QB Jason Campbell and also that young defense. The Raiders will have a much tougher time containing QB Tom Brady but they will be able to keep up in scoring. I think the Raiders are for real too. The Raiders score another major upset.
Winner: Oakland Raiders

Denver at Green Bay:
The Packers have to lose one some time right? But not against this team and not at home.
Winner: Green Bay Packers

SUNDAY NIGHT:
New York Jets at Baltimore:
I cannot wait for this game. The Ravens exploded offensively last week but they won't be able to do that to the Jets. The Jets D will be back to avenge their loss last week. Now I am sure that this is not going to surprise anyone but I am going with the Jets in an upset. The Ravens beat them last year at New York and the Jets are going to return the favor and beat the Ravens at Baltimore. Should be a fun game!
Winner: New York Jets

MONDAY NIGHT:
Indianapolis at Tampa Bay:
I didn't think the Colts would be able to hang with the Steelers last week and I was happy to be disappointed. But I think the Colts extended themselves far last week, both emotionally and physically. And on the road against an up-and-coming team? I am looking forward to watching QB Josh Freeman play.
Winner: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Random Ramblings: Feeling Blue

2011-09-26T13:15:00.000-06:00

Feeling Blue: I think that if the Jets pulled off a win yesterday I would be in a better mood. I take losses pretty hard. But I am feeling a little blue...

Feeling Blue Part II: Aside from the game, I had a pretty good day yesterday. Going to ~~the funeral~~ church did bum me out and cheer me up a bit. Our fantastic Bishop and his cute family are moving and he was released yesterday. I have known them since my family and I moved in. He was the first guy that came over to visit me. I served with him many times and I was very fortunate to teach his children in Primary. I am bummed that I will not have a chance to teach the rest of his kids.

Feeling Blue Part III: Two weekends ago was the Top of Utah marathon and I set a goal to run the 5K portion of the festivities. My knee and I never made it.

Feeling Green: On a happier note, my harvested some of our garden last week and we got some awesome looking green peppers. And a ton of them too! We are going to make a batch of Stuffed Peppers and freeze some to use for Philly Steak sandwiches.

Listening: To the first 5 Queen albums. I think I will review each album of these new remasters for the blog. Professional writers say that you should write what you know.

Feeling Giddy: I ordered the second set of Queen remasters and they are on their way. I sold some comic tradepaperbacks and I had some Amazon points to use so I only paid $10 for the set.

Thinking: I think it is time for me to make some life-altering decisions. I think it might be time for this old man to go back to school. The only problem is that I have no idea what to go back to school to learn. If you have any ideas, let me know. I do think that a career as a professional wrestler has passed me by.

Feeling Giddy Part II: That big fat X-Men hardcover that I got for free comes out in a few weeks!

Upon Further Review: Week 3 Picks

2011-09-23T11:53:00.000-06:00

I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I scored a point higher than last week, scoring an 11/16. But the bad news is that I have two trouble-causing teams that refuse to go the way I want them to go. Usually I have one team throughout the season that causes me fits but it looks like I may have two of them. Bengals and Broncos are officially on my black list.

Now on to the Week 3 picks!

Houston at New Orleans:
New Orleans is pretty tough at home and have just enough defense to slow the Texans down.
Winner: New Orleans Saints

NY Giants at Philadelphia:
If QB Vick plays the Giants have no chance. If Vick doesn't play the Giants have a slim chance. I was impressed by the Eagles backup QB Mike Kafka (he should start over Vince Young for sure) and I like the chances of the Eagles winning this game easily.
Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

Jacksonville at Carolina:
QB Cam Newton is proving that he has what it takes to compete in the NFL. And Cam will also notch his first win of the season against a reeling Jags team. It will be close but the Panthers will easily take the 2nd half.
Winner: Carolina Panthers

New England at Buffalo:
I really like the Bills chances here. I think they have an offense that will give the Pats fits. And I think that Buffalo has the momentum here. But that does not solve the Brady/Bellichek problem. Somehow the Pats will find the way to win this game.
Winner: New England Patriots

Miami at Cleveland:
Good thing for the Dolphins is that they are on the road and not playing at home. They will come in and play hard but will not take the Browns seriously. The Dolphins are struggling on defense and the Browns could run all over them.
Winner: Cleveland Browns

San Francisco at Cincinnati:
I like the Bengals chances here but they failed me last week. The 49ers should win and when they should win they usually don't. Do I have to pick this game? So what will it be Bengals?
Winner: San Francisco 49ers

Denver at Tennessee:
The Broncos are much like the Bengals to me. They both are orange and they both fail me when I call games. So what do I do now? I think the Titans will edge out the Broncos but only barely. And where is Million Dollar Man Chris Johnson? You gonna be like this all season Broncos?
Winner: Tennessee Titans

Baltimore at St. Louis:
If the Rams didn't make stupid mistakes Monday night, they could have beaten the Giants. If the Ravens play like they did last week the Rams could sneak away with a win. But the Ravens won't, an angry Ray Lewis will make sure that a repeat of last week will not happen again.
Winner: Baltimore Ravens

NY Jets at Oakland:
I was impressed with the Raiders last week that is until they melted down in the 4th quarter. The Jets are playing across country and that will hurt them. If the Raiders won last week I would totally pick them against the Jets here. But I think the Jets can win in a squeaker.
Winner: New York Jets

Kansas City at San Diego:
I feel bad for the Chiefs. I still think they can be pretty competitive, it will be interesting to see how this team reacts to all the negative stuff that has happened to the team.
Winner: San Diego Chargers

Arizona at Seattle:
I love that each NFL season is so unpredictable. Who would have thought that last year's NFC West Champion could be the worst team in the NFL? But then on the other hand, they only won 7 games last year. Seattle is a tough place to play but it is not hard enough for the Cards to overcome.
Winner: Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta at Tampa Bay:
Both teams got impressive wins last week and this game looks to be a very good one. I know it is early in the season but this game will have playoff implications. Atlanta looks to be the better team here but I am thinking that the Bucs win in a small upset.
Winner: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Green Bay at Chicago:
The Packers have to lose at least one game during the season right? And this could be it facing a tough Bears team in enemy territory. But I just don't see the Packers losing. While it would not surprise me to see the Bears win in Chicago, I am still sticking with the World Champions.
Winner: Green Bay Packers

SUNDAY NIGHT:
Pittsburgh at Indianapolis:
I really thought that the Colts could bounce back a bit without QB Peyton Manning but I was wrong. The Colts will fight hard but are hopelessly outmatched against the Steelers. This was the easiest game to pick all season.
Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers

MONDAY NIGHT:
Washington at Dallas:
Now this looks like it could be quite an entertaining game. I am still not a believer in the Redskins but they could prove doubters me wrong. If this was at Washington I would take them but I think Dallas got some momentum last week which will carry to this game at home. It will be close.
Winner: Dallas Cowboys

Even More Football!

2011-09-22T09:44:00.000-06:00

The Platis household lately has been obsessed with the sport of football. Wait a sec, I should clarify this. I have been obsessed these last few weeks with football. And now I can add another piece to that puzzle of the NFL, college games, my NFL blog columns, Madden play and the Screaming Banshees fantasy football team. Logan joined a Flag Football League.

While black is a cool color, they unfortunately are the Raiders. Guess I will have to teach them how to cheat.

He started practice last week and had his first game last night. This will be an interesting season for Logan, his coach is a lot more intense than any of his former coaches. And it is not like he is mean or anything like that, he just expects more out of these kids. It is a breath of fresh air from the last coach he had since this coach is really hands-on and he communicates with the kids and parents.

Logan has to learn a playbook and while flipping through it I saw that they are going to learn my favorite play in all of football, the Flea Flicker! I hope I don't get into trouble for publishing a play from the Raider playbook.

The team is filled with 3rd and 4th graders and since Logan is a newbie, the coach put him on the offensive line as a blocker. While I do think Logan has some speed with his long legs and can catch, I do agree with his coach on this. Logan still has a lot to learn about the game and putting him on the line will vastly improve his knowledge. He plays Left Tackle on offense and Cornerback/Safety on defense.

Logan is the one looking like he is blocking his own player.

My initial worry is that my kid is not aggressive enough to block. But after a few practices (and blocking against his old man) I think he is picking it up. I volunteered to help the coach run plays and practice and so he made me play defense and I line up against the kids on the offensive line. Some of the kids know how to block (and I have the bruises to prove it) but some of them still have to figure out how to block and more importantly who to block. I think Logan was a little confused at first with being aggressive but that passed once he learned that it was a good thing to smash the other opponent.

Logan is giving his best gameface look to the other team.

Logan also likes to rush the QB on defense.

His first game was last night and it was a revelation to the new players. Now they got to see how and who to block and Logan for the most part got the right kid. I wasn't too sure if he was enjoying himself out there since he didn't get to score or touch the ball but on the ride home he said he loved playing. I told him that blocking is not a glamorous position but it is the most important thing to do and there is no other offensive position where you can knock the other player on his arse! And that cheered him up.

It should be a fun couple of weeks. I am looking forward to seeing this team grow and learn.

New York, New York

2011-09-21T12:47:00.000-06:00

About a year or so after my return from my LDS mission to New York, I took a buddy of mine and we went back to New York City to spend some time in the Big City.

I made a few phone calls and I was able to find some accommodations in Queens with Pat and Christa. There was only two catches. We had to hit some clubs at night with Shirley and Christa and Joel and I unfortunately had to share a couch bed. But the less said about that, the better!

So Joel and I planned what we wanted to do and saved some money so we could go in the summer. My mom took Joel and I down to the airport (stopping first to grab some Stewart's sodas for the ride) and Kristy was to pick us up from the airport when we returned. Kristy and I were not married at the time, we were still dating and much to my surprise she met Joel and I at the airport before we took off. Right before I hopped the plane to New York, I stopped and turned back to Kristy and dropped to one knee and proposed.

Yes, this is how I proposed. Well, at least this is the official story we tell people. Kristy said "Yes" and I grabbed my bag and headed back down the terminal to catch my plane. I was excited to get back to the city and do some stuff that I couldn't as a missionary. I was also looking forward to seeing people I have not seen and spoken to for a long time. The plane lifted in the air and we were off.

We had a brief funny stopover in Dallas. Now I am not an avid flyer. I don't know how things go, I am not familiar with transferring and stuff like that. All I know is that we only had a brief window to get off our first plane and to grab our second flight. As Joel and I were speed walking to our second flight we came to the realization that we do not have our bags! So we ran back to the terminal baggage claim and waited and waited. But our bags did not show up! So we panicked and contacted the airport lost and found. And they were of absolute NO help. Little did we know that our bags are automatically sent to the new plane. Quit giggling folks. We had no clue how things went! So we ran back to our second flight and headed to New York.

We flew into LaGuardia airport in Queens and waited for Christa to come and pick us up. It was so good to see her. Christa and I really bonded when I served in the Jamaica area of Queens on my mission. We became fast friends and we always kept in touch when I served in other areas, in fact she probably knows more about my mission than anyone else. She was the first one to call me when I arrived home from my mission. So it was good to be around her again. We had a nice dinner with them that first night and it was a lot of fun to share my mission with my friend and to catch up.

The next few days were super busy. I do not remember how they all flowed together so here are some highlights of the trip.

Most of the nights/early mornings were spent going to dance clubs. Now I am not a big dancer but I did want to experience some of the nightlife that New York has to offer. We stayed up way late, most ~~nights~~ mornings coming in around 4 or so. Usually we would grab some breakfast before going home to catch some sleep. We went to this four story dance house called Webster Hall and it was pretty amazing. Each floor had different music to it and it was packed. One of the floors which played a lot of metal had this one old grey-bearded gentleman wearing all leather on stilts dancing away. I had a good time but I think the club life is just not for me. One night is one thing, three nights in a row is another! The last night we were there I did have a girl come on to me which made everyone in our party laugh. I thought for sure that what I had felt was just incidental bumping. But when it happened again and again and I turned around to see the girl looking right at me, I knew there was more to this story!

Joel and I didn't have cool enough clothes to go so we had to borrow these very tight shirts to go. That is Shirley, Christa and me and Joel.

Wednesdays are a great day to see a Broadway play. They have cheaper matinees on Wednesday and I wanted to see Rent. I ordered my ticket before I got to New York. Joel wanted to see something else so he went and saw Beauty and the Beast. I have to admit that it was fun to sit with a bunch of strangers and see a musical. The musical was fantastic, almost all of the original players were still there. So all of the voices I knew from the CD recording were live to see. It was great, there is nothing like seeing a Broadway play live and in person. It was well worth the money.

Joel got addicted to eating the nuts that vendors sell right on the street. He must have bought 3-4 of them on one Manhattan trip alone!
Since we were poor we didn't eat out a lot at expensive places. We did eat at the restaurant right next to David Letterman's. We decided that we should eat out at a fancy known place at least once so we chose this spot. But boy was it expensive. We only ate (and could afford) the appetizers and they were not happy about it. As soon as we were done they asked us to leave. We thought about ordering one dish and sharing it but I am sure they would have physically thrown us out if we did.
Since Joel and I are comic book geeks, we had to go see the offices of Marvel and DC. Marvel was a big disappointment aside from seeing Stan Lee's office. But DC really treated us well. They took us on an impromptu tour and let us take pictures. And of course we picked up some applications. And then we went to a few of the large comic shops and picked up some loot.

Joel and Batman. And this was one of the actual costumes worn in the movie. DC had the coolest things to see.

We also went to the top of the World Trade Centers. This is the second time I have been there and it still took my breath away. You really felt like you were at the top of the world there. You could see forever being up so high. And I warned Joel that the elevator took you up at an unbelievable pace. Seriously, in seconds you were up like fifty floors.

You can see the tall shadows the WTC's leave.

One evening Joel and I went out at about midnight or so it take Christa's dog out for a walk. As we were walking around the block we passed this guy in this dark hoodie. The dog about took his head off barking and growling at him. I yanked the dog back and walked past thinking about it. But then I got this funny feeling in my gut. I turned around and saw this guy coming back towards us. I grabbed Joel and we got back in the building and the dog went nuts again. I honestly think that this guy was coming back to mug us.
I also had to stop at a sports shop to look for some Jets gear. I found an old shirt and a Keyshawn Johnson jersey so I snagged them both.

Christa allowed me to take her car and go visit people. So Joel and I spent Sunday going to see people. We first went to Rego Park and go to church there in my old branch. I recognized a few of the people and I was surprised when someone came in and sat beside me. The member had fallen away from the church and he had a bit of a falling out with me and my companion too. I didn't think I would see him again and in church no less. But it was great to see Auggie and catch up with him. After church we walked down to see John Libretto. I pressed the buzzer and told him that the missionaries were here and he told us to come up. He about died when he saw that it was me coming up. We had a great visit (and lunch of course) and then he gave us a ride down to Jamaica so I could see my old Richmond Hills branch. The Branch President recognized me in the audience and had me stand up. He said that I was a a missionary that would not give up on me and that is true. Kevin was very interested in joining the church but we could never get together although I called him at least every week or so. Now he is the Branch President of that branch. Afterwards we went into Brooklyn and saw Rose and then went to Jackson Heights and saw Ingrid, people I spent a lot of time with while on my mission. And it was great catching up with them. That evening Joel and I took the car and went to Staten Island and saw the Bowman's. They are a wonderful family that I absolutely loved. They treated us to one of Staten Island's famous pizza pies and we spent the evening with them. It made me miss my mission quite a bit. What I won't miss is the driving. It sure gets crazy there.

Me, Linda and Steve with Tina and Jonathon Bowman

I was going to show Joel some of the areas that I used to serve in. We stopped at a subway stop and we almost got out. But I have to admit that I didn't feel quite right, I didn't feel totally safe just walking in that area. So we stayed on the subway and headed into Manhattan. Funny how things can change when you are not protected as a missionary anymore.
Speaking of riding the subway, one of the funnest things that I like to do while in New York was taking the subway. I could spend hours just people watching. There are so many colorful characters that you will never get to see again anywhere that ride the trains. Joel had an experience that I don't think he will forget anytime soon. He was standing in the subway car when suddenly the car jerked a bit (which it does often) and Joel accidentally stepped on this guy's foot. The guy yelled at him and Joel said he was sorry but then it happened again and the Middle Eastern guy really let Joel have it. He was yelling at him to not stand so close to him and stuff like that. The look on Joel's face was priceless. Oh the joys of riding the subway.
Christa gave us a ride to the airport and it was sad to go. We only spent a few days in New York and barely was able to do what we wanted. There was just not enough time to do it all. But we had a fantastic time there. The plane ride home was something to remember as well. LaGuardia Airport has the shortest runway in the whole United States. During takeoff you would look down and see runway and then you would liftoff and suddenly you would see ocean! It was that quick and a bit nerve racking. But it was neat to see the city as you lift off from Queens. During the plane ride home we chatted and did some doodling. A stewardess noticed our artwork and asked if she could take them to the pilot so he could see them. She talked with us for quite a while on the plane ride home. It was on this plane trip that I first formed my ideas for my first novel, The Vessel.

Joel's cartoons

Mine

New York will always be a special place for me. It was a good experience while on my mission and it was a good experience going back with Joel. I wish I could go back again.

Upon Further Review: Week Two Picks

2011-09-16T17:20:00.000-06:00

I noticed that I still have not made my playoff picks yet. I better get on that before you all accuse me of being on the bandwagon of whoever is winning at the time.

There were so many good games last week and a few surprises. I scored a decent 10/16, and what ticks me off is that I really should have taken the Raiders. It was a last second change to go with the Broncos and that will never happen again. I knew I should have taken the Raiders just to spite my Colorado cousins.*

So how will Week Two go?

Oakland at Buffalo:
Boy the Bills sure handed the Chiefs their arse. The Bills looked really good and that confidence should help them in their first home game. The crowd will definitely be loud and will help the Bills. The Raiders should be flying high after beating Denver at Mile High and also tying a record field goal that was accomplished by a Denver kicker at Denver. They will play hard but playing late Monday night and flying across the country to face a hot team will be too much for them to overcome. And the Bills showed that they can handle power runners.
Winner: Buffalo Bills

Kansas City at Detroit:
I didn't expect the Lions to win last week. I thought for sure that they would win this week in an upset but now I don't think this qualifies as an upset. The Chiefs are in some deep trouble already and need to run the ball down the Lion's throats to have a chance. The crowd will help lift the Lions in their home-opener and stun the already-stunned Chiefs.
Winner: Detroit Lions

Baltimore at Tennessee:
The Ravens sure looked good last week and I expect them to continue to roll here. The Titans will play them hard but the Ravens have way too much talent to let the Titans sneak up on them. The energy from throttling the Steelers will continue here.
Winner: Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland at Indianapolis:
The Browns sure laid an egg last week. I think I have learned a lesson in picking the Browns, especially as a lock-of-the-week. The Colts looked so lost last week but I expect them to bounce back. It would not surprise me if the Browns won but I think the Colts have a small edge.
Winner: Indianapolis Colts

Tampa Bay at Minnesota:
The Vikings played pretty good in a losing effort but they really need McNabb to throw more than the measly amount he threw last week. The Bucs lost a game that they really should have won at home last week and I expect them to bounce back in a major way. The Buccs will win on the road in a close one.
Winner: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Chicago at New Orleans:
The Saints defense worries me a little here but I think they can hold off the Bears enough for the win.
Winner: New Orleans Saints

Jacksonville at New York Jets:
The Jets should win this game but I really worry about RB Maurice Jones-Drew catching the ball in the flat. The Jags will stay in the game because of that reason alone. The Jets will go back to pounding the ball with the run which will lead to some fun play-action passing which will win the game.
Winner: New York Jets

Seattle at Pittsburgh:
This is just what the Steelers needed to get back on track. The Seahawks will continue to struggle offensively and the defense will have its hands full holding an angry Steelers team. The Steelers better be careful because they Seahawks could catch them by surprise. But that is a big "could".
Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers

Arizona at Washington:
A cross country road trip will spell doom for the Cardinals. They will hang in there but will be outclassed by the Redskins and their running game.
Winner: Washington Redskins

Green Bay at Carolina:
I don't see a repeat performance for the Panthers in this game. The Packers will welcome rookie QB Cam Newton to the NFL in this game. The Packers will start a little slow because of the layoff between games but once they start rolling, they will not be stopped.
Winner: Green Bay Packers

Dallas at San Francisco:
I feel bad for QB Tony Romo. I do think he is quite talented but it seems like he keeps getting the raw side of the deal. He should bounce back this week but for some reason I see the 49ers taking it to them. My gut instinct says that the 49ers will renew that old intense rivalry by handing it to the Cowboys. This will be the Upset-of-the-Week.
Winner: San Francisco 49ers

Cincinnati at Denver:
Ugh, I don't want to call this game. I am not a believer in the Bengals but they proved to me that they will go down fighting. But then they won against the Browns. The Broncos will definitely go down fighting but they laid a Mile High Egg last Monday night. The Bengals have no business winning games but the Broncos are on a short week, playing extra late on a Monday night in a losing effort. But the Broncos are more talented than the Bengals so I should go with them right?
~~Winner: Denver Broncos~~
Yeah, I am not falling for that one again.
Winner: Cincinnati Bengals

Houston at Miami:
Miami's defense must be freaking out. The Pats posted major numbers on them and the Texans can post major numbers too. The good thing for Miami is it looks like QB Chad Henne can post up some great numbers on his own but I think the Houston defense has enough to stall the Dolphins enough to win in a shoot-out.
Winner: Houston Texans

San Diego at New England:
Now I am not a fan of the Pats but I will give them their due. They look like a machine out there, a large offensive juggernaut. The Chargers got a rare early-season win last week but they go on the road across country and face the Pats in a home-opener. This will be a slugfest but I think the Pats will win because they are at home. If the game was in San Diego, I would take the Chargers.
Winner: New England Patriots

SUNDAY NIGHT
Philadelphia at Atlanta:
Michael Vick comes back to Atlanta will be the main storyline, which is unfortunate because this will be quite the game. The Falcons looked horrid last week in Chicago and I expect them to bounce back this week. But it won't be enough as the Eagles win in a squeaker. The Eagles defense will make a few plays that will change the game.
Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

MONDAY NIGHT
St. Louis at New York Giants
The Rams injuries will unfortunately make the difference here. The Giants want to erase the bitter taste of losing last week and they will be out in force against the Rams. But the Giants have injuries of their own too so I expect the Rams to play them tough. But it won't be enough.
Winner: New York Giant

*only teasing... maybe

Survey Says! The Sequel

2011-09-15T15:07:00.000-06:00

About a month ago I blogged about getting this expensive book for free by simply taking surveys online. I was very satisfied that I was able to afford this huge sucker for spending very little time taking these surveys. It only took me a little over a month to earn that book.

Well, there is a good reason why this blog is a sequel!

Since I ordered my book back on August 11th, I have earned $59 by taking these surveys. And not only that, I also earned an additional $15 by participating in an Allergy Panel (which I got from taking one of these surveys). So what did that add up too?

I know, I know. I spent all that money on a comic book!

Well EXCUSE ME! It is my moola!

I cannot believe how easy this really is. I may never have to pay for my comic book habit again! So what is next? I still have two Queen boxsets to get but I may put that off for a little bit and grab some books that I have always wanted.

I won't blog about this again (well, I will probably blog the day I get these in my grubby hands) but I highly recommend doing this. So far, (and I am not doing this to brag) I have earned $135.60 in just a few months!

Random Ramblings: Graphic-Free Edition

2011-09-12T16:32:00.003-06:00

Watching: FOOTBALL! Oh man, I sure love opening week. Sooo much football! And opening week did not disappoint. Looking forward to two more games tonight.

Plotting: So I actually did some writing the other day. Well, not actual writing but I did some plotting for my next novel. The NaNoWriMo competition is just a few scant months away and I have no idea of what to write. So I got out my trusty notebook and jotted down some notes. And I think I have something I am interested in writing. I am planning on doing some more brainstorming tonight during the Pats/Phins game.

Eating: I stopped by the Farmer's Market last Saturday and I picked up a loaf of Kalamata Olive bread. The guy gave me a super deal (I didn't have enough money with me at the time) and the best part is that Logan and Kristy do not like the olives. So the bread is all mine! And by Yoda, it is tasty bread!

Bottling: Our neighbor gave us a box of pears so Kristy and I spent most of our Saturday bottling them. I dislike the whole bottling process but in the end it is nice to see the finished product. One of the jars did not seal correctly so we tossed it in the fridge and ate them for dinner last night. Yeah, while I hate bottling, I love eating. They were so good.

Tackling: So Logan joined a Flag Football league and his first practice was Saturday. He has never played football but because of me he knows quite a bit about the game. It looked like he was having a lot of fun and next week I get to join him as a tackling dummy.

Listening: The last of the Queen Remasters were released last week and I have listened to them all and I think this last set of albums were the best. Unfortunately I won't be able to purchase them when they come out late November but luckily I can listen to the new bonus stuff right off the internet. What would I do without the internet?

Reading: During my vacation last week I caught up on a comic series called the Unwritten and it is blowing my mind! I recommend checking it out, the language can get a little spicy at times just to warn you. It is a fascinating read twist on books and writing.

Tom Taylor's life was screwed from the word go. His father created the mega-popular Tommy Taylor boy-wizard fantasy novels. But dad modeled the fictional epic so closely to Tom that fans constantly compare him to his counterpart, turning him into a lame, Z-level celebrity. When a scandal hints that Tom might really be the boy-wizard made flesh, Tom comes into contact with a mysterious, deadly group that's secretly kept tabs on him all his life. Now, to protect his life and discover the truth behind his origins, Tom will travel the world, to all the places in world history where fictions have shaped reality.

Wondering: Just where are the pictures?

Upon Further Review: Week 1

2011-09-10T14:33:00.001-06:00

The Packer/Saint game was all that I thought it would be. Lots and lots of scoring and some good 'ol tackling. And best of all, I am 1-0 in my weekly predictions. I should quit while I am ahead, already I am doing better than last year.

Atlanta at Chicago:

If this game was during the winter months I would give the Bears the edge. Since Atlanta is playing in decent weather they have enough tools and talent to edge past the Bears.

Winner: Chicago Bears

Cincinnati at Cleveland:

Cleveland is going to be one of the more surprising teams in the AFC. The Bungles are headed nowhere. Lock of the Week here folks!

Winner: Cleveland Browns

Buffalo at Kansas City:

The Chiefs should be very careful with this game. The Bills are a better team than they were last year and they could sneak right up on the Chiefs. Luckily for the Chiefs, it is opening day and it is kinda difficult for a team to be snuck up on.

Winner: Kansas City Chiefs

Detroit at Tampa Bay:

I would love to watch this game. Two teams that are definitely heading in the right direction and the two teams I am very interested in. The Lions will play very hard and will come close but the Bucs will get the victory in the 4th quarter. The Lions will have to wait to get that first win.

Winner: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Philadelphia at St. Louis:
It will take the Eagles a little to start to gel together and they will need to be careful because the Rams will be ready for a slobberknocker. The Rams will come up just short.
Winner: Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee at Jacksonville:

This is a hard game to call. I like the Titans chances with a new QB than Jacksonville. And I am sure that RB Chris Johnson has a chip on his shoulder.

Winner: Tennessee Titans

Pittsburgh at Baltimore:

The Ravens need to win this game to help secure homefield advantage away from the Steelers. Yeah, I am already talking playoffs.

The Ravens will get the win in a thriller.

Winner: Baltimore Ravens

Indianapolis at Houston:

This is the Texans best chance to secure the division away from Peyton Manning. But they better be careful and not think that they have this game in the bag. QB Painter or QB Collins will be slinging away. But it won't be enough on the road.

Winner: Houston Texans

New York Giants at Washington:

The Giants OWN this team. But for some reason, Redskins RB Tim Hightower will steal the show. I smell an upset here.

Winner: Washington Redskins

Seattle at San Francisco:

Boy, this could either be quite the stinker or quite the entertaining game. Since it is Week One, I think it will be a stinker that both teams wouldn't want to be claimed as the winner. But one of them has to so I will go with the home team. The 49ers coach will at least have them playing hard.

Winner: San Francisco 49ers

Minnesota at San Diego:

History says that I should take the Vikings. But maybe, just maybe the Chargers have learned something from history.

Winner: San Diego Chargers

Carolina at Arizona:

I am sure the Cardinals HC is slobbering at the idea of facing a rookie QB on opening day. Surprisingly, the Cardinals aerial offense, which was lost last season, will be found.

Winner: Arizona Cardinals

SUNDAY NIGHT:

Dallas at New York Jets:

It will hard to contain the emotion. I will be thinking of the city of New York right up until kickoff. This will be the most emotional game the Jets will play in and it could take some time before all the players settle in and just play the game. The Jets will win one for New York.

Winner: New York Jets

MONDAY NIGHT:

Ooooo... ...a double-header!

New England at Miami:

The Pats will blitz the crap out of QB Chad Henne and that will lead to some costly turnovers. The Dolphins will play hard but the Pats will prove to be too much. Even though it was only a preseason loss to the Lions, the Pats will want to show on national TV that they are the team to beat.

Winner: New England Patriots

Oakland at Denver:

Last year I picked the Raiders to beat the Broncos at Denver and I think I was the only one to pick them. Not only did the Raiders win, they throttled the Broncos 59-14. Can it happen again? The Broncos will do everything they can to avenge themselves. But the Raiders know they can win in Denver. But can they win in a national televised game? They have not done that in 7 years or so. Argh! Decisions decisions.

Winner: Oakland Raiders... ...wait, Denver. No, no, the Raiders.

Real Winner: Denver Broncos

Upon Further Review: NFC Predictions

2011-09-08T13:09:00.000-06:00

So I spent all that time making a new banner and I totally forgot to put it in yesterday's columns.

Now to the NFC!

NFC EAST

While I do think the Eagles have enough talent to take the NFC East (only if QB Michael Vick can remain healthy) I am not convinced that this new dream team will make it to the Superbowl (remember the Heat?) and win it all. It will be close though. A 11-5 campaign should be in reach.

Don't forget about America's Team. They still have some talent to make a nice run to the playoffs. Again though, as long as QB Tony Romo is healthy, they should be able to compete for the NFC East title and a wildcard spot. If the running game works, watch out! A 10-6 record fits.

Injuries will take their toll on this team. While HC Tom Coughlin will make this team play heard, they just don't have the players to back it up. They should be able to score a lot of points but I don't think they could win many shootouts. A disappointing 7-9 season for the G-Men.

I like what QB Mike Shanahan is doing with the Redskins except for the QB situation. I am just not a big believer in both QB John Beck and Rex Grossman. The Redskins could not figure out who they wanted to play QB and Grossman is on a short leash. Beck probably get some playing time but he is still pretty raw. The QB situation is not settled and that will result in the the team struggling. A 6-10 season might be a little mean since they really do have some talent.

NFC SOUTH

The Saints will only get better this season and will make a play for the Superbowl. The only thing that concerns me about this team is the running game and the lack of a true RB. It seems that RB Mark Ingram is the answer but that is not a sure thing. While the running game is questionable, QB Drew Brees is not. A 11-5 season will be good enough in a very tough division.

Tampa Bay impressed the heck out of me last year and QB Josh Freeman is turning into one of my favorite players to watch. They barely missed the playoffs last year and with the young team remaining intact, they will compete for the NFC South and the wildcard. They will win just enough games against divisional opponents to grab a wildcard at 10-6.

The Falcons will be a tough team but I am not a fan of the their running game and I see it struggling this year. This team will also struggle against the rest of the NFC South and will unfortunately be in the Buccs position last year. A winning record at 9-7 but edged out of the playoffs.

The Panthers will struggle under new rookie QB Cam Newton. And they are rebuilding and under a new coach. Those things just don't add up to contending. Don't get me wrong though, they will be tough and they will easily play spoiler to other playoff teams. I expect a decent 5-11 record for this team.

NFC NORTH

The defending Superbowl Champions will have a harder road back to the playoffs. They will be a stronger team than last year and will be very tough to beat. But they have a huge target on them and they play in a very tough division. They will take the NFC North but not without a fight with a 12-4 record.

The Lions are my surprise team in the NFL and they will challenge the Pack for the NFC North title. The Lions are still young and they will make some mistakes but this will be a big season for them. They will secure a winning record but will miss the playoffs just by a thread. They will lose a tiebreaker because of their divisional record. But celebrate Lion fans, they will be 10-6.

We forget that the Bears actually won the NFC North last year and they will be competitive this year as well. But I am just a believer in QB Jay Cutler. He has the skills but he lacks the drive to be consistent. The Bears will win a bunch of games but will only post an 8-8 record.

The Vikings window is closing quickly and I like the move to bring QB Donovan McNabb in. Unfortunately they still will be feeling the effects of the major disappointment of last season and it will result in a slow start. Even with RB Adrian Peterson's monster numbers, the Vikings will struggle and with rivals like these, they will be on the outside looking in. Another disappointing 7-9 campaign.

NFC WEST

I feel that the Rams know that they can take this division. Last year a 7-9 team took the division and the Rams were just barely out of contention. QB Sam Bradford looks ready to go to the next level and with veteran leadership provided by RB Steven Jackson, I can see this team easily taking the title in the weakest division. And this time, a team with a winning record of 9-7 will take it.

Don't count out the Cards just yet. The addition of QB Kevin Kolb will help this team stay competitive and will challenge the Rams but unfortunately will lose some games that they should have won. They will be edged out 8-8.

The 49ers will be a new team. But that will be when they get rid of the old team. I see the 49ers getting better and better but it will not be this year. New HC Jim Harbaurgh will get this team excited and ready to play, they just need some new personnel. A rough 5-11 record will keep this team in the cellar.

The Seahawks won the division last year but will be hard pressed to win it again this year. I am not convinced that the QB situation will be the one to take them to the top. While the team will play hard for the ol' ball coach, I just don't seeing it translate into wins. It will be a growing season for the Seahawks and a 3-13 record is not hard to see.

New Orleans at Green Bay: Oh boy, hang on to your hats! The Saints will give the Packers all they can handle but homefield advantage takes the win. I do smell a rematch in the future in the NFC Championship game.
Winner: Green Bay Packers

And I will have some playoff predictions coming up before Sunday.

Upon Further Review: AFC

2011-09-07T08:54:00.000-06:00

A new NFL season is just upon us and I cannot be happier. Not only am I passionate about the game, watching football evokes strong memories of the past. Some of my best times were associated around the NFL. Even some Sunday dinners taste better because of football. It is just good to have it back.

Here are my AFC Predictions.

AFC EAST

I know, I know. I picked my favorite team to take the AFC East. But I have good reason why. The Jets have been the Wildcard for the last two years and I think they have realized that they need to have home-field advantage to take them past the AFC Championship. I think this happens this season. The Jets go 11-5 and win the tie-breaker over the Pats.

The Pats made some significant moves during the off-season that will definitely put them in the playoff hunt. I am just not convinced that the Pats can win big games and I am not convinced that the running game will be successful. But I can see the Pats going 11-5 and snagging a Wildcard playoff spot.

The Dolphins will have a fantastic defense but unfortunately they could quite possibly have no offense to score the much-needed points. RB Reggie Bush will not solve the loss of their running game and QB Chad Henne really needs to step up this season. A 6-10 record may be too nice to call.

There is some reason to hope in Buffalo. Offensively the Bills should be able to put up some points but I am not a believer in the defense and the ability to close out games. The Bills are on the way up though. A 6-10 record is something they may be able to surpass.

AFC SOUTH

It seems like every year will be the year the Texans take the next step. I have believed that for the last two years and like a sucker, I am going with them again. While I do see the running game being not as productive as last year, I do see it being strong enough to help the Texans offensively. The defense should be much improved from last year and that will help propel the Texans to the next level. 9-7 should be enough for them to win the AFC South.

For the first time in years, QB Peyton Manning may not be able to start the season and that will hurt the Colts. They will still be competitive but the edge that Manning gives them will be gone for the first couple of games. Just enough to come 2nd to the Texans. A 9-7 or 8-8 record will not be good enough and the Colts will miss the playoffs for the first time in years.

RB Chris Johnson and a decent defense will give the Titans some swagger but not enough to challenge for the AFC South title. Unfortunately for all the other teams in the division, they will play spoiler. 6-11 could be a high number of games for the Titans to win.

I would have ranked the Jags higher but with news hitting just yesterday that they were releasing their starting QB I just don't have confidence in them. It looks like they do not have confidence either. Now the Jags did the same thing a few seasons ago when they released QB Leftwich and they went on to win but I don't see lightning striking twice. I see a 4-12 record with RB Drew-Jones winning those games on his own. But he can't win them all.

AFC NORTH

I like what the Ravens have done this off-season, especially bringing speedy WR Lee Evans over. This team should be able to post some major points on opponents and they need to learn that they need to win against the Steelers and home-field advantage to go farther in the playoffs. Like the Jets, they will do it this year. 12-4 will easily take this division.

Most teams that make the Superbowl and lose usually will have a sub-par season the next one. I just don't see HC Mike Tomlin letting the Steelers get away with it. They have offensive line issues that other teams will attack and they could have some Superbowl hangover issues but not enough for them to miss the playoffs. They will snag a Wildcard spot and cause major headaches for the other AFC playoff teams.

The Browns are heading in the right direction but are still young and a few players away from being playoff contenders. Unfortunately for them they also play in a division with two of the AFC's major powers. QB Colt McCoy will have some growing pains this season but will also show some flashes of greatness. This will be a team no one will want to take lightly.

It didn't take that long for the Bengals to become the Bungles again. I have a hard time seeing this team be competitive with all the strife management causes with the players. Some players will play hard because that is who they are but some players will merely phone it in. Why play hard for a team that has no player loyalty? This will be the worst team in the NFL and a 2-14 record is too kind.

AFC WEST

If the Chargers win during the first two months of the season then they should have the AFC West division all to themselves. But that is a major if since they consistently struggle during the first part of the season. But they are a complete team and QB Phillip Rivers will win games through his sheer will. A 12-4 record should be easy for them in a relatively weak division.

The Chiefs will not be able to sneak up on anyone this season. And the Chiefs will continue to struggle with winning teams. Unfortunately for them, the Chiefs will be competitive for a Wildcard playoff spot but will take a step backward this season. I like the Chiefs running game and that will keep them going but I don't think they have the will to close out games. A 9-7 record though is nothing to be ashamed about.

I picked the Raiders are a surprise team last year and they did decent last year but with some of the players they lost during the off-season, I just don't see them improving this year. I like what they are doing and feel they are heading up but they are still a few players short of taking the AFC West title. They will certainly make it difficult for the others though. 8-8 is better than a losing record.

New HC John Fox will have this Bronco team ready and they will play hard but they lack offensive firepower. And if you don't score points, you won't win games. And I am not convinced that the running game has anything to offer. Defensively they look mediocre and that doesn't bode well. 5-11 might be the best they could do.

Random Ramblings: The Aftermath

2011-09-06T16:06:00.002-06:00

Yawning: Man, I am still tired. I didn't get a lot of sleep this weekend with the reunion and all and last night I think I was a little too keyed up.

Freaking: So I learned this past weekend that I still don't like heights. We rode a ski lift and a gondola up the mountain and I thought I would be just fine. Well, think again, I was definitely not a fan!

Lazing by the pool.

Cheering: The NFL returns this Thursday and I am very excited. I still have to crank out a couple of NFL blogs before Thursday! And I also need to make my picks for the weekend as well!

Blogging: Just not in the mood. I am outta here!

Football Fever!

2011-09-01T16:17:00.000-06:00

I think I have finally succumbed to Football Fever. It has taken awhile for this to have finally take over. I think the hot weather has had something to do with it since Football Fever needs cooler, fall-like temperatures to thrive.

The weather is still pretty warm for this time of year so you would think that I could fight off this yearly sickness. But yesterday I finally found a copy of Athlon's Pro Football Annual (I have bought this magazine every year for the last thirteen years) and I bought the newest Madden game. I sold Madden 11 online with a couple of other games and CDs I was no longer needing and got enough to mostly cover the price of the game. I think I will have to only pay one dollar when it is all settled. Combine that with my two Fantasy Football leagues (one drafted last Sunday) and I gave in.

I love those Athlon magazines. I still re-read the old ones.

With all this football activity, I knew that I HAVE to blog about it. The writing/blogging bug is itching bad! I looked at last year's blog and that only worsened my condition. I was going to start today by giving my NFC predictions but my old Upon Further Review banner was looking old. So I created a brand new one that I am about 80 percent satisfied with.

When I get back from Park City (Huzzah! Platis Family Reunion!) I will post my NFC and AFC predictions (in separate blogs) when I get back.

Logan in 3rd Grade

2011-08-29T12:43:00.000-06:00

Logan started the 3rd grade last week and that makes me feel a little old. I remember 3rd grade pretty well and it doesn't feel that it was THAT long ago. I hope he gets along with his teacher, I certainly didn't. 3rd grade was my worst one in elementary school.

Before he went to school...

The obligatory picture after his 1st day back to school.

Seriously, when did I get so old?

Random Ramblings: All Belinda Edition!

2011-08-26T12:59:00.000-06:00

Looking Forward: What a horrible rough week. One that I am so glad to see come to an end. Almost every thing has become a major disappointment. Last week I had such high hopes and this week saw all of them come crashing down. I guess I shouldn't complain but this is my blog and I'll complain if I want too! I am looking forward to next week already. It can't possibly get worse right?

*knocks on wood*

Committing: I have not blogged as much as I thought I would when I completed my 365 Challenge. It has been a lot more difficult than I have anticipated, I am easily distracted and have had issues coming up with ideas. Combine that with the bigger problem of being plain lazy and it is crystal clear why I am not blogging as much. So I am trying a new approach, I am going to try to blog every other day. If that happens to land on a Sunday, I can call an audible and blog if only I have something I can blog about. We'll see how this goes.

Listening: Belinda Carlisle's A Place on Earth. I bought this CD on eBay a few years ago. It is a set of her greatest hits along with a bonus disc of remixes. This CD is not available here in the States which is why I resorted to eBay and it was worth every penny.

Reading: A few days ago, I was stressing that I have not read a book yet this quarter. I finally broke open my copy of Belinda Carlisle's autobiography that I picked up months ago and dug in. And I can now check that goal off my checklist! Lips Unsealed was not was I was expecting. It was a very detailed look at her life and her battle with cocaine addiction. Now I knew that she partied while with the Go-Go's but I had no clue that she was coked up for many years after and that it was just recently that she finally conquered those demons. It was hard to read about someone you admire go through such hell. Aside from the drugs, it was a neat peek behind the scenes behind her music. Some things that I learned that I didn't know was that she didn't think she could sing. Beatle George Harrison also played on one of her songs because he loved her voice. When she was younger she snuck into a hotel to try to meet Freddie Mercury and those events led to her forming the Go-Go's. Quite interesting stuff and it makes me appreciate her music even more since she definitely came off very humble and human. Great stuff!

Plucking: My fingers are sore from playing the bass. I have been trying to learn some new songs by yup, you guessed it. Belinda Carlisle. Some songs have been easy to pick out but my favorite song, Summer Rain has been elusive.

Laughing: Sometimes the internet comes up with something that for some reason just gets me. I found this cat video at work the other day and I can't stop watching it. Both my dad and I must have watched this for ten minutes straight laughing our heads off. Oh man, my side hurts again.

Familiar Faces

2011-08-24T16:02:00.000-06:00

Logan brought home this free magazine from Aunt Lynn's house (which was from the grocery store Macey's) the other day.

As we were flipping through it we found a few familiar faces.

Hey look! Some of my ol' fellow bloggers are here! It is a shame that this is the first time in months that I have seen them. And to see them I have to open up a magazine!

Random Ramblings: Get Shorty

2011-08-22T14:57:00.000-06:00

Writing: I have struggled greatly what I should blog about. A few years ago I translated my mission journal into a nice formal book and I have debated whether I should publish it here on the blog. There are some things that I wouldn't mind sharing but there are some things that might be better left unsaid. I am running out of ideas here!

Listening: Men Without Hats - Pop Goes the World. My sister's first husband gave me a cassette of this and I really liked it. I tracked down the CD through eBay and that is one of the few CDs that I cannot let go of. It is not available here in the States so you might have to track it down online. I highly recommend it and it certainly takes me back to the days.

So cheesy!

Reading: I only have a few days before the quarter is up and I have not even started my new book! I better get a move on.

Listening Part II: Yesterday I had the pleasure of hearing Elder Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at a special Stake meeting here in Logan. He was very serious but very funny at the same time. He said a lot of things that I felt I needed to hear. In fact, my mind was wandering a bit (a kid distracted me) and suddenly he said in a very loud voice, "Listen Up!" Could he tell I was not paying attention? I made sure that didn't happen again. His talk made me want to get up and do something. I have been debating back and forth with myself if these promptings I have been getting are for real or just something else. I don't want to get into all the details but I was disqualifying them because they seemed to be "out of my jurisdiction". But he said something that struck me and quickly changed my mind. It was fantastic to hear him speak (Logan even got to meet him) and I will definitely heed his challenge.

Watching: I caught Rise of the Planet of the Apes last week. I went in not expecting anything and I came out quite enthralled and entertained. That may be the best summer movie I have seen. The special effects were unbelievable. It had a lot of heart to it and I was surprised how John Lithgow's character really affected me. It had some very fun nods to the original and it made me eager to see more. That had to be one of the best prequels I have ever seen.

Typing: But than erasing... ...so I guess I don't know what else to say so I will quit.

My Life According to Queen

2011-08-19T14:43:00.001-06:00

I got this off of Facebook awhile back and thought it would make a fun blog post. And I curious to see if my original choices were the same.

Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think! Post/bog this as "My Life According to (BAND NAME)"

Pick Your Artist:
Queen

Are You Male or Female?
White Man

Describe Yourself?
Doing All Right

How Do You Feel?
Under Pressure

Describe Where You Currently Live:
Good Company

If You Could Go Anywhere, Where Would You Go?
Seaside Rendezvous

Speaking of Queen... I would LOVE this t-shirt.

Your Favorite Form Of Transportation:
I'm in Love With My Car

Your Best Friend:
Sweet Lady

Your Favourite Color Is:
My Melancholy Blues

What's The Weather Like?
It's a Beautiful Day

Favourite Time Of Day:
Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon

If Your Life Was A TV Show, What Would It Be Called?
Some Day One Day

What Is Life For You?
Play The Game

Your Relationships:
Staying Power

Looking For:
The Miracle

Have:
Dear Friends

Wouldn't Mind:
Heaven for Everyone

Your Fear:
Ride the Wild Wind

What Is The Best Advice You Have To Give?
Don't Lose Your Head

If You Could Change Your Name, What Would You Change It To?
Flash

Thought For The Day:
The Show Must Go On

How I Would Like To Die:
Sheer Heart Attack (it was either that or Chinese Torture or Dragon Attack)

My Soul's Present Condition:
Was It All Worth It?

My Motto:
Hang On in There

Bear Lake

2011-08-16T15:33:00.000-06:00

Last Tuesday my sister Jennifer invited my family and I up to Bear Lake to spend the day with them at Justin's father's cabin. It sounded like it would be fun and it would be nice to dip our hot feet in a cold lake so we headed up there after I was done with work.

I have not been to Bear Lake in a year or so and I was shocked to see how full the lake was. Normally, you would have to walk and walk and walk to get to the water from the shore. But this time the water was right up to the road. The cabin was not even a stones throw away from the water. I have never seen it so full in my life!

If you look beyond the boat you might be able to see a patch of trees. That is where the water was last year.

The cabin was so awesome. It was better than most homes I have been in.

Normally I am not much of a water guy but I ventured on the jetski with Kristy driving.

We came back and snagged Logan. He was not a fan of it either but by the time we got back we were both used to it.

It was fun just to sit back in the fresh air, eat some Canadian candy (thanks Jennifer!) and chat and relax. It was a very nice day getaway.

Random Ramblings: BOOGER!

2011-08-15T14:21:00.000-06:00

Wondering: I will give a shout-out to anyone who guesses why I named the column the way I did. Any takers?

Watching: Kristy and I have been slowly going through the first season of one of my all-time favorite shows in WKRP in Cincinnati. When I was a kid I wanted to be Dr. Johnny Fever and I would pretend to be a DJ all the time growing up. Watching this awesome show makes me want to be a DJ again. Which leads to...

E-mailing: I am e-mailing a local radio station (a Classic Rock station that I listen to a lot) and asking if they offer any type of internships or if they are currently hiring. Don't get me wrong, I like what I am doing but I don't love it. We'll see where this could lead. I might as well check it out. I have had pretty good luck before.

Chewing: My dad and his family recently came back from Canada and they brought back loads of candy. And much to my surprise they brought back something I used to love as a kid that I thought they didn't make anymore. There were these gums called "Chews" and they came in all sorts of flavors. They were really cheap gum and each piece had a flavor of its own. They would all have a fruit flavor, depending on the pack you bought, but some of them would have a mint flavor to them and some of them were extremely sour. In fact, whenever I think of them, my jaws ache. I am so glad they are back and I totally want to get more of them.

Cherry and Grape Chews. They are no longer called Chews but they are exactly the same thing.

Watching Part II: Looking forward to this evening. My mom is coming over for dinner and we are watching the first preseason Jets game. So happy that football is back. I got my first invite for Fantasy Football and look forward to getting into that. I am still debating if I should do a column here on the blog like I did last year. It was a lot of work but it was fun.

Drinking: Remember the Pop Shop? I was at a local grocery store and saw that old familiar Pop Shop logo. And not only that, they had a Lime Rickey flavor so I had to try it.

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed. It was not as flavorful as I expected it. I might have to get the Root Beer one to see if it tastes like I remember it. Root Beer was my favorite flavor back then.

Listening: So I finally used some of my birthday money and got the first Queen Remasters Box Set. The sound is definitely improved. The first two albums (Queen and Queen II) had the most dramatic improvement. That made the purchase worth it but the 2nd bonus discs have been a lot of fun. It is fun to hear other versions and demos and it makes me appreciate the band a whole lot more. I look forward to the next set and hopefully with those surveys, I can get it for free.

Smarting: My knee is still giving me fits and it looks like I may not be able to run a 5K. I went running last week and it seemed fine but today I did a small walking/running workout and it hurts. I hate being old.

Staring: Kristy and Logan went down to Antelope Island and snagged this beautiful sunset. I could stare at this for hours.

Catching Up: Boy I have a lot of catching up reading blogs!

Watching Part III: I caught Captain America: The First Avenger and even though I knew what was going to happen going in (being a comic geek and all) I was pleasantly surprised by the whole thing. Of course I like the WWII era and I love Nazis being enemies. This movie surpassed my expectations, I was thinking it would be the weakest of the Marvel movies but I think this one was the strongest. Fun stuff and Chris Evans is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors.

Watching Part IV: I also caught Cowboys and Aliens last week. The movie was definitely entertaining and I thought that the special effects were absolutely breathtaking. The acting was good, but then what do you expect with Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig? The supporting actors were just as great. Aside from that, I thought that the movie was rather ho-hum and full of cliches. I think my 25 plus years of reading comics (and this was based on a comic) has spoiled me. It was rather predictable and didn't offer anything that would set this movie apart from others. If you have seen a Western movie in your life, then you have seen most of this movie. And if you have seen an Alien Invasion movie, you have seen this movie too. It is not like I didn't enjoy it, because I thought it was fun but it was nothing new.

Survey Says!

2011-08-11T15:14:00.000-06:00

About a month ago I shared a way that you can take online surveys and get paid for them with the goal of getting this book through Amazon absolutely free.

Claremont/Lee X-Men Omnibus Vol 1

Well, guess what?

I have now completed enough surveys to pre-order this baby!

HUZZAH!

And it was way easy to get my Amazon code. All I had to do is click on a link and they immediately sent an Amazon gift code to my e-mail.

Now the hardest part will be waiting until October for my book to arrive. But until then I will work on some more surveys for my next purchase.

Claremont/Lee X-Men Omnibus Vol 2

Quite the surprise right? There are also two more Queen Remasters Box Sets coming out that I will try to get free as well. This has been totally worth it. If you want to know more, shoot me an e-mail mplatis28(at)hotmail.com and I will give you some info.

The Flying Tire Incident

2011-08-09T10:53:00.000-06:00

Kristy had mentioned before and during Girl's Camp that we should go out to eat as a celebration and treat that Friday night. I was all for it and thought that Coasta Vida would be the best place to sit and get full. I passed this idea on to Shonda (our Camp Director) and she loved it and soon all the leaders (and their families) were invited to come and eat and relax and of course laugh about our Freaking Magical time at Girl's Camp.

The meal was awesome (as always) and the company was just as awesome. We had a good time going over all the details of camp. When the meal ended we all got in the car and it was decided that we should hit Stone Cold Creamery for an ice cold treat. But as we drove up the busy street we begun to hear this strange thumping sound. Now this sound was not the sound that my mechanic had warned me about. This was in between that thumping noise. And it got worse and worse as we got closer to Stone Cold. Finally, I turned into an empty parking lot worried that my car was going to collapse. Kristy thought that perhaps we got a flat tire but after inspection we saw nothing. So I decided that we should turn back home and call my mechanic and have him take a look at it. Instead of getting some ice cream and instead of going down Main Street we took a different route home.

The noise was still getting louder and so I was taking it extra slow because I was not sure if our car would make it home. As we passed a busy intersection and past the middle school we suddenly dropped to the ground. We heard a crash and our car felt like it collapsed to the ground. I slowly pulled off the road to the side and saw my tire screaming down the road.

Seriously, it was moving like a bat out of hell. I looked back at Kristy and her eyes widened. We got out of the car and I looked back and saw that my back left tire and suddenly ejected itself from my vehicle. I looked down the road to see if it was still going and I saw these people coming out of their house and looking off of their porch. There is no way that my tire could have ended up there. I looked at Kristy and she knew, she saw the tire hit a boulder and take flight and almost crash into a house!

I wish that was a skid mark made by a rubber tire.

The tire ended up past that first telephone pole.

This is the house it almost smashed into. It hit those boulders right in front and took off.

That black mark on the first rock is from my tire.

We ran across the road and up the block to that house and sure enough, our tire was resting comfortably in a smashed flower bed, inches from the house. They saw us and saw our car down the street. I apologized to them but they were more worried about our health. They asked us a couple of times if we were okay. And we were, we were not injured in any way. In fact, it was pretty funny and I busted up as I told them what happened. I asked them if I could use their phone so I could call for help. Unfortunately Lynn was gone and my dad was at work and I didn't know any other numbers. I thought about calling Jennifer and Justin but I could not remember their phone number. Didn't I learn my lesson? I remembered the last 4 digits and Kristy remembered the first three and I was able to call. Justin left right away to come and help me.

It smashed this flower bed just inches away from the porch. The people thought something exploded in their basement. I wish I could have seen their faces when they found a tire in their front yard!

Our car was by the second house you see starting from the left side across the street.

Some people were moving out of their house and they saw the whole thing. In fact, one of the kids exclaimed "That was the funniest thing I have ever seen!" They came to my rescue and helped me put the tire back on. Luckily we found all the lugnuts. They were surprised that there was little damage down to my car and to the tire. They were so nice enough that they allowed Logan to use their bathroom! (of course he would have to go at this moment... ...maybe this incident scared the pee out of him) Justin arrived and he followed me back to my house.

I decided to call my mechanic and tell him what happened. He must not have tightened the lugnuts and he came right over feeling really bad. So I had him take a look at it and he thought they looked alright as well (I am getting another opinion just to be sure) and he helped Justin and I fix the other thumping noise. Now I could have been really angry but there was not a lot to be mad at. It was a miracle really. If God intended us to lose this tire than he sure made it so it was as painless as possible. The tire crossed a busy street and didn't hit anyone, the car is alright, we are not injured, we found all the lugnuts, the tire didn't hit the house. We were lucky blessed that our tire didn't cause any more damage than it did. It could have been far worse.

We even took the car to Salt Lake the next morning and it drove just perfect. I will say that every time I hit a pothole or something, it made me a bit on edge. And I will make sure my lugnuts are tightened everyday!

So Long Melton's!

2011-08-08T15:14:00.000-06:00

My sister-in-law Sherry and her family are moving to Missouri today.

I will certainly miss them, especially the kids. I wish them all the best in Missouri and hopefully we will see each other soon. I have a lot of good memories of spending time with them. Thanks you guys!

Girl's Camp Part IV: The Finale

2011-08-04T12:14:00.000-06:00

I was the first one up Friday morning and I think it was because I was a bit eager to get home. I was so eager (how eager were you?), I was so eager that I made three trips to the truck to load stuff up. I think I have reached my limit when it comes to camping and I hate packing up and trying to get out. It seemed like hours until the girls woke up and they didn't seem to eager to get packing either. But I made a couple more runs to the truck, I wanted to be ready to go right after breakfast.

The morning devotional was kinda sad. All of the girls were a little melancholy, they were excited to go home and they were sad to leave. I was feeling the same way but after using the portapotty that morning, I was really ready to come home. After the devotional we ate some cold cereal for breakfast and finished packing away our stuff. We brought all of our gear to the trailer and then we headed back to camp for one final walk through and to take a group picture of all of us.

And that was all that was left... ...after a few hundred trips to the vehicles!

Can you tell we were ready to come home?

Then it was time to go home. I had a very nice time at Girl's Camp and I look forward to coming next year. It was nice to get away from all the bustle of life and away from distractions (both good and bad) and remember the true reason why we are on Earth. It was also nice to be with other people who desire the same thing. Aside from my family, I want to be with these people in Heaven. I am grateful that I was able to serve these Young Women.

Here is the No-Drama-Mama bracelet.

The Security Team. I really lucked out with my nickname of Dr. Pepper. Notice the funny placement of the word "dimples"?

This was our camp slogan. "We seek after these things"

We had a real beautiful song that was our camp song by Jenny Philips.

After we dropped off all the girls and gear, Kristy and I headed home to get cleaned up. We picked up Logan and got our car inspected and then in the evening we reunited with some of the leaders at Coasta Vida to grab some dinner and talk and laugh about camp.

We were going to get some ice cream afterwards but one of our tires had a different agenda. But that is for the blog tomorrow!

When we finally arrived home after the Tire Incident(tm) we found a plate of freshly made cookies from our neighbor Kara. What a sweet (pun fully intended) gesture that she would bake cookies for us so soon after returning from camp.

She also left both Kristy and I a personal note. And let me tell you, I needed that note after that long day.

Girl's Camp Part III: The Final Night

2011-08-03T13:59:00.000-06:00

I slept much better and woke up feeling a lot more refreshed than I did the last night. I barely put my feet in my sleeping bag the night before because it was so warm but last night was blessedly cool. We didn't have any raccoon sightings but there was another animal that was right in my tent. I asked and teased the girls in the morning by asking if they heard that bear last night. The one that was in my tent. Kevin must have slept great because he snored the whole night. But I was tired enough that it didn't matter to me at all, I slept pretty good myself.

After we had all woken up (I think we were all exhausted from that epic hike) we started to cook our breakfast. Kristy had made these tin can burners to cook our food on. She also made these small tuna-fish can burners with cardboard and wax. We couldn't find any cheap wax so we went to the dollar store and bought these candles and melted them down. Every once in awhile while cooking you would get a whiff of vanilla. We lit them all up and gave the girls some assignments and waited for the food to cook. Some of the burners began to work quickly and some just didn't catch on. We felt bad for those girls whose burners were not working, it was not their fault! Unfortunately the girls had to go to the morning devotional so the rest of us leaders stayed behind and cooked the pancakes, bacon and eggs. It was funny because once they left, the food really begun to cook. By the time the girls were back, the food was pretty much all ready. The food was really tasty. After we finished breakfast (and a big special thanks to the girls that helped clean up) we waited for the older girls to come home after their overnight hike.

We gave all the girls a big round of applause when they came home. They went on the same hike that we went on only they had to lug a ton more stuff. But then we found out that they only went a portion of the way. So the younger girls (and older leaders) and the more difficult hike. After we finished up breakfast and rested for awhile, we had our special craft activity. Kristy and I were especially excited for this activity because we knew the girls would absolutely love it.

Hail the conquering heroes!

The activity was for the girls to decorate their own pair of flip-flops. Our girls are addicted to flip-flops and one of the camp rules was no flip-flops. But we allowed them to decorate a pair and wear them down where we were. The girls made some real pretty flip-flops and they were definitely excited about the activity.

After the activity we headed back up to camp to have some snacks (we were going to have lunch but we barely just had breakfast) and then it was time for the girls to go to some Stake workshops. I decided to stay behind and clean some of the camp and sit in the hammock and rest. Well, that is what I told everyone. The real reason I stayed behind was to use the bathroom. When they all went to the workshops, I hiked down to the bathrooms where I knew I would be by myself. I hate using the bathroom anywhere else than my home but if worse comes to worse, I would use one. But only if I knew that no one would be around! I hiked back up and got me a Powerade to drink and relaxed in the hammock. I had a squirrel come and run underneath me and try to steal some food off of our table. I chased it away and promptly fell asleep in the hammock. I was awakened by Shonda, who came back to get some music ready and then I saw one of the girls coming back. She sat by Shonda and then burst into tears.

I promptly got off the hammock to see what was going on. The spring on one of her braces was cutting into in her cheek and it was very painful. I could tell it was bad since her lip and cheek were bright red and swollen. She wanted to go home and I don't blame her at all. Shonda went back up to the workshops to grab Kristy and I stayed behind to talk with the poor girl. I knew earlier that this was bugging her and I felt like I should inquire if she would like a blessing but I ignored that prompting. I felt the prompting again so I asked her if she would like a blessing and she replied yes. I was going to go up and find the Bishop but I found another guy that was still at camp and I asked him if he would help me administer a blessing. As I was coming back to camp I had this overwhelming feeling that was speaking to me. "This is why you are at Girl's Camp. She is the reason why you came." Me and this other brethren gave her a blessing and immediately I could tell that she was going to feel better. The other guy gave her a bottle of cold water (she looked a little warm as well) and we waited for Kristy and Shonda to come back. The girl tried to call her mom but she was not around. We got one of the nurse's to come and help her and she did.

After the stake meetings we cleaned up camp and got ready for the special fireside to be held later that night. Michelle and her mom had completed the Young Women Personal Progress and they were going to be awarded their medallions. So we had Michelle and her family and the Stake President (her grandfather) was there as well. We got up there and ate a fantastic dinner (you definitely eat good at Girl's Camp) and we had the girls spend a few minutes reflecting and pondering quietly. And then the fireside began (quite literally since we had two fires going) and it was quite spiritual. It was hard not to get emotional up there, it was a combination of what was being said, sleep deprivation and knowing that this was the last night.

The testimony meeting that followed was ~~awesome~~ freaking magical! I was impressed by the girls and how strong they are. A couple of girls that I didn't expect to say anything stood up quickly and gave the most beautiful testimony. I cannot describe the feeling, I cannot describe what it was like to see these Young Women give these tender testimonies. It was something that can only be witnessed and felt in person. I was not going to get up and say anything but I had to say something. I got up and told them that they were feeling the Spirit, they were feeling the love our Heavenly Father has for them. Then I told them to write their experiences down so they can remember them (which is why I am blogging about it because I don't want to forget this experience) and feel this feeling again. I also told the girls that I don't have any daughters and I probably won't have any, and I never had a little sister... ...but if I did, I would want them to be like these girls. I adore these girls and I thanked them for being examples to me, Kristy and Logan. There was not a dry eye at the camp and it was neat to be able to stand up and share these feelings under the night sky. The girl that I was able to serve gave one of the sweetest and funniest testimonies and it was a miracle. She was not bothered or in any pain with her braces and she stayed the whole rest of the time. I am so thankful that I could serve her. She thanked me during the meeting and I was a little embarrassed because it was not me at all who helped her. I was merely an instrument for Heavenly Father. We were up there for a couple of hours and none of us wanted to leave.

Yeah, I know I am getting a little wimpy here. But you really had to be there. I am so thankful that I was there to witness all of this and to be there with the girls. I think I might have gotten more out of this testimony meeting than the girls.

After we got back, the girls had to run down and clean the bathrooms (it was our assignment) and Kristy and I stayed behind to clean up some of the camp. We had a CD player that we needed to return to the Stake. The Bishop suggested that we sneak up and turn the radio on full blast with rock music and place it behind their tent. We snuck up and we were being real quiet until the Bishop warned Shonda and Kristy not to snicker. But that only set them off! Shonda gave me her flashlight and asked us not to leave her behind. But we did anyway, once the CD player was on and set down we all took off down the trail. It was not like they wouldn't know it was us since we were the ones that asked to borrow it! We went back up and I shook the tent and ran back. The Bishop remembered not to abandon Shonda so as he was running away, he shined his flashlight behind him so she could see!

When we got back to camp, we all surrounded the older girls tent to listen in but they were on to us. I was right up to the tent when I heard "Hello Dr. Pepper. Are you going to shake our tent?" I didn't say anything and Kristy replied that they were just doing tent checks. "Well, go ahead and shake the tent." They said so I grabbed a hold of the tent and shook it and they all screamed anyway.

It was again very cool outside and when I got in my tent, I think I fell asleep within minutes.

The Works

Logan the Scout

Random Ramblings: It's My Blog...

Strange Weather

The End of an Era

School Daze: Logan's 3rd Grade Class

End Piracy, Not Liberty

Tell Congress: Don’t censor the Web

Sing Along With...

Ugh...

Survey Says: X-Men Omnibus Vol 2

List-Mania: Music from Musicals

Who Wants To Live Forever?

So when is dinner?

Brian and Makenzie's Wedding

The Breinholt Family Christmas Party 2011

Been Caught Stealin'

List-Mania: Fleetwood Mac Songs

Mission Memoirs: Afterglow

2011 Resolutions Finale

2012 Resolutions

Christmas 2011

Sports, Sports and more Sports

Happy 2012!

The Visiters

Winnah!

Upon Further Review: Thanksgiving Edition

Upon Further Review: Week Eleven Picks

Here's a Quickie

Upon Further Review: Week Ten Picks

Random Ramblings: Too Many Questions

Upon Further Review: Week Nine Picks

The End of the Season

Late Update

Happy Halloween (and more)!

Random Ramblings: Da-Doo

Upon Further Review: Week Eight Picks

The Crooked Man

Halloween Flashback

The Plot Bunny

Upon Further Review: Week Seven Picks

Random Ramblings: *Insert Title Here*

Saturday's Warrior

Upon Further Review: Week Six Picks

Random Ramblings: Ugh

Upon Further Review: Week Five Picks

List-Mania: Queen T-Shirts

The Race

Upon Further Review: Week Four Picks

Random Ramblings: Feeling Blue

Upon Further Review: Week 3 Picks

Even More Football!

New York, New York

Upon Further Review: Week Two Picks

Survey Says! The Sequel

Random Ramblings: Graphic-Free Edition

Upon Further Review: Week 1

Upon Further Review: NFC Predictions

Upon Further Review: AFC

Random Ramblings: The Aftermath

Football Fever!

Logan in 3rd Grade

Random Ramblings: All Belinda Edition!

Familiar Faces

Random Ramblings: Get Shorty

My Life According to Queen

Bear Lake

Random Ramblings: BOOGER!

Survey Says!

The Flying Tire Incident

So Long Melton's!

Girl's Camp Part IV: The Finale

Girl's Camp Part III: The Final Night

Random Ramblings: Insert Title Here