Happy Halloween (and more)!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!