Happy New Year Blog-aversary! (A Gift From My Laptop)

Well, the Mayans were wrong, the ball dropped, and 2013 is here!  It has been one whole year since I started this blog.  Some of you have liked the blog; some of you not so much.  Regardless, I like writing this blog, and I am going to keep at it.  I didn’t set out to write this blog to entertain people or tell them what they want to hear, but as creative outlet for myself and my random thoughts, and in that aspect I have done what I set out to do.  And whether or not other people choose to read along is their business.  (Although, if you are not a Tom Brady supporter I suggest you leave now, because I can guarantee that you will hate this blog).

I did not get to blog nearly as much as I intended to in December (and probably will not be blogging much for the next month or so), thanks to my laptop. The screen is having attitude problems and is acting out for attention by refusing to work the majority of the time (unless of course you angle the screen at a 45 degree viewing angle, because who doesn’t love that kind of a neck cramp?).  So, it will most likely be taking a little trip to military school (aka the American Express warranty department) in the near future.  However, the laptop decided to give us all an overdue Christmas gift today and actually work, and I decided to take that as a sign and give everyone a little update of what’s been going on around here.

First of all, Tom Brady news.  Well, for starters, the Patriots have rolled right into the playoffs with a first round bye.  I am very excited about this little development, although slightly sad that I have to wait an extra week to have a playoff party.  In even BIGGER NEWS . . . I am proud to announce that THIS is what a fantasy football league championship looks like:

That’s right folks, the TBFC took home the big prize!  It is with great pain and a heavy heart that I thank the Jets defense for securing this win for me.  There, I said it.  However, I think we all know who the real credit goes to (no, not J. Charles and his two lousy points).  Thank you, Tom Brady!  It’s been real.

In other fantasy news, despite having a losing record, The Wrath of Rex (managed by myself, my husband, and dad) managed to make the playoffs and get all the way to the championship game, at which point The Evil Killer of Fantasy Football Hopes and Dreams (you may know him as Eli Manning) killed all of Victor Cruz’s potential in one Sunday.  It didn’t help that we benched Seattle’s defense either.  So, the Wrath of Rex won the dreaded “runner-up” award.  On the plus side, we also won the “Most Name Changes In One Season” award (seriously, no joke – I have the Nerf football trophy to prove it!).  And we learned a valuable fantasy lesson, which I will share with all of you – Eli Manning is bad news.  He wasn’t even on our team and he crippled it nonetheless.  Draft at your own risk, people!

Also in December, I took my first steps into the field of fashion design when I created seven masterpieces using nothing but white t-shirts, a piece of printed paper, a fine-point sharpie, and fabric paints.  Behold. 

I even learned to use the automatic self-timer on my camera to document the glorious occasion. 

Sort of.

There’s still a few bugs to work out in the self-timing department.  Meanwhile, I’m still waiting for my call from Project Runway.

My family continued the tradition of weirdness.  Thus I present to you: Weird Family Photos, Volume 526,754:

Luckily, we managed to sneak a few good ones in as well (just ignore the photo-bomber in the picture below).

Switching gears, I have been reading a ton lately and have a few book recommendations for all the other readers out there.  I discovered a new series by an author named Veronica Roth.  I think I am a bit late in discovering this series, but if you have not heard of her, the titles of her first two books are Divergent and Insurgent.  Seriously . . . read them.  Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop.  The other book is The Fault In Our Stars by John Green.  I was hesitant to read it, because you can tell by the description that it is going to be sad, and boy do I hate sad books.  But I can honestly say, sad or not, I loved every page.  I am now desperately searching for some new books to read.  Suggestions are welcome!

Also, a movie recommendation – Silver Linings Playbook.  Hilarious and touching all at one time.  Plus the football references throughout the movie are a ton of fun.  It’s definitely a sarcastic sense of humor as opposed to obvious.  We had a hard time finding a theater around here that was showing it, but we saw it New Year’s Eve and it was worth the trip.

And that, my friends, is how I wrapped up 2012.  I rang in 2013 by taking down my Christmas decorations (sob) and eating popcorn.  I am not a huge fan of New Year’s Resolutions (although this blog came from one, so maybe they are more important than I think).  Partly it’s just because I find them cheesy, annoying, and lame.  And partly I just feel like I should really try to be my best self and improve myself every day of the year, not just on one.  Plus, I’m not very good at sticking to any resolutions I ever make.  Even this blog – yes, I still blog, but it gets more sporadic with every month.  Yet, every year I fall victim to the peer pressure and make some sort of resolution, and this year is no exception.

So, my resolution for 2013 is to get my laptop fixed and/or replaced.  I have to make this a resolution because the laptop has been having these issues for a couple months now, and until now I have failed to do anything about it.  And because frankly, attempting to blog from an iPhone is a lot harder than you might think.

On a side note, I also resolve not to break said iPhone in a fit of Bike Race rage.  (If you have no idea what I am talking about, download the free Bike Race app for your phone.  I guarantee that within ten minutes you will know exactly what I mean.)

I don’t know when I will get to blog again, so . . . have a happy January, and make sure you are cheering for the Patriots come playoff time!

Playoffs? Yes, Playoffs!

I realized it has been a rather long time – too long – since I’ve given an update on the TBFC.  I know you are all dying to know how the best team led by the Golden Boy on this side of the Rockies is doing.  No?  Well settle in, because I’m going to tell you anyway!

The biggest news is that the TBFC has rebounded from a mid-season slump to win four of their last five matchups, finish 7-5, and make the playoffs!  Ironically, although we did not even win our division and are the fourth seed in the playoffs, we DID take home the prize for most points scored in the season!  My husband will tell you that this does not trump his accomplishment of division champion and best record in the league.  He might be right.  But I will bask in the glory of my non-existent trophy nonetheless.

Here are some more fun facts about the team that will go down in history (whether as champions or infamous losers is yet to be determined):

*Of the 16 players drafted at the beginning of the season, only half survived to week 12.

*The TBFC is a bit Jekyll and Hyde.  When we lost, we lost BIG.  Our five loss margins: 22, 52, 26, 23, and 53 points.  Can you say ouch?

*On the plus side, when we won, we won big.  Our smallest margin of victory was 16 points.  5 of 7 victories were by a 20+ point margin.

*All accomplishments are in spite of what might be the worst running back carousel in history.  There is no other way to describe my running backs other than “horrifyingly bad” and “really not talented”.  If you want to curse a running back, ask me to pick them up.  I currently have 8 running backs on my team.  That is half the roster!  And I would trade them all in an instant for Arian Foster.  Can you sense my desperation?

*Conversely, there is no better way to spark a player’s talent than to place them on my bench!  Notable bench performances:  Jamaal Charles (36 points, Week 3 and 16 points, Week 10), Andre Brown (24 points, Week 3), Jordy Nelson (31 points, Week 7), and Pierre Garcon (17 points, Week 12).  I’m pretty sure my bench outscored my starters in Week 3.  Clearly, I never learn.

*I may live to regret the Reggie Wayne for Jordy Nelson trade.  Who knew Andrew Luck would be so good?  Oh, that’s right.  Only everyone in the world.  Except me.

*Despite all of this, the TBFC managed to lock a playoff spot one week early AND eliminate my boss from the playoffs, all in one weekend.  I have been told it’s not good to beat your boss.  I say it’s bragging rights.

The bright spots of my season have been my wide receivers (Julio Jones & Demaryius Thomas), Jimmy Graham and Super Brady himself.  Outside of byes and a couple weeks off due to injury, I haven’t had to think twice about them.  They are full time starters.  And though he may not be Reggie Wayne, Jordy Nelson is definitely better than any of my ten million running backs in the flex spot.

On a side note, I do find it odd that my underachieving team, led by my questionable management skills, managed to lock a playoff spot early.  Whereas the team in a second league (lovingly named Rex Ryan Rerun), co-managed by my dad, husband, and myself, is fighting for their life in the playoffs.  My husband will tell you that the fictitious Rex Ryan’s struggles are due my above mentioned questionable management skills.  I will tell you that our struggles are the fault of Eli Manning.  He isn’t even on our team, yet still he manages to kill it.  (I can’t speak to the real Rex Ryan’s struggles.  I do hear that karma is a bitch, though.)  If we can make it to the playoffs, you may hear more about good old Rex.  If not . . . well you may hear something as well.

So anyway.  Back to Tom.  This week, the Golden Boy and reject running backs of the TBFC face a new team in Round 1 of the playoffs.  We haven’t lost to this team before, most likely only because we never played in the regular season.  Sadly, there is no chance of meeting up with my hubby in the championship round as we are in the same bracket.  So let’s hope I win this week, so that I have the opportunity to knock him out in the semifinal round next week!

via the New England Patriots on Pinterest

I Un-Heart the Seahawks (Part 2)

It is only fitting that today, on Halloween, I share with you the horror that was the Patriots’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

Okay, fine, I’m exaggerating.  It was really only the end of the day that was horrifying.  The rest of the day was great.  We started out with a hot breakfast at the hotel with a bunch of other Patriots fans, a little bit of NFL countdown, and a lot of layering and team gear.  Then we hopped the shuttle to the light rail and headed down to the stadium!

 

There were Patriots fans all over the train, and even more when we got to the stadium!  There isn’t a lot of tailgating due to lack of parking near the stadium, but there were fans everywhere, street vendors, and live entertainment from the very talented Seahawks band!

 

We explored outside the stadium a while, then decided to make our way inside the stadium to watch warm-ups.  Finally, I was in the same building as Tom Brady!!!

We decided that since we were making this a once in a lifetime experience, we should experience the whole thing, including stadium food.  I’m telling you, if our politicians are really so worried about inflation, they should visit a football stadium.  It makes the price of gas seem rather insignificant when you pay $4.50 for a bottle of soda.  (And really, at nearly $5 each, don’t you think they should let you keep the cap to your soda)?  Apparently, there are magic bubbles in the Sprite and Root Beer that they sell there.  So, after spending a small fortune on sodas and hot dogs, we made our way to our seats!

We had a great view, which was perfect, because it was almost time for warm ups.  And that means . . .

And because you should always give credit where credit is due . . . (and because their uniforms are awesome):

It was really fun watching warm-ups and seeing what goes on before a game.  Before we knew it, the stadium was full and they were singing the national anthems (yes, anthems).  Oddly enough, despite the fact that there were a gazillion Patriots fans in town and the fact that we were sitting in the visitor’s section, we were completely surrounded by Seahawks fans.

After the national anthem, the announcer introduced the Seahawks starting defense.  Each defensive starter was introduced individually with a shower of fireworks.  It was pretty cool, although I did feel a little sorry for their offense, which was not acknowledged at all.  I think that tells you everything you need to know about Seahawks fans and how they feel about their team!

And then it was time for the main event!  The first play of the game . . .

At that point, we realized why our shuttle driver had suggested we bring earplugs from the hotel.  I didn’t believe it could be as loud as he said, but WOW . . . it was even louder.  My ears were still ringing when we got home at midnight that night.  But it was worth it.  The whole game experience sucked me in.  It was so cool to be able to see everything happening during a play, as opposed to just what the TV cameras want you to see.  It was also really interesting to see what goes on during the commercial breaks.

We learned a lot about Seahawks fans during this game as well.  For starters, they are crazy.  And intense.  And so very loud.  They are not at all attached to Russell Wilson.  They hate him one second, and love him the next.  Seahawks fans all know that they got beyond lucky on the blown call in the Green Bay game.  They know they should have lost.  I even heard a few cries of, “Bring back the replacement refs!”.  And finally (and most importantly), they hate the Cowboys just as much as we do.  When the score of the Ravens-Cowboys game was announced, the entire stadium roared its approval of the Ravens’ win.  It just goes to show that even polar opposites can find common ground, at least as far as the Cowboys are concerned.

We saw a LOT of awesome things during the game.  The first nugget of awesomeness was Wes Welker scoring a touchdown right in front of us!  Witnessing a Brady-Welker TD in person made both our days.  Seattle also dropped a punt, which turned into a crazy play.  We had an official review controversy when Russell Wilson lost the ball and the refs ruled it a fumble (when it was clearly an incomplete pass).  They reviewed it and still ruled it a fumble, which did not really please our Seahawks seatmates.  Also, thanks to my dad lending me his binoculars, I was able to binocu-stalk Tom Brady all over the field!  THAT was fun.  The big screen also helped me out with that from time to time as well.

And for three glorious quarters, everything went swimmingly.  The players and everyone in the lower levels got soaked by the rain, but we stayed warm and dry where we were sitting.  Tom Brady had thrown a couple picks, but the Patriots still had a two touchdown lead, and life couldn’t get better.  So of course, the Patriots’ good for nothing, heart-attack inducing defense felt the need to re-emerge and make things interesting.  And things went downhill from there.  The Pats’ defense made Russell Wilson look like Aaron Rodgers, the Seahawks rallied, and scored a last minute touchdown to beat the Patriots by a point.  No offense to Russell Wilson, but the credit for the Seahawks win goes to the Patriots’ defense, no to him.

I will admit that it was beyond disappointing to have the Patriots collapse and lose the game like that.  But I have to say, it was a REALLY exciting game.  I didn’t want to watch a blowout or a snoozer, and this game went down to the very end.  There was nothing boring about it, and despite the loss it was still one of the most awesome days ever.  The only thing that could have possibly made the day better was a win.  But on the bright side, we got to see fireworks go off when the Seahawks won, AND we both got a free short stack of pancakes at IHOP that night before we went home, thanks to the Seahawks scoring at least 23 points.  So there’s that.  Free food makes up for a lot of things.

Besides, the Patriots’ loss didn’t seem nearly as painful once we got on the road to head home and I checked my fantasy score, only to discover that the TBFC was losing to my HUSBAND by thirty points . . . with a 34 point game from Jordy Nelson sitting on my bench.  Oy.

And THAT concludes the epic story . . . the trip of destiny, the game of a lifetime, and probably the closest to Tom Brady and the Patriots that I will ever get.  Which is probably good, because if I ever get anywhere near that defense, there would definitely be some yelling.  I am so glad we splurged and took this trip, because it was SO worth it.  Even if the Patriots had to lose for us to get it.  Next up . . . Foxborough?

Be Jealous!

Because I, Megan, have a date with destiny!

That’s right, Seattle!  Watch out, because Megan & Nathan are coming to town!

Now, all that remains to determine is how much more Patriots gear I need to purchase.  Did you know that you can buy stickers for your FACE????  This is a very tempting thought.

In other related news, the TBFC dominated (and I mean DOMINATED) Week 1 by crushing their opponent 131-68 and leading the league in points (only two other people scored over 100; 111 and 101, respectively)!  All this was accomplished with mediocre RB play, a defense that scored negative points, and only an average day from the Golden Boy.  The wide receivers that I “didn’t love” stepped up big time.  As did the kicker I hated.  And then after this was all said and done, some dude offers me Jordy Nelson for Reggie Wayne.  I have a hard time seeing how this will benefit them, but it will certainly benefit me, so I took it.  Put in claims on Kevin Ogletree and Dexter McCluster by dropping the frighteningly terrible Ryan Williams and Jonathon Dwyer.  So, we’ll see if we can continue the path of excellence in Week 2.

I don’t like to brag, but this is likely the only week I will do so well, so I had to do it.  There is currently a poll in our league posing the question, “What do you think? Will Tom Brady Fan Club go all the way to the championship game?”  So far, there are ZERO “yes” votes, and 3 “no” votes.  And one of those no votes is mine!  So for today, I will brag all I want.

Team Nabime (the team of ever changing names that my dad and I, joined this year by Nathan, run in a league where real money is on the line) continued its history of underachieving.  Team Nabime really outdid themselves this week, scoring the second lowest points of the weekend and kicking off the season with a loss.  I find this shocking, since we have what I consider to be a great roster.  I would kill to have some of these RB’s and WR’s on the TBFC!  But despite all this, our KICKER was our high scorer for the weekend.  And unfortunately, there is no one but myself and our good for nothing wide receivers to blame.  Now you you see why I have to brag when things go well!

THE COUNTDOWN TO OCTOBER 14 STARTS NOW!

Introducing the Tom Brady Fan Club!

No, not an actual fan club.  Duh.  I am not THAT big of a loser.

 

The Tom Brady Fan Club (TBFC) is my kick-ass, sure to win a championship, fantasy football team!  Headlined by the golden boy himself.  Because obviously, the TBFC would be a stupid name without their namesake on the team.  Could you imagine if the quarterback of the TBFC was Eli Manning?  Yikes!

 

Anyways, carrying on, please meet the 2012 version of the TBFC!

 

Quarterback

Tom Brady, New England

Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo

 

Thought Process: I will only need Fitzpatrick one week (yes, I know these sound like famous last words).  If I don’t like Fitzpatrick by the bye week, I will dump him for someone else.  You never know, Timmy T. might be starting for the Jets by then!

 

Running Back

Jamaal Charles, Kansas City

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cincinnati

Donald Brown, Indianapolis

Jonathon Dwyer, Pittsburgh

Ryan Williams, Arizona

 

Thought Process:  I hate running backs.  They get injured all the time and are such a crapshoot, which is partially why I did not take one until the third round.  I feel like every single one is a risk on some level, but they also have perks.  Charles could be great if he is back in top form; Green-Ellis has never fumbled (never meaning NEVER); Brown is going to be the starter and primary back, which adds up to carries; and Dwyer and Williams both stand to benefit from starters being out.

 

Wide Receiver

Julio Jones, Atlanta

Demaryius Thomas, Denver

Pierre Garcon, Washington

Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis

Mario Manningham, San Francisco

 

Thought Process:  I waited until the fourth round to take my first wide receiver.  I don’t love my receivers, but I also don’t hate them.  And based on where I actually got them in the draft, I feel like I got good value.  In other words . . . we’ll see.

 

Tight End

Jimmy Graham, New Orleans

Jared Cook, Tennessee

 

Thought Process:  Unless you have Graham AND Gronkowski . . . my tight ends are better than yours.

 

Kicker & Defense

Matt Bryant, Atlanta

Cincinnati Bengals

 

Thought Process:  I took my kicker in the third to last round (simply because I needed one before they were all gone), and my defense in the very last round.  Last year, I felt like my receivers and running backs won/lost me more games than my kicker/defense, so I just don’t think they are that important.  As far as defense goes, last year we drafted the Packers (who were supposed to be good, but ended up being a total bust), and finished the year out alternating between Seattle and Cincinnati (undrafted), both of who performed just fine.  If the Bengals don’t work out this year, I am fairly confident that I can find a decent undrafted team, so I was not wasting an early pick on a defense.

 

And there you have it.  Welcome to the world, 2012 TBFC!

 

via the New England Patriots on Pinterest