“The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.”

Let's Move On

Well it certainly has been an eventful evening...Republicans, good luck finding solace in your ignorant insults of your fellow Americans.  And Democrats, congratulations on finding your own comfort knowing that from here on out it's all your fault.  Hopefully from now on we can realize that we are all in this together, and we won't have to expose our incredibly hurtful sides towards one another for 4 more years.  I'm very proud of all of my friends that went out to vote today, no matter who you voted for (I hear Big Bird was a close 3rd) but disgusted by a lot of the comments following the results.  If our country is plummeting south it's not because of one leader in particular, it's a country that is split, too stubborn to want to work together to make things better.  We blamed the Republicans for putting us into a recession.  We blame the Democrats for not getting us out fast enough.  And 4 years from now had Romney won, guess what, we'd still be blaming the President.  Nobody is EVER going to be pleased.  I hate politics, I hate talking about politics, and I hate what politics brings out in people. We are ONE Nation under GOD, INDIVISBLE, with liberty, and justice for ALL.  Someone had to lose tonight, someone had to win, and either way you'd be complaining in 6 months anyway.

Now if you haven't noticed it's basketball season, the NFL is in mid-form, and the winter meetings will be starting soon.  Go back to your normal ways and complain about things third-world countries would die to be able to complain about.  And how bout just getting off your lazy asses, putting the bottle down for a night, hiding the bong for a day, you stop eating your fast food, turn off your reality television and get out and do something productive in your community?!

Go Patriots.

Halloween Season

It's that time of year again!!!  While I'm super unprepared costume-wise I have been making up for it with classic horror movies.  The season started off with a new one for me, The Cabin in the Woods.  It was a pretty good, newer horror movie with teenagers, brief pre-slaughter nudity, not-so-virgin virgins to be sacrificed, zombies, monsters, and a very high body count!!!!  It's a not-so-predictable movie that is entertaining and somewhat funny as well.

Second movie of the week was Psycho, a true classic and personal favorite.  We watched the orignial Last House on the Left  which was a disturbing, but true Wes Craven movie.  Last night I was by myself for a triple feature of Children of the Corn and a double dose of Poltergeist.  I had forgotten exactly how amazing all of these movies really were.  And Poltergeist 2 is almost better than the first one (at least Craig T. Nelson is better) although the first one is still one of the main reasons I hate clowns.

Right now I'm watching Blair Witch 2 and it's pretty ridiculous.  I've gotta go find a Halloween costume today for a party tomorrow and next Saturday.  If anyone has any grand ideas that'd be greatly appreciated because I'm completely blanking this year!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Dive Log: October 2012

Went back to the Breakwater for an afternoon dive yesterday.  It was a gorgeous day in Monterey as the weather has been staying in the mid-70s and even higher lately.  The visibility was fantastic for the area, around 20 feet.  We swam on the surface before going down around 12' at depth.  Once at the bottom we swam over the bed of sand dollars and headed out along the rocks on the pier wall.  

The first fish of significance I came across was a lingcod and I noticed it had a hook in its mouth.  The hook still had line and sinker attached to it (see pic below).  I called my dive buddy over to take a look and once he was beside me and saw the problem I went ahead and grabbed the end of the fishing line.  I had no idea if I was going to be able to hold on or not or if this was even a good idea but I needed to at least try to get the hook out.  Once I had control of the line the fish went nutz and started swimming in circles while I tried to grab it with my free hand.  I got control of the fish, held it with one hand and used my other hand to take the hook out.  The fish swam away with no hook and hopefully it's smile will be back to normal soon!!!

Immediately following fish hook fun time I felt something cruise past me from above and then heard a "thud" in the sand.  I looked over and there was a red, bead dive weight that had fallen out of my buddy's belt.  I grabbed the weight and brought it up to him as he was floating at the surface.  Come to realize he actually dropped TWO of his weights to the bottom and both of them almost landed on my head!!!

We got him situated with his weights and continued on.  There were the usual seastars, another sunstar that could also be the biggest I've ever seen, crabs, nudibranchs, a number of jellies and then something I've never seen diving...snorkeling, yes in Florida but never diving and never in California.  I swam over a rock pile when I saw the rock move.  And then it changed color...several colors in fact.  It was an octopus!!!  How fitting that as I'm starting to get more involved with cephalopod research that I finally see an octopus (I believe a two-spot but need to check some more pics to make sure it wasn't a red.)  But wait, out of nowhere comes yet another octopus!!!!!!!!!!!!  Are you kidding me?!  I'm guessing male and female and I interrupted their flirt session.  Whatever they were doing it was friggin' cool as heck and I'm not going to lie, I may have done an underwater happy dance.

Overall it was an unexpectedly great dive and I'm glad I went as I hadn't been in the water (for fun) in a while.  LIG!!!

Location: Breakwater

Time: 45 mins

Depth: 35' 

Two Years

Today is my two year anniversary for working here at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I've never held one position for that long so it's exciting for me!! Thanks to everyone who pushed me in this direction, even when I never thought I'd get the job.

First SUP Race

Had my first Stand Up Paddleboard race today in Capitola.  It was the Covewater Classic and it was a free and just a "fun" 3.5 mile race.  My board isn't built to race because it's a foam board but it was still fun and even with the Wave Storm under my feet I did pretty well.  And it was gorgeous out which made it even better!!!  As I came in to the finish, the first place woman finished behind me and said, "You kicked my ass on a Wave Storm!!!"  I was pretty happy about that.  I also finished with the two other guys I came with.  It's very tempting to go out and purchase a real board to see if I'd be able to compete.  Either way it was a good time, good people and there was an after party with great food.

Endeavor Flight

Endeavor flew right overhead at the aquarium.  My electronics all failed me miserably but a friend took this video.  We were standing right next to each other so this is exactly what I saw too.  The video doesn't nearly give justice to how amazing it was nor how closely it really came to us!!!

I Saw the Sign

It didn't necessarily open up my eyes, but it was cool to see!

No. 14

Third oldest stadium, opened in 1962 and largest in the league

Baseball Stadiums

Fenway Park
Tropicana Field
Camden Yards
Cincinnati Reds
Jacob Field
Wrigley Field
Yankee Stadium
Anaheim Stadium
PetCo Park
Kauffman Stadium
Busch Stadium
Oakland Coliseum
AT&T Park

And tonight I will add Dodgers Stadium to my list. 

SoCal Trip

First stop, Cowgirl Cafe for some breakfast!

Gone Fishin'

Went fishing up in the San Francisco bay for seven-gill sharks and spiny dogfish.  One of the guys caught this 8' female.  I got to feed her on exhibit yesterday!  My shark was the "one that got away!"

Weedy Mania

Got about 80 weedy sea dragon babies! We are only the 4th aquarium in the US to ever have healthy babies!!

Diver's Log

Went for my 4th recreational dive in 3 weeks this morning.  Dove at McAbee beach off Cannery Row in Monterey.  I didn't realize it was Friday the 13th until I signed the waiver for my tank so I wasn't sure how it was gonna go.  I was diving with a relatively new diver so it was somewhat frustrating but nothing out of control.  The wait visibility was maybe 5' and there wasn't much to see in the murky green water so it wasn't the greatest of dives, but at least it was something!

Temp: 53
Depth: 25-30
Time: 37 mins

Last Friday I went with a guy from work who also wasn't very experienced.  He hadn't dove in two years so was just getting used to his gear.  We dove at the Breakwater by the coast guard pier and visibility was about 10-15'.  One of the frustrations that goes with diving with inexperienced people is their increased oxygen consumption. Both this dive and the one this morning lasted ~35 minutes and even though my dive buddies both ended up with less than 500psi I came up with at least half a tank left.  It's tough to go through the effort of getting suited up for just 30mins.  But I love diving so it's not that bad.

Temp: 52
Depth: 35
Time: 35 mins

I'm glad to be getting the chance to dive so often.  I don't know if I have ever been able to dive on my own so much.  This is a great place to explore and I'm grateful for the opportunity!
LIG!

Is it football season yet?

Got this in the mail the other day from my Aunt.  The Sox are killing me right now.  Ray Allen went to the Heat.  I need some football to watch.  How many weeks?!

And don't worry, this didn't happen on my way back to drop off the board.

Surfing Attempt #2

Grabbed my buddy's board this morning as he was getting out of the water to go to work around 7 this morning.  When I first got there and before I had gotten in the water, I didn't think it looked like there was much going on with the waves.  After I got on the water I realized very quickly I was wrong.  The waves were bigger than last time and consistently coming in.  And this time I had the water all to myself.  I let the first couple of waves go by as I swam out and got situated as I was watching them roll in.  Then I decided to go for it and got up on my first try!!!  I didn't go very far but this one definitely counted as getting up.  I tried a bunch more and was either not swimming hard enough or leaving at the wrong time cuz I just couldn't catch one for a while.  I finally got up one more time before I decided to head in (my feet were frozen!)  It was a fun time and a great chance to get out by myself and start figuring it out.  Now I just gotta get my own board and some booties! 

Back to Reality

We finally have internet again!!  We just moved to a new place just down the road from the old place and it took a while to get internet set up.  And then when the guy came today he told us that none of the wires in the house were connected to anything and there was a possibilty that some of them were behind a newly made wall.  Anyway, the guy was really cool and showed me how to wire up the internet myself so we didn't have to pay him anything.  The only problem is that, while I was able to figure it out I still have to find a way to get it into the house without the wires coming through the window!

Either way we are back to the normal zombified routine of internet browsing.  The new house is coming along great.  We are still unpacking a bunch of stuff and trying to get settled and whatnot.  This is my 3rd move in California in less than 2 years so I'm hoping I don't have to move again anytime soon.

Work is still going really well.  I'm involved with the new cephalopod exhibit that will be coming up in 2014 and that reasearch/development is coming along great.  We've got newly hatched baby big fin reef squid!!!  They are just figuring out how to hunt and feed; it's pretty awesome.  I've still got a Wunderpus that does not like attention very much and hides out during the day.  I'm still trying to figure out a way to display him during the day without having to switch up his lighting patterns.  We are also working with a couple different species of cuttlefish which are incredible animals as well.

The Celtics bummed me out last night and I'm still amazed they lost.  I honestly believed they were going to win it all this year.  I don't know the last time I had so much faith in one team; especially a team nobody thought would even make the playoffs.  It was nauseating and heart-breaking to watch them lose to such a jackass like LeBron and D-Wade.  And honestly this entire series just showed how corrupt this league really is.  If Paul Pierce and Rondo weren't gonna be back next year I'd contemplate boycotting the NBA.

And usually we'd have the Sox to fall back on but they just keep digging themselves bigger holes one game after the next.  Dice-K came back yesterday and even though his numbers weren't phenomenal he looked pretty good for not having pitched in the bigs for a year.  Unfortunately the bats are very inconsistent and never seem to come through when the pitching is there.  I'm NOT as much a believer in this team as I was the Celts.  The Sox have a lot of work to do and if the rest of the division keeps playing this way they'll never get about .500.

So that's my latest update.  Now that we have internet and are pretty much moved in I'll be back on more often.  It was a hectic couple of weeks trying to pack, move, and get settled.

Pre-season Pats in 2 months, 10 days...

Surfing Attempt #1

Tried surfing last weekend and it went as expected. I met up with a buddy down at Del Monte beach next to the pier.  He brought a 9' longboard and a shorter one as well.  We both took turns on the longboard and it was a good chance for me to get used to the board.

I tried getting up a couple times but each time ended up with me swimming in the brisk Monterey Bay water...try, try again though so hopefully I'll get back out there soon.

Shamu Sightings!!!

Yeah I saw my 1st wild orcas today!!! I was working on my coral/pipefish tank talking to the curator when a radio call came out that there were humpback whales just off the kelp beds behind work.  We both looked at each other and kinda blew it off as I said "I'm not moving for humpbacks...I'd run out for orcas, not humpbacks." About 2 minutes later "Orcas off the Splash Zone deck!"  This was repeated a couple of times as people were frantically running outside asking each other if we all heard what we thought we heard.  

A few of us came out of the far side of the building where the seahorse and jellyfish galleries are but the whales were too far off and heading towards Lover's Point away from the aquarium.  I ran over to the other overlook deck on the nearshore side of the building but they were still too far and behind the rocks.  Someone said they were headed towards Hopkins' beach.  Patrick from Guest Experience handed me his binoculars and said, "They're guest experience's binocs, just bring them back later.  Go find them!"  So off I went!!!

As my friend Andrea puts it, "One second you're standing next to me, the next you're running like a bat outta hell!" I took off out of work and onto the bike path and about 1/4 mile later (this was also the first time I have run in 2012) stopped to check them out with the binocs.  The first thing I will never forget seeing was the GIANT dorsal fin of the large male followed by some smaller whales afterwards.  There were a few of us from work watching as the whales were fluke slapping and eventually breaching.  Just as we thought they were going to be too far off for us to see anymore they all started breaching at the same time!!!  3 at a time, 2 at a time, it was phenomenal!!! This was one of my goals for 2012, one I was just talking about last week with someone from work and it was fulfilled today.  It was truly something I will never, ever forget; one of the greatest days EVER!

Next goal: Blue Whales

I love Cali...LIG!

These pics were taken by someone else.

Relay for Life Overview

Last weekend we finally had our Relay for Life.  It was a huge success and everyone that participated was happy with how it was run.  Things were completely different than the previous year and it was fun all around.  We had a DJ, live bands, a Miss Relay contest (I got 2nd), food, good people, and an amazing hip-hop dance crew from Hollister (JJs Studio).  The guest speakers had very moving stories and the ceremonies went very well.  We have raised around $60,000 but our overall goal is $80k.  I'm not sure if that is realistic or not but we're pushing for it.  Even with the event having come and gone my work is never done!  I'm now working on planning the team captain wrap-up party along with figuring out what we need to do differently for next year.

In case you didn't get a chance to donate but would still like to it's not too late yet!!  We can fund raise up until August 31st so if you or any of your friends/family are interested then stop by the website and make a donation.

Website: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/cjtpayne

I cannot thank everyone for helping me reach my goal of $1000!  I'm completely blown away by everyone's support for such a great cause.  And save up because I'll be asking for more in 2013!!!

New Ideas

So obviously I haven't exactly been keeping up with my blogging these days.  I guess I've just kinda been bored; just work and Relay for Life stuff recently and it's all been draining the life out of me.  I just renamed my blog from New Discoveries to Living the California Lifestyle.  I'm hoping that 2012 will lead me to exploring more of this amazing state I currently reside in whereas 2011 was me discovering more of myself and less of my environment.

I have a few goals for myself this year and one of them involves getting up on a surfboard.  I'd like to try it out once I've got some strength back in my ankle/legs.  It's been almost a month since I got my boot off and the foot is feeling a lot better.  It's definitely not perfect but it is getting stronger.

My first 2012 Cali expedition came today when I got to go diving at Point Lobos.  I've written about Point Lobos before and it is one of my favorite places around.  A friend from town made reservations for us a month ago, it's a state reserve so they limit the amount of divers, and this morning we got in the 48 degree water.  We entered in and headed towards the point on the south eastern wall.  The kelp forests were abundant with life from the rockfishes and anemones to the seastars and brilliantly colored nudibranchs.  The visibility was almost 30 feet and it was an incredible experience.  I kept thinking about how grateful I was to be able to be there, it was exactly how I'd pictured it.  We finished our first dive after being under for 45 minutes and it took us a good 90 minutes after that to convince ourselves to go back in the water!!!  We were both freezing but we sucked it up and got back in for 35 minutes.  The second dive I was helping Toni learn how to navigate and we headed more southwest.  She did pretty well and got us close to our entry point but that was enough diving for one day!!!

California is a phenomenal place to live and in 2012 I plan on taking full advantage of my surroundings.  With my running being limited I think I'll focus more on other activities and try to broaden my experiences a bit.  I'm a very happy camper...

LIG

31 Years and Counting

I had a pretty good 31st birthday celebration this weekend.  Megan put together a surprise party with a bunch of my friends from work and from the running club.  She said we were just going to go have dinner on the beach and SURPRISE!!!  There were balloons, hot dogs, sausages, potato salad, some other goodies and of course a cake!  There was a fire and the sunset was awesome; the weather was perfect too!

Saturday wasn't too eventful, especially with the Red Sox getting slaughtered.  We went to the Sea Otter Classic, a big bike expo but seeing as I don't have a bike it wasn't that exciting.  If I was into that scene it'd be a pretty cool event.  That night though was the Volunteer Gala event at work which was fun.  One of my volunteers in the seahorse gallery was being awarded for his services.  He doesn't just work with us he is also a sea otter diver and a volunteer guide (gives tours to guests).

Sunday, my actual birthday I got up and we eventually made it to breakfast.  We went to the Old Monterey Cafe where I had my usual Ken's Pancake Sandwich with blueberry pancakes, sausage, eggs, and a biscuit...DELICIOUS!  After breakfast I watched the Bruins beat the Caps in OT (yay Seguin!) Around 4:00 or so we went down to the beach for a bit to enjoy the sunshine and then came home and chillaxed the rest of the night.

Thanks to everyone that made this birthday a very special weekend; and thanks for my presents!  Here's to another great year of my life!

100 Years of Fenway Park

April 20th, 1912; 5 days after the sinking of the Titanic the Cathedral of Boston was unveiled.  Fenway Park was supposed to open earlier but due to a couple of rain outs it was pushed back to the 20th.  John F. Fitzgerald threw out the first pitch to a crowd of 24,000 fans and the Boston Red Sox took on the New York Highlanders.  With names like Tris Speaker and Duffy Lewis the Sox defeated the Highlanders 7-6 in the 11th inning with a game winning hit by Tris Speaker.  The Red Sox were a powerhouse that year with the trio of Speaker, Lewis and Harry Hooper in the outfield and eventually went on to win the pennant and the World Series defeating the New York Giants in 8 games.

I have been lucky enough to see a handful of Red Sox games over the last 25 years, more than I can possibly count and/or remember.  I started going to games with Little League Baseball when I was probably 6 or 7 and we would go every summer.  When I got older I of course started going with friends and family and now when I can make it home I usually try to schedule my trips around their games.  It's been an amazing part of my life and I'm extremely privileged to have taken part in so many games there.  I've been trying to remember some of my favorite memories at Fenway and it's been hard because there are a lot to try and remember but I'll list a few that stick out (no particular order).

Mother's Day - Ted Williams Day: Hottest day of the year and I don't think Mom has been back to Fenway since!

Father's Day 2009: Sox beat the Braves 6-5 with a Nick Green walk off homer around Pesky's Pole!  Went with Dad, my buddy Mike and his dad.  Amazing!

Opening Day 2009: Josh Beckett strikes out 10 and the Sox beat the Rays 5-3.  Got tickets off Craigslist because the original opening day had been rained out and the game was pushed back a day.  Went with a few friends from high school; it was absolutely freezing out but we had fun.

Sox vs Yankees (circa 1998?): Can't remember the exact year but went to two Sox/Yanks games back-to-back with my buddy Mike from high school and my sister and one of her friends.

All little league games...ice cream, wooden bats, bleachers.

Manny's return to Fenway Park: Took my cousin Brian to go see Manny come back to Fenway as a Dodger.  He got a pretty good standing ovation at first but by his 3rd at bat he was getting seriously booed.  

Winter Classic 2010: Didn't get to see the Bruins play but Brian and I went to see BU play BC.  The girl singing the National Anthem was from BC and she actually got booed from the BU fans...classic!

Tom Glavine vs the Sox: Glavine was lights out.  I can't remember watching a more dominant pitcher and it really made the game boring from the Sox stand point.  No runs for the BoSox but I think 8 for the Braves.

April 26, 2009: Sox vs Yanks; Jacoby Ellsbury steals home plate!!!  I couldn't believe it.  And I watched it happen.  It wasn't as if I turned away and he scored, I watched as he creeped down the line and bolted.  I still remember screaming, along with everyone else, "He's going!" And then his little hesitation before he slid...friggin amazing.  AND I almost caught a foul ball but definitely didn't happen.  Had sick seats too right near Pesky's Pole only rows up from the field...good job Kristin!

August 30, 2005: Went to the game with my sister and cousin Brian.  Sox vs Rays; Rays were up 5-0 and lost 7-6.  I think this was the first time I had seen Brian since he turned 21 so it was a good night and it was my 1st time at Cask n' Flagon!

Wade Boggs sighting: Wade was my favorite player growing up until of course he turned to the dark side...but one game we were so close to the third base wall that I had asked the umpire if he could get me his signature.  He said no but then there was a ball that went passed Wade and he ran up to the wall...that was the closest I ever got to him.  Oh well.

Mo Vaughn sighting: We saw Mo in the parking lot after one game and he was massive!!!  He didn't sign any autographs though.

June 1, 2007: Sox vs Yankees and a day that will live in infamy.  Got tickets for me and my buddy Mike.  We met up with some friends beforehand and when the Sox were getting destroyed we actually left the game early.  This is the ONLY game I have EVER left early.  We left and it was 9-3, Sox lost 9-5.  The rest of that night changed my life forever...but that's another story.

May 18, 2003: Sox vs Angels; I graduated from college on May 17th and my Aunt Rita got me 3 tickets to the Sox game the day after (that was a rough ride).  I went with my buddies Mike and Pat and we had the best seats I've ever had at Fenway.  We sat right behind home plate, maybe 10 rows from the field.  Sox win 5-3.  I ended up having an interview for the job in the Keys on the way home and that trip lead me to where I am today!!!  I turned 27, 28, and 29 at Fenway park.  I've brought buddies, girlfriends, and family members with me to enjoy it.  I've sat through the coldest days, the hottest days and some of the rainiest days.  I've even had tickets to two games that got rained out; one in 2004 and one in 2010.  My sister ended up getting the tickets to the make-up game in 2004 and my friends went to the one in 2010.

I've been to so many games, most with my dad and they've all been amazing experiences.  I got some good practice and preparation for high school by learning how to score the games at a young age.  Dad has taught me a lot about the game at Fenway and I've taught him a lot about the history of the park!!!  I've gone on at least 3 tours of Fenway, seen Theo Epstein outside of Fenway, gotten autographs (thank you Carlos Quintana) outside the parking lot, eaten God only knows how many hot dogs, been to 3 games in one week, at least 8 games in 2009 and if I could I'd go to every game played there.  I've seen some of the greatest Sox players play the sport they love!  Being inside Fenway, for someone who truly loves the history of the sport is an unforgettable experience, no matter how many times you've been and I look forward to going to many more throughout the years.

GO SOX!

0-2

Can't say much about the game today.  I was listening to it online and couldn't get past the third inning.  Beckett really sucked it up giving up 5 home runs in just over 4 innings, 4 of them to Cabrera and Fielder getting 2 each.  When he left it was 7-0 and the offense was yet again no where to be found.  Sox lose 10-0.  2011 all over again!  The Bruins won and so did the Celts and don't forget that Boston College hockey won the NCAA Championship!  Just a few higher notes to help everyone forget the Red Sox at the time being.

Game 3: 4/8/12 1:05ET Buckholz vs Scherzer

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone!  I will be spending it at work.  Last year I was lucky enough to spend it down in San Diego because it was the same weekend as my birthday but this year I will be stressing out mightily!  Monday I leave for Chicago so tomorrow I need to get a whole bunch of stuff done.  I got a very nice Easter basket from my family this evening filled with candy!  I'm surprised they didn't have a kite in there somewhere but I'll eat all the candy fo sho.

I never got to mass this year and haven't been to mass on Easter in a long time.  It's somewhat disappointing to think about how much I've changed when it comes to my religion.  I used to be very strict on myself about going to church, at least on important holidays such as Easter, the most important.  I'm learning to live with it and know that if I truly wanted to be there I would be.

Anyway, last night we watched the Passion.  I had never seen it before and I'm pretty sure it's the only movie we've watched that Megan had seen and I hadn't.  I don't really know how to react to the film.  It was extremely graphic and I was saddened by the possibility that that is truly what happened to Christ before he died.  But again, it is just a movie.  Right now I am watching the Ten Commandments and even though it's an old movie I still like watching it.  The special effects are incredibly cheesy but back in the 1950s this was top notch Academy Award winning stuff!!!  And of course Charlton Heston is the man as Moses.

That's about all I have for my Easter blog...let it be written!  Enjoy the holiday, chocolate, ham, and your hunt for eggs!

0-1

Close but no cigar...

With a record selling crowd for opening day at Comerica Park in Detroit the Red Sox looked to make a statement and start off the season on a higher note than last year, keep the naysayers hushed, and get win number one for new manager Bobby V.  Well unfortunately for them the Tigers wanted to show that sell-out crowd that they are for real, they've got some serious talent, and that last year's near World Series trip was no fluke.

John Lester up against Justin Verlander seems like a dream matchup that I'm hoping we will see again in October.  By October though I'm hoping we have a closer.  Lester did great allowing only 1 run over 7 innings but Verlander did even better by not giving up any runs in 8 with 7Ks.  Lester went up against the best pitcher in baseball and held his own and Lester isn't exactly known to be sparkling in April.  

The offense was a bit cold but again they were going up against the best.  In the 9th though the offense came back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game after Valverde blew a save; something that I don't think has happened since 2010.  Going into the bottom of the ninth, tied at 2 the Sox had to rely on their shotty bullpen in it's first test.  Epic Fail.  Melancon gave up a couple of hits and then after he was pulled Aceves, who's supposed to be the official closer hit a batter to load the bases for Austin Jackson.  Jackson hit a single up the third base line to win the ball game.  Tigers get their first win, Sox get their first loss.

The reminders of game 162 from 2011 came glaring into my mind and the "here we go again" thoughts start clouding my brain.  But in perspective this game was a good start against a great team.  Unfortunately for the Red Sox though we need some serious help on the bullpen side of things.  I'm not sure how far they'll wait and how many losses we as fans are going to endure until they realize they need to make a move but who knows, maybe Aceves will calm down, learn from his mistakes and take charge of the pen.

Game 2 is Saturday, 4/7/12.  Josh Beckett vs. Doug Fister

MLB 2012

 

And so it begins...the 2012 Major League Baseball season has officially begun.  The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Miami Marlins to open the season with a 4-1 victory in Miami.  I don't think it is exactly how the million dollar Marlins wanted to start the new season in their new stadium with their new high-money lineup!  And tomorrow the Red Sox start their season in Detroit against the Tigers.

John Lester takes on reigning MVP/Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander in the Tiger's home opener at 1:00 ET, unfortunately 10:00AM here.  The Tigers are boasting a pretty good lineup this year with the addition of Prince Fielder and should be a decent threat for most throughout the year.  As some of you may remember the Red Sox are coming off a horrible season that was capped off by a horrendous collapse.  And I'm sure we will always blame the beer and chicken wings but they just sucked.  Watching Papelbon blow the save in the 9th against the crappy Baltimore Orioles was something I'd like to forget but unfortunately know I'll always sadly remember.

With that disappointing end to the 2011 season constantly on my mind it has been extremely hard to get excited for this upcoming season.  What has recently sparked my interest is knowing that nobody expects them to do well.  It's the fact that out of 50 ESPN baseball sportswriters only one of them picked the Red Sox to win it all; most not even picking them to make the playoffs!  This is exactly what they need.  They need the media and the public to doubt that they cannot win, that they don't have the pitching, they don't have the defense, they have a narcissistic coach and blah, blah, blah...



No we do not have a proven closer (thank you Andrew Bailey), or a shortstop, 4-5 pitching rotation questions, and outside of Ellsbury a questionable outfield (at the moment).  But we do have an incredible offense and our defense really isn't going to be THAT bad.  Ellsbury, Pedroia, Papi, Gonzalez, Youk, Crawford (out till May)/Ross, Salty, Sweeney, Aviles...I can deal with that lineup.  And when Crawford comes back he will hopefully be back to the old Crawford of old.



It's a new era in Red Sox history.  It's one without a 2-time World Series Champion manager or a GM that made a bold decision in late-July of 2004 to trade the most popular player on the team in order to reverse the curse.  There's no captain behind the plate or knuckleballer on the mound.  It's a whole new vibe in Boston and one that wreaks of pre-2004 where you weren't sure what was going to happen but you were absolutely certain you'd be extremely disappointed by the time October came around.



I obviously do not wish for this to happen and I expect the Red Sox to be playing in October this year; whether it's from one of the two wild cards or by taking the division I'm sure they'll be there.  And once they're in it's on like Donkey Kong!  So cross your fingers, start saying your prayers, and have faith in Red Sox Nation that this is our year!!!

Go Sox!

(All pictures used here were courtesy of boston.com) http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/gallery/2012/predictions?pg=10

Karaoke for a Cure II

We had our 2nd Annual Karaoke for a Cure to raise money for our Relay for Life team, West Coast Family Ties.  The overall fundraising went a little bit better than last year which was great because we did not have as many people show up as last year.  This was a surprise for us because we honestly thought we would pack the place but I guess that's what happens when you have people tell you they are coming when they really couldn't give a crap!  We had some audio difficulties with the mic and speakers so that killed the momentum for a little bit but we kept it going and everyone seemed to have a good time!!!

Songs that I was forced to sing:

• Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
• Wind Beneath My Wings - Bette Midler
• Summer Nights (duet) - Grease
• Everybody - Backstreet Boys
• Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
• All My Loving - Beatles
• Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (duet) - Cyndi Lauper

I'm thinking there was at least one other I'm not remembering right now, if it comes to me I'll be sure to re-post.

If you haven't already, please help out our team and the American Cancer Society by donating to my Relay for Life page: http://main.acsevents.org/goto/cjtpayne.

Thanks to everyone who has already made a donation, it's going a long way!!!

Is This Thing On?

I'm supposed to be updating this thing huh??  Well I guess I'm gonna use the I've been really busy excuse yet again.  I guess I'm just getting a bit down about the ankle not progressing at the rate I'd like it to and so I don't really feel like doing too much else.  I keep going on a rollercoaster of emotions where I'm fine with being injured and won't let it stop me and then I just don't want anything to do with exercise or anything of the sort and just wanna sit and watch tv.  I am on my foot literally all day at work, sometimes 8,9,10 hours a day so when I get the opportunity to sit and relax I make sure to take full advantage of it.

I went to the doctor on Wednesday and all he could say about the pain still being present was this was the best option unless I wanted to get a hard cast.  This was not something I wanted to do so he suggested wearing the ankle brace with the air cast, so that's where I'm at.  It definitely feels more stable this way so I'm happy about it so far.  I've got a little over 3 weeks left in this thing and then it's PT.

Not much else going on.  Work has been really busy and I'm involved in a lot of projects at the moment...almost too many.  But it's still a great job.  Outside of work nothing too exciting going on.  We had a very successful St. Patty's Day party here where I cooked up some corned beef and cabbage (thanks for the guidance dad!), veggies, soup, and people brought over other goodies.

Relay for Life stuff is really picking up and we are pushing to find some more teams. This has been taking up most of my time outside of work.  So far our team has raised almost $1400!!!  We are shooting for $4000 so if you haven't donated and would like to help the cause please visit our webpage, Relay for Life Monterey!!!

That's all I have for now, sorry I've been slacking but I'll do my best to pick it up from now on.

11 Days till Opening Day!!

Squint and you'll see Clint Eastwood bolting out of the Mission Ranch banquet room!!!  We were at one of Megan's patient's 90th birthday parties on Saturday at the Mission Ranch which is owned by Clint Eastwood himself.  One of the women at our table went outside to smoke and came back saying she saw Clint outside and asked him to come in to say hi to the birthday girl.  I didn't believe her but then saw the reflection in the window and then he walked in the room!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  CLINT EASTWOOD and I were in the same room together, are you KIDDING me????  He came in, took some pics with the birthday girl and then bolted out of the room before anyone else could bug him.  One of the coolest moments EVER!

Das Boot!

Well it's not a boot like I thought it'd be but instead it's an aircast, old-school style and I should be wearing it whenever I'm walking around.  I also have an ankle brace that I can wear when driving or doing any other activities where I cannot wear the boot.  I have to go back in 3 weeks for a check-up and see if it's getting any better but for now it's 0 activity for me, well for my legs, for probably 6 weeks.  I'm gonna go absolutely crazy. I'll post pictures of the boot tomorrow, just wanted to get the update out there first.

So here it is:

It's been just over a week and it's starting to getting annoying already.  The air cast itself is comfortable but walking with it is not.  I don't have any shoes/boots to even out my left leg so I'm walking uneven but hopefully I'll go get some shoes this weekend.  I cannot drive in it so I have to drive in my ankle brace instead and I wear the ankle brace at home too since I'm not walking around much.

5 weeks to go!

Fat Tuesday

Today is Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of lent for the Christian faith.  It is the last day of Mardi Gras (French for Fat Tuesday) culminating a celebration that began on the Epiphany, the night celebrating when the three kings came to visit Jesus.  With the end of Mardi Gras begins the lenten season and a time for fasting.  We are supposed to give up something that we rely on heavily in our daily lives so that it is a sacrifice and although we will never be able to duplicate the sacrifice Christ gave for us it is up to each individual to find that vice they cannot live without.

SO!  What is everyone giving up for lent this year?  I'm guessing Dad and Betz are giving up candy...again.  I am torn between giving up Facebook or coffee.  I'm pretty much addicted to both so let me know what you think!

Enjoy Ash Wednesday and good luck with whatever sacrifice it is you will be making.

Pitchers and Catchers

I hope these two get there 'ish' together this year!

Pitchers and catchers have reported to Fort Myers at the Red Sox new Fenway South, officially known as JetBlue Park.  It's already a weird vibe with Tim Wakefield's retirement on Friday and I'm trying extremely hard to get excited about the 2012 season but I cannot get the image of complete failure out of my head as Papelbon blew the last game of the season against Baltimore.

The new additions of Ryan Sweeney, Cody Ross, Nick Punto, Andrew Bailey and of course the managerial addition of Bobby Valentine is supposedly going to turn things around, erase last years memories, and start ahead on another championship journey.  With veteran leadership from Youk, Papi, Pedroia, Lester, Buck, Beckett, A-Gon, and [if we had made the playoffs I woulda been MVP but who cares cuz I still make 8 mill a year] Ellsbury things have the potential to do just that.

Problems...well as of right now we don't have a complete outfield with Crawford out for a bit of time after having wrist surgery, evidently J.D. Drew retired (did anyone notice?), and there are a bunch of back-ups fighting for the positions.  We also got rid of both of our shortstops, good luck Scutaro and Lowrie wherever you are; so now Mike Aviles, Nick Punto, and future phenom Jose Iglesias are fighting for the spot to be the next ex-Red Sox shortstop.

As of now I have no predictions for this year because after last year only God knows how this will turn out.  As spring training begins, progresses, and wraps up I'll continue to monitor how things look and maybe I'll put out a prediction before the season begins.  Until then though the full squad should be in Ft. Myers by this weekend and the first games against Northeastern and BC are on March 3rd.

This is either gonna go very well or just be an utter disaster...no in between.

Chris's Mix

I found a CD in my car today entitled "Chris's Mix" and honestly I cannot for the life of me remember making it.  And I don't think I did actually...I would never put the extra "s" after the apostrophe.  I must have picked out the songs because it definitely has songs that were part of "me" at some point so it was refreshing to reminisce on old music that fueled some emotions.  So what songs are on this you ask???

Eye of the Tiger - Survivor 

Bullet with Butterfly Wings - Smashing Pumpkins

Cowboy - Kid Rock (1999)

Way I Am - Eminem (2000)

My Hero - Foo Fighters (1998)

Enter Sandman - Metallica

Guerilla Radio - Rage Against the Machine (1999)

Limp Bizkit - Break Stuff (1999)

Come With Me - P Diddy (1998)
Whatever - Godsmack (1999)
Stupify - Distrubed (2000)
Self Esteem - Offspring
Korn - Freak on a Leash (1999)
What If - Creed (1999)

Looks like it was a running CD and I might even have to throw all these songs together on my IPod.  There are a few other songs that wouldn't play due to the condition of the disc but maybe some day I'll be able to figure them out.  A lot of these songs I had to figure out with just the first 10-15 seconds of them.  Maybe this will be my playlist once I am finally able to run again...MRI Wednesday!

Diving in Monterey

Yesterday I got to finally get in the water for a dive completely unrelated to work and it was a lot of fun!  I went with a guy that is from Zurich, Switzerland who is over here for a few weeks to work with us in the seahorse gallery and learn a thing or two about what we do.  He's a bit frustrating to work with at times because he doesn't really understand what it means to have 100 different things to do and thinks we should all just be focusing on one particular aspect of the job and do that really well; if only it were that easy!

Anyway, we decided to get in the water off of Cannery Row just down the street from work.  There is a beach called McAbee beach behind the Mexican restaurant El Torito.  So after we got his gear rented and I got a tank we hit the beach.  It was a nice, sunny day when we got in the water but it was kinda windy.  The waves were coming in strong but not nearly as big as the ones over by Lover's Point where we first thought about going.  Once we got in we headed south-southwest along the rocks on the right then cut over south-southeast and came back north to finish our dive.

It was extremely surgey underwater and we were getting tossed around, back and forth a good 15-feet at a time and with visibility of maybe 10-12 feet in 52 degrees you'd think this would have been a horrible dive but it wasn't.  I needed to get out of the house and do something, pretty much anything that wasn't work related and since I can't run, not completely into biking yet, and I stopped drinking this seemed to be the perfect outlet!!!  And I didn't care that I was getting flung around like a ragdoll underwater I was enjoying every minute of it.  The sun was still shining through the detritus, sand and kelp and the fish were still swimming.  We saw a bunch of rockfish, a couple of monkey face eels, a bunch of inverts and even a school of about 100 or so tubesnouts!

Overall a great dive...we were down for about 65 minutes and hopefully I'll get back in the water again soon!

LIG!

RIP Whitney

Whitney Houston died yesterday and it seems to be a sad day for everyone.  I know you probably won't believe this but Whitney's music was a big part of my childhood growing up.  I know all of the words to her songs (her singles anyway) and I will sing them loud and proud from here on out.  How, you may ask?  My aunt Rita listened to her religiously so every time I hear ANY of her songs I think of her...and now I hope Rita is up there with a front row seat to Whitney's first heavenly concert.

In memory of Miss Houston I'm gonna wanna dance with somebody, but how will I know without getting so emotional if that one moment in time is why I will always love you??

Drugs or not 48 is still too young...for anybody.  Rest in Peace Whitney, tell Rita I miss her terribly.

Pro-Am

1st hole at MPCC...our view from the breakfast window!

Went to the AT&T Pro-Am yesterday and it was incredible!  Megan had a hook-up with one of her patients who is a manager at the Monterey Peninsula Country Club.  We got to eat a complimentary breakfast overlooking the first hole of their course (picture above).  I had a delectable serving of blueberry pancakes, sausage, eggs, toast, hash browns, OJ, coffee and a virgin bloody Mary!

We took a shuttle over to Pebble Beach once we were done feasting and it was packed with everyone trying to find Tiger.  We got really lucky as we headed straight for the 3rd green and got to see Tiger and Tony Romo on their second shots.  "Is that Tiger?" "No that's Tiger!" "Was that his shot?"  Nobody could see far enough up the fairway but then we all looked more to the right and everyone in unison said "Ooooh THAT'S Tiger," as he hit a beautiful shot up onto the green.  He was in all black and of course sporting Nike and at that point had come from something like 16 back to sneak into 2nd place.  

Tiger showed absolutely no emotion outside of what looked like anger and frustration...or maybe just pure determination, but either way he wasn't smiling.  Romo on the other hand was having fun and even when a fan yelled out "Go Niners!" as he was putting he managed to laugh about it.  They then walked right by us as they went to the next hole where we watched Tiger tee off and then we went to find other, more appreciative players.

I'll put a list up at the end of this of the celebs we saw but the highlights were getting a fist bump from Phil Mickelson and an autograph from Clyde Drexler!!!  Getting to see Belichick play golf was also pretty cool and he was in a Pebble Beach hoody per the usual attire.  It was a marvelous experience and I cannot thank Megan enough for hooking us up with these tickets.  We were also fortunate enough to have a ticket to a business tent where we had lunch and some warm drinks!  The weather wasn't exactly the greatest with the wind blowing pretty hard, the mist coming from all directions, and the clouds covering up that big ball of gas in the sky!

List of spotted celebs in no particular order:

Bill Belichick

Bill Murray

Clyde "The Glyde" Drexler

Tiger Woods

Tony Romo

Phil Mickelson

Aaron Rodgers

Don Cheadle

Andy Garcia

Nick Saban

Darius Rucker

Huey Lewis

George Lopez

Ray Romano

Chris O'Donnell

Herm Edwards

Matt Cain

Jim Harbaugh

Harris Barton

Sorry Betz no Josh Duhamel, maybe next year!!!

Fun Day at the Doctor

Cyst is the black circle in the heel.

So I went to the doctor last week to get the results from my x-rays and WOW what an adventure that was.  I hate going to the doctors for several reasons but a big pet peeve of mine is when I have to sit and wait...and wait...and wait.  Well of course on this journey it was no different.  After calling them several times on Thursday and Friday and getting nowhere I called back on Monday while I was on my lunch break.    I was told that the doctor would look at the film and call me back by the end of the day.  At 5:03 as I'm just about to leave work I get a call from Janet.  She pretty much has no information for me except that I have a bone cyst...that was it.  Then she asked if I'd like an MRI as if I knew what the hell she was talking about.  I said I'd like to talk to the doctor and so I set up an appointment.  But of course she first tells me there are NO appointments in the afternoon until Wednesday February 15th...yeah lady that'd be perfect.  OR maybe we could try and fix this problem NOW!  So I got an appointment for Tuesday morning at 11:00.

I walked into the office, told the girl with the accent I'm unfamiliar with I had an appointment and sat down to wait.  Immediately after I sat down I heard the three girls whispering about how one girl didn't put me into the computer for Tuesday but instead for Wednesday, but she'll just put me in for today anyway.  Now I'm not being told any of this I'm just overhearing it.  11:20 or so comes along and finally I get brought into the actual room where I supposedly was going to see a doctor.  11:30...45...seriously?  11:50...12:00...12:10 she finally walks into the room and hurriedly starts to tell me what's wrong.  The only problem is that I don't speak a word of doctor, I speak fish and I made it quite clear to her that she needs to explain this to me as if I do NOT work with people and bones.  

She goes through the information and tells me I have a bone cyst in my heel, not my ankle and by twisting the ankle I could have aggravated the cyst and that could be why I'm still feeling so much pain and discomfort 6 weeks later.  The cyst in the heel radiates pain along the outside of the foot (check), across the ankle (check), and up the achilles (check).  But I also have pain on the inside of the foot...lucky me!  Her recommendation was to get an MRI to see if I did any damage to any muscles or other soft tissues before she can figure out what to do with it.

Before I left though I had to bring up with her my experience of waiting for over an hour and how ECSTATIC that made me!  I told her I didn't appreciate the whispering and that they should have just told me they screwed up and that when I was told on Friday that I was getting a call by the end of the day but that didn't happen and that her "being in a meeting" was a bunch of b.s.  I also told her that sitting in a room for almost an hour didn't put a smile on my face either and as she proceeded to tell me she had an emergency I told her that's fine but somebody should have told me I'd be waiting for that long as I was ready to walk out.

Anyway...now I'm just awaiting an MRI appointment so I can figure out what happens next.

That Sucked...Again

Short version of what I'm feeling right now: Truly pissed, royally disappointed, utterly confused, despising work tomorrow, and disgusted that now I have to drag through the months of February and March only to get my hopes up yet again for what I'm sure will be another failed Red Sox season.  I'm finally remembering what it's like to truly be a New England sports fan.

Till next year...and Tom, you haven't been looking so terrific lately so you better figure it out quick cuz you've only got a handful of years left.

Go Bruins and Celtics!

Just another day...

Chillin at the beach, reading a book on Spaceman Lee and enjoying the beautiful weather!

"Ish Boston Girls Say!"

This video is absolutely perfect...I miss Boston and the Boston attitude!

Ankle Update

Finally went to the doctor yesterday and ended up having to get x-rays.  I have not heard back about the results yet but will post them when I find out.  I was told I would have heard by now but of course that is coming from a doctor's office and God forbid I interrupt her busy schedule.  The doctor I saw is a sports medicine doctor who also runs and she wasn't sure if it was fractured but thought it definitely had some potential.  When I called today the receptionist said it wasn't fractured but there were some other issues and that the doctor would call me back...that obviously hasn't happened and probably won't until Monday.  So now I wait patiently and focus all of my energy on the Pats game!  After a really long and crappy week at work I could really go for a Pats win and no fracture in my foot...here's to hopin'!

Anticipation and Anxiety

Is it Sunday yet?  I'm practically pacing around the apartment I'm so excited about Sunday.  I'm more nervous about this Superbowl than any of the others.  This one will solidify both Belichick and Brady as the greatest ever!  But we also have the worst defense in Superbowl history so I'm not as confident as I have been in the past.  I'm pretty sure Brady has NEVER wanted anything this badly in his career so I know he's out for blood. It'll be a great game but mostly offense I'm guessing and I think if we can stop the run and make Peyton's even more retarded brother Eli have to throw he'll eventually start making some mistakes.

Brady does NOT have 2 bad games in a row, Gronk is fine, Myra is watching down and Pats win 31-24...it's been said.

Nada

Well nothing special happened today but I did get to catch up with a friend who lives in the Palo Alto area and we went to Philz again!!!  I tried a new type of coffee, Julie's Ultimate which was very good but not as incredible as the Jacobs Wonderbar flavor I had last time.  We caught up for a couple hours about life and Relay stuff and then Megan was done working and we headed back for Monterey.  After eating lunch we packed up the car and went to Carmel Beach for the duration of the afternoon.  We brought the dog and the ball gloves and played some catch while watching the sun set.  Overall a very good day but nothing crucial or life-changing occurred.  

8 days...Go Pats!  

Why Palo Alto?

9 months ago I had planned on being in Tampa today to celebrate Gasparilla with a bunch of friends I haven't seen in forever.  Then 4 months ago I stopped drinking so that idea got thrown out the window.So I signed up for a race with some friends in San Juan Bautista and then on New Years I busted up my ankle and haven't run since.  So now I sit in a hotel in Palo Alto, sober and injured but searching for some meaning as to how I ended up here today. 

And what am I doing here you ask?  Megan is working and I came along for the trip.  But for some reason I feel like today will be more than just relaxing in a hotel and hopefully I will be able to figure out what it is.  Or maybe I just watch too many movies and I should just relax in the hot tub!

Bored and Busy

This ankle/foot injury is causing incredible boredom...I cannot run or even swim but I have been going to the gym and I even started lifting weights again.  Lifting weights is surprisingly therapeutic and a great outlet for any frustrations or boredom.  I'm finally going to have to give in and get checked out by a doctor because the pain is not going away and is extremely irritating.  The swelling has been gone for a while but the shooting and throbbing pain is there pretty much each day.  Icing doesn't seem to be working anymore and I need to cut down on the Aspirin and Tylenol so I don't put a hole in my stomach.  I cannot stay off my foot because of my job so I try my best to stay seated on my days off.  Of course after the Patriots won I went on a jumping spree around the apartment.  I'll hopefully be able to make an appointment for this Friday but if not I guess it'll have to wait until next week.  Either way I'll keep you updated.

This weekend we are headed up to Palo Alto because Megan has to work and I'm tagging along for the free hotel stay and for a chance to catch up with one of my Relay friends I met in Anaheim.  AND Philz Coffee (http://www.philzcoffee.com/), where we met up last time and will again this time, is simply AMAZING!  I'm not a coffee snob or anything but I'm at a point where I have my own taste for good coffee; Starbucks = crap, Peet's = Pretty Good but Philz = incredible!  There's a zillion choices to choose from and the customer service is top notch.  If you ever have the chance I highly recommend poking your head in.

Works been busy lately with the inspection last week (which went exceptionally well), new gallery assignments, and new responsibilities.  I got to help with the mola (ocean sunfish) check up this morning and go to get in the water and guide the fish over to the stretcher.  The animal was then lifted out of the water and examined to see if it is fit for release yet.  It still needs to heal up a bit so it probably won't get released for another month or so but it will have to be moved to our offsite holding facility until it is all better.  I went straight from diving in that tank to diving in a much colder tank, the Kelp Forest which is 52 degrees right now.  It was a basic maintenance dive and I just scrubbed and vacuumed but it was nice to get into a tank I haven't been in in almost a year.

I'm also in charge of two new octopi, Wonderpus photogenicus and right now they are being held for research and development for our Cephalopod 2014 temporary exhibit.  We are going to be one of the few aquariums, if not the only to have an entire exhibit based solely on cephalopods.  Right now mom is asking, what the heck is a cephalopod???  Cephalopods are the group of octopus, squid, cuttlefish and nautilus.  They are basically some of the coolest animals on the planet and I'm involved in this project from the very beginning!

Patriots headed back to Super Bowl

This never gets old!

Patriots headed back to Super Bowl

Here We Go Again!

Superbowl 2012!!!

This is the 6th time I am witnessing the New England Patriots go to the Superbowl and the 5th with Mr. Tom Brady, undoubtedly the greatest quarterback of all-time in my book.  Today's game showed a few flaws in Brady's game, having two interceptions and no touchdowns but the defense stepped it up and Vince Wilfork led them to victory.  Joe Flacco played surprisingly well and in contrast Ray Rice did not but of course it all landed in the lap of Billy Cundiff.  And in a game where there was a lot of sloppy play and everyone was looking for the heroic moment, it all ended with a flop.  Any other day he makes that kick but not today, today he missed and the New England Patriots are headed to Superbowl XLVI in Indianapolis.  And I thought for once we could head to Indy without having to deal with a flipping Manning brother but of course I was wrong and the Giants got lucky, were handed their victory as well with sloppy play from the Niners and now we have a rematch.  Only this time it'll end a little differently, or so I hope.

Let's Go Pats!!!  And if anyone wants to lend me $2000 for a ticket I'll be eternally grateful!

Patriots Baby!!!

It's almost time for Patriots playoff football and I couldn't be more excited this year.  I know the defense is nearly atrocious with all the yardage they're putting up each week but if you look at the numbers there actually were teams that gave up more points than the Pats.  There are not too many teams scoring as many points as them though, with Brady throwing for 5235 yards this year averaging over 30 points a game.  The Tebow-mania is getting out of hand and needs to put to a stop.

There are four superbowl winning quarterbacks playing this weekend, one team that's finally back to status, a new playoff team and all anybody on ESPN can talk about is Tim Tebow.  Tim Tebow plays on a team that backed into the playoffs and beat a really good Steelers team with a very beat up, overweight quarterback.  I think it is Belichick/Brady time now and they need to put him in his place.

Pats win 35-13 in a very hostile, cold New England environment.

Go Pats!!!

Happy Friday the 13th!

Today was the first of three Friday the 13ths in 2012 but I didn't encounter any crazy happenings...I also didn't really leave the apartment.  Today was a much needed lazy day as work has been pretty busy lately and my ankle is still bugging me.  We are preparing for a major inspection, getting trained on new galleries, and I even had to give a presentation on my time in Hawaii.

Last night I had my first Relay for Life Team Captain Meeting and I was in charge of the agenda and running the meeting; so of course I was up late Wednesday night prepping for it.  So this afternoon I cleaned up some of my stuff a bit and took it relatively easy.  Tonight I made dinner for my friend Erin (girl who got hit by the car), her husband, and sister.  I made one of my all-time favs American chop suey and a salad and I've gotta say it was pretty darn good.  She's doing pretty well for being hit by a car; having shattered her knee, separated a shoulder, and cracked two ribs.  She got her staples out of her leg and is now just all stitched up but still quite immobile; although she did make a surprise appearance at work yesterday which was great to see.

After dinner and catching up I made my way home and I am now watching Friday the 13th Part VII.  This, in case you aren't up on your Vorhees history is the one where a telekenetic teen Tina revives Jason out of the lake and of course the hockey-masked zombie is quite pissed off.  He was after all chained to a rock and drowned for 4 years by Tommy Jarvis!

[TEASER ALERT]
The death scenes in this movie are quite classic and the sleeping bag scene alone makes this movie worth watching.  Of course it follows the same plot lines of teens hooking up, doing drugs and drinking at Camp Crystal Lake but it's a great movie to watch on Halloween and Friday the 13th and makes up for some of the even crappier ones.  And Jason is a serious badass, pretty quick for a dead guy, and can really put an axe through a blonde girls head and toss her across the room when he has to!  Ugly as hell though as you get to see his decrepit, cross eyed, I could really use a vacation look at the end of the movie just before Tina channels the powers of Carrie and (almost) blows Jason away.  Of course he comes back, throws Tina across the dock where she is then saved by her "also dead" father that she watched die and drown in this same lake as a 10 year old.  Gotta love the powers of telekinesis!!!

Happy Friday the 13th everyone!!!

This is where my dad makes a joke to my mom saying he sees a striking resemblence!