Blog

It's Been A While

2013-05-14T22:07:40Z

I was talking to someone the other day and it came up that I have a blog/website. After talking to this person, I pulled it up and realized that I had only written two entries in the last three months. So much for writing more often. I’d like to write more, but my life just isn’t all that exciting and I limit myself as to what I am allowed to write about. I don’t like to write about work because, well, people do read this and far be it for me to piss people off without even trying. I’d write about politics, but I’m smart enough to know that I don’t know enough to write about it. With that being said, I’d started thinking about what else to write about. There has to be something, anything, in the last three months I could write about. Here’s what I came up with.

Breaking one of my rules, let me tell you about work. We recently moved. That’s all I can say though.

The weather. We had two days of triple digit temperatures here recently and people lost their minds. The people of Los Angeles are a funny bunch. If it’s not sunny and 75 degrees, then it’s news. I’m really sick of all the bitching about the weather out here. If it rains, people bitch. If it’s hot and doesn’t rain, then people bitch that it’s dry and there will be fires. If the temps get into the 40’s at night, you better believe we are all going to freeze to death. On second thought, I can completely understand why people complain about the weather out here. It stinks. I’ve been out here almost six years and I’m still trying to figure out what is so special about the weather.

Hockey season ended yesterday. Okay, hockey season as far as I’m concerned, is over. After a horrendous start to the season, the Caps somehow found a way to win their division. I’m impressed by that. I understand they play in the worst division, but to come back and win it is still impressive. Unfortunately, the Caps season ended in an all to familiar way. They lost Game 7 at home. It wasn’t even close. They were shut out in Games 6 and 7. That’s like failing gym. You have to try to pull that off. Guess there’s always next season right?

I made cookies about a week or so ago. I’m sorry (not really) if anyone was offended if I didn’t send them any. I actually ate about two dozen of them myself. That is a very rare thing. I did bring some into work, but I can’t talk about that because, well, it’s work. With the rest of them I did something I had never done before. I took them down to the local fire station and gave them to the crew. Seemed like the thing to do.

There’s a new iPad that’s supposed to come out this summer or fall and I’m thinking it might be time for an upgrade. When I got my first iPad, I swore that that would be the device that I upgraded every time a new one came out. I skipped the 3rd and 4th generation ones, so it may be time. We’ll see how I feel when it comes out.

I bought my first ibook recently. I bought Baby Steps by Elisabeth Röhm. Great read and I encourage people to go buy it.

I still don’t have cable TV and not having sports channels is killing me. I got to see one Caps playoff game because all the games were on the NBC cable family and you can only watch online if you have the right cable TV provider. Kind of stupid if you ask me, but they didn’t ask. Outside of that, I’m fine with no cable. Sure there are a few shows I wish it was easier to watch and not having any sort of DVR stinks form time to time, but it’s worth saving $100 a month.

With it being May, my thoughts turn to the opening of the pools. The pool down the road has been under construction for the last year. Looks like they completely redid it and added some slides. I know I’m not in the pool business anymore and haven’t been for some time, but I still miss it and the people. Wait, sorry, I’m not supposed to write about my lifeguarding days because that offends people.

I think there were some other things I wanted to write about, but I can’t remember what they were or I’m subconsciously censoring myself. While writing this, I did remember one of the reasons I don’t write that much. Ironically it’s because people read what I write. Don’t worry, I’m not trying to fool anyone. I know there aren’t thousands (or even hundreds) of people reading what I have to write, but there are people who read it. How do I know this? Well, I can’t go into that because, well, you know, but it’s more than just the numbers.

Have a nice day. I’m still allowed to say that aren’t I?

Lesson Learned

2013-04-04T05:33:06Z

The other night I bought a cordless drill/screwdriver. I had one a few years ago, but lost it during one of my moves. I did a little research before deciding on a nice little Black & Decker that should work just fine. There was a part of me that wanted to just start screwing and unscrewing things as soon as I got home because I could. I think that's something I got from my brother. He and my dad always stressed the need to have the right tools for the job, but he was a bit more passionate about it than dad.
Years ago I bought a little entertainment center for my parents. I was more than happy to put it together for them. I read through all the instructions, got the proper tools and went at it. It took a little time and as I was finishing up, my brother walked in to see how it was going. He gave it the once over and I patiently waited as it was important to have his approval. After he looked it over, he asked if I had used any power tools to put it together. I proudly said no. He grabbed a screwdriver and started unscrewing a few things, dropping screws as he went. After removing a few screws, he said that I needed to use power tools to do it right and he walked away.
I think I sat there for a moment trying to figure out what just happened before getting a power screwdriver and putting the screws he removed back in. I realized what had happened was my brother had indirectly taught me a lesson. Apparently a lesson I haven't forgotten.

Cable Free And Loving It

2013-02-09T02:48:00Z

It’s been about a month since I cut the cord and gave up cable. After some careful deliberation, I decided that paying over $100 a month to watch TV was too much. Maybe if it was more than just me watching it might be worth it, but not for one person. There really isn’t any reason to have cable anyway. Pretty much every network has an app to watch their shows and at the very least, they allow you to watch online as early as the next day. That’s all free. Basically, if you can wait a day, you can watch any show online for free.

Now don’t think for a moment that I gave up watching regular broadcast TV. There’s no reason to do that. I went out and got myself a digital antennae and it’s wonderful. It cost me $25 and I get all the local channels in HD along with a few other digital channels. Nothing too exciting, but it does allow me to watch any network show as it airs. It’s just like when I was a kid. You had 5 channels with no DVR or VCR. When a show was on that you wanted to watch, you watched it and the commercials that went with it. If there were two shows on at the same time that you wanted to watch, you picked one and that was it. That’s where I am now. If I want to get things done while I’m watching a show, I have to time it out during commercials and if I take too long, there’s no rewinding to catch what I missed. Yes, I can always go online and re-watch the show, but that’s not really going to happen.

I did also subscribe to Netflix and Hulu+. The cost for the two is less than $20 a month and it gives me access to older seasons of show and movies. It’s not like having HBO or Showtime, but there were only 2 or 3 shows I was watching on those channels anyway. Hulu+ has shows the day after they air, but does not have current CBS shows. I’m not real happy about that, but all it really means is that I find myself giving priority to CBS shows when they air.

When considering making this move, I figured that watching sports might become more difficult. I haven’t watched Sportscenter in years, but obviously there are a ton of games on the ESPN family. No more of that for me. No more Big Ten Network either. No NHL or MLB channels. How would I cope? For the Redskins, the only time they would be on cable is if they’re playing on Monday night. That’s fine, I’m at work while the game would be on. How about watching the Caps? Their games aren’t on TV out here unless it’s a nationally broadcasted game. If it’s on NBC, no problem, got that covered. If the game is on the NHL Network, that’s a problem, but if it’s during the week, the game would start at 4:00 and I’d be at work anyway. Watching the Reds is the same way. I may miss a game or two that would be on ESPN, but that’s okay. What I also considered is that I could now subscribe to the NFL Sunday Ticket, NHL Game Center and MLBTV and be able to watch almost every game for less than the cost of a year of cable. That’s not a bad deal. The one area I could be in trouble with is college football. A vast majority of Virginia Tech and Ohio State games are on the ESPN family. ESPN does broadcast a lot of games online, but not if their available in your area on one of their channels. I’ll figure something out for that, I’ve got a few months.

Overall, not having cable is a good thing. Sure, I find myself having to go back to a TV schedule and I had to get the TV Guide app, but it’s worth it. I’m not watching nearly as much TV as I used to and I’m saving some money. And that’s a good thing since my taxes and health insurance went up, but that’s another story.

You're Not That Important

2013-01-30T00:46:57Z

What is the obsession that some people have with using speaker phone? I’m not talking about putting a call on speaker in a closed room when you have a business conference call, but more of the person who feels the need to put a private cell phone call on speaker phone. I see people do this both when they think no one is around and, even worse, when in a group of people. There is zero reason for this. I’m fairly certain most phones come with headphones nowadays. Try using them.

I had someone recently stand right in front of me, set their phone down between us and make a call on speaker phone. They were all hunched over and looked really uncomfortable. What followed was loud talking, lots of repeating and then annoyance. The annoyance wasn’t just from me, but from the caller who got annoyed when someone else in the room started talking. I thought I gave people dirty looks, but this guy had me beat.

I realize that I’m not a big phone person, but when I do use the phone, I like to keep my calls private and I don’t think anyone really wants to hear them. My theory is that people who like to use speaker phone do so because they think they’re important. They think that whatever they are talking about is the most important thing going on and if definitely more important than anything you might be doing. I also think that people use it because it makes them think they’re in control. Maybe the person on the other end won’t say anything for fear of someone else hearing something they shouldn’t. I don’t know.

Here’s what I do know. People who use speakerphone for personal calls are annoying. Not the people who accidentally hit the speaker button on their phone, but still hold the phone up to their ear because they don’t realize they’re on speaker. I feel bad for those people. I’m talking about the people who are to lazy to use headphones or a bluetooth. The people who feel the need to share their phone call with you. The people who think they are so important that everyone should stop what they’re doing and pay attention to their conversation. I want to let these people in on a secret...you’re really not that important. You may be special, but not for reasons you think. As a matter of fact, you’re annoying idiots who are quite possibly trying to compensate for something that can’t be compensated for. You don’t want to hear this from me? Well, we don’t want to hear it from you.

2013? Bring it!

2013-01-28T01:31:02Z

Towards the end of 2012 and for the beginning of 2013, I told a number of people how uncertain I was for the new year. It was weird because I had never felt this way. There was too much uncertainty around and I was worried. I didn’t like the way 2013 started off either. There wasn’t anything bad in particular that happened, it was more like I was in a funk. It didn’t help that I started feeling sick and that the weather kept changing. I needed something to change in a positive way or it was going to be the start of a long, long year.

The last 4 days may have been just what I was looking for. There wasn’t one thing or event specifically, just a few things that made me feel more positive or changed my way of thinking. Maybe it was winning a $100 iTunes gift card or going for a run that felt really good. It could have been having my best friend in town and being able to have some pizza and beers with him. There was some old music that I hadn’t listened to in a few years that might have done it or seeing a sign for McLean Cleaners in the movie Argo that brought back good memories. Of course it might have been having the two people, outside of my family, that mean the most to me, finally meet. I don’t know what it was, but I don’t care.

I’m a little late to the game, but I’m ready for 2013 now. I still have no idea what it will bring, but I’m excited for it. There will be some changes this year. Some will be good and some just might end up being bad, but I can’t worry about that. I’m now optimistic about it. Bring it on 2013, show me what you got.

The 2012 Washington Redskins Revisited

2013-01-22T20:58:23Z

This is the third year I’ve tried to write an end of the season report about the Redskins. I didn’t see too many games in 2010 and 2011, so it was a little difficult, but the teams weren’t that good so it was more about finding nuggets of hope. This last season was different. Before training camp I predicted that the Redskins were headed for a 6 win season, but that if everything fell into place and they caught some breaks, the team could finish 9-7. The Redskins had a year, that, if people re being completely honest, surprised a lot of people. They ended with a 7 game win streak to finish 10-7 and win the NFC East. Never saw that coming. Definitely not in the 2012 season. I thought the Redskins could/should beat the Saints, St Louis, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Carolina, Philadelphia, NY Giants, Cleveland and Dallas (winning the division home games). I had 6 out of 9 right. Who knew that the Eagles would stink so bad or that the Skins would beat Dallas, in Dallas, on Thanksgiving?

Winning their division gave the Redskins a home playoff game. That was the good news. The bad news was that they had to face probably the one team they didn’t want to face, the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks were riding their own 5 game win streak and were playing as well, if not better, than any other team in the league. The Seahawks had eliminated the Redskins the last two times they made the playoffs, but both of those games were in Seattle. Apparently playing at home didn’t make much difference as the Seahawks rallied to beat the Redskins 24-14, once again, ending the Skins season. I’m not going to talk about that game as I want to try and remain somewhat positive and optimistic.

Since I’m trying to be positive, let’s start with the surprises from the 2012. At the top of the list has to be Alfred Morris. Where did this guy come from? Talk about making the most of your opportunities. A 6th round pick out of Florida Atlantic who was forced into action because of injuries to presumed starter Tim Hightower and his backup, Roy Helu, all Morris did was set a team record for rushing yards in a season, 1613, and rush for 13 touchdowns. Here’s hoping this is the standard and he’s not Timmy Smith.

The second surprise for me was Logan Paulsen. I saw him as a third TE at best who hopefully wouldn’t miss too many blocks. He really stepped up after Fred Davis was injured and was a better pass catcher that I could have ever imagined. He may not have the hands of Davis or Cooley, but he is a definite plus for this team.

Santana Moss provided veteran leadership for the team and I think he has finally found a role that suits him. I used to be down on him when he was the number one option because I didn’t think he was anything more that a number two receiver. This year, he was the number three guy and all he did was catch 8 touchdowns (lead the team) and kept drives alive with key catches on third down.

The offensive line held up well throughout the season. They are a young group and if they can stay healthy, could be a strength of this team for years to come. If Trent Williams can keep his act clean, he will be a Pro Bowler for years. Josh LeRibeus and Adam Gettis performed well for rookies and could develop into strong starters in the next year or two.

Now for a few, not so positive things. The team needs to end the Brandon Banks experiment. He was completely ineffective this year. Richard Crawford filled in well on punt returns and while I don’t think he’s a long term solution, Niles Paul handled kickoff returns well. Banks is too erratic and does not make good decisions.

I have no idea what the team will do with DeAngelo Hall, but I assure you, whatever they do, it will be the wrong thing. He has expressed interest to stay with the team, but I don’t know how I feel about that. The man is talented and was second on the team with 4 interceptions, but he is good for a 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty every game. And it always seems to come at the worst time. He’s a good tackler who doesn’t like to do it and is more interested in trying to strip the ball than anything else. I’d say let him go, but the moment you do that, he’ll become an All-Pro elsewhere.

The defense, as a whole was not consistent, but they certainly got better after the bye week. In the first nine games of the season, the defense gave up an average of 398 yards and 27.5 points per game. After the bye, those numbers dropped to 352 and 20. If the defense continues to play as it did in the back half of the season, there’s not too much to worry about. Play as they did in the first half of the season and 2013 will be a long season and not because of making the playoffs.

I don’t like to blame injuries for a poor performance because every team has injuries. I tend to look at what healthy players might mean moving forward. Losing Brian Orakpo and Adam Carriker so early in the season seemed so devastating, but those injuries allowed us to see what Rob Jackson and Jarvis Jenkins could do. Jackson had a very good year filling in and Jenkins will continue to develop into a good player. I don’t think Fred Davis’ injury hurt too much with Paulsen and Paul picking up the slack nicely. Chris Cooley was brought back for stability at the position as well. Morris’ season kind of made everyone forget about Hightower and Helu being out all season and while Hightower won’t be back in 2013, there will be plenty of depth at RB.

In the defensive secondary, the Redskins were hurt by the absence of Brandon Meriweather (injury) and Tanard Jackson (suspension), but if they can come back in 2013, the secondary will be that much better.

Is it possible the Redskins have found stability at Kicker? Kai Forbath was just about automatic after joining the team and if he can continue, then maybe the carousal of kickers can stop.

Looking ahead to 2013, the biggest question is obviously Robert Griffin’s knee. No one can honestly say when he’ll be back and how he will be able to perform when he does. To speculate on that would be foolish, so we’ll just table any talk on RGIII for a couple of months. Outside of that, getting Carriker, Orakpo, Meriweather and Jackson back should hopefully shore up the defense and make them more consistent. Two other players I’m interested in seeing come back are Keenan Robinson and Chase Minnifield. The Redskins will eventually need to find a replacement for London Fletcher and they need to find out if Robinson is that player. Minnifield is a bit of an unknown. He was a good player at UVA and obviously has the bloodlines, but hasn’t had a chance to really show what he can do at the pro level.

I am optimistic about 2013, but that’s too far away to start worrying about. The team will have a tougher schedule and key players returning from injury. The hope is that players coming back from injury will be able to return to the level of play they had before being injured. If that’s the case, consider getting those players back to really be your draft pool. Carriker, Orakpo, Meriweather and Jackson played a total of five games in 2012 and they were all projected to start the entire season. Getting them back will help make up for no first round pick in 2013.

I did not touch on the coaching staff as my feelings on the Shanahans is well documented. Rehashing it all at this point would be a waste of time. We all saw the same thing and the sight of RGIII on the ground says it all.

We need more of this...

and less of this...

and this...

Let The Games Begin

2013-01-15T00:23:06Z

After several months of stupidity by the owners and players, the NHL lockout is over and there will be a hockey season. They are going to squeeze in a little more than half a season and the first puck drops this Saturday. I fully admit that I did not think there was going to be a season, but I’m glad that I was wrong. I’m excited for it to begin. The Washington Capitals open their season on the road against Tampa Bay and I plan on watching.

I won’t go into details of the deal that was reached between the owners and players association because I’m sure I don’t understand it and quite honestly, I don’t care. I’m just happy they pulled their heads out of their asses and games will be played. It should be an interesting season. There won’t be much of a training camp, which will hurt teams with a new coach (the Caps) or multiple new players. A lot of players have been playing overseas and that should help with their conditioning, but how much will it affect continuity with the NHL teammates.

The league and cable providers have discounted the Center Ice package that allows you to watch almost all out of market games. That is huge for someone like me whose team is on the opposite coast. I will be subscribing to it and will take advantage of watching through AppleTV and on my iPad.

Having a hockey season is like getting a late Christmas present that keeps on giving over the next few months. I’m excited and can not wait for Saturday. C-A-P-S! CAPS! CAPS! CAPS!

Someone Else's Words

2013-01-09T23:10:42Z

I plan on writing my end of the season evaluation of the Washington Redskins in the next few days as i don't want to write anything without making sure my head is clear and I wanted to wait until the results of RGIII's surgery. I've already gotten into one "discussion" with a friend and fellow Redskins fan who basically accused me of not being a real fan since I said I wanted Mike Shanahan fired. I'm going to avoid that for now, but I wanted to post someone's reply to an entry over at ProFootballTalk concerning the whole Coach Shanahan and Dr. Andrews debacle over the handling of Robert Griffin III. I did not write this, but I certainly agree with it.

Here’s what people outside DC may not realize:

The midget owner is an insecure control freak who was desperate for a playoff win and football success after years of failure and being mocked mercilessly by the local press for his misguided efforts to run the show with nothing to show for it.

The coach, unaccustomed to a critical press in DC as compared to what he had experienced in Denver and stumbing badly in the PR arena, was under heavy fire 9 weeks into the season (at 3-6) and desperate to prove he could still coach, amid widespread local speculation he was yet another in a seemingly unending series of hiring failures by the midget, and in fact he even tried to forestall such speculation by announcing they were now going to evaluate players for next year (assuming he returned) and implicitly stating the sesaon had ended, much to his players’ surprise and dismay. Meanwhile his OC was being lambasted as having gotten his job only through nepotism and his DC was about to be run out of town.

Lo and behold, his QB uses the bye week to rally the team to an improbable series of wins and a playoff spot combining sterling play with a little good fortune, but gradually subjecting himself to more and more wear and tear. Coach is no dummy, realizes this fortuitous series of events could save his job and reputation, but also that his QB is the magic wand that makes it all work.

Not suprisingly, neither the owner, who craves national spotlight showing him dancing in the owner’s suite as a “winner”, nor the coach who knows he is safe as long as his shortsighted owner is happy, is going to ask painful but necessary questions like – what is in our long-term interest? Result – keep sending that QB out there.

It will be a typical Snyderian result if his QB can’t play effectively next season and they watch St. Louis draft studs for several years with their draft choices. Worthy of a Cerrato award.

That about sums it up. I also commented on the article and my reply can be found here.

The Hollywood Sign

2013-01-07T19:20:17Z

This last weekend I finally did something that I’ve wanted to do since before I even moved to Los Angeles just over five years. I hiked up to the Hollywood Sign. The sign sits atop Mt. Lee and is an American icon. I knew there were a few routes to the top and I thought this site gave a good description of three different routes. I of course couldn’t take the easiest and settled on the “PG” route as it would take me by the entrance of the Batcave and who would pass up a chance to see that.

I got to Bronson Canyon Park around 9:30 AM and the parking lot was already full. I was able squeeze into a spot and there is some limited street parking, but be aware that you might find no place to park if you don’t get an early start. It was 45 degrees out when I started my hike and it felt even colder in the shade. I had on my FiveFinger shoes, fingerless gloves and a Camelbak and I’m not quite sure if I looked like a dork or a badass, but I didn’t care either way. If you ever do this hike while it is still cool out, I encourage you to wear layers as about two miles into my hike, I exited the shade and it became quite warm in the sun. About 4.5 miles in, I was on the back side of the mountain and in the shade again. During the summer I’m sure it’s not an issue as it will just be warm and the shade would be a welcome relief.

The Batcave was about a half mile or so from the parking lot. I wasn’t the only one checking it out. There were a number of people including a Boy Scout Troop who were there. It’s more of just a short tunnel, but still cool.

About 3 miles into the hike, I went left when I should have gone right. Instead of following the trail that took me to the sign, I took a slight detour that brought me around to the front of the sign. I wasn’t the only person to do this and it was worth it as I got a nice shot of the front of the sign.

After a detour of about a mile, it was onward and upward. It was another mile to the top and it was all worth it. I had seen other people’s pictures of the view, but they (and mine) don’t really do it justice.

You can see downtown Los Angeles

The Panoramic feature on the iPhone came in handy for this shot.

If you turn around and look to the north, you get an amazing view of Burbank and Forest Lawn.

Overall it was a fun hike. The trail was paved dirt and broken road for the most part and not too hard on the feet. The climb was a little more than I expected, but easily manageable. With my two detours the total distance was just over 8 miles and it took me 2.5 hours. That included time to take pictures and also take pictures for others along the trail so they could all be in the shot. Everyone was extremely nice and I even got an O-H! as I was wearing my Ohio State hat. One thing that stood out that I really liked was that were a lot of people brought their dogs. There were some signs at the start that said dogs must be leashed, but more often than not people had their dogs off leash. I enjoyed that. Why shouldn’t dogs get to enjoy themselves too?

It All Comes Down To...

2012-12-27T20:25:23Z

Redskins versus Cowboys in the last game of the season to decide the division title. That’s the way it should be, although it hasn’t happened in 33 years. The Redskins will know before the game whether they need to win to make the playoffs, but regardless of what happens earlier in the day, the winner of the game will win the NFC East. The Cowboys will be looking to avenge a Thanksgiving Day loss to the Redskins in Dallas earlier this season, while the Redskins will be looking for their first playoff appearance since 2007 and their first division title since 1999.

I haven’t been this excited for a Redskins game in quite some time and it feels good. The Redskins are coming in on a 6 game win streak and here’s hoping they can keep that momentum going. The Cowboys lost their last game to New Orleans in overtime, but had won 3 straight before that. The Cowboys have lost two straight games twice this season and both times they lost the first game at home and the second game on the road. If that holds up, the Redskins can look at hosting a playoff game the following weekend. If the Redskins lose and still manage to sneak into the playoffs (they would need Minnesota and Chicago to both lose), they would go on the road to either San Francisco or Seattle (the Redskins’ last 2 playoff losses have been to Seattle).

If the Redskins win, it will be their first 10 win season since 2005 and only their third in the last 21 years. Before the season started, I predicted a 6 win season for the Redskins (they’ve averaged 6.4 over the last 9 years), but in that same prediction I thought, based on games they should/could win or lose, the team could finish 9-7. Here’s hoping I’m wrong on both accounts.

Only four times in the history of this rivalry have the Redskins swept the season series with the Cowboys (1984, 1987, 1995, 2005). Here’s to a fifth time. The Redskins and Cowboys have played on December 30th once before. It was in 2007 at FedEx Field and the Redskins won 27-6. The Cowboys have an all-time 16-12 regular season record against the Redskins in the month of December (the Redskins beat the Cowboys on 12/21/72 in the playoffs), but the Redskins have the edge 5-3, including the last two, when they meet in the last game of the regular season.

What does all this mean? It means that Sunday night’s game is big for Redskins’ fans (I don’t care about Dallas fans). It means a lot of people will ask me if I still hate Shanatan and his son the Boy Genius (I do). It means, hell, I don’t know what it means other than I wish it was Sunday night already. Hail!