Merry Christmas!

Don't eat yellow snow.

This is where I get ice. #LAKings

Vacation

I'm grateful for my job, but very happy about taking the next two weeks off! I plan on being busy, going and doing with the family, visiting friends, working on the house & car, and busy doing nothing. No guarantees on how much blogging will happen. The Kings have a hiccup in their schedule, and don't play again until the 26th. So if I don't get a chance to get this out, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

This Year's Christmas Card

2 Days Later

Today, the Kings sit first in the West. They are on a 4-game road
trip, losing to Vancouver on Monday and beating Edmonton last night.
Also on Monday night the Senators fell to Toronto. Going down with
them was Spezza, who apparently tore his MCL and looks to be out 6-8
weeks. This will be a stiff test for the Senators, as Spezza is
expected to proved a lot of offense. He's a typical slow starter and
this year is no different, but I have to think that losing a sniper
like Heatley on the wing is the real reason for his lack of
production. Foligno was out of practice. This is bad. He's been very
good since being a healthy scratch. A guy like him took the benching
personally and he has elevated his game since. I'd hate to see him out
of the lineup.
It is also a great opportunity. With an under performing Spezza out of
the lineup, a guy like Hennessey gets a chance to strut his stuff. I
guess he's been tearing it up in the AHL. We'll see what he's got.
On the downside you have a defenseman, Campoli, potentially playing
the wing. Granted, he will do less damage as a forward, but isn't
there another player to call up instead of having a defenseman play
out of his natural position? The salary cap has the Senators options
limited. So, I guess that's why you make do with the guys you have.

Who's on First?

The LA Kings are first in the Western Conference! (Actually, tied with
the Sharks, but more wins = first place). I'm not saying that they
hold this position until playoff time. But, their early success is not
a fluke, yet. The past 15 games have been tough. Injuries to Scuderi,
Smyth, and various other starting with "S". But the Kings are grinding
out wins regardless. Some nights it's an 8-round shootout. Good teams
find a way to win. The Kings are becoming a good team. I don't think
the playoffs are an unrealistic goal at this point. Smyth needs to
come back strong. Scuderi shores-up the defense. Keep rolling.
The Senators are hanging around the Eastern Conference playoff
picture. Which is not the greatest feat in sports, since the East is
pretty weak. As it stands, four points separate 7th from 14th place.
So, a lot of teams are still in it and Ottawa is a losing streak away
from the bottom of the East. But, like Los Angeles, the Senators are
much improved from last season. I see changes in the roster coming.
Spezza is still under performing and Kovalev is a joke. I think the
only reason they haven't had him as a healthy scratch, is that he is a
pouter. So, that right there says he should never had been acquired
over this summer. Kovalev did have a hattrick last game (after
coasting around the previous 30 games). I say, trade him NOW while
there is a spike in his value.

UFC 107 - What we learned...

I thought it was a pretty good UFC fight card this last weekend.
Struve is a young, interesting, specialty heavyweight submission
artist. I say give him time to improve his striking and maybe gain
some weight. Fitch ground out a decision, but not without a late 3rd
round scare. Mir backed-up all that smack talk, which was a tall
order; given that he REALLY pissed-off Kongo trashing his game. But,
Mir proved that he is indeed motivated after the loss to Lesnar, and a
motivated Mir is dangerous. Same can be said for Penn. These two are
remarkably similar, they can be quite mouthy and got by on talent
alone for the first half of their respective careers. BJ is taking his
career seriously and looked to be in top form. He basically
neutralized Sanchez and picked his spots, counter-punching. I thought
it was over in the first round, but Herb Dean made a wise choice in
letting it go. Penn never tired and Sanchez also never altered his
ineffective game plan. Diego has a nasty souvenir on his forehead to
forever remember this fight. BJ took no damage at all. In a 23 minute
championship fight, that's pretty impressive or terrible matchmaking.
I would say a bit of both.
Which leads to the next steps. Who's next for Penn? The lightweight
challengers are all but mopped up. I think the best lightweight
challengers are outside the UFC right now. Maybe Aoki or Alvarez can
be brought it? For Mir, I think he will get the first Interim
Heavyweight Champ shot. I figure Lesnar can't defend until late in
2010 at best. In the meantime, I see an Interim Champion fight
happening. It will be between: Mir, Carwin, and/or the
Nogueria/Velasquez winner. Probably Mir vs. Carwin.

Nothing says Christmas like cookies

(& dinosaur sprinkles!)

UFC 107, cookies & Christmas

The weather is supposed to be horrible; rain all weekend. Getting around will be a nightmare, and the kids will be cooped-up all weekend. I'm pretty excited. Why? Well, I'm going to the see the UFC 107 fight on Saturday. That's always a good time. Boy's Night Out. Hopefully a good fight card.
Also, this weekend we're doing the Christmas cookie bake-off. I actually have nothing to do with the baking, but it smells great. The whole family is excited about mixing, licking and decorating. I think the cold and rain will provide even more of an excuse for hot cocoa; and running the oven all day will at least help to heat the house.
I'm glad that my wife loves to really get into Christmas. Baking 6 to 8 different types of cookies for the friends and neighbors is becoming tradition. We already put the tree up, but that is met with quite a bit of fanfare, holiday music and Christmas movies.
My Mom loved Christmas as well. I feel that it is my responsibility to make the holidays something special for my kids and pass on the tradition. It meant the world to her that the family be together at Christmas. So, it means a lot to me. A weekend indoors will do just the trick.

UFC 107 & Hendo

Free agent fighter Dan Henderson finally signed with Strikeforce after
negotiations with the UFC could not be finalized. Dana White has said
that Hendo wanted too much money, to be the top paid fighter in the
UFC, and that the UFC doesn't need him, etc. I have yet to see a
negotiation that Dana White felt he lost. I've read that Hendo admits
he wanted more money, but that White and Co also strong-armed Dan, by
banning his Clinch Gear brand from the Octagon. They also gave his
title shot to Vitor Belfort to diminish his bargaining power. To me,
that's kinda lame. Does the UFC need Hendo? No. Is he near the end of
his career anyway? Yes. So why all the hardball tactics?

I will watch Hendo in Strikeforce and wish him well. I think the plan
is for him to continue to fight at two weight classes. I think he can
take Jake Shields for the middleweight title. Gegard Mousasi will be a
tough challenge at light-heavy, but it's an interesting fight. This
may actually be the best thing for Hendo's career anyway. I think
there are more fights for him with Strikeforce. In the UFC it was
Marquardt, then a title re-match against Silva. While he did as well
or better than anyone against Anderson, arguably winning a round, I
dont think anyone can beat Silva right now. Only time will tell.

But I have to think that Dana White's ego, while responsible for the
success of the UFC, may also one day be it's undoing. You don't have
to trash every business deal/partner/competitor when things don't go
your way. Not every business deal is a fight to be won or lost.
Obviously the guy hates to lose. But a savvy competitor may just take
advantage of White's ego one day.

I watched the UFC 107 Countdown show. I can't help myself. All of
these shows are the same. They highlight each fighter's camp and their
buddies tell the camera how much improved, stronger, smarter, faster
their guy is. There's the obligatory trash talking. But I always get
sucked into these shows, especially this time since it featured Penn
and Mir. These two guys can run their mouths (& back it up,
unfortunately). I still like these guys despite the obvious character
flaws.

Highlights? Anything with Diego Sanchez. That guy is a little off.
Crazy. Weird. But intense, if nothing else. I love his intensity, but
don't think he can hold a candle to Penn. Didn't buy the hype on this
part of the show. Mir was in good form. His smack talk was as sharp as
ever. Physically, he's put on 20 pounds of muscle. Apparently the
beatdown by Lesnar has left him quite motivated. He's obviously
looking past Congo, which could be a mistake. But I see Mir subbing
out Congo, quickly.

Role Models

Tiger has taken quite a beating lately. I used to respect his requests
for privacy from the media. But now it appears that he has plenty to
keep hidden. So, can Tiger ever be a spokesman again? How will this
effect his brand and Nike or Gatorade/Tigerade? It will be interesting
to see.

People can do things which are nearly impossible to recover from. Once
you start to associate a person with a specific trainwreck-type event,
it overwhelms their personality and alters your impression of them. It
erodes all respect and replaces it with anger and disgust. I feel that
an explanation and meaningful apology would go a long way to start
some recovery. Not the halfhearted and coded message that Tiger put
out. But most of all, you are disappointed that all the positive
memories are now clouded. Will things ever be the same, probably not.
A new chapter is unfolding. We'll have to see how it unfolds, but it
doesn't look good. I'm at the point where I don't want any more
details to come out. I've kinda given-up on the guy for now. It's up
to him to win back my respect, if that is even possible.

Gingerbread Houses

A new holiday tradition for the family is making gingerbread houses at
Uncle Ryan's house. It is quite a bit of fun for young and old. Our
kids get some help with inital framing and construction; as that is
the trickier part of the whole process. Once the structure is up and
stable, the kids pile on the decorative candy. It's a blast. My son
always ends up covered in icing. Which is interesting, because every
piece of candy on his house is meticulously placed. If only he spent
as much attention to staying clean. My daughter usually spends time on
making a complete winter scene; with people walking outside, snowman
in the yard, a frozen pond outside the house. Good stuff.

Rivals

Haven't been up to the task on blogging lately. Not for lack of NHL
action. Last week saw the Kings beat the Ducks. It was at Anaheim.
Have I mentioned how much I hate the Ducks broadcast team, especially
Bryan Heyward? TOTAL Homers. Anyway, the Kings won so it was nice to
hear the various excuses they could come up with. Then it was
Kings/Senators. I was actually pulling for the Sens a bit more. They
need the points more and were floundering on the road. A sloppy game
to say the least. Hard to watch either team play so poorly. Kings won
6-3. Then Ottawa took on the Coyotes. Much was made of the game being
telecast, yet the broadcast looked like a replay of a 1984-era game.
Text only scoreboard, almost black & white looking video quality.
Ottawa lost to go 0-3 on their West Coast swing. Next up was the Sens
v Ducks. Again I had to hear Heyward bad mouth Ottawa's 0-3 roadtrip.
Well, the Sens won in a shootout.

Kings are running at 0.500 since they lost Ryan Smyth to injury. Can't
seem to string together the wins. Kopitar and Williams don't look the
same. We need that guy back, pronto.

Gingerbread Tree at Uncle Ryan's

Trade Bait

Well, the Senators face the Sharks tonight, and it will be the first
time Ottawa plays against Heatley in a different uniform. So far, the
Sharks have gotten the far better of that forced trade deal. Heatley
is on pace for 60 goals. Michalek and Cheechoo's numbers combined
haven't matched Dany's production. And to top it off, Spezza is off to
one of the slowest starts in his career.

I will say that Spezza is limiting his turnovers and can actually be
spotted on the penalty kill. Michalek has shown flashes of brilliance,
and had a few shorthanded goals that Heatley would never provide.
Still, you can't replace a sniper like Heatley. And a team like San
Jose was only missing a pure finisher.

If nothing else, it will be nice to have a little extra drama in a
regular season, non-conference game.

Thankful for bounce house slides!

Thankful

So it's nearly Thanksgiving. People are clearly in a good mood today,
well, the people that showed up to work; which are not too many. I'm
thinking that not very much blogging will be done from here until next
week. It will be a busy time of driving, eating, napping, golfing,
eating, movies, golfing, eating, napping, hockey-ing, and driving. So,
I'm thankful for the excitement of the upcoming holiday, light traffic
this morning, positive attitudes, and getting out of work at 3:00
today.

Most of all I'm thankful for thankfulness. The current economy has
people counting their blessings. I would say that greed and the need
for "stuff" has got us in the situation that we are in today. We
Americans are quite selfish and spoiled in general, so it's nice to
see everyone greatful or thankful, even if it's for only one day and
partially self-inflicted.

I'm even thankful for having to: locate a bigger vehicle for the
weekend, pack it full of golf clubs, hockey gear, gas, clothes and
kids, drive for hours in slow holiday traffic, rush from place to
place, and sleep on the floor; if it means I can eat too much food
that I rarely get to eat, see people that don't see enough, and play
till I'm exhausted. You can't beat that.

Paper Tigers and Suspensions

I forgot to mention that George Laraque is getting a 5-game suspension for a knee-to-knee hit on Nik Kronwall, which put the Red Wings defenseman out of the line-up for 4-6 weeks with a torn MCL. That's a tough break, as the Red Wings are already a pretty ding'd up team.

The Senators are currently leading the Northeast Division. I have to say that it's great, but realistically a testament to an easy schedule. A ton of home games for Ottawa's front loaded schedule. 8 away games and 16 homers the first two months of the season. They better get a little cushion in the standings, since they have to pay for it at the end of the season. Something like only 7 home games and 12 roadies, after the Olympic break.

Fisher, Patrick Stewart and 59 saves.

A lot of noteworthy action in the NHL last night. I was watching the
Ottawa game and after striking first, they quickly got outplayed by
the Capitals and down by 2-goals. They rallied in the third to tie it,
and my buddy Mike Fisher scored in OT for the gutty win. During the
game, there was a familiar song being played, but totally out-of-place
for a hockey game. I finally recognized it as the theme song to Star
Trek the Next Generation. Weird. But then I remembered that each
Ottawa player has his own song played after scoring a goal. Alfredsson
is a U2 fan and Beautiful Day is played when he scores. One of the
funnier ones was when Heatley was with the team and his song was 80's
tune The Heat is On. You would think that it would get old pretty
fast, but the amount that song was played, had to annoy visiting
teams. So, it was Senator defenseman Alex Picard who scored. Get it?
Picard. Star Trek. Yeah, horrible. I love it. He needs to score more.

Other notes. Dwayne Roloson had an amazing 59 save night! Apparently
he saw 61 pucks come his way. Nice. But what the hell was his team
doing in front of him? Other than the obvious, of nothing.

Kings, UFC & Turkey

Went to the Kings v Flames game on Saturday. And as expected, the
Flames had something to prove after getting smached around by the
Blackhawks 1-7. Iginla got a hattrick and the Kings had a lackluster
effort. The wheels are starting to come off for the Kings, and I am
concerned...

Had a bit of difficulty watching UFC 106. My UFC buddy and I had
recently found a new place to watch the fights. So, we walk in and all
the TVs are on some random college football game. Turns out that they
weren't showing it. Well, all I can say is that they must not want to
be bothered with a lot of business, 'cause the place was empty. We saw
a dozen people walk in and turn right around after finding out the
fight wasn't going to be shown. So, we drove 5 miles to the back-up
place and being late meant not getting a table. We eventually sat
down, but never found a waitress. It reminded me why we stopped going
to that place. Now, the search is on for yet another UFC viewing spot
for next time.

I thought that Griffin won outright and that Tito was not robbed. Say
what you will, but in the 3rd round it looked like it was Tito's
gameplan to get wear out Forrest's hands and feet with his face. Grove
had a slick submission, 'Lil Nog displayed some power striking,
Saunders continued to show destructive Muay Thai, Koschek/Johnson was
straight out of a Three Stooges episode with the eye pokes. An
entertaining card.

We had a SoCal Thanksgiving on Sunday. It was great. Our immediate
hockey family and friends got together. There was enough food for a
small army and everyone had a relaxing time. Our hostess cooked a 21
pound turkey and a massive tray of baked mac 'n cheese. The weather
cooperated and we hung out by the patio firepit once the sun went
down. It would be a good tradition to continue next year. I'm now
ready for the holidays.

NHL Notes

Kings lost to Philly at Staples Center last night. A hard fought game,
but the Kings offense was only coming in spurts. That was a very bad
sign, since Ryan Smyth was out the whole game. He's diagnosed with an
"upper body" injury that could keep him out a month. It's scary
because he makes up the potent top line with Kopitar and Williams
that's been the bread and butter of the Kings scoring. A very strong
third period, almost turned things around. Kings had 21 shots in the
third and numerous scoring chances. Boucher was up to the task and
made 37 saves on the night. Somebody has to step up while Smyth is
out.

Brendan Shannahan announced his retirement yesterday. Weird timing?
Yes. He started the season with New Jersey. Left the team shorty after
the season started. I'm thinking he just wasn't up to the task
anymore. Shanny is one of my favorite guys. Gritty, skilled and a good
hockey personality. During his career, he would routinely make-up
stories about himself during player interviews. Such as: claiming to
have worked at fast food places to knowing different celebrities.
Pretty funny, random stuff. You know you are getting old, when all the
players of your "era" have retired.

Goal celebration

So, I found this off of Yahoo!; a hockey goal celebration gone wrong.
It is a pretty nice goal, followed by a moderately funny celebration
fail.

I've seen guys slammed through the glass by a monsterous check. I've
seen guys hit the glass and have it shatter all over the fans sitting
in the front row. So, when a guy celebrating throws himself through
the glass, it's not that remarkable. It is kinda funny when he
disappears and his skates fly up. Must have been a slow day for the
Yahoo! hockey blogger.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Video-When-Swedish-goal-celebrations-go-wrong?urn=nhl,203239

Shootout

There have been many changes to the NHL, most of them brought-in since
the lockout. Two line passes are allowed, goaltenders are not allowed
to play the puck behind the net in those trapeziodal shaped areas,
obstruction penalties are enforced, and there are no ties. A tie game
was always one of the wackier elements to the NHL. But it worked, in
my opinion. Should they start using 4 periods, because other sports
have 4 quarters? 3 periods and two intermissions make hockey what it
is. I am also bummed that they went with conventional East/West
divisional names and Western, Central, Northeast etc., conference
names. Who names divisions and conferences with names like Wales,
Campbell, Norris, Smythe, Patrick, Adams? The NHL, that's who. Well,
used too. I think that an attempt to appeal to "the average Joe" has
effectively eliminated the rich history of the game, while garnering
no extra fans and disappointing true fans. I'm going on a bit of a
tangent.

My original point was that I'm not a fan of the shootout. I will get
out of my seat to watch this breakaway contest as much as the next
guy. But hockey is a team game, it makes no sense to have an
individual skill contest decide games and ultimately a team's playoff
contention. Just as it would make no sense to have a 3-point contest,
involving only 3 players from each team, to settle a tie after the
first overtime, in the NBA.

That said, the Kings have back-to-back shootout wins. What seems more
like a successful roadtrip? Going 3-2 or 1-2-2? Meh. I'm still not a
shootout fan.

Good or just a good schedule?

The Senators continue their slide toward mediocrity. Currently, they
are 2-2-1 for November. I caught a quote from some of the TSN analysts
during the intermission of last game. That is something of itself,
since I'm usually fast forwarding through the intermissions. It was
something about the Senators having an easier schedule the first month
of the season and that they can't compete with the better teams of the
league. I think there's something to that. Yeah, Volchenkov has been
out and Spezza lost a few games to injury. But, Ottawa seems to only
be able to beat the lower level teams of the NHL. Stomped at times by
the elite. As a fan, I kinda blamed poor goaltending. Sure LeClaire
has given up some ridiculously soft goals at times, but the better
teams of the league are schooling the Sens. The truth hurts.

Kings are struggling. 4-3-0 for November and 2-2 on their current
5-game roadie. I guess that's saying something, as a 50/50 record is
still not acceptable this year. But it is more about the way they got
stomped by Chicago and Atlanta, which were poor games. Maybe last
year's team could chalk it up to lost focus. This year's team expects,
and has been getting alot more. The Kings can play with any team in
the league, if they decide to bring it.

Weekend Roundup

Several items caught my interest this weekend. Saw that James Nitties
was near the lead on the Aussie Masters, that was ultimately won by
Tiger. Nitties was also in the latest Oakey catalog, pretty cool.
Tiger is on YouTube for some club throwing incident. It's pretty weak.
It was more of a release, than a throw. Tiger is so strong that I bet
he could get 75 yards, if he really tried.

Watched UFC 105. Pretty good card. I like watching a bunch of TKOs.
UFC 106 is already here this Saturday. I'm not sure I'm gonna see it,
as I might have good seats for the Kings game! My first love is still
hockey. But since it's an afternoon game, I might just get both events
in. Now that would be a good sporting events day.

I watched parts of the Pats vs. Colts game. First game I've had on for
longer than 5 mins this season. Glad I saw the ending of that one.
Also caught a glimpse of Kobe limping and the Lakers lost
two-in-a-row? The sky will be falling on the AM radio today.

TUF 10

I haven't really commented about TUF 10 yet. It's been an interesting
season, mostly for the lack of drama. Other seasons have had "that one
guy" who dominates the air time. I think most fans thought "that one
guy" would be Kimbo Slice. His personality has impressed, while his
fighting skills have not. The bigger drama has been between the
coaches, as Rampage and Rashad clearly don't like each other. I
thought it was an act at first, but they really seem to want to brawl.

That brings me to why this season has been a bit weak. In the previous
season, Hendo built up a little anamosity with Bisping, so it was
awesome when he knocked him out. Rampage is busy being B.A. Baracus in
the A Team movie, so his fight with Rashad is not planned and may
never happen. I don't care about their squabbles knowing that they
aren't going to fight. Then there's the fights themselves. I will
usually scan through most episodes, but stop to watch the fight at the
end. Watching heavyweights gas-out is not entertaining. Maybe this is
the why I like the WEC so much, it's all action and no standing around
with the little guys. Several of these big boy fights were downright
brutal to watch.

My favorite guy so far is Marcus. The Big Baby, ex-football player,
gardener, and gentle giant. He was interesting and all, but the
biggest surprise was the jiu jitsu he put on display in his fight. I'm
pulling for the lone Rampage guy left.

Lowrider or Muscle Car?

I just finished installing the lowering springs for the GTO last
night. After my front disc brake project, the stance in the front was
considerably lower. So, I ordered some rear lowering springs online.
They took forever to get here, but I wasn't in a rush; and I bought
from the cheapest website I could find. Well, I have mixed feelings on
the result. Even before I lowered the front, the back was always a bit
on the high side. Now, the frame is about level, but it looks strange
to me. I guess I just need time to get used to it. Also, the bigger
point is that I haven't driven it yet. One of the rear shocks was
severely worn-out. I have a feeling that I am in for a nice handling
change.

25-degrees

So, I am something of a food fan. Not your fine dining, wine and
cheese type-dining. I'm talking about promotional fast food and greasy
spoons. More along the lines of Man v Food than anything else. I had
previously done a series on Promotional Fast Food of the Week. But, I
am actually trying to eat a little healthier. I still indulge in the
weekly cheesesteak, cheeseburger, hot wings, or pizza, etc.

Some guys at work had recommended a place in downtown Huntington
Beach. 25-degrees. There were rave reviews about the burgers and onion
rings at this place. So, I checked it out with the wife on a Date
Night last weekend. We walked into a casual and dark bar; this place
wasn't even a restaurant, so-to-speak. I was going through their beer
list and nothing noteworthy was staring back at me. I did see Guiness
at the bottom, but it was a Guiness milkshake. WTF?! I had to order
it. It was way too interesting to pass up. And yet I'm NOT a milkshake
guy, I don't even eat ice cream that often or really at all. It turned
out to be pretty good. A lot of chocolate, but a Guiness flavor mixed
in there pretty naturally. I ate the whole thing.

Then came the burger. They had a number of cheeses and toppings to
create your own, but I went with their #3. It was a green chili,
chipotle, jack, and I added jalapeno bacon. I noticed too late that
there was a hatch green chili option. This place was focused on the
cheese. It described the type, flavor, origin of each cheese. For
example, fumunda: white, mild & smoky, cow. They take cheese very
serious. It kinda scared me.

It was a great burger. I got mine medium and it came extra juicy, but
not a rare kind of juicy. Perfect. The bun was this huge
kaiser-looking roll, that was actually not bready, but mostly air. It
helped make the burger. The only thing I would change is the
"chipotle". It was a mayo-ish sauce; tasty but not something that I
have to get again. I will experiment with a different sauce next time.

The onion rings looked homemade. Nothing too special. A little on the
"thin" side. They turned out to be really good, too. I'm not an onion
ring guy to begin with. Probably because I don't like thick onions.
These babies were some of the thinnest onions used in 'rings I've ever
seen. Pretty much the perfect onion ring for me.

So, while this place was a bit on the high-end scale as far as my
usual dining goes, I'm looking forward to the next visit. It just
happened to be that eveything was my style and suited my tastes.
That's why this post is so long. I loved eating at this place.

Kings over Cup Chumps

I usually get so excited about some events, that the actual event
itself couldn't possibly live up to my nervous anticipation. Not this
time. Saw a great game last night, as the Kings played a tight game
against the Penguins through two periods. It started-off with a bang,
and Kopitar scored in the first minute of play. Seconds later, Staal
scores on a long slapper at the circles. My first thoughts were,
"Damn, it might be a long night for Johnny Quick." End on the second
had Pittsburgh up 2-1. Quick had some absolute highlight reel saves. A
couple powerplay chances were cross-crease passes that he made killer
splits, toe saves on. There were some really annoying drunk guys
sitting behind me. You know the type, the loudest guy in the arena and
his 3 buddies. Trying to start all the cheers and yelling "SHOOT!" too
much on the powerplay. It was getting on my nerves, as the Kings were
down and the Penguin fans were pretty satisfied with themselves.

Third period saw 4 unanswered goals. Kings win 5-2. They had not even
announced the go-ahead goal, and the Kings scored another one seconds
later. Brown had a sick powerplay goal to seal it. The drunk guys
didn't bother me once the Kings tied it. In fact, they were climbing
all over me and Channer. Though, I think I tweaked my lower back with
this 200 pound dude draper all over me, when they fired a t-shirt
right at us. Damn, I had that thing in my hands. If I played
basketball, it would have been an easy rebound to pull down. The drunk
guys did come in handy as the Penguin "fans" started exiting the
building early, and we said goodbye to them as an entire section.

I wasn't paying attention to anything on my way home and nearly ran
out of gas. The range computer thingy said 1 mile left. Well, I figure
it was my night as I made it to the gas station and got home without
any unnecessary walking or a gas can.

Kings vs Penguins

It will be the stiffest test facing the Kings this year. The Stanley
Cup Champs are coming into LA tomorrow night. The best part of this,
beside the fact that the Kings are playing well, is that I have plans
to see it live. Currently trying to locate tickets for the game. Well,
not me, but my old college roommate Ryan. I'm pretty amped about going
to the game and seeing an old friend. Win-win.

Another Kings note. I was following the blog of one of the Kings
trainers. Joe was a NFL trainer for the Patriots, before coming to the
Kings. He gave an amazing level of insight into the Kings organization
as well as what goes on behind the scenes, on the bench, in the
training room. But his website had issues last week, and I hadn't read
anything from him since. Apparently, he was fired by the Kings. Weird.
Confusing. Disappointing. I hope it wasn't from what he blogged. But I
have to think it was.

Scary Movie

It was a movie watching weekend for me. I love horror films, but don't
go out of my way to watch them nearly enough. This weekend featured
plenty, since it was Halloween. I caught the newer versions of The
Hills Have Eyes and Amityville Horror. Both were enough to keep me
from falling asleep, but not enough for a recommended must see. I
think that monster movies are more my thing. But is it that much
harder to make an original horror movie? I don't entirely understand
the re-makes.

I also saw the newer, animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie. My
daughter was captivated by this one and repeatedly asked the names of
each turtle; as she tried to determine her favorite one. The purple
one because he wore purple. Then the yellow one, since he was funny
and said "dude" a lot. But she was most drawn in by the conflict
between brothers; and when Raphael and Leonardo had a rooftop duel, it
was very troubling to her. She has her share of fights with her
brother, but sword play seemed to cross the line. "But Dad, they are
BROTHERS!" she said. This made my weekend. Because if I teach my kids
nothing else but to honor their family, I think I've done alright.

Injury Bug

It happens every year, a key injury on a team which tests the roster
and resolve. The Penguins were already dealing with Gonchar being out,
but on top of that Malkin is out for 2-3 weeks. Why am I mentioning
the Penguins? Because both guys happen to be on my fantasy hockey
team. I think it's going to kill my chances. Damn.

The Senators lost Anton Volchenkov to a shoulder injury last night.
Huge loss. A-Train is the main checking and shot blocking threat for
this team. Thank God the Sens have Carkner for some toughness. Anton
is injury prone, but with his willingness to throw his body around at
high speeds and in front of pucks, it's not exactly unexpected. The
team may or may not struggle without him. But they will definitely
allow more shots and get pushed around more.

For the Kings, Justin Williams has been out with a mystery "lower body
soreness-injury". It's been 3-4 games. Also, some rookie defenseman
Alec Martinez has been on the IR this whole season. I didn't see him
in the pre-season so I don't know what the Kings are missing. My guess
is that he ain't coming back soon, as the Kings just got Randy Jones
off of waivers from Philly. I think it's a good addition. The Kings
are looking pretty deep with their young, mobile defensemen.

1/8 mark

Well, the round ball season starts tonight. I'm only the most casual
of fans, but it should help to open up tickets for the Kings games, as
most people around here would rather see the Lakers/Clippers.
Advantage - me.

Just after talking about the Kings incredible start, they lost two
games. I'm fine with further jinxing the team, since they are on
another streak, but this time with 4-wins. When was the last time a
Kings' player led the league in scoring? Gretzky? Kopitar is the
hottest player in the league right now. It's definitely a stuation
where a lot of things have come together. Key free agent signings,
core draft picks, and coaching are all looking real good. While GM
Lombardi has taken quite a bit of heat the last 3 years by overanxious
fans, I figured the real proving time was starting this season. Not a
whole lot to complain about now...

Senators are a bit of surprise team this season as well. Karlsson got
sent down to Birmingham today. I see his potential, but he needs time
to develop (& maybe some steroids). Being a some-what normal sized
19-year old kid, 5-11 & 165. He's just way too small and relatively
weak compared to grown men. Also, Kuba should be back in the lineup
soon. So, it was a bit of a blessing that Karlsson got a lot of
quality minutes to display his skills. He got an overly fair shot if
you ask me.

Not surprising is that a solid, physical defenseman looks like a
savior on this team; even if it is a 7-year journeyman. Carkner is a
stud. He makes simple plays, checks hard, and will fight if necessary.
A team full of these guys is not ideal, but having him back there
makes the team respectable. I love it.

Not surprising is the play of Kovalev and Cheechoo. But, this is not a
good thing. As both have been rather flat. Cheechoo has had hands of
stone. Kovalev plays like he's made of glass. But it was a bit much to
expect miracles of either guy. Kovalev has a history for this type of
play, Cheechoo has seen better days. As a fan, I was just hoping that
they could turn things around. Realistically, probably not going to
happen.

Workout of the Day - October 26

So, maybe I was feeling a bit crabby last week and that lead to my
rant. Turns out I was nursing a sinus infection and bronchitis. Which
brings me to the question about working-out when feeling sick. I
usually do it, if I'm able to go into work. If some Sudafed and cough
syrup can keep things in check enough to get me into work, I will
usually workout too. It seems to really help clear things up, once you
get the heart rate going. But if it's the case of feeling fever-ish,
headachey, and/or uncontrollable cough; it's time to rest. In fact,
that's what pushed me into going to the doctor; I couldn't breathe
enough to workout. So, it seemed like time to get 'real' medication.

UFC 104

Pretty stoked about getting a free ticket to UFC 104. I'm going to
check-out part of the weigh-ins today, when I pick-up my ticket. I saw
my first weigh-in during a UFC in Vegas last December. It was a pretty
big event in itself. I don't expect a big turnout today, but it's cool
to see all the fans fired-up before the event. And that's really the
allure of a live UFC event. It's all about being in the crowd. I can't
afford to sit where I can actually see the fight that well. So, you
are basically paying to see the fight projected on a big screen. To be
honest, you see much better with the PPV. But it's the crazy fans that
make the event. The sounds of hearing a guy get hit, when you are 200'
away. And seeing all the undercard fights. This card features 11
fights! That's a lot of MMA for one evening. I'm ready.

OT

Some pretty crazy games yesterday involving my two teams, the Kings
and Senators. I expected the Sens/Predators game to be a yawner. Preds
are on a 6-game losing streak. They quickly took a 3-0 lead off Ottawa
turnowvers, and pucks going in off Senator defensemen. Most of the
first two periods was horrible, slow play with lots of offsides and
icing. Sens came back courtesy of a 5-on-3 powerplay. Eventually tied
it 4-4. Preds pulled ahead 5-4 with a powerplay goal, one minute left
in the 3rd. Sens scored shorthanded with 4 seconds left in the third!
Carkner took an interference penalty 2 minutes into the OT, Preds
scored. 6-5 OT loss. Seeing as how the Sens really only played 20
minutes and had no business in that game it was a lucky point to get.

Kings blew a 4-0 lead to still win 5-4, in OT. I didn't watch this
game yet, still TIVO'd. Saw the score on the local news this AM. The
NHL is pretty wide open due to the salary cap. Makes for crazy games.
Also, a lack of goaltending, which is nearly league wide, has opened
things up.

Cobra Kai

I am not one to send out web links very often. Most likely, you've
already seen the latest video of a hamster dancing to Beyonce's Single
Ladies or whatever. But when it's especially good sports or auto
related content, I just have to share.

Here's an amazing display of billet aluminum engineering and "cost is
no object" budget, to create one of my favorite vehicles of all time.

http://jalopnik.com/5385797/how-to-build-an-all+billet-aluminum-cobra?skyline=true&s=x

Pumpkin Patch

Sunday will be the annual trip to the local Pumpkin Patch; we'll go on
a few carnival rides and pick-out this year's orange gourd. It may be
a bittersweet time, as my eldest daughter is starting to outgrow some
of the miniature rides, but not her love of all things Halloween.

I've always been a step behind on the development of my kids. I just
get used to bottles and they move onto baby food. Get used to diapers,
and the're already working on potty training. So, this weekend it will
be a matter of trying to figure out how to keep things fun for both
children. I still want my daughter to enjoy her all-time favorite
holiday, without denying her younger and smaller brother the rides she
can't go on.

The bottom line is rolling with the punches. I learned early on that
you can't over-think or over-plan these things. While I'm actually
aware of a possible problem for once, it's any old random thing that
makes for a memorable trip in a kid's eyes. You might remember
dropping & breaking a $20 pumpkin in the parking lot. The kids only
remember throwing pumpkin seeds and stringy goo at each other.

1/16 mark

It's barely 5 games into the NHL season, but I'm ready to give status
reports. Kings are off to a good start going 4-1-0.
Smyth-Kopitar-Williams are playing well. Making the GM look like a
genius for picking-up those guys up in the off-season. Quick has
looked OK, but given-up a ton of powerplay goals. I'm not sold on him
being a NHL caliber goalie just yet. Kings have simply outscored thier
opponent, but allowed too many goals in my opinion. Not sure they can
keep up that pace. But here's to a strong start.

Senators are 3-2-0. I think they are playing well. They are still
working out the lines, but seem to have a more balanced attack than
before. A different line seems to show-up on any given night. But all
four lines seem able to get some kind of offensive pressure. That
said, the shots are not going in. Fortunately, the defense has looked
pretty good. I see close games being the norm this season; with a lot
less margin for error. This is probably not a team that's top 5 in
goals scored, as in years past. So turnovers have resulted directly to
the two losses. Goaltending is unpredictable. Leclaire can make the
impossible save, then get beat cleanly on a rush up ice. I still have
my doubts about him.

Red Wings are 3-4-0. I honestly haven't seen too many of their games.
They just lost Franzen for 3-4 months with an ACL injury. For a team
that lost quite a few forwards over the summer, this is a big blow to
the offense. It will be quite a test to see how the Wings respond.

When do you call it quits?

So I've heard that Chelios skated with the Chicago Wolves today. Why,
you might ask? This is the same Chris Chelios that was not re-signed
by the Red Wings and not picked-up over the summer. A 47-year old that
had no takers. One would argue that his slowed speed is nearing
"liability" status in today's NHL.

But there are many teams forced to start rookie defensemen, and
getting burned in the process. Chelios is a veteran that's seen it all
and can still battle, if not, at least mentor younger players. If he
signs with Chicago, I don't doubt that some team will pick him up this
year, whether it is a key injury or playoff push. But it's a way for
Chelios to stay in game shape, for when a NHL team needs him. The
bottom line, is that the guy simply wants to keep playing hockey.

The Senators have a 27-year old rookie defenseman on the roster. Matt
Carkner is an AHL lifer. 7-years in the minors and called-up by the
Sharks to play in the Big Show, twice. He's played in every Sens game
this season and not looked out of place. He plays a solid and very
physical game. He got his first NHL goal recently. He may be the first
guy demoted, once Filip Kuba comes back; but what a great time for
this guy while it lasts. In my opinon, the Sens really need his
physical play and having this guy around has made a big difference
this year. Plus, he's not afraid to drop the gloves and sticks up for
his teammates. In the salary cap era, this guy is giving you
tremendous value. I hope he sticks around.

Fish

So, I missed the Sens game last night, since I was in the car heading
to Staples Center. But I did hear it on XM Radio. The Sens blew their
lead and headed into OT. My boy Mike Fisher scored early in the OT
frame to get the Sens their second win of the early season. The guy
has a laser of a snapshot, but doesn't use it enough. I wish he
produced more offense, but I still love to watch him play. He's gotta
be one of the strongest pound for pound guys in the NHL. You will see
him win battles against the biggest guys in the NHL. I challenge you
to watch any Sens game and not be impressed with his effort. He brings
it every game. So, when Fisher is the OT hero, more power to him.

Kings Game

Went to the Kings vs. Wild game last night. Had the whole family there
again. My son loves going to the games, but he hates the foghorn after
the Kings score. I will admit that, sitting in the cheap seats, it is
especially loud. And young ears are extra sensitive. So, right after a
goal I would cover his ears. Which made everything that much more fun
for him. My daughter complained about our seats. Apparently, we
weren't sitting up quite as high as last time. She liked sitting
higher. What a nice problem to have, but I insistent we stay in the
low nose bleed section. Kings won 6-3.

Irony

I'm in a Yahoo! Fantasy Hockey League this year. It had quite the
struggle to get going and didn't have a draft last week; something
about waiting for more players. So, I happened to check my team and
the autodraft had run on Monday. I've got Dany Heatley.

Drink your fluids

I am starting to get sick, which sucks. So, I slept-in this morning
and didn't hit the gym. Had my morning coffee, a huge mug of coffee at
work, bottle of water, green tea, then it was lunchtime. I didn't hit
the bathroom that much, so I am wondering where all this liquid was
going? I guess that's why they say to drink your fluids when you get
sick.

Opening Weekend

Well, it was quite the hockeyfest on Saturday. All 30 teams were in
action. I taped 3 different games and watched them throughout the
weekend. None of my teams won. 0-3. What are the chances of that?
Kings and Sens had similar bad outings. They got out-goalied when they
did press the offense, got scored on the rush a few too many times
(goaltending?!), and had their wonder-kid defensemen not play so hot.

Otherwise, it was cool to just have the NHL back on TV. I'm getting
the Center Ice package for free the next two weeks. So far, none of
the Sens games have been in HD. Not good. I guess I've turned into
quite the HD snob.

It's On!

Welcome back hockey! Yeah, it's only been a few months since we last
saw you. But it was a long off-season for the Sens with all the
Heatley drama. So, naturally I wanted to see Dany's debut in a Sharks
uniform. I looked and just couldn't find the game. Well, it was on
Versus. Yeah, the channel that DirecTV has dropped; claiming extortion
by Comcast to continue offering it. I'm not happy. There goes my WEC
fights and NHL coverage. At least the WEC hockey coverage was so
sparse that it won't matter too much. But did they have to cover the
one game I was looking for?

The Kings know how to do things right. 65 games in HD. Some analysts
have them in the playoffs this year. I hope so. I like what Dean
Lombardi has done, by building from within. That takes time, for sure.
But I expect some results from this team, starting this year.

Workout of the Day - Sept 24

So, I am HORRIBLY sore today. At first, I was pretty proud of myself
for having destroyed my legs so badly that even my butt cheeks hurt.
But then I remembered that I got a flu shot yesterday. That explains
my arm hurting on only one side under a Band Aid. I think my whole
body hurts more from that, than anything else. But having a heavy
workout that morning didn't help things. Note to self: Don't workout
hard before getting a flu shot.

Workout of the Day - Sept 23

Good workout this morning. Pretty intense warm-up. Had the leg press
all loaded-up. IPod volume pretty loud. Around the 3rd rep and pushing
hard, slipped out a fart. I must say that there's forcing out a fart
and then there's the
pushing-nearly-as-hard-as-I-can-and-a-fart-slips-by farting. I know it
was loud because I heard it over my 90% max headphone volume. Is there
a better way of projecting sound than sitting back and basically
putting your knees up to your ears? Apparently not. On the plus side,
the intense rush of adrenaline from embarrassment got me a couple
extra reps. And thank God it wasn't a sharting.

Senators Preview

I've been putting this one off for months. Mostly because I had no
idea when or if Heatley was going to be traded. But that deal is done
and we are left with the roster that we have to live with this year.
Time to take a look...

I think there are many uncertainties at forward. How will Heatley's 50
goals be replaced? Alfredsson is not getting any younger and the drama
this team has lived through the last two years would prematurely age
anyone. This group could bonk as much as any, but I do see bright
spots. I see Alfie returning to form along with Spezza, who had an off
year along with the rest of the team. Between Michalek and Kovalev,
you have a replacement for Heatley's one timer on the powerplay. And
if anything, Michalek is probably more willing to use his large frame,
but that's to be proven. 5-on-5 is another story. I think it's asking
too much for Cheechoo to return to his Richard Trophy winning self.
But the sum of the parts: Michalek, Kovalev, and Cheechoo could be
more than what Heatley brought; at least I'm hopeful for the scoring
depth this team has wanted for years. There's a chance.

Defensively I'm concerned. Phillips and Volchenkov went from world
beaters to bums. I can only expect more than last season. However, the
remaining spots are shaky. If you aren't a defensive stalwart or a
offensive wonder, you get the remaining Senators defensmen. Tweeners.
Some offensive upside, but not defensive studs. They have prospects: a
big defenseman in Cowen and an offensive wonder in Karlsson, but I
think these guys need a few years of grooming. Until then, you make
due. But it may be tough making the playoffs this way.

Goaltending. Broken record here. Most teams ultimately blame their
lack of success on the goalie. This team is a classic example, along
with Philadelphia. These franchises have been borderline desperate to
get a goaltender, but just as quick to give up on them. So, that
problem was solved with... Pascal Leclaire! Oh damn. Just as many
question marks here. First off, I'm not a Leclaire fan. I don't like
injury prone goalies. I don't think he's proven himself. He played
under a very defensive system in Columbus (when he wasn't injured).
His numbers may be misleading. I think it was a gamble in signing this
guy. I hope to be proven wrong.

So, we have a team with question marks at forward, after losing a
50-goal scorer. A timid defense, beyond the shutdown pair that were
horrible last year, that's seeking a dynamic playmaker. Goaltending
hope. That seems like a lot of things that have to come together. I
want to be realistic, but that's depressing.

Here's my best case scenario. Clouston in a full season as head coach,
has command of this team. The locker room cancer is gone. They employ
that effective, dynamic, forechecking system, like the last half of
last season. Spezza and Alfie get back to form. Kovalev, Cheechoo and
Michalek get their 30+ goals. Regin and Fisher are a new dynamic duo
(per the pre-season so far). Karlsson makes the team this year and is
the Drew Doughty of 2009-10. Leclaire blows out his repaired ankle in
the opener, and Lehner jumps Elliott as starting goalie. Cowen makes
the team mid-year. Sens go deep in the playoffs.

Yeah, I don't think so either but that's why this time of year is
great. My team is undefeated and anything can happen.

UFC 103

Saw UFC 103 at the local sports bar. It was a combination date night
and birthday celebration, as the wife and I went with another couple.
Yeah, it's cool to have an understanding wife that would put up with
going to a fight as a "date". Much less a couples night. We had fun.

Belfort is back. He didn't waste many punches and tore-up Franklin
once he did engage. I wasn't sure what to expect for Vitor, but he
impressed. Same for Paul Daley. I've heard of the guy, but never seen
him fight. He's got some heavy hands. Dos Santos becomes a major
heavyweight player; with a striking beatdown of Cro Cop. But
ultimately, I'm still not sure he has the power or size to contend
with Lesnar.

It's rumored that Vitor is jumping both Hendo and Marquardt as the
next Anderson Silva victim. I'm interested in that fight. I gotta say
that seeing either wrestler take on Anderson is not the most appealing
fight. But they both did the best against him. Maybe it will keep
Silva from thinking about the supposed Mir fight.

I'm a fan of Tyson Griffin and he looked pretty good. He was mixing it
up well and changing levels, looked very quick and powerful. He
will/should get a title shot one day.

NHL pre-season

There are several things I expect when watching NHL pre-season games:
small crowds, seeing 4 different goalies, and several fights. So,
being in attendance at the Kings/Coyotes game last night I was a bit
disappointed. The teams didn't split the goaltending duties halfway
through the game. I knew that Jason LaBarbara was in town (he's on the
Coyotes now) and was hoping to see him play against his former team.
It didn't happen, but the fights did. Some of these guys know either
"job" and have only a few pre-season games to showcase it. So the
pugilists within each organizations system go to work. Nothing too
exciting though.

I guess it was a split squad game. So, half of the Kings went to
Arizona and played on the same night. It was weird hearing that the
Kings lost, while I watched a game that they won. Same day split, but
in two different cities. Wild, but very cool for more players to see
ice time.

The biggest attraction was having the whole family there. I've taken
my kids to games for years, but kinda forget that toddlers don't
remember much about a game they slept through as an infant. So my
3-year old son was wide eyed and taking the whole thing in. I never
realized what a visual and audio overload all the scoreboard and
lighting can be. There are video billboards that surround the rink,
the main scoreboard, spotlights, lasers, and loud music. He normally
loves the Zambonis at the local ice rinks, but he was amazed at how
small they looked from the cheap seats. Meanwhile my daughter was
really into rooting. "We're cheering for the black team, right?" She
was clapping and cheering at random times, but her enthusiasm couldn't
be contained. I think it was a sugar rush from the kettle corn.

TV

I have to admit that I've become more of a TV person lately. The new
season has started and my TIVO is filling up fast. I was pretty
resistant to reality TV at first because it is stupid. I guess it just
took a while to get the right type of stupid people for me to watch,
namely sports and food. My guilty pleasures? Golf Channel's Big Break,
Spike's The Ultimate Fighter, Travel Channel's Man v Food & MTV's
Nitro Circus. I don't want to see people dance, sing, race, get
punk'd, or survive. But I will watch people golf, fight in a cage, eat
food in a contest, and do insane stunts.

Specifically, there are several highlights this week, mostly UFC
related. Tonight is the countdown to UFC 103. All these shows are the
same, yet I still watch them. Wednesday is big. Fight Night: Nate Diaz
vs. Melvin Guillard. Followed by TUF 10 w Kimbo. Saturday is UFC 103.

Fight Night also features Gray Maynard vs. Roger Huerta, Carlos Condit
vs. Jake Ellenberger, Nate Quarry vs. Tim Credeur. A lot of these
Fight Night cards are better than the UFC PPVs and they are free.
Could be a good one. I like to watch Diaz, Maynard, Huerta, & Condit.

UFC 103 is a "meh" card to me. It features a catchweight (195 lb) bout
with Rich Franklin vs. Vitor Belfort, and Mirko "Cro Cop" vs. Junior
dos Santos. Franklin always brings it. And dos Santos is a heavyweight
up and comer. But non-championship cards are hard to really get into.
Also featured are: Kampmann vs. Daley, Josh Koscheck vs. Frank Trigg,
Tyson Griffin vs. Hermes Franca. Will be intersting to see how Trigg
does and I'm a Griffin fan. More than anything it's my monthly excuse
to hit a sportsbar.

Sports Weakend

Pretty busy sports weekend. The NFL season kicked-off. I've found my interest in the NFL dropping a little each year for the past ten years or so. Not sure why, but I just accept it. Tiger won, to take a serious lead in the FedEx Cup standings. He scorched the course with a 62 and didn't look back, but it just proves that you can't win if you don't putt well. (Yes, even Tiger) NHL training camps opened. Dany Heatley was traded to the Sharks for Cheechoo, Michalek and a 2nd round pick in 2010.

 

Heatley is an All-star sniper and an All-star douchebag. A crossover athlete talented in multiple areas like a Bo Jackson or Deon Sanders of sorts. Anyone who knows or plays hockey can respect the uncanny skill a sniper has. The ability to finish. It's hard to explain, but some guys have it and most don't. Being a douchebag is also something you know when you see it. Kinda like Kanye West at the VMA's last night. The story goes that everyone who talked to Heater at training camp could tell he should be traded ASAP. And he was. The positive is that the Senators can move on, and start the season without a lingering drama.

 

Let this be a cautionary tale to any and all GM's. Don't sign players to long term contracts, with no-trade clauses, and up front bonuses. Not everyone will reciprocate your loyalty. And when they don't it's not pretty.

Workout of the Day - Sept 9

I'm on doctor's orders to not rub my eyes or close them tightly. This translates to no "grunting" at the gym. Not in the "making-a-weird-gutteral-noise" sense, but in a "lifting hard enough to close the eyes tightly and pray for help" sense. While it didn't seem that hard in theory, I have realized how much I tend to grit my teeth and tighten my eyes while lifting weights. I haven't done a thing since last Friday and felt a little guilty for being lazy, as well as feeling extra rested. So, I had energy to burn this morning and some grunting ensued.

 

I guess it was a good thing. As I have now realized how much energy I waste on tensing the face, neck, forehead, & jaws. They don't actually lift any weight. Take that for what it's worth.

 

 

If it's good enough for Tiger Woods...

The countdown to LASIK is over. Well, it was on for about 6-weeks; but more specifically the last 2 weeks. I've had to stay out of contact lenses in order for my eyes to have a chance to rest. In my mind it's a very effective ploy to get you to truly appreciate freedom from glasses. 

 

I have not used glasses this long since I've had contacts. But it seemed like 10x's the pain in the ass than I remember. Part of the problem is that my vision is worse than when I first wore glasses. So, I can't see anything with them off. I've set them down in the house, only to be unable to "find" them 5 minutes later. I'm a greasy guy, so the glasses are sliding off my face all day long.

 

That is all history.

 

Got my LASIK done on last Friday. It was quick, almost too quick. It probably took Dr. Wong longer to explain all the steps of the surgery than to actually do it. Numb the eyes, cut the flaps, switch machines, shoot the laser for 30 seconds in each eye; all finished. I tested 20/20 right after the surgery and my eyes were pretty cloudy at that point. I hope I'm at least that and probably better when I re-test this Friday.

 

The Tiger Woods reference is because he is a pitchman for TLC, having had LASIK done years ago. The staff at TLC Laser Eye Center, Torrance were all great; very friendly and professional. I would recommend them to anyone. Yet, I'll be just as glad that I never have to see them again. We'll see what it does for my golf game...

Gamer News - Batman on hold

So, I went to Gamestop and intended to get the new Batman: Arkham Asylum game. But my cheapness streak came out and I went "pre-owned." I'm not anywhere near a hardcore gamer. I have a fairly narrow range of interest and don't buy too many games. (The games I do buy tend to get well played.) Also, I tend to go with highly acclaimed games that have hit the classic or clearance bin, and mostly used. This is usually foolproof, since the game has been reviewed and analyized to death. The downside is that I'm always a year or two late to the party. This could be a major issue, but I am not a online/multiplayer type-guy either. In fact, I don't have too many gamer friends to keep me up-to-date. This allows me to be in a kind of gamer timewarp where games are new to me, even though they are a year old. So, in a nutshell, I buy cheap, older games that I plod through by myself.

 

Bioshock ended-up beating out Batman. Yeah, it's REALLY old. It was originally on X-Box in late 2007 and made it's way to PS3 in late 2008; I've got it now in late 2009. I have known about it, but never seen it played. So far a pretty cool game. I really like the art deco and time period-ness of the game. Role playing horror and puzzle games are my favorites, and this one has those elements. For $25 bucks, you can't beat it. Anyone living in a cave the last two years should pick it up.

 

 

Workout of the Day - Sept 2

A little redemption today. Much better effort today in the gym than Monday. My latest workout change was to add a Farmer's Walk once a week or so; I starting doing this several months ago. It's fun because I've always been a fan of the World's Strongest Man Contest. Just like Magnus Ver Magnusson (what a great sports name btw) I carry around some weights and walk until exhausted. It gets some unusual looks, since most sane people don't do this exercise in the gym or ever. But it works a lot of areas: legs, core, back, shoulders, traps, & lungs. I recommend lifting straps, since dropping weights is frowned upon in most gyms. And if you do it anywhere near the point of pushing yourself, the grip is the first thing to go. Next is the shoulders and core, your posture starts to give and the weights are hard to keep out of your legs. I bet it's pretty funny to watch. Give it a try, all you need is some dumbells, a good sized runway and no fear of weird looks.

Lego V8

I like Legos and I like engines, so I can definitely appreciate this Lego V8. Hit the YouTube video to truly appreciate its features.

 

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/31/video-dont-call-it-ocd-dude-builds-32-valve-dohc-v8-out-of-le/

Workout of the Day - Aug 31

Bonk. 

 

I'm not sure what happened this morning. Got a decent amount of sleep last night. Didn't eat anything out of the ordinary. No excessive exercise this weekend. But I bonked big-time this morning.

 

It kinda pisses me off. I take offense for not having a decent workout. It's one area that I have control over how productive I am and can actually feel like I accomplished something for the day. I just couldn't get any amount of weight up. I guess I've taken for granted that it has been pretty smooth sailing as far as getting a consistent workout in, especially Mondays. I get two days of rest and usually have extra energy on Monday. At least I will be motivated to redeem myself on Wednesday.

 

What went wrong? UFC 102

Went 2 of 5 this weekend, not very good. Time to see what really happened.

 

Heavyweight bout:  Randy Couture vs.  Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira

Well, I got the Nogueria almost subbing out Randy part right. But Minotauro was more than up to the task in the striking department. He rocked Randy several times. Big Nog looked really good. Still, it was a very solid fight and these two guys let the leather fly early and often. I had Randy losing all 3 rounds. The bigger story is Randy signing a 23-month, 6-fight deal? WTF? I hope that's not true.

 

Light Heavyweight bout:  Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva

What can I say, the Jardine roller coaster continues. Thiago was clearly motivated to prove himself after losing to Machida. Not a bad guy to have your only loss against. I'll give Silva credit, he gave the Mean One a beatdown.

 

Middleweight bout:  Chris Leben vs. Jake Rosholt

I got this one right. But it was noteworthy because Yves Lavine missed the tap of Leben, and the huge home crowd got to see him go unconscious and convulse. Nice job Yves.

 

Middleweight bout:  Nate Marquardt vs. Demian Maia

Marquardt made a fool of Maia's standup game (or lack thereof). A spectacular KO, given that Maia had changed directions in mid-air.

 

Light Heavyweight bout:  Brandon Vera vs.  Krzysztof Soszynski

Vera fought a very smart fight and picked apart Krzysztof. The Truth was just too fast, stepped away from any punches and didn't let Soszynski take him down. Kinda boring, but a well executed gameplan. Vera kept the fight going his way for 3 rounds.

UFC 102 Picks

Who do you like for this weekend? Here's my take....

Heavyweight bout:  Randy Couture vs.  Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira

I'm probably blinded by the fan in me, but I think this one is Randy's. Both guys are coming off of losses. But Minotauro looked especially bad. I think Couture is actually still improving his game. His striking against Lesnar was going pretty well, right up until he was grazed by a Thanksgiving turkey-sized fist. I see Couture having a distinct striking and stamina advantage. Big Nog will probably get pounded, fall to the ground and then look to sub Captain American. Other than that happening, I'm calling it a TKO or at least a decision for Xtreme Couture.

 

Light Heavyweight bout:  Keith Jardine vs. Thiago Silva

I don't like to call this one, namely because Jardine is a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde. But it's hard to be consistent when you constantly face top tier guys in a stacked 205-division. I think Thiago's record, while impressive, doesn't have the names on it that Jardine's does. I'm going with the Jardine that took Rampage deep, not the Jardine that got dominated by Wandy.

 

Middleweight bout:  Chris Leben vs. Jake Rosholt

I think Leben's best days are behind him. He's still facing a slugger, but I'm hoping Jake can use a variety of tools to frustrate, tired and beat Leben. That's all I got on this match-up.

 

Middleweight bout:  Nate Marquardt vs. Demian Maia

Maia has brought sexy back. I'm as amazed by his jits as when I first saw Gracie and couldn't believe he was choking out guys 100 pounds heavier than him with magical moves. That said, it's Marquardt's fight to lose. He's very well rounded and powerful; and can dictate where this fight goes, or doesn't go. If his ego gets in the way, he could get subbed. If he plays it smart, he will win. The problem is convincing him that grinding out a win is OK. Unfortunately, the guy wants to put on a show. Don't fall for it Nate. You may still KO the guy, just don't risk too much.

 

Light Heavyweight bout:  Brandon Vera vs.  Krzysztof Soszynski

Another tough call. Vera is a trainwreck, just getting it back together against weaker 205 opponents after falling apart in the heavyweight division. Soszynski is pushing himself by taking this fight and way be in over his head. The Polish Experiment is evolving quickly, showing power in his last fight. but has he made enough improvement to defeat a Vera caliber guy? I'm a bit tired of hearing about talented Hawaiian guys saying they finally see the light and are now committed to training and fighting. Vera is no Penn. I'll take a flyer on an improving Krzysztof.

 

Gamer News

I haven't been much of a gamer lately. But I have been checking for what limited Diablo III news is out there, every so often. Bad news on that front. I guess it was announced at a the recent Blizzcon, that two big games are to be released in 2010. Neither one is Diablo III. 2011!?! That's a big downer for today.

I'm looking for good news now.  I have seen some rumblings about the new Batman game. "Best Batman Game Ever!" Well, that's not saying too much. But the Tomb Raider people at Eidos made this game and it supposedly has some puzzles, along with battle and graphics. I'm intrigued. It totally makes sense that Batman have to figure stuff out and not just hack and slash. May have to pick this one up. The kids are currently going through a Justice League kick. So if Batman made an appearance on the PS3 it would be welcomed, more or less. I figure I'm doing it for the kids...

UFC 102

When I first heard of the headliners for UFC 102 (Couture vs. Nogueira) I was less than excited. I am a big Couture fan, but I figured this is a fight that should have happened years ago. Now, both guys are coming off losses and it's a bit underwhelming. Yet, it is a soild card and that's what makes for a good event, not just one headline fight.

 

Heavyweight bout:  Randy Couture vs.  Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira

Light Heavyweight bout:  Keith Jardine vs.  Thiago Silva

Middleweight bout:  Chris Leben vs.  Jake Rosholt

Middleweight bout:  Nate Marquardt vs.  Demian Maia

Light Heavyweight bout:  Brandon Vera vs.  Krzysztof Soszynski

 

Preliminary card

Middleweight bout:  Ed Herman vs.  Aaron Simpson

Heavyweight bout:  Gabriel Gonzaga vs.  Chris Tuchscherer

Heavyweight bout:  Justin McCully vs.  Mike Russow

Heavyweight bout:  Tim Hague vs.  Todd Duffee

Middleweight bout:  Nick Catone vs.  Mark Muñoz

Lightweight bout:  Marcus Aurelio vs.  Evan Dunham

 

I always love to see Jardine fight. Leben is usually good for an entertaining fight as well. Marquardt vs Maia probably determines the next Anderson Silva victim. Looks to be a classic wrestling/jitz battle. Nate is one powerful dude, but should probably take his chances standing. I know Marquardt has some definite submission skills, but Maia is on a crazy level. Demian has won all his UFC fights via submission, and usually Sub of the Night honors. Vera vs Krzysztof is also interesting. Soszynski took this one on short notice, and it's definitely his chance to jump up the 205 ladder. Will be a good indicator of where his overall game is at. I'm pulling for him since he was entertaining on TUF and trains with Hendo.

 

Who is Tuchscherer? I guess the guy got to skip TUF 10 and straight to a legit heavyweight in his first UFC fight. They're obviously fast tracking this guy. I'm interested to see how he does. Russow, Duffee and Hague are also pretty much brand new Lesnar bait. I like keeping on top of the heavies, since the UFC is obviously looking to stock up that division. And TUF 10 is just around the corner...

 

 

Someone has a case of the Mondays

Solid, long weekend. Golfed 66 holes over 3-days. I've never played any of the courses before. I wish that were the excuse for my play; but when you can't hit the ball it could be a course you know, don't know, the range or your backyard. Even after 66 holes, I never really got my swing going. I'm not one to expect to shoot a low score or anything. But if I can knock in a few solid putts, nail a few greens, hit some long drives and keep it under 100; I'm satisfied. Not a satisfying weekend on the golf front.

 

Started the weekend right, drove up to the Central Coast in 3 hours. Nice. The drive back, not so nice. I gave myself a healthy cushion, since Santa Barbara is a slow affair on Sunday afternoons. But it took me 4.5 hours to get back. And that was for 33 miles less distance. I probably could have ridden a bicycle through Santa Barbara much faster than being in a car on the 101 East.

 

Well, it was still a good time. Great eats and cold drinks. Didn't puke-up any cigars. So it was a fun time. A couple of the courses were especially tough, but also much nicer than what I normally play. I like getting out on the courses with crazy fast greens, every now and then. Despite taking a beating, I'm looking forward to the next big, golf weekend. Maybe we can add an eating contest so I have a chance at winning something. Then again, Johnny can beat me at that too.

Carano Finished at 4:59 Rnd 1

I managed to see a poor quality internet feed of the Carano v Cyborg fight. It was an intense 5 minutes. Lots of momentum swing and transitions, sub-attempts, full mount and ultimately stoppage. Santos was too much brawler and Carano not enough duck and weave. I'd love to see a re-match, as I don't think that was Carano at her best. Of course, maybe I just want to see Conviction weigh-in again... 

The Tiger is Dead

So, Tiger "lost" the PGA is weekend. He's no longer undefeated when leading after 54-holes. Is Tiger no longer as dominant as he once was? Possibly. Is his losing good for the PGA? Maybe. Do I like that he lost? Not really.

I'm not saying that I'm the biggest Tiger fan in the world. Nor do I hate the guy's success either. I can't believe that he has lived-up to the immense hype built-up when he first came on to the Tour. The guy is a marketing brand all by himself. Has become the second Michael Jordan as far as Nike is concerned. Each year there's a new epic highlight that he creates, which is bigger than the last.

But I'm also a bit sad that there's a blemish on his dominance. Maybe unlike most people, I like that there's an otherworldly talent. I enjoy seeing the Gretzkys, Jordans or Anderson Silvas of the world. People like movies with intense human drama. But you can see that stuff on display, for real, every so often, when a once-in-a-generation athlete hits the biggest stage in his/her respective sport.

But you can't stay perfect in golf, not even Tiger.

Cool

Everyone has a different definition of what's cool, especially when it comes to the automotive side. But, here's a pretty good example of what I consider a "cool" ride. Maybe not the most practical of all vehicles, but it's a sweet custom job throughout and I always thought these cabovers were cool anyway.

 

http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/jalopnik/full/~3/Netb70BE1g8/super-cool-custom-cabover-watches-sunset-over-bonneville

JT Money

Well, much like Affliction before it, Strikeforce is having trouble getting guys into the ring. Nick Diaz skipped a drug test and will not be fighting this weekend. So, Jesse Taylor will be taking his place. That's right Ko-Ko the monkey from TUF. I guess he's riding a 7-fight win streak, six of those wins are in 2009. He's also won two belts. Granted, his last victory in Japan was due to his opponent hurting his foot/ankle and not being able to continue. And the titles he won were minor promotions. Still, the guy seems game and apparently loves to fight. He made some mistakes in the UFC, but has continued his career. Good luck JT$.

 

I don't get Showtime, but I'm interested in seeing this event. Carano vs Cyborg, Sobral vs Mousasi and a lightweight title fight are also on the card. There's more to life than just the UFC.

Power Weekend

I'm exhausted from the weekend. Drove down to San Diego Thursday night and hit the Wild Animal Park on Friday. It was mostly to take the tram tour and see their Dino Mountain exhibit. Kalani was afraid of the animatronic dinosaurs, but played it off afterward. The Park is plenty big with lots of area to cover. The tram tour is pretty cool. But a lot of the animals in the enclosures become redundant once you take the tour. The kids had a good time. Both were nice and tired by the time we got home.

 

We got into the OC Fair for $2, with a closing weekend coupon. Kalani loved all the rides. Kalea didn't even go on the Ferris wheel or Super Slide, while Kalani did. We did the normal stuff we usually do: reptile house, art exhibit, fried food. The weather was breezy, and it kept things cool. Also, not too busy either. A pretty good day to be walking around the Fair.

 

Damn, no soapbox race for you. #redbull

Here's the consolation letter and 4-pak of Red Bull. We're officially out of the soapbox derby and not selected for the Los Angeles Race.

NHL Offseason

Typically quiet this time of year.

 

It was announced that Jeremy Roenick is calling for a press conference tomorrow. Sounds like JR is retiring. This is a good thing. I don't like seeing one of my heros play at 75% (and that's probably being generous). Time is a bitch, especially for JR. The guy played the game hard and that's why he is one of my favorite players. He's played with numerous concussions in the playoffs, but the topper was coming back from a broken jaw. Not just playing hurt, but being a stud while playing hurt when it mattered most. Knee surgeries, broken bones, separated shoulder, and 11+ concussions; it's safe to say he's permanently retired.

A very colorful personality. JR is rivaled by only Brett Hull in the speaking your mind department. I think this is why he will be in the broadcast booth sooner than later. He's already done a few post-seasons and is a natural in front of the camera. Between that and golfing, Roenick will stay busy.

 

Also, it's "Hello Numminen." Or rather good-bye. As Teppo is also anging up the skates. He has also made it around 20 years, like JR. And injuries have plagued the later years of Teppo's career too. I solid guy off and on the ice.

 

Shanny is not calling it a career yet. I just heard he's signed on for another year with the Devils. It's a farwell tour of sorts, as I believe that he started his career with New Jersey; way back in the Christmas-themed green and red jersey days. I don't see him playing beyond this year.

 

Word on the street is that Heatley could be going to San Jose via some three team deal. I'll believe it when I see it. Speaking of the Senators, a former player, Patrick Eaves, was signed by Detroit. Good for him. I hope he makes the most of it and has a breakout year.

 

Strikeforce actually a force in MMA?

Well, the San Jose based fight promotion best known for the upcoming Carano vs Cyborg fight has signed a free agent.  Fedor. Pretty big news in the MMA world. So, the UFC will not get it's Brock vs Fedor fight any time soon and too bad. I don't see too many interesting fights on the horizon for the UFC beyond this year. The big question is how long Strikeforce will last. They have a few heavyweights, but Fedor will mow through them in 3 events. What then? It's basically Affliction all over again?

 

It would be cool to see them groom a ladies division that the UFC would probably not counter. Likewise, Strikeforce should probably leave the lighter weight classes as a niche to the WEC. But competition can be a good thing. Maybe a legit heavyweight fighter will give allow Strikeforce to succeed where Elite XC and Kimbo failed? In the end, I see this as purely a way for Dana White to have more fighters groomed in a rival league, which he will poach when they go out of business.

Red Bull Soapbox Derby Los Angeles 2009 - Email server down?

Something must be wrong over a Red Bull, because they haven't contacted me about my Soapbox Derby entry. You know my teams' design is badazz. So what's the holdup? July has now come and gone; I haven't heard boo. I even tried search'n the internet for some blogger to brag about getting picked to be in the race. Nothing.

 

It's hard to remain excited. With each day there's more of a sinking feeling. I had pretty much given-up thinking about it, until the end of last week. The team was talking about optimal designs and costume possibilities. But that's clearly jumping the gun. I would just like confirmation either way; accepted or not.

 

'Cause as it is, my August is pretty full. We're losing valuable time. Getting this contraption built will not happen in a weekend. I at least hope not...

Rally X

Got hooked-up with tickets for the X Games rally car on Sunday. It was pretty damn cool. We happened to have optimal seating, as it was at the end of the landing ramp for the 35" jump. That sucker took it's toll on the cars. One of the cars got body work in-between elimination and the finals. There was a guy wailing away with a sledge hammer, and then the tried and true; hook-a-tow-cable-to-another-car-and-pull/tug-the-frame-straight. I don't think that stuff made the telecast. The final was underwhelming, as three of the races were red flagged and no car actually had to finish the race. But it was a great time.

 

Also, Mirra and Pastrana had interviews in-between races and the booth was just behind the section I was in. So, both guys got within 30' of me. That was cool. They got semi-mobbed, so I had no chance at an autograph or photo-op.

 

Check out my photos. http://onofamilypics.shutterfly.com/

X Games

Took a day off yesterday and went to the X Games. Very cool. They had moto-x practice, FMX jumping practice, Rally car runs, & mens halfpipe practice at Home Depot Center. It was my first time there and I can see why they have had X Games there for so many years in a row now. The place gets set-up like a mini-Olympic venue. There're separate areas for the halfpipe, moto-x & rally car, street and park. All of the events were more impressive in-person, especially the FMX jumping. 50-foot backflips are way more impressive live and in-person. Also the sense of scale for the halfpipe skating is better. Those guys are getting serious air. Rally car translates well to TV, but I got to stand next to the burnout corner (basically, a U-turn that the cars drift around) and you don't get the tire smoke and rubber smell on TV.

 

I also went to the Staples Center events that afternoon. I've been dying to see the mega-ramp in-person and finally did. That sucker is wild. Its cool to have a better sense of scale with the ramp indoors. These guys are basically launching down from the cheap seats. The ramp is at a 60-degree angle. I'm glad I experienced it. I took a ton of pictures with a new camera we JUST got. I didn't even consider that it would be delivered in time. The camera came within 48-hours of being ordered, must have been out of a local warehouse. Expect a link to pictures soon.

Deadline

Still no word from Red Bull.... 

Nervous

No word from Red Bull yet. Still don't know if my Soapbox Racer made the cut. I am supposed to get confirmation around the end of the month; that would be Friday. Keep your fingers crossed.

Here comes Fedor!

Well, Affliction Trilogy is an official bust. It was announced last week, that Affliction was cancelling the event. The bigger news is that the "T-shirt Guy" as Dana White called him, had agreed to work with the UFC, not promote their own fights, and have Affliction advertising back on the Octagon. Wild. So much is back to the future as far as the UFC is concerned. Randy Couture, Affliction and even Tito Ortiz has apparently made up with the biggest game in MMA. You can try to resist, but like the Borg in Star Trek, you will get assimilated eventually.

 

This means Fedor is a free agent?!! Well, kinda. I've read that M-1 Global, his managing partner, has put excessive demands on the UFC. Co-promoting the fight and building an arena in Russia are the common rumors. Sounds like extortion to me. The problem now is Dana White's ego. He doesn't appear ready to bow to anyone. This attitude made the UFC what it is today. But will it ultimately cost the heavyweight division?

 

 

 

Doh!

Well, it turns out that the rumors were true. Barnett tested positive for steroids and was not certified to fight next weekend. There is a fair amount of buzz about who his replacement opponent will be. I've heard anyone from Bobby Lashley and Tito Ortiz to Jeff Monson.

 

They say there is no such thing as bad publicity, but that's probably not true in this case. I think that Affliction has to be hanging on by a thread, in this economy, as a fight league/promoter. UFC fighters can't wear Affliction, so that takes away their signature line of merchandise as a clothing company. This is the last fight that Fedor has under his current contract with Affliction. Barnett has thrown a big wet blanket over the whole event; it has also shown that there aren't a whole lot of legit heavyweight fighters left for Fedor.

 

Vitor Belfort remains a strong possibility. I've already said he's undersized. So is Tito. Lashley is too green. Brett Rogers might be a good fight, but he probably has a exclusive contract with Strikeforce.

 

Ultimately, it's pretty bad for Affliction. Fedor is really the only draw for the promotion. Dana White is probably enjoying this (a little too much), he's already had an issue with Barnett and steroids. If this gets Fedor in the UFC, cool. I'd love to see him dismantle Lesnar.

Mmmm... Burger

I am a sucker for those semi-upscale restaurants that were made fun of in the Carl's Jr $6 burger commercials. The kind of place that is usually a theme restaurant and half of the floorplan is a bar. But the prices are usually a bit crazy for the fact that it is just modified bar food.
The day after my vow to eat a little better, the Family went to Buffalo Fire Department. Its theme is obviously a firehouse, with local fire house tee-shirts on the wall. Because a it is owned by a chef, it has a pretty interesting menu. It is mostly bar food, but with a slight gourmet twist. So, I give you the Thai BBQ Wasabi Sauce Burger.
It was pretty damn good. The wasabi was subtle, but very tasty. Kalani had the mac n' cheese fritter; which was a fried mac n' cheese shaped like a 6" dia hockey puck. It was excellent. I think it had a touch of that Selland Arena nachos, nacho cheese sauce.
If this place wasn't so expensive, I'd be there for lunch once a week. As it is, I bet it's closed down sooner than later. Not too many people willing to pay that price for burgers. But next time I'm trying a dozen of the Suicide Wings.

Affliction Trilogy

So I've heard rumors that the Aug 1 Affliction showdown between Fedor and Barnett may be off. Something about the Calif. Athletic Commission not certifying the fight because of Barnett's drug test. Hmmmm. Maybe another positive for steroids? Not good. I'm glad I didn't get tickets for that one even though it is at Honda Center.

 

The story further goes to say that Vitor Belfort will take Barnett's place. C'mon. Belfort is hardly a heavyweight. I mean the guy is talented and all, but the weight difference alone makes it a miss match. All I can say is that I hope these rumors aren't true.

Red Bull Racer - Update

Nothing major to report, but I did get an email confirmation from Red Bull that they received my entry submission. That was pretty quick. Snail mail was fast (though only going to Santa Monica), but somebody processed it and sent me an email. The wait begins...

Workout of the Day 7/15

Summer is the dead time for me. No NHL. Not much else happening in the world of sport. So I don't have a whole lot to blog about. I shouldn't say that. There are a several good MMA fights next month. The real problem is more likely, a lot of dead time during the day.

I was working on doing a feature of "promotional fast food item of the week". But, my diet has taken a turn for the better lately, so I am less apt to order the nastiest thing on the menu. I've decided to catalog my workouts. Mostly stories from the gym, as there are plenty of interesting and wacky things that happen any given morning.

Today, was a pretty average day. Not very crowded. I was able to hog the smith machine and a loaded barbell for my quasi-circuit workout. No problems.

This will bring me to my pet peeve. Or one of my many pet peeves. It is guys (people) who don't rack their weights. This is when you walk up to a barbell, sled or smith machine and it has weights on it. Hmmm. I don't see anyone using this. Did the guy just get some water or take a leak? Nope. Just left the weights on the bar. I know it seems like an awful lot of work to un-load a barbell when you are done with it, but c'mon you are weightlifting. If nothing else, it is the indicator that you are done with that piece of equipment; so I can hog it myself.

I guess looking at the big picture, it's a nice problem to have. There are so few people that workout in the morning, I can't tell who has left the weights there and if anyone is using it. Pretty cool actually. I've been in plenty of Globo Gyms where you wait in line to use the bench. That sucks. I can't workout that way. Give me inconsiderate-leave-the-weights-on-the-bar-Guy anytime.