Muddy Buddy 2013

Oh! I've been so remiss in posting all the happenings in my life that I can't even remember where to start! I love being busy (well, most of the time), and I've been doing lots of fun things, but the downside is that I don't have much time to reflect or write about any of it!
Anyway, I guess I'll start with the Muddy Buddy race me and my Sweetie did a few weeks ago. It was a 5 mile run, and 6 obstacles, including a rope climb (which I failed miserably) and a slog through a mud pit (which I excelled at)!
It was a lot of fun. The race was put on by REI, and it benefited the Prostate Cancer Foundation. It was held up in the East Bay Hills at Joseph D. Grant State Park, and it was a great day for a run.
Our team name was the Packer Backers and we came in 10th in our division! WooHoo!

Dammit Run!

I did another race last weekend! It was the toughest one yet. It was the 5 mile Dammit Run in town.The race went on the trail up the dam, then up again onto St. Josephs Hill. It was really difficult because it's the first race I've tried to run with an elevation gain, and it was REALLY hard!   It's Tuesday and my calves and ankles are still sore! Both the up and down were hard on my legs, and the trail was also really dusty from all the other (faster) runners in front of me. But I managed to finish in 51:30, and I didn't fall down the hill, so over all it was a good experience. That being said, I don't think I'll do this one again.
I have two more races planned for this season, and then I'm done until next spring. It's been a pretty successful running year for me. So much fun!

Me and my cheering committee!

Getting in "the zone".

Ready to get started!

The climb up the dam.

The climb up St. Josephs Hill.

Almost there!

I'm a finisher! I'm a finisher!!!

Snack time.

Super thirsty!

My race number.

2013 The Jungle Run!

Me after my first 1/2 marathon!

I ran my first half marathon this weekend! I was a little worried about registering because I didn't "train" for it..at all. But I do run 3-4 times a week, so I figured how hard could it be? My reason for eventually deciding to do it was that I know for sure I can walk 13 miles, so even if I couldn't run the whole way, I'd still make it to the finish line eventually. So what did I have to loose by trying right?

I did follow a few tips that I found online though, including what and when to eat the day before, how to prepare the day of the race (by hydrating, and eating energy-packed carbs, and stretching etc.) and deciding on realistic goals for the race itself.
I also utilized the "pacers" during my run. They were runners carrying signs with guaranteed finish times. Like 1:45 (an hour and 45 minutes) or 2:35 etc. (That was my main problem in the 10K I did a couple months ago, not being able to pace myself.) I couldn't believe the difference it made! It was so much easier to run 13 miles at a set pace than 6 miles trying to keep up with whoever was in front of me. I started with the slowest pace runner with a finish time of 2:35 (just to make sure I'd make it) and then moved up one every couple miles afterward if I thought I could handle it.
Anyway, I don't have my official time yet, but I was somewhere between the 2:10 and 2:15 pace runners when I crossed the finish line. I didn't have a time goal for this first race, so I'm neither impressed nor disappointed with my time. My only goal was to finish, and I did it!!! I Did it!!! And I am very happy about that:) Here is a little photo gallery of the race (in order of events)! Enjoy!

Getting pumped at the starting line!

The Pace Runners

And we're off!

The faster runners go first.

Going strong!

Self portrait while running!

Woohoo more than half way done!

This made me laugh.

Getting really tired now...

One lap around the track and I'm done!

Got lots of encouraging texts from friends and fam!

I made it! I finished!

My hat got a little sweaty though...

My piece of victory cake! Banana. Yumm!

The Playoffs

From NFL.com

Well, It's that time of year again. The regular season is over, and the playoffs have arrived. The Pack won the division, and I was happy about that. But that is the past, and there are  bigger "fish to fry" as the saying goes. A quick recap of wild-card weekend though before I jump into the Pack. First of all I none of the other teams I wanted to win won. I wanted Indie to beat Baltimore (however unlikely it was) because right behind Detroit, I have a soft spot for the Colts. I'm not super bummed that the Ravens won, and actually it was cool to see Ray Lewis win his last game at home, but still. I don't really care either way about the Bengals/Texans game, so I don't have much to say about that. But I really was hoping the Redskins could come away with the win against Seattle. I don't like the Seahawks. Not the players in particular, but Pete Caroll especially on account of the fact that when interviewed and asked about the fiasco of a game they played against us he lied several times about that final play that was clearly an interception. I feel that his coaching style is a little dirty, and I think they take a lot of credit for things they shouldn't. But whatever. They won. I don't know why Shannahan left RGIII in the game for so long with his bad knee, and I really think Washington might have had a chance if they'd pulled RGIII and put in Cousins.
Pack vs. Vikes
Our game went pretty well for a playoff game. We started out strong, and sort of faded toward the end, and that would have to be my strongest criticism of the whole game (i.e. we lost our momentum). I thought the offense played well, Our run game is getting better and Harris is turning out to be reliable. If I were the coach  the thing I'd stress to him this week is maintaining his sterling record of keeping the ball secure. He is doing so well, and I just want it to stay that way.
The offense was on track. Rodgers hit like 8 or nine receivers, and had time to do so thanks to the great play by the offensive line. Sure Rodgers got sacked like...5 times, but I think 3 of those at least were his fault for holding on to the ball too long. James Jones played great Jennings is finishing out the season strong. Jordy didn't get into the game until the second half, and came out with a limp after only a few plays, but did a really nice job.
The defense really showed up. Woodson is back and great, the secondary played well. They corralled AP and only allowed him 100 or so yards, which is not great but much better than 210 he got the week before!
All in all it was a good game, and we move on, but I'm not too excited about the win because I don't think the Vikings are really that good of a team yet, and I don't think they are tat hard of a team to beat. Especially without their starting QB.

Moving on to next week and our game against San Francisco. Now this will be a tough game. Here are a few of my thoughts about what we need to get done in order to win:

• I think the O-line has it's work cut out for them, but as long as they throw Kuhn, or a TE in there to help block I think Rodgers can get some long passes out to the receivers and work his magic. 
• AR needs to get rid of the ball sooner though, especially against the Niners. I know he hates to throw the ball away (which is why he is sacked so often) but sometimes it is the right thing to do. Otherwise people get hurt, and the penalties pile up. 
•  The entire offense needs to be reminded that ball security is going to be critical against the Niners defense. 
• We are going to have to be patient with the run game but stick with it.

On the defensive side of things,

• We need to limit Kapernick from running for 1st downs. 
• And I think that we need to keep Frank Gore to under 100 yards. It was very fortunate that we played the best RB (Adrien Peterson) in the league 3 times in the past five weeks. Hopefully that has prepared the D for the run game.

Hopefully everyone is back on the field and healthy by Saturday.
I hope we beat the Niners, because their fans are becoming a real pain in the butt, shouting at me, making rude gestures, and telling me how terrible my team is. I am not upset by it really, but it is pretty annoying. All I can say is:

Fight Club

Velasques vs. Dos Santos

Now that I am super into kickboxing I am also becoming more interested in watching fights on TV. I've accompanied my BF to watch fights before, but I wasn't exactly excited about it (but went that way he could have a couple beers and enjoy himself and not worry about driving home). But now that's beginning to change. I like boxing a little, but I really like the MMA (mixed martial arts) fights, since some of the moves they do I have learned in kickboxing. And just like any sport that you actually know a little something about, it has become much more interesting and less violent that I had first assumed. Of course they are fighting, so there is obviously going to be cuts, scrapes, blood, black eyes, swollen ears and faces, but for the most part all the guys fighting are very respectful of the rules of the sport, and each other. They aren't angry or borderline murderers or anything like that. They are athletes.
But I can still watch the fights both ways. The old way that found it horrifying and gruesome and my new way. We went to Hooters to watch the George St.Pierre fight a couple weekends ago. And it was actually really fun! I was able to spot moves that I knew how to do which was awesome. Like the "superman punch":) and I came to understand much more clearly why our kickboxing coaches are always telling us to do things like extend our arms when we punch, or keep our hands up at all times. It makes sense when you actually watch people who are fighting. And there is a strategy, a point system, and all kinds of rules that are (believe it or not) intended to protect the fighters. So that was all interesting too. But then I had a moment where I looked around me, and there on all the 30 or so TV's were two guys covered in blood (and I mean blood on the guys, on the ground, all over the place),  beating the stuffing out of each other and I thought to myself, "What in the world am I watching?!?" and had to cover my eyes because it was so...painful to watch. And they went for all 5 rounds so it was a good fight, but it just looked so painful you know? I must have too much empathy or something.
LOL. Well, the next big fight is at the end of December, and one of the fighters is a local San Jose guy, Cain Velasquez. My BF actually recognized him and his family walking around Los Gatos this summer and stopped to say hi! So I'll be cheering for him. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually looking forward to the fight...ha ha. Who am I?

Week 9: Packers vs. Cardinals

We won again! And I'm not just talking about the game. We went to the same bar as we went last week, and just like before there were more Packers fans there (a whopping 5 of us!) so they played the whole game WITH sound!!! Yay! Super cool hu?
Anyway onto the game. The defense started out strong with...Daniels getting a sack early on. (I had to look up who he was because I had no idea. He was our 4th round draft pick, and a rookie DE out of Iowa.) Cobb had an amazing 40-some yard punt return. And I am pleased to say I feel like he is making some great decisions on special teams about when to go for the extra yards and when to take a knee.
I don't know what the deal is with Crosby, but I hope he gets it sorted out soon. he's missed like 5 of his last 9 field goals with the ball swinging widely to the right it seems right at the end of the arc. I don't know much about kicking, so I really cant do much speculating, but something is amiss for sure.
Our running game was the most productive it's been all year. I thought both Starks and Green did a great job moving the ball down the field and setting up pass plays. And they get some nice rushes for more than 2 yards (which it feels like has been our average the last 8 weeks.) I just can't say enough about how happy I am to see the ground game improving.
Rodgers had a pretty good game I thought. He had a couple errant passes that were probably his fault, but the interception was just one of those freak events that are nobody's fault...well, not Rodgers anyway. He made a really great fumble recovery a few plays later too. I saw the ball come out and not a Packer in sight and then all of the sudden there was Rodgers coming from the left, totally horizontal, flying in the air and diving on the ball! LOL. It was pretty amazing, especially since the last time I'd seen him (on the screen) he was way in the backfield. It was a great play, and in my opinion more than made up for the bad passes he made earlier.
I saw Jeff Saturday make a couple great blocks down field. That was cool. And James Jones made another incredible catch for a TD. He is just getting better and better every week. Awesome! Tom Crabtree's TD was nice, especially after he dropped a wide open pass a few plays earlier. Speaking of dropped balls, we had a few of those yesterday that I wasn't so happy about. Driver had one that was right on the numbers, and a couple other guys I can't remember. Randal Cobb had another spectacular game, and I am glad to see that he's not developing a cocky attitude about it. He is a solid, versitele, dependable player, and I am sure Rodgers is enjoying having him on the field. I still don't have anything good to say about Jermichael Finely.
Seeing Nelson go out with a sprained ankle, and then Bulaga with...whatever happened to him, and then Mathews wasn't so encouraging, but at least next week is our bye, so hopefully they have time to heal up.
The O-line did great, especially considering they had to do the old "switcharoo" moving Lang to fill in at right tackle for Bulaga and Detrich-Smith filling in for Lang at guard. To be honest, I almost thought they played better than when Bulaga was in. But I'd have to watch the game again to state that with any certainty.
The defensive line did pretty good, and Williams did a good job in his match up with Larry Fitsgerald. Hawk turned in another solid performance.Walden had a nice game, as did Casey Hayward, and Desmond Moses. All those guys have really stepped up and done a nice job this season. We have a lot of talent on our defense right now. They combined for an interception, and then later in the game Walden made a crucial stop on third down. I think it may have one of the key moves that drove away any last hope the Cards had to come back and win. If that didn't do it then Jarret Bush's recovery on the Mathsay punt certainly did. I don't care for Bush on the D, but he's been pretty great on special teams.
Over all, it was a really good game I thought. All phases were present, and carrying their own weight. I thought the newer guys stepped in and played great, and the veterans performed the way they are supposed to. I thought the play-calling was good (although I generally prefer to see more no-huddle), and for the most part execution was right on. WooHoo! A nice way to head into the bye!

The World Series

I am not a baseball fan. But when I saw that the Tigers were playing San Francisco, I became a little intrigued. I still loosely cheer for the "home" teams, which include the Tigers and the Lions (when they aren't playing us or leading our division), and the Red Wings.
Anyway, I didn't watch the first three games, but I did wear my "Detroit" t-shirt (that I picked up at the airport a couple years ago) in support of the team. As you can imagine there are not a lot of Tigers fans out this way. I only saw one little boy walking home from school in a Tigers jersey.
By the time the fourth game started, I realized that the Tigers probably weren't going to win it. But I was hoping they would at least win one of the games for the Tigers faithful. Especially since they were in Detroit and it was freezing and raining.
Don't ask me what went wrong, or who is to blame, because I have no idea. I just wanted the Tigers to win one. But alas it wasn't meant to be.

Packers Weeks 7 and 8

I know I have been lax in my posting about the games, but I have had a really busy couple weeks and, to be honest, the games really haven't been that great.
This week was especially terrible mostly because of all the guys that were injured. No Jordy, or Kuhn, or Jennings, or Nick Perry and Woodson broke his collar bone again...great.
Rodgers had a pretty awful game. I'm not too worried about it because I know he is a much better player than that. But I think it was just an off week for him. We all have them.
I was happy to see Driver get some play. He's so awesome! And I love how loud the Green Bay fans cheered for him. He's been a great football player, and from what I've read he's an even better person. Plus he has the best smile ever. You just can't be bummed out when looking at a picture of Donald Driver smiling. It's impossible;)
Special teams made a great play (and then almost lost it by trying to pick it up instead of securing it and going to the ground) and that probably was the difference between us winning and loosing that game. The last time the Pack blocked a punt for a touchdown was in...like 1990 or something. So it was pretty great to watch, despite the fact that I was annoyed that they just didn't fall on it.
I still feel like there is a Bermuda Triangle effect happening to our defense in the middle of the field between the LB's and Secondary. I don't know if it's just that the guys out there don't understand what they are doing, or if Capers is making them play differently. It's weird.
And I don't know why they aren't using the tight ends (or fullback when Kuhn is healthy) to block so Rodgers has more time to get a couple big passes down field. If I was McCarthy I'd be dialing that up every three plays. Have Kuhn, or Cobb, or Crabtree or someone extra to help out the O-line, and give the receivers a little more time to get down field.
I kind of feel like the last two games were pretty much the same, i.e. not so great. They have almost been more stressful than fun to watch, and it's just so mysterious to me why we are struggling for every win. Maybe I was just spoiled last year with all our success.
Anyway, I am hoping we have a good game against the Cards next week. If we can just make it to the bye without anyone else getting hurt, I think the Pack can come back and have a great second half of the season.

Week 6: Packers vs. Texans

AR to critics: "Shhhhhh".

We did it! We won! And Rodgers got six, count 'em six touchdowns (tying Matt Flynn's record from last year.)! Our offense is back! Wheew. I knew they had it in them!
The defense had a pretty good game too. My only concerns there are the multiple injuries we sustained and the difficulty we had holding Houston on third down. But really, the defense really showed up and had a great game! And the back up guys really did a spectacular job.  But let me start at the beginning.
First of all, I thought the play-calling was great on McCarthy's part. I also thought Rodgers had a good game.  He seemed a little fired up, who knows why, but it was really exciting to see some life in the offense. He missed a few throws, but he wasn't intercepted. That one pass to Jordy in the end zone looked like a bullet, and the offensive line did a nice job. Saturday, Lang, all the front guys really gave Rodgers time to get the ball down field. It was a beautiful thing to see. I thought the backs Green and Kuhn did a nice job blocking up front as well (something I think McCarthy should do more often), and Green had a few 9 yard runs that were nice to see. He was able to keep the pass/run balance in check, which is exactly what we needed to get those big plays down the field. It was exciting to see James Starks back on the field too, even if it was limited.

I'm still not liking Jermichael Finley's play. He is dropping too many balls, and being too much of a diva outside the locker room (complaining about not being targeted enough etc.) and I don't like it. He is the only person on offense right now I have a bad feeling about. And those instincts are ones I trust. I don't think he is the right personality for the Packers, and I don't think we should keep him next year. Cobb had a great game. I am glad to see him making good decisions on punt returns, and making plays on offense. I think he's settled down a little since last year, and he appears to be becoming a true professional. Jordy had a great game, and pulled in some great passes, and James Jones had an outstanding catch for a TD (one handed and around the defensive player!) and a nice grab on the sideline too. I can't say enough about how much he has improved this year. The last couple years I've not liked his inconsistency and lack of dependability, but he's had a complete turn around this year, and I really think this could be his break out year. I hope so! Even Tom Crabtree got a TD! It was a great play call, and I am glad he got to see some action other than blocking. Over all the offense was just great. Sure the Texans had a ton of penalties that helped us out, but even if you don't count those, the offense still had a much better game than last week, especially protecting Rodgers.

AJ Hawk bringing the pressure!

Onto the defense. They started out strong,and finished strong, with just a slight decrease in the middle due to injuries. I know they had to adjust because Raji was out, so Pickett moved to nose tackle, and then they shifted other guys around, and so taking that into consideration, I am actually really pleased with the level of play. I would have liked to see a little stronger pass rush, but it was still pretty great. Three sacks on Schaub was great. I loved the one that A.J. Hawk got!
I think Tramon Williams did a good job considering he was matched up with Andre Johnson. And all the guys that had to fill in, McMillian, Hayward, Bush, made some great plays on the ball. Hayward really showed up. They just really did a nice job. The whole team did.
They came together as a team and found their motivation I guess, and not a moment too soon. I'm not sure what happened last week in practice, and will probably never know, but who cares?!? They really got it together and played like I knew they could!!! And what did I say last week? If they just did that, they were sure to win! And they did! Hooray!
In the post-game interview Michelle Tafoya asked Rodgers what he had to say to all the critics after coming up with such a big win. His answer? "Shhhhhh." I was laughing so hard! Good one ARod! Just another reason why I think he's such a great QB, he is hilarious! On a more serious note, I'm glad he's not worried about the team. And I'm glad that he seems to have not been too worried about it last week when I was freaking out (a little) either. That's the true sign of a leader.
Anyway, it was a wonderful Sunday of football (finally) and a wonderful game, and for the first time this season I feel like the Pack is truly back!

Packers Last Second Victory!

An amazing Jennings interception!!!

I've been trying for an hour to think of what I want to say and how I want to say it. But every time I think about the game last night I just get angry and all the things I feel like saying...well, primarily involve using the same four letter word in all it's versatility as a noun, verb, adverb, adjective, as well as in its traditional expletive form. In short not very nice. I thought a nights sleep would help alleviate some of my frustration, but it has not. Especially after reading the NFL's official statement this morning. An injustice has been done, a trust has been betrayed by the owners of the NFL, and the integrity of my favorite game has been compromised. To say I am angry is an understatement. But I'm going to try again to voice my thoughts because someone has to stand up for "my" guys and "my" team.
Now I am sure all non-sports fans are thinking "so what? whats the big deal?" but let me explain it to you. First of all there are only 16 games in the season, so even one loss could ruin the Packers chance for any post season. Divisions are won, and wild card spots are often acquired, on the difference of a single game. So yes, it's a big deal.
Second, even though it's a game, a trust has been broken. Not by the replacement refs (who are just pawns in this awful mess), but by the owners, and Roger Goodell. I don't care if it's about football, or anything else, when a person or party you trust and respect breaks their promise to you, and goes back on their word, it becomes personal. I'm not so upset for myself. But I feel especially protective of my team, and they guys on it. I hate that MY Packers have to play on in this mess. I hate that they went back on the field for the final point after. Shame on whoever in the Packers management made them do it. I'd rather the Packers maintain their integrity than show supposed "class" by participating in something everyone and god knew was wrong. It was insulting to me and most importantly to them.
Across the NFL all our players are being forced to participate in a game that is no longer fair, and they have no choice but to accept decisions made by people who are unqualified and indisputably WRONG. Never should we bow to what is wrong, I don't care who says it, or what the situation is. Not in politics, not in personal life, not in football. If it's wrong it's wrong. Period. I don't think the Packers players should accept the loss just because a ref didn't understand the rules. It was the wrong call, it was unjust, and they should not be compelled by their owners or contracts to go along with something that goes explicitly against the rules stated by the governing entity they are employed by. What kind of example does that set for the millions of kids who watch their favorite team every Sunday? What does that make them think about their role models when they see some of them accept without comment what they shouldn't, while others, clearly cheating, take credit for something they didn't do? There is a principle being trampled on here, in front of millions of people, and I think it's a discredit to everyone involved, and horribly insulting to the players and coaches to even ask them to keep playing under the circumstances. The more I think about it, the more angry I get. It's like the NFL has become some kind of weird dictatorship funded by greedy, selfish men, ruled over by Goodell, and enforced by incompetent and unqualified generals, and no one has any choice but to bow down to them, keep their mouth shut and keep playing. For those of us who love the game it is a devastating blow to the integrity of something that we trusted and admired, and it has destroyed the essence of what the NFL is about.
The Pack worked hard to come back, and we won the game fair and square with a glorious interception at the last second! I can't even even begin to understand how the NFL is still justifying it's position that the Seattle won. They know they are wrong, EVERYBODY knows they are wrong, but they are not going to take responsibility for it. Roger Goodell had a chance when they released their official statement this morning, and he failed to do the right thing. And maybe that is what angers me the most, that those with the authority  are not owning up to their responsibility. The right thing to do is for the NFL to get the real refs back on the field, have a press conference and apologize to ALL of the players, coaches, and fans (particularly kids), and to officially to recall the win by Seattle and rightfully award it to the Packers. In my opinion, that is the ONLY way they can fix this and retain any integrity. I know it would be unprecedented, but you know what? So is a quarterback winning a game by throwing an interception in the end zone. So is the NFL releasing a statement saying that the call was correct, when it clearly wasn't. Two wrongs don't make a right, and the NFL should be ashamed for lying to the fans to cover up their mess. How can they expect players to take ownership of their mistakes (i.e. the Saints bounty scandal) if the Big Shots won't take responsibility for theirs? How can it justify fining players for breaking the rules (like not wearing NFL licensed merchandise in post game interviews, or tweeting out against the NFL) but turn a blind eye to the multitude of rules that have been wrongly called and enforced by their own hired referees? It's ludicrous. The NFL ownership has become an untrustworthy band of hypocrites, with Roger Goodell as their front man and it disgusts me.

It's like this. How would we feel if suddenly every cop in the country was replaced with shopping mall security guards? AND they had no accountability to the law other than their own personal understanding of what it is. AND they got to be judge and jury and there was no recourse for those accused once the verdict had been made against us? AND the government wouldn't step in to free us even though they know we wrongly accused?!? WTF? Surely we can all see that would be a grievous crime against us all. And I feel pretty certain that none of us would sit back idly and let it happen. Well, that is what the NFL is doing, and getting away with it!
But what to do? I'd boycott watching the games, but it's not our players and coaches who have let us down. Still maybe it's the right thing to do. The coaches and players are stuck, but we as fans could maybe do something if we could just stick together and stand in solidarity. As long as the owners are making money they don't care whether what is happening is right or wrong. But if we could all collectively impact their profits, maybe that would get their attention. It would be a beautiful thing if all the fans from all 32 teams found a way to stand together to defend OUR game and OUR players against blatant injustice. I've often wished I could really be part of the team. I'm sure a lot of other fans have too. Well, maybe it's finally our chance to contribute. I just wish I knew how.
I know it may seem like I'm overreacting and I guess it's your right to have that opinion. But here's the thing. If you mess with my family, or my football team, know that I will defend them until you and I both draw our last breath. And know that yours will probably be coming first.

P.S. Just for the record, I do not accept last nights game as a  Packers loss. I don't care what anyone says. It will always and forever go down in my books as a glorious comeback for an AWESOME last second interception and win. I'm proud of ALL the guys for playing a great second half, for never giving up, and for sealing an amazing victory in the end. Well done boys!!!

Week 1: Packers vs. Niners

Clay Matthews sacks Alex Smith.

After the game last Sunday I was sitting on the couch thinking to myself "I've been waiting months for this?"
First of all I'd like to talk about the replacement officials. Basically they sucked. I know it's not their fault, but really? We need our regular guys back. I want Ed Hochuli! The refing was not (necessarily) the reason I think we lost, since there were bad calls both in our favor and against us, but I will say this. I think the game plan was to start out fast. I saw Rodgers try to go into the no-huddle a few times in the first quarter, and every time the game was stopped for some reason. And I think that just threw the whole offense off. They lost their plan, and were trying to make up a new one on the fly. The flags were comming out late, and calls were being made and then retracted. I was calling penalties from my couch faster than they were being made on the field! That's frustrating to me, so I can only imagine how bad it must be for players and coaches. Like I said it's not the ref's fault that they don't know what they are doing, it just makes for some really awful football.
OK, but onward.
The offense wasn't great. Maybe it's because they got thrown off, but then maybe not. Despite the addition of Cedric Benson our run game is still non-existent. He rushed 8 times for like 19 yards or something. Rodgers got more ground yardage. So...I don't know how that's going to pan out. It's true the the Niners D was best in the NFL last year against the run, so maybe it's not so much that we are bad as it was that they were just really, really good. As for receivers, Jennings had a couple good plays, Cobb had another great night (although his return for TD should have been called back). Finely is back, and I am honestly not too stoked about him. He just rubs me the wrong way, and he had so many drops last year. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm not sure I trust him to play consistently.
Rodgers threw an interception...He only had 6 in all of last year, so hopefully it was a fluke thing. At any rate, I think he will be fine, and otherwise when he could, I thought he made nice plays. He didn't have a great game, but it wasn't terrible either.
The front 7 did OK, but not great. AR was sacked a few times, and hurried and otherwise harassed much more than I would like to see. Especially since he goes down field a lot, he needs to have enough time in the pocket for his receivers to get there.
Moving on to the defense. Again not great. The middle of the field is like...the Bermuda Triangle for the Packers D. There is just always weird things going on, and they just can't make the tackles. I am still so pissed we let Cullen Jenkens go. I knew as soon as I heard it, we would regret it. We lost Nick Collins last year, and now Desmond Bishop is injured. I don't know what needs to happen, but whatever they have set up now is not working. Jarret Bush is not the right guy to have at cornerback I don't think, and I have this feeling like the defense is playing to deep for some reason. Like they are afraid of the hail Mary for a TD, but they are letting all the short yardage passes go.
I will say that I thought A.J. Hawk had a nice game. He made a bunch of great tackles. I think he missed a few too, but I'm trying to be "the glass is half full". Also I thought Matthews had a nice game. 2.5 sacks! He only had 6 all of last year. I am always amazed at how hard he works on every down. You can just see that he gives it his all. It paid off in that game. He was the only highlight in the game as far as I am concerned....well, maybe him and Cobb.
Anyway, it was a disappointing loss. I was pretty bummed out too, because if anything they seem worse than last year, but maybe it was just an off game because of the officiating. I don't know, and it's too soon to tell. Hopefully everything gets sorted out and we get a win against the Bears tomorrow!
Either way I'll still be cheering for the Pack. They are like family. You might not always love what they do, but you stand behind them no matter what.

Found the photo here. 
A  great photographer with a bunch of other shots from the game! If you are interested you should take a look.

Golf: A Novel

This past weekend was my company golf tournament. That's right, not only did I play golf, I played eighteen holes of the stuff! I know you'll all be shocked to learn that my team didn't place. I think it had something to do with the fact that I haven't picked up a club since last years tourney. Or maybe it's just because I spend too much time enjoying the beer and golf cart aspects of the game? Anyway, I managed to capture the essence of my whole day to share with you in a "literary way" while I was out on the course! (All photos in chronological order.)

Golf: A Novel

Chapter 1: The Dream

Chapter 2: Optimism

Chapter 3: The Villain

Chapter 4: The Rally

Chapter 5: Strategizing

Chapter 6: The Bitter Truth

Chapter 7: Consolation

Conclusion:

The Hall of Fame Game

Yesterday marked the first day of the NFL preseason games!!! As you can (or cannot) imagine, I was very excited. It was the Saints and the Cardinals, not exactly my two favorite teams, but who cares!?! It was real honest-to-god NFL football! Yippee! Yahoo!
Anyway, a couple quick notes since I have no Packers info to share until they have their pre-season opener on Thursday. Beginning with NFL news.
First of all the news about Andy Reid's son dying was awful. So sad. Reid is the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, and his son was only 29.
Second, congrats to the Hall of fame inductees. I don't know any of them (I am not one of those football fans who pretends to know stuff I don't;), but I am sure they accomplished great things to make it into the Hall of Fame. So nice work.
Third, LOL to Dion Sanders who picked himself as the number one person to be inducted into the hall of fame. That was pretty funny. Especially because I am pretty sure he was serious. His nickname is "Primetime" for a reason I guess.
Now onto the actual  game:
Drew Brees is still awesome. Shocker right? Anyway the first drive was like clockwork and it ended in a touchdown, which is all typical of Brees and his starting offense.
Kevin Kolb injured himself almost immediately. Again shocker right? The guys has never played more than 9 games in a season in his career, and is always injured. It was a rib injury. Skelton (the backup QB) came in and played OK. They were competing for the starting position and it looks like Skelton will probably get it. Also- Kolb need's to shave his goatee thing. It's ugly, and it makes him look like a tool.
But I've saved the best for last! The best part of the whole game was when Mike Mayock (one of the two NFL network commentators) started sing "Play that Funky Music" on air! OMG I was laughing so hard! It was so hilarious, and then when he switched to falsetto for the high note, it was even more hilarious! And when Mooch (Steve Mariucci) texted him never to do it again, it was even MORE hilarious. Good times;)
Mayock is not my favorite announcer, because I generally think he is too statistical in his announcing, but I was impressed last night.
Also the commercial with Eli Manning and Demarcus Ware, was pretty funny too.
Ahhhh...football season! I'm so glad you are back!

Right in the Face!

I've really been enjoying my kickboxing classes. The workouts are off the charts, and I am pretty sure I have never sweat so much in my life! And despite the Dalmatian-like bruises that constantly cover my arms, I love the physicality of it.This past Monday though, I came across my first real difficulty...My first two actually.
We were asked to do drills where we (gently!) punch our partner in the face! The idea is to get us used aiming at a head (as opposed to sparring pads) and to get the other person used to a giant black boxing glove coming towards their face. Even though I was doing it very gently I found it almost impossible to purposefully try to hit someone in the face! I could feel the years of conditioning against what I was doing pulling at my arm every time I tried to land a punch. It was so weird. I winced every time I tried it, and couldn't help but laugh nervously the whole time. It was really strange.
And the only thing less natural to me than punching someone in the face is letting someone else punch ME in the face. Again, I am using the word "punch" loosely. But still, not only was one big black glove swinging toward my nose, but there were two! And I had to fight from closing my eyes every time on came near me. My instincts were to drop to the floor and cover my head. But we are supposed to defend ourselves and even retaliate! Whatever. I could barely keep my head up and eyes open!
It was totally awesome though. My BF was the first person I ever punched in the face, and he was the first person to ever punch me in the face! LOL...I guess the saying is true. There really is a first time for everything!

Moneyball

We got Moneyball on Netflix and watched it last night. While I don't particularly care for baseball, I thought it was a really great movie, and totally recommend it. It took a unique point of view of sports that I found both entertaining and interesting. Basically, during the early 1990's the Oakland A's found themselves in a situation where they were competing with teams who had two or three times as much money (and thus were able to afford "better" players). In order to stay competitive, they had to find a way to win without exceeding their minimal budget, and without "premiere" players. Using math and statistics they were able to produce a 20 game winning streak (that had never been accomplished in baseball) despite the fact that it went against the standard ideas about how to set up a winning team .
It was one of  the best "story problem" (borrowing from high school math terminology) example I've ever seen worked out. And the first one I've ever seen used as the premise for a movie.
It was a wonderful example of the power and utility of math, and why having even a fundamental grasp on it is so helpful in understanding the world we find ourselves in. And both Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill were really good in it.
Anyway, I just wanted to mention it in case you were riding the fence on watching it!

Kickboxing 101

So the BF and I are taking kickboxing classes and I LOVE IT! It's so satisfying to punch things as hard as you can;) The same goes for kicking things. I never knew how aggressive I could be! I feel like a Spartan from the movie 300...Ha ha...OK, not exactly. But when you hit the bag or target just right and everything in your body lines up for that split second and you generate the right power in the right way...well, it's just a great feeling. And I am really enjoying the physical exertion of it.

The two days recovery after each class is another story though. It kind of reminds me of my snow boarding adventure last year:) I have discovered all kinds of muscles I didn't know I had. I don't want to complain too much so all I will say is OUCH! And leave it at that.

Sparring is the best part, but it is almost more difficult to learn how to hold the bag/mitts than it is to actually do the boxing. My biggest challenge so far has not been the kickboxing, but the strength to hold the heavy pads so my BF can practice his moves. They are so heavy, and my arms are so...weak! But that was part of the reason I wanted to do kickboxing in the first place, to gain some upper body strength.

Anyway, I am totally loving the class, my new boxing gloves, and all the "trash texting" I am doing with my BF about which one of us is tougher:) 

My methods of intimidation:)

FYI: Mike Wizowski and Kitty (Sully) are the two main monsters from Monsters Inc. I chose them because they invoke the same level of fear as my arms do:) See below:)