My team lost their bowl game on that weird blue field today. It does not make me feel any better than teams with coaching transitions are 0-5 in their bowl games thus far.
It hasn't been a good day otherwise. I lost a necklace charm down the drain of the bathroom sink this evening. After much cursing, I asked PDM to take the trap out to get it back. The trap disintegrated when he tried to remove it. The pipe was old and corroded and thin, and just turned to dust. The only good thing was that he got my jewelry back. The bad thing is that I have to call a plumber on January 2 to come out and fix the sink, plus inspect the rest of the plumbing for more weak spots. Great. Just wonderful. Swell.
But that wasn't the only malfunction of the evening. Right after the game, I decided I wanted to hear the Georgia Tech radio broadcast, because I wanted to know some stuff like why they pulled the starting QB at halftime, and what happened to Choice, and why they did a lot of what they did. But the AM station that carries our games has a giant loss of signal strength at 5:30 and this was 5:45pm. So I went on the web and streamed the station live on PDM's Mac. It worked fine for about five minutes and then crashed his computer. We turned it off and went to the pub. When we got back and turned it back on, there was a major problem, and PDM has been working on it for two hours. I feel terrible, because I was the last person to use it before the Big Crash. It still isn't working and I feel awful, and PDM is mad at me.
There are other things that have made this not the best year. Goodbye 2007 and good riddance. I hope 2008 is better. And I hope y'all are having more fun than I am, because this is not fun at all. Sigh.
Showing posts with label football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label football. Show all posts
Monday, December 31, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Thursday Night Lights
My beloved Yellow Jackets take on #11 Virginia Tech tonight in Atlanta under the glare of the Thursday night lights. If you stumble across ESPN while channel surfing tonight, you might catch a glimpse of me. OK, probably not, but I'll be there in my white and gold, hoping for the best. Georgia Tech's depth chart is riddled with injuries. I'm not optimistic about our chances... At least the tailgating will be fun.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Disaster! Paratroopers! Crappy Video!
It's official: I live in a disaster area (and I feel fine). Actually we got a little bit of rain over the last 24 hours. Not enough to help the water table or lake levels, but we'll take whatever we can get.
In other disasters, Georgia Tech's star running back Tashard Choice was injured early in Saturday's game against Army. The latest word is that he needs surgery on his knee and will miss at least one game (the VT game, unfortunately). He is a tough player with a lot of heart, and I wish him a speedy and complete recovery.
Speaking of football, we had a treat before the game when four paratroopers from Fort Benning landed on Georgia Tech's Grant Field during the pregame show. It was a lot of fun to watch (and lasted much longer than a flyover). I used my tiny little camera's movie function for the very first time, and created my first tiny little movie. Unfortunately, I kind of suck as a videographer, especially since my camera's LCD screen is completely useless in bright sunlight. I couldn't tell what I was pointing it at (apparently, not what I was aiming for most of the time). I cropped the really awful part (believe it or not). So I present, without further adieu (or excuses), my very first crappy little video, ever:
I hope my shaky camera work didn't just make y'all sick. By the time the last guy landed, I sorta had the hang of it. Mostly.
I'm still eating my vegetables, just so ya know. I tried LL's fried zucchini, Magnetbabe's sauteed green beans, and Jim's roasted cauliflower over the weekend. Everything was delicious. I took tonight off because PDM made Mulligatawny soup. Mmmmmmm.
In other disasters, Georgia Tech's star running back Tashard Choice was injured early in Saturday's game against Army. The latest word is that he needs surgery on his knee and will miss at least one game (the VT game, unfortunately). He is a tough player with a lot of heart, and I wish him a speedy and complete recovery.
Speaking of football, we had a treat before the game when four paratroopers from Fort Benning landed on Georgia Tech's Grant Field during the pregame show. It was a lot of fun to watch (and lasted much longer than a flyover). I used my tiny little camera's movie function for the very first time, and created my first tiny little movie. Unfortunately, I kind of suck as a videographer, especially since my camera's LCD screen is completely useless in bright sunlight. I couldn't tell what I was pointing it at (apparently, not what I was aiming for most of the time). I cropped the really awful part (believe it or not). So I present, without further adieu (or excuses), my very first crappy little video, ever:
I hope my shaky camera work didn't just make y'all sick. By the time the last guy landed, I sorta had the hang of it. Mostly.
I'm still eating my vegetables, just so ya know. I tried LL's fried zucchini, Magnetbabe's sauteed green beans, and Jim's roasted cauliflower over the weekend. Everything was delicious. I took tonight off because PDM made Mulligatawny soup. Mmmmmmm.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda...
Georgia Tech just broke my heart. Again.
Just like the Virginia game. Come back from waaaayyyyy behind and then lose the game at the very end. Stupid, stupid, stupid mistakes. That holding penalty just cost us the game. Fuck.
Just like the Virginia game. Come back from waaaayyyyy behind and then lose the game at the very end. Stupid, stupid, stupid mistakes. That holding penalty just cost us the game. Fuck.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Changes
Fall is a time of changes. Weatherwise, the changes in Atlanta are subtle this time of year. There is not a hint of color in the trees, nor will there be frost for a long time. But it is noticeably cooler at night, more comfortable (yet still warm) during the day, and best of all - it is far less humid most of the time. We can finally turn off our air conditioners and rely on fresh air from the windows. Still summery, but with that indefinable "something" in the air that hints of things to come.
Some things don't change, unfortunately. Georgia's extreme drought conditions are projected to worsen over the next few months. The long-term forecast calls for a warmer and drier winter than normal, extending our rain deficit into next year. Usually we can count on a wet fall and winter to help refill reservoirs, lakes and streams. Not this year. The persistence of sunny days has led to a change in outdoor water use restrictions. The tight restrictions have been replaced with a total outdoor watering ban for the entire northern third of the state. I'll miss the gardening I would have done - autumn is a great time to plant new perennials - but the region needs to conserve water for drinking and power generation. We are also obligated by law to release a certain amount of water downstream, and this far exceeds the reduced inflow to the lakes. Our water sources are at historically low levels. Lake Lanier is likely to reach a low not seen since it was first filled.
Yesterday was no exception to the fair fall weather pattern. Sunny skies and a warm, but not hot, afternoon made for excellent football weather. I had low expectations for this game. Change was in the air at sold-out Bobby Dodd Stadium, where Georgia Tech was able to engineer a reversal of fortune over their previous two games. The victory over formerly undefeated Clemson was a much-needed confidence builder for us. Our passing game still needs work, but special teams and the defense were spot on! Running back Choice was back to his normal performance, gaining 145 yards in spite of his injured hamstring. The team pulled together to overcome a bad start in our conference this year and to avenge last year's loss to Clemson. Close games are exciting, but difficult to watch when you care about the outcome. The fans of both teams were rocking the house during the entire game. We were finally able to relax with some cold fried chicken and beer at an impromptu post-game celebratory tailgate party. An added bonus was the hassle free exit from campus, long after most of the crowd had dispersed.
There is more change afoot in the sporting world: TBS will no longer broadcast Braves games nationwide. "America's Team" has been canceled due to declining ratings and a changing TV landscape. We will still be able to see them on TV here in Atlanta and in much of the southeast, but for the first time since 1977, the Braves will no longer be a big part of nationwide baseball programming. I can't help but feel sad about this. During my 12+ years living in New England, being able to turn on the TV and find a Braves game helped me feel less homesick. Even when I was too busy to watch, I would sometimes leave the game on just to hear the familiar voices from back home. The Braves on TBS made me feel more at home and less alone.
And speaking of television, the changeover from summer programming to fall programming is in full swing. Monk, Psych, and Rescue Me are on seasonal hiatus. Eureka and Doctor Who end this coming week. Heroes arrived again last week, along with newcomers Chuck and Journeyman. Looks like Monday is our new "couch potato night". This week brings the return of Dexter, and new show "Pushing Daisies" looks interesting.
And last but certainly not least, there are big changes in the works at my job. It has been handled rather strangely. We have a new physics schedule starting on Monday, and all of us know what it is from the grapevine, but I have yet to see any official notice/memo/email regarding the change. They usually have a short meeting to announce big changes, but not this time. I am going back to the schedule I like most (100% at the main location, so no more switching back and forth). Because this is what I wanted, I was afraid to get my hopes up about it until getting the official word. But official or not, apparently it is a go. I can't help but cynically feel that it will change again in the future, and I will once again get an assignment I don't care for. All I can do to fight that is to work my butt off at the main location and try to become indispensable. The rest of it is out of my control.
Edited to add: Speaking of changes, I have cleaned up my links list and added some people that I have been reading for some time now. They are in no particular order, so please don't anyone get your feelings hurt. Some day I will shuffle them into alphabetical order or whatnot. Don't hold your breath. I've been meaning to spiff up the graphics for nearly a year now, and the blog is still black and plain.
Some things don't change, unfortunately. Georgia's extreme drought conditions are projected to worsen over the next few months. The long-term forecast calls for a warmer and drier winter than normal, extending our rain deficit into next year. Usually we can count on a wet fall and winter to help refill reservoirs, lakes and streams. Not this year. The persistence of sunny days has led to a change in outdoor water use restrictions. The tight restrictions have been replaced with a total outdoor watering ban for the entire northern third of the state. I'll miss the gardening I would have done - autumn is a great time to plant new perennials - but the region needs to conserve water for drinking and power generation. We are also obligated by law to release a certain amount of water downstream, and this far exceeds the reduced inflow to the lakes. Our water sources are at historically low levels. Lake Lanier is likely to reach a low not seen since it was first filled.
Yesterday was no exception to the fair fall weather pattern. Sunny skies and a warm, but not hot, afternoon made for excellent football weather. I had low expectations for this game. Change was in the air at sold-out Bobby Dodd Stadium, where Georgia Tech was able to engineer a reversal of fortune over their previous two games. The victory over formerly undefeated Clemson was a much-needed confidence builder for us. Our passing game still needs work, but special teams and the defense were spot on! Running back Choice was back to his normal performance, gaining 145 yards in spite of his injured hamstring. The team pulled together to overcome a bad start in our conference this year and to avenge last year's loss to Clemson. Close games are exciting, but difficult to watch when you care about the outcome. The fans of both teams were rocking the house during the entire game. We were finally able to relax with some cold fried chicken and beer at an impromptu post-game celebratory tailgate party. An added bonus was the hassle free exit from campus, long after most of the crowd had dispersed.
There is more change afoot in the sporting world: TBS will no longer broadcast Braves games nationwide. "America's Team" has been canceled due to declining ratings and a changing TV landscape. We will still be able to see them on TV here in Atlanta and in much of the southeast, but for the first time since 1977, the Braves will no longer be a big part of nationwide baseball programming. I can't help but feel sad about this. During my 12+ years living in New England, being able to turn on the TV and find a Braves game helped me feel less homesick. Even when I was too busy to watch, I would sometimes leave the game on just to hear the familiar voices from back home. The Braves on TBS made me feel more at home and less alone.
And speaking of television, the changeover from summer programming to fall programming is in full swing. Monk, Psych, and Rescue Me are on seasonal hiatus. Eureka and Doctor Who end this coming week. Heroes arrived again last week, along with newcomers Chuck and Journeyman. Looks like Monday is our new "couch potato night". This week brings the return of Dexter, and new show "Pushing Daisies" looks interesting.
And last but certainly not least, there are big changes in the works at my job. It has been handled rather strangely. We have a new physics schedule starting on Monday, and all of us know what it is from the grapevine, but I have yet to see any official notice/memo/email regarding the change. They usually have a short meeting to announce big changes, but not this time. I am going back to the schedule I like most (100% at the main location, so no more switching back and forth). Because this is what I wanted, I was afraid to get my hopes up about it until getting the official word. But official or not, apparently it is a go. I can't help but cynically feel that it will change again in the future, and I will once again get an assignment I don't care for. All I can do to fight that is to work my butt off at the main location and try to become indispensable. The rest of it is out of my control.
Edited to add: Speaking of changes, I have cleaned up my links list and added some people that I have been reading for some time now. They are in no particular order, so please don't anyone get your feelings hurt. Some day I will shuffle them into alphabetical order or whatnot. Don't hold your breath. I've been meaning to spiff up the graphics for nearly a year now, and the blog is still black and plain.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Wiped Out
You probably think the post title refers to the whuppin' my beloved Yellow Jackets received last night, but you would be wrong. It refers to me. I'm exhausted. We left the house yesterday at noon, and got home at 1:30am. I'm getting too old for this.
Woke up late, halfheartedly tried to do some yardwork to take advantage of the cooler temps, but I just didn't feel like it. It wasn't hard to convince PDM to stop pulling weeds and go to Waffle House for some grub.
We were at the game. It was a long night at The Flats. TV timeouts and a metric crapload of penalties (some rather dubious) stretched the game well into four hours. I stayed until the bitter end. BC looked very good. Tech... didn't. It was a long ride home.
Woke up late, halfheartedly tried to do some yardwork to take advantage of the cooler temps, but I just didn't feel like it. It wasn't hard to convince PDM to stop pulling weeds and go to Waffle House for some grub.
We were at the game. It was a long night at The Flats. TV timeouts and a metric crapload of penalties (some rather dubious) stretched the game well into four hours. I stayed until the bitter end. BC looked very good. Tech... didn't. It was a long ride home.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Georgia Tech 33, Notre Dame 3
Happy, happy, joy, joy!
Unexpected, but oh so nice. Win or lose, I really thought this game would be close. I'm happy to have been wrong about that.
Edited to add: This was the worst opening day loss for the Irish, well, ever. And I added the photo of the newspaper, because I am damn proud of my Yellow Jackets. Yahoo! Go Tech!
THWG!
Friday, August 31, 2007
Mr. Silvio and Georgia Tech Football
He's so darned cute, but growing up fast. But if he continues to chew on power cords he isn't going to grow up at all. Stupid kitty. :-(
It is the end of August and for my beloved Yellow Jackets, football season begins tomorrow. It is an away game - at Notre Dame, right there under the "touchdown Jesus" or what have you. It's a big game. We'll see what happens. Tailgating will have to wait one more week, but that's OK. For now we'll get some pulled pork, brunswick stew, cole slaw and beer and watch the action on our "big ass TV" in the comfort of our air conditioned den.
Have a happy holiday weekend everyone. Be safe.
Oh, and since it is college football season: THWG!
Monday, January 08, 2007
A movie, impatience, and my take on the news.
PDM and I finally went to see Casino Royale yesterday. Yes, I know it has been out for months, but hey - no line and no crowd! The lack of gadgets and cheesiness was totally refreshing. I liked it!
I noticed today that when my work computer is running an application slowly, or appears to be hung up, I can't resist moving the mouse around in circles. As if the computer is going to wake up or something. I'm not sure why I do it, but the longer a task takes, the more furiously I wiggle that mouse around. I just about hit light speed if the stupid little hourglass disappears entirely.
There wasn't a lot going on this morning at the alternate work location where I am obliged to spend my Mondays, Tuesdays, and some Thursdays. I amused myself by reading the news online. Here are a few snippets that caught my attention:
The American Dialect Society has chosen "plutoed" as its 2006 Word of the Year. Ironically, being chosen as the Word of the Year is the exact opposite of what the word "plutoed" actually means.
If you're going to kill someone and eat his heart, you might want to review basic human anatomy first. I don't think you gain much of the warrior's spirit by eating his chest muscle and part of a lung.
As cosmopolitan as Atlanta tries to be, it still can't escape being the subject of headlines like "Another Hogzilla Caught Near Atlanta". I can't imagine Brussels, Paris, or London ever being included in the same headline as the word "hogzilla".
And sadly, Calvin Johnson announced today that he is leaving Georgia Tech early for the NFL. I knew this was coming, and it is the best thing for him, but I can't help feeling let down by the news. But Tech's loss is the NFL's gain. Some team will be very lucky to get him and I wish him well.
I noticed today that when my work computer is running an application slowly, or appears to be hung up, I can't resist moving the mouse around in circles. As if the computer is going to wake up or something. I'm not sure why I do it, but the longer a task takes, the more furiously I wiggle that mouse around. I just about hit light speed if the stupid little hourglass disappears entirely.
There wasn't a lot going on this morning at the alternate work location where I am obliged to spend my Mondays, Tuesdays, and some Thursdays. I amused myself by reading the news online. Here are a few snippets that caught my attention:
The American Dialect Society has chosen "plutoed" as its 2006 Word of the Year. Ironically, being chosen as the Word of the Year is the exact opposite of what the word "plutoed" actually means.
If you're going to kill someone and eat his heart, you might want to review basic human anatomy first. I don't think you gain much of the warrior's spirit by eating his chest muscle and part of a lung.
As cosmopolitan as Atlanta tries to be, it still can't escape being the subject of headlines like "Another Hogzilla Caught Near Atlanta". I can't imagine Brussels, Paris, or London ever being included in the same headline as the word "hogzilla".
And sadly, Calvin Johnson announced today that he is leaving Georgia Tech early for the NFL. I knew this was coming, and it is the best thing for him, but I can't help feeling let down by the news. But Tech's loss is the NFL's gain. Some team will be very lucky to get him and I wish him well.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
An early Christmas gift?
I was feeling pretty negative about Georgia Tech's chances in the Gator Bowl until tonight, when I heard the "good" news. Our starting quarterback, who is a senior and would have been playing his last college game, has been ruled academically ineligible to play in the bowl game. So he's already played his last college game. And in the last two games, he was 15-for-51 with four interceptions and no touchdowns. So you can understand why I am happy to see our backup quarterback get a chance to shine, and Calvin Johnson (who is the best wide receiver in college football) has a chance to have an outstanding game. Johnson is a junior, but realistically is probably playing his last college game. He would go very high in the draft and no one would think poorly of him for taking advantage of it. He is an incredible athlete. Another positive is that there will not be much tape of Bennett (the new QB) for West Virginia to use for preparation.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Got three cats, and an albino leech.
We took the cat.
I know, I know. What can you do? The poor little thing didn't deserve being abandoned after its owner moved out. I think the vet and I have some work to do to rehabilitate the little guy/girl (still can't tell, but if it is male it has been neutered - definitely there are no visible testicles), but the cat has potential to be healthy and happy. All it wants to do is to be cuddled and petted. We can't get it to play, or do anything other than beg for affection. Poor thing. I suspect it may have worms or some other sort of intestinal parasite, because it is very skinny. I think it is pretty young - maybe 4 months or so. There may be an abcess in its mouth (bad breath and it drools a bit). But all of that is fixable. We gave it a bath today. The cat's coat looks and smells much better. That is a start.
I had a bad morning, however. Since the glass turntable in the microwave is broken, I reheated a cup of tea by putting a plastic container in there upside down and put my teacup on top of that. Well, apparently the handle was in some sort of microwave focal point, because it was about 4000 degrees when I reached in and pulled it out. Never mind that I've reheated a half cup of tea for 30 seconds several hundred times with no ill effects. This time, the handle burned my ring finger on my right hand as bad as I've ever been burned before, and I have been burned many a time. I now have a blister that is over an inch long and about a quarter inch wide, and jammed full of fluid just waiting to pop at the wrong moment. Talk about painful! Yowee! It looks like there is an albino leech sucking on my finger. This blister is huge. That really put a crimp into my weekend plans of doing lots of yardwork and housework. Kind of tough to do anything when you can't fully use your dominant hand. And I know this big-ass blister will pop soon and then I'll have to guard against infection. Nice. And I still need to do some machine tests at work on Monday. It will be just swell having to do all this with a bum finger.
Also, my football team managed to lose yet again. Thanks, guys. Very disappointing once again. Congratulations to Wake Forest for a great season and winning the ACC championship. Way to tough it out! I can't hate them for that - they played better than our team and had coaches that made better decisions than ours did. And they did it without multiple starters. And they graduate 96% of their athletes, which kicks butt! I hope Wake does well in the Orange Bowl. We'll be going to the Gator Bowl, which by the way, doesn't want us but is obligated to take us. I pin the last two losses squarely on our offense. The defense has been playing great, but the offense has been disappointing over the last two games. We've got the best wide receiver in college football, and somehow can't find a way to take advantage of that. Pitiful. And extremely disappointing. But it is almost over, and our basketball team, which is full of freshmen, is doing very well. Moving on...
I know, I know. What can you do? The poor little thing didn't deserve being abandoned after its owner moved out. I think the vet and I have some work to do to rehabilitate the little guy/girl (still can't tell, but if it is male it has been neutered - definitely there are no visible testicles), but the cat has potential to be healthy and happy. All it wants to do is to be cuddled and petted. We can't get it to play, or do anything other than beg for affection. Poor thing. I suspect it may have worms or some other sort of intestinal parasite, because it is very skinny. I think it is pretty young - maybe 4 months or so. There may be an abcess in its mouth (bad breath and it drools a bit). But all of that is fixable. We gave it a bath today. The cat's coat looks and smells much better. That is a start.
I had a bad morning, however. Since the glass turntable in the microwave is broken, I reheated a cup of tea by putting a plastic container in there upside down and put my teacup on top of that. Well, apparently the handle was in some sort of microwave focal point, because it was about 4000 degrees when I reached in and pulled it out. Never mind that I've reheated a half cup of tea for 30 seconds several hundred times with no ill effects. This time, the handle burned my ring finger on my right hand as bad as I've ever been burned before, and I have been burned many a time. I now have a blister that is over an inch long and about a quarter inch wide, and jammed full of fluid just waiting to pop at the wrong moment. Talk about painful! Yowee! It looks like there is an albino leech sucking on my finger. This blister is huge. That really put a crimp into my weekend plans of doing lots of yardwork and housework. Kind of tough to do anything when you can't fully use your dominant hand. And I know this big-ass blister will pop soon and then I'll have to guard against infection. Nice. And I still need to do some machine tests at work on Monday. It will be just swell having to do all this with a bum finger.
Also, my football team managed to lose yet again. Thanks, guys. Very disappointing once again. Congratulations to Wake Forest for a great season and winning the ACC championship. Way to tough it out! I can't hate them for that - they played better than our team and had coaches that made better decisions than ours did. And they did it without multiple starters. And they graduate 96% of their athletes, which kicks butt! I hope Wake does well in the Orange Bowl. We'll be going to the Gator Bowl, which by the way, doesn't want us but is obligated to take us. I pin the last two losses squarely on our offense. The defense has been playing great, but the offense has been disappointing over the last two games. We've got the best wide receiver in college football, and somehow can't find a way to take advantage of that. Pitiful. And extremely disappointing. But it is almost over, and our basketball team, which is full of freshmen, is doing very well. Moving on...
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