Can't Live It Down

NFL Week 4 Preview

2010-10-02T19:36:00.000-05:00

I went a respectable 8-8 in last week's predictions... better than I anticipated. On to Week 4, this is the start of the bye weeks, so not as many games on the schedule.

New York Jets v. Buffalo Bills
QB: Mark Sanchez v. Ryan Fitzpatrick Point: Jets
Color: Green and White v. Red White and Blue; It seems unamerican to go against red, white and blue, yet forest green is a favorite. Point: Jets
Mascot: Jets v. Bills (Buffalos?) Still so confused by mascot/team name choices. Point: Jets? I guess.
Winner: Jets

Baltamore Ravens v. Pittsburgh Steelers
QB: Joe Flacco (and his unibrow) v. Charlie Batch; I'd just like to say kudos to Charlie Batch for being awesome and coming back from being on the verge of being cut, taking advantage of injuries to Dennis Dixon and Byron Leftwich. And forget about Ben Roethlisberger when he comes back from suspension! Stick with Charlie, Pitsburgh! Point: Steelers
Color: purple, black, white v. black and gold (but really its yellow) You look like bumblebees... not cool. Point: Ravens
Mascot: Raven v. Steeler. Point: Raven
Winner: Ravens

Denver Broncos v. Tennessee Titans
QB: Kyle Orton v. Vince Young; Fall is here, and hopefully that means the return of Kyle Orton's neckbeard! Point: Broncos
Color: Orange and Blue v. Blue (dark and light) and Red and White Point: Broncos
Mascot: Bronco v. Titan; Point: Titans
Winner: Broncos

Detroit Lions v. Green Bay Packers
QB: Shaun Hill v. Aaron Rodgers: Last week we saw that Shaun Hill likes puppies. I have no idea if A. Rodge likes puppies, but he loves the movie "The Princess Bride" Point: Packers
Color: Honolulu Blue and Silver v. Green and Gold (yellow) The Packers' colors really give me bad flashbacks to grade school athletics. Point: Lions
Mascot: Lion v. Packer (meat packer, gross occupation) Point: Lions
Winner: Lions

San Francisco 49ers v. Atlanta Falcons
QB: Alex Smith (and his pretty eyes) v. Matt Ryan This might be the most attractive Quarterback matchup this week. Slight edge goes to Alex Smith for having very pretty eyes. Point: 49ers
Color: Red and Gold (actually gold) v. Red, Black and White; Point: Falcons
Mascot: 49er v. falcon; I'm sure the 49ers were pretty badass back in the day, however, I just think of an old timey prospector character. No match for the majestic bird of prey that the falcon is. Point: Falcons
Winner: Falcons

Carolina Panthers v. New Orleans Saints
QB: Jimmy Claussen v. Drew Brees; Drew Brees was on 60 minutes last week, and I love how beloved he is in New Orleans, and I love his "no body believed in me" story. Point: Saints
Color: Teal, black and silver v. Black and Gold Point Panthers
Mascot: Panther v. Saint; Don't mess with The Lord. Point: Saints

Seattle Seahawks v. St Louis Rams
QB: Matty Hasselbeck v. Sammy Bradford Point: Rams
Color: official seahawks colors are "seahawks blue" "seahawks navy" and neon green v. navy blue and gold Point: Seahawks
Mascot: Seahawk v. Rams; Point: Rams- seahawks don't exist.
Winner: Rams

Indianapolis Colts v. Jacksonville Jaguars
QB: Peyton Manning v. David Gararrd; Is it just me or has there been significantly fewer Peyton Manning commercials this season? Point: Jaguars
Color: Blue and White v. Black, Turquoise, Gold; Point: Colts
Mascot: Colt v. Jaguars Point Jaguars
Winner: Jaguars

Washington Redskins v. Philadelphia Eagles
QB: Donovan McNabb v. Michael Vick; I'm still not on the Michael Vick Train of Love; Point: Redskins
Color: Maroon and Gold v. Green and White; The Redskins' colors remind me of Fall. Fall is my favorite season; Point: Redskins
Mascot: Redskin v. Eagle; Point: Redskins
Winner: Redskins

Arizona Cardinals v. San Diego Chargers
QB: Derek Anderson v. Philip Rivers; Point: Cardinals
Colors: Red Black White v. Blue and yellow; Point: Chargers
Mascot: Cardinal v. the electricity of the Charger; Point: Chargers
Winner: Chargers

Chicago Bears v. New York Giants
QB: Jay Cutler v. Eli Manning; Mr. Grumpy Face v. Manning face. Elisha strikes me as being a nicer guy, and the Manning face entertains me. If you don't know what I mean by "Manning face" watch the game and watch when things don't go Eli's way. Point: Giants
Color: Blue and Orange v. Red White Blue; Point: Bears
Mascot: Bear v. Giant Point: Giants
Winner: Giants

New England Patriots v. Miami Dolphins
QB:Tom Brady v. Chad Henne; Is this even a contest? Point: Patriots (Bieber hair that Tom's wife won't let him cut, and all)
Color: red white blue and silver v. 80's explosion teal and orange Point: Patriots
Mascot: Patriot Revolutionary War Soldier v. Dolphin; Point: Patriots

NFL Week 3 Preview

2010-09-24T21:50:00.000-05:00

So I totally missed week two of the NFL season, my family was in town and I was much too busy having an awesome time with them. Week 1 I went a miserable 4-12 on the Heuer Threefold Picks Method, so we'll see how Week 3 shakes out.

Tennessee Titans v. New York Giants
Quarterback: Vince Young v. Eli Manning- For my birthday, my sister gave me a children's book written by Eli, Peyton, and Archie Manning entitled "Family Huddle." The plot: not so good; however it warms my heart that Elisha wrote a book, kind of. Point: Giants
Color: Point Titans because they have a pretty light blue.
Mascot: Titans (mythical godlike creatures) v. Giants. Point: Titans
Winner: Titans

Cincinnati Bengals v. Carolina Panthers
QB: Carson Palmer v. Jimmy Claussen. Neither are overly attractive, both are kind of boring, Claussen is a rookie, so you kinda have to pull for him to do well, so I guess Point: Panthers
Color: Orange and Black v. Turquoise and black and silver. The 80s are in... The bengals colors are conducive to Zubaz pants, but the Panthers colors are super 80's. Point: Panthers
Mascot: Tiger v. Panther which cat reigns supreme. I say Tiger... Point Bengals
Winner: Bengals

Dallas Cowboys v. Houston Texans
QB: Tony Romo v. Matt Schaub Point: Cowboys
Color: Silver, blue and white v. red white and navy blue. Point: Texans
Mascot: Cowboys v. Texans: Ok, so some people from Texas are cowboys, but not all Cowboys are Texans. Cowboys are just really cool, so Point: Cowboys
Winner: Cowboys

San Francisco 49ers v. Kansas City Chiefs
QB: Alex Smith (and his pretty eyes) v. Matt Cassel I have a soft spot in my heart for Matt Cassel as a former Patriot, but Alex Smith's eyes are mezmorizing. Point: 49ers
Color Red and Gold v. Red and White and Yellow/Gold. Point 49ers
Mascot: 49er (old timey prospector) v. Chief. Point: Chiefs
Winner; 49ers

Pittsburgh Steelers v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
QB: Charlie Batch v. Josh Freeman Point: Buccaneers
Color: Both have unattractive uniforms... Point Steelers
Mascot: Steeler (Steel worker) v. Buccaneer (Pirate) Point: Buccaneers
Winner: Buccaneers

Buffalo Bills v. New England Patriots
QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick v. Tom Brady Fun fact: Ryan Fitzpatrick went to Harvard... not a school that I would necessarily want my quarterback to be from. Doctor? yes. Quarterback? not so much. Tom Brady is much more attractive. Point: Patriots
Color: Point: Patriots
Mascot: I have no idea what a Bill is, its supposed to be a Buffalo v. a Patriot. Point: Patriots
Winner: Patriots

Clevleland Browns v. Baltamore Ravens
Seneca Wallace v. Joe Flacco Seneca is a silly name for a professional quarterback. Joe Flacco is a much better name for a quarterback, however, Mr. Flacco loses serious points for his unibrow. Point; Browns
Color: Point: Ravens
Mascot: Browns v. Ravens. The Brown isn't a mascot... Point: Ravens
Winner: Ravens

Detroit Lions v. Minnesota Vikings

QB: Shaun Hill v. Brett Favre Point: Lions because of the following picture of Shaun Hill

Shaun hill likes puppies! That's good enough for me!

Color: Point Lions because Honolulu Blue is Awesome

Mascot: Lion v. Viking. I really think a Lion would win that fight ultimately. Point Lions

Winner: Lions

Atlanta Falcons v. New Orleans Saints
QB: Matt Ryan v. Drew Brees Point: Falcons
Color: Red, black, white v. Gold and Black Point Falcons (I default to my Mayer Lutheran High days of favoring Red, Black, and White)
Mascot: Falcon v. Saint Cant mess with the team that has God on their side... Point: Saints
Winner: Falcons

Washington Redskins v. St. Lousi Rams
QB: Donovan McNabb v. Sam Bradford... Did you know Sammy Bradford loves Jesus? He's just more understated about it than Tim Tebow Point: Rams
Color: Maroon and God v. Navy blue and Gold Point: Redskins
Mascot: Redskin (Native American) v. Ram Point: Redskins
Winner: Redskins

Philadelphia Eagles v. Jacksonville Jaguars
QB: Michael Vick v. David Gararrd... Unlike Shaun Hill, Michael Vick doesn't like puppies.... Point: Jaguars
Color Green and White v. Ugly Point: Eagles
Mascot: Eagle (Majestic, flying, bird) v. Jaguar (large predatory cat) Point: Jaguars
Winner: Jaguars

Indiana Colts v. Denver Broncos
QB: Peyton Manning v. Kyle Orton Shmorton (that's what I call Kyle Orton) Again, I have to give Peytie Pie props for attempting to write a children's book. Point: Colts
Color Blue and White v. Orange and Blue Point: Broncos
Mascot: Colt v. Broncos Very similar... both are horses. Broncos just sound cooler, though. Point; Broncos
Winner: Broncos

Oakland Raiders v. Arizona Cardinals
QB:Bruce Gradkowski v. Derek Anderson This is a hard choice, but Point: Raiders
Color: Black and Silver v. Red, Black, White. I really like the Black and Silver Point: Raiders
Mascot: Raiders (pirate) v. Cardinal I'm afraid of birds, but not that afraid. Point: Raiders
Winner: Raiders

San Diego Chargers v. Seattle Seahawks
QB: Philip Rivers v. Matt Hasselbeck. I really find Hasselbeck to be more likeable than Rivers. Point: Seahawks
Color: These are probably my two favorite teams as far as color/look of uniforms, so this is a tough choice, but I will go Point: Chargers
Mascot: Chargers (electricity) v. Seahawk (made up bird) Point: Chargers
Winner: Chargers

New York Jets v. Miami Dolphins
QB: Mark Sanchez v. Chad Henne Point: Jets
Color: Green and White v. Turquise, orange, white 80s explosion! Point: Jets
Mascot: Jet v. Dolphins. Jets are definitely more scary... Point: Jets
Winner: Jets

Green Bay Packers v. Chicago Bears: On a side note, this is the only game I'm actually excited about watching this week from a football standpoint. The Packers are an incredible offensive team, and the Bears have been surprisingly good (yes, I realize they have only played 2 games, the season is early, but I'm hopeful)

QB: Aaron Rodgers v. Jay "Mr. Grumpy Face" Cutler Point: Packers Aaron Rodgers is adorable; he loves the Princess Bride and playing guitar on the beach. Jay Cutler dates a girl from The Hills.

Color: Green and Gold v. Orange and Blue Point: Bears

Mascot: Meatpacker v. Bear. I choose Bear

Winner: Bears

Hopefully I will do better than 4-12. However, my knowledge of football, the teams, and some of my picks, that is really doubtful.

Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2010-09-09T11:26:00.000-05:00

No, not Christmas! I'm talking about the magical time where baseball and football seasons overlap. Happy, happy days: The pennant races in baseball are in full force (ok, so we know who will probably make the playoffs, but I'm still excited!) and football starts tonight!
In honor of the fooball season, I'm going to share with you my week one predictions based on my "Heuer Threefold Picks" method. If you are unfamiliar with the "Heuer Threefold Picks Method" it is a very girly method of choosing a team you prefer based on three completely subjective critera: Quarterback Attractiveness, Team Colors, and Team Name/Mascot. A team must have 2 out of 3 to be your pick.
QB Attractiveness: factors in hottness and likeability of the starting quarterback.
Team Colors: Look at the jerseys and determine what color combintations are the best.
Team Name/ Masot: Generally I go with the team name rather than the mascot because the Titans' mascot is like a racoon or something like that. I decide what is more intimidating.
Ok, now for the predictions...
Minnesota Vikings v. New Orleans Saints
QB- Brett Favre v. Drew Brees, Brett Favre is probably better looking, but he's kind of a drama queen making him less likeable. Who can forget Drew Brees with his adorable small child after the Super Bowl last year... so cute. Less physcially attractive, but definitely more likeable. I'll go Brees; point New Orleans
Color: purple, gold, and white v. black and gold. I don't like gold as a dominent color, so point Vikings
Mascot: Viking v. Saint. Vikings are Burly Norse warriors, but saints have God on their side. You can't mess with that. Point Saints.
Prediction: Saints win

Carolina Panthers v. New York Giants
QB: Matt Moore v. Eli Manning. I had to look up who Matt Moore is, he's kinda cute. Eli has a serious case of Manning face when he screws up. Point Carolina
Color: Turquiosey Blue, Black, and Silver v. Blue, Red, Gray, white. I kind of like the turquoisey blue of the Panthers. Point Panthers
Mascot: Irrelevent becaus Panthers have 2 points, but I'd go Giants because a giant could just step on and squash a panther.
Prediction: Panthers

Atlanta Falcons v. Pittsburgh Steelers
QB: Matt Ryan v. Dennis Dixon. Matt Ryan is adorable, point Falcons
Color: Red, black, silver, white v. Yellow and Black plus those three colored diamonds in their logo. Point: Falcons
Mascot: Falcon v. Steeler (steel mill worker) a falcon can just fly away. Point: Falcons
Prediction: Falcons

Cleveland Browns v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
QB: Jake Delhomme v. Josh Freeman. I'm gonna go with Freeman Point Tampa Bay
Color: Push, both teams have ridiculously ugly color schemes
Mascot: Browns (what is that?) ps. they have dogs as their mascots. v. Buccaneers (essentially pirates) Point Tampa Bay
Prediction: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Denver Broncos v. Jacksonville Jaguars
QB: Kyle Orton v. David Garrard; I love Kyle Orton's neckbeard. Point Broncos
Color: Orange, navy blue v. teal, gold, and black. Point Broncos
Mascot: Bronco (wild horse) v. Jaguar (wild cat) fairly sure a Jaguar would win in that fight. Point Jaguars
Prediction: Denver Broncos

Indianapolis Colts v. Houston Texans
QB: Peyton Manning v. Matt Schaub Point Colts. Manning isn't necessarily attractive, however generally his commercials make me laugh.
Color: Blue, Silver, White, v Red, White, Navy Blue Point: Colts
Mascot: Colt (baby horse) v. Texan (person from Texas) Gonna go point Texans
Prediction: Colts

Miami Dolphins v. Buffalo Bills
QB: Chad Henne v. Trent Edwards; Point Buffalo Bills
Color: turquise and orange v. Red and blue. Point Buffalo
Mascot:Dolphin v. Bills (technically a Buffalo) neither are particularly fierce unless we are talking about Zipper, Flipper the dolphin's evil brother, or a buffalo stampede. I guess there's more threat with a buffalo. Point, Bills
Prediction: Buffalo Bills

Detroit Lions v. Chicago Bears
QB: Matthew Stafford v. Jay Cutler. Matthew Stafford at least appears to be having fun when he plays football. Jay Cutler is consistently Mr. Grumpy Face. In fact, that's what I call him. Mr. Grumpy Face. And I've heard stories that he's not a very nice guy. Point: Lions
Color Honolulu Blue and Silver v. Blue and Orange. Point Bears
Mascot a lion v. a bear... who would win. I think the lion would do it based on being more agile and quick. Point Lions
Prediction: Lions

Oakland Raiders v. Tennessee Titans
QB: Jason Campbell v. Vince Young Point Raiders
Color: Black and Silver v. red white, blue, silver, and a light blue. Point Titans, they're prettier.
Mascot: Raider (pirate) v. Titan (mythological creature greater than the Greek gods) Point Titans.
Prediction: Titans

Cincinnati Bengals v. New England Patriots
QB: Carson Palmer v. Tom Brady. Even with a terrible haircut, Brady wins. Point Patriots
Color: Orange and Black v. Red, Nautical Blue, New Century Silver, and White Point Patriots
Mascot: Bengals (tigers) v. Patirots (minutemen, revolutionary war fighters) Point Bengals.
Prediction: Patriots

Arizona Cardinals v. St. Louis Rams
QB: Derek Anderson v. Sam Bradford. Point Rams, Sammy Bradford is adorable!
Color: Red, white, and black v. navy blue and gold. Point Rams
Mascot: Cardinals (red iconically winter bird) v. Ram, Point: Rams
Prediction St. Louis Rams

San Francisco 49ers v. Seattle Seahawks
QB: Alex Smith v. Matt Hasselbeck Alex Smith has pretty eyes, Point: 49ers
Color Red and Gold v. Pacific Blue, Navy Blue, Neon Green and White Point Seahawks
Mascot: 49er (I just think of an old timey prospector) v. Seahawk (not a real bird) I'll go with the 49er just based on the fact that a lot of them carried guns. Point 49ers.
Prediction San Fran 49ers

Green Bay Packers v. Philadelphia Eagles
QB: Aaron Rodgers v. Kevin Kolb. Aaron Rodgers' favorite movie is "The Princess Bride" Point: Packers
Colors: Green and gold v. foresty green and white; Point Eagles
Mascot: Packer (meat packer) v. Eagle (Majestic bird) Point: Eagles
Prediction: Philadelphia Eagles

Dallas Cowboys v. Washington Redskins
QB: Tony Romo v. Donovan McNabb Point: Cowboys
Colors: Blue and Silver v. Maroon and Gold Point Redskins
Mascot: Cowboy v. Redskin (Indian) a historic battle Point: Cowbowys
Prediction: Cowboys

Baltimore Ravens v. New York Jets
QB: Joe Flacco (and his unibrow) v. Mark Sanchez Point: Jets
Colors: Purple, Black, and Gold v. Green and White Point: Ravens
Mascot: Raven (bird) v. Jet (airplane) Point Jets
Prediction: Jets

San Diego Chargers v. Kansas City Chiefs
QB: Philip Rivers v. Matt Cassel Philip Rivers is surly; point: Cheifs
Colors: Blue and yellow v. red, white, black Point Chargers- they have pretty blue uniforms
Mascot: Chargers (lighning bolts) v. Chief (indians/native americans) Go up against lightning, you'll lose every time. Point Chargers
Prediction: Chargers

Things that Make You Go "Awwwww!"

2010-06-18T14:50:00.000-05:00

This is such a cute story: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jerrybrewer/2012136666_brewer17.html
Summary, if you don't want to read the whole thing: Seattle Mariners pitcher Jason Phillips is marrying a girl that he saw in the stands while he was in the bullpen. They met when he threw her a ball with his phone number on. She texted him. They met for drinks. They fell in love. They're getting married.
I have two immediate reactions to this story.
1. This totally needs to be made into a movie. Romantic comedy starring Katharine Heigel and Bradley Cooper. Perhaps it will go the more awesome and cheesetastic route by being made into a movie for Hallmark channel, ABC Family, or Lifetime, in which case it will be Melissa Joan Hart and the guy who plays Roxy's husband on Army Wives. But someone needs to make a movie based on this story.
2. It further fed my delusional dream that if I have good enough seats at a game, Joe Mauer will ask me out.

My Favorite K. Ches Songs

2010-06-03T14:52:00.000-05:00

I haven't been on this blog thing in forever. There's so much I could write about: the return of the Bachelorette, how Major League Baseball needs to implement instant replay so that important things like perfect games aren't blown. Kudos to Armando Galarraga of the Tigers by the way for being classy and not yelling or punching that ump last night when he clearly blew the call ruining your perfect game. I could talk about my plans for Summer or my ideas for cleaning up the oil spill, but I won't. No, today's post is dedicated to Kenny Chesney. Why? you ask. Why not? The weather is turning summery and K Ches (that's what I like to call him) is perfect for a summer day!
A couple summers ago my sister and I saw Kenny at Soldier Field in Chicago, and for the 24 hours before the concert the country station in Chicago played all Kenny Chesney songs, so driving around we would say "this is my favorite song!" "No! This one is my favorite." Which started us calling each other when we hear a K Ches song and saying, "Oh its your/my fourth (or some other random number) K Ches song. This made us decide that we should really rank Kenny Chesney songs so that we aren't just making things up, so on a recent road trip that is what we did. We printed a list of all of Kenny Chesney's songs (there are a lot of them, by the way) and we each ranked our top 20 in order to print the list and keep a laminated copy in our purses so that we can always say truthfully, "Oh, I heard your 15th favorite Kenny Chesney songs today.
Heidi's Top 20 K. Ches songs
1. Me and You- I will use this song at my hypothetical wedding.

2. Back where I Come From- I really love songs about growing up country.

3. Summertime- this is my favorite K-Ches song for driving with the windows open

4. She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy- The epitome of pre-island Kenny

5. When the Sun Goes Down- features everyone's favorite uncle (Uncle Kracker)

6. Don’t Happen Twice- I love songs that involve counting. "1 bottle of wine, 2 dixie cups, 3am I fell in love... for(4) the first time in my life

7. She’s Got it All

8. Old Blue Chair- Makes me want to live at the beach.

9. Anything But Mine- this song would be higher but the line "In the midst of the music, I tell her that I love her and we both laugh 'cause we know it isn't true..." makes me think KChes is a huge d-bag.

10. I’m Alive- Um Dave Matthews is there.

11. Fall In Love

12. Never Wanted Nothin More- any song that says "Glory Hallelujah" in it is awesome?

13. How Forever Feels

14. I Lost It

15. There Goes My Life- K Ches tugging at my heartstrings

16. Big Star

17. You Save Me

18. No Shoes No Shirt No Problem

19. I Go Back
20. Better As a Memory- So this song really isn't that great to me, but I have an amusing story attached to it so I laugh whenever I hear it. At the Kenny concert we went to before he sang this he said something to the effect of what we heard to be "I'd like to dedicate this to my friend Jake Owen." And we were like why is he dedicating this song to Jake Owen? That probably isn't what he said or who he dedicated it to, but that's what we heard.

See, wasn't that fun!? You want to listen to some Kenny now, dont you? Do it!

Someone Has a Birthday!

2010-04-19T13:56:00.000-05:00

Someday, Joe Mauer's birthday will probably be made into a state holiday in Minnesota. Children will have off school, banks will close, and all will be encouraged to celebrate the day God blessed us with Joe Mauer. Until that day, I can think of no better way to celebrate my favorite catcher than with a special birthday Blingee! Happy Birthday, Joe!

Build your own Blingee

Road Trip

2010-04-03T14:48:00.000-05:00

My brother is getting married in Las Vegas next week, and rather than be boring and fly into Vegas and fly back home, I'm flying to Phoenix and driving to Vegas with my dear sister. Why? Because road trips are awesome! (and the ticket to Phoenix was cheaper than to Vegas) Here are some things I like to have for a road trip:
1. An awesome playlist or two on the ipod. Or if you want to go old school mix tapes/cds. Playlists must include boy bands: New Kids on the Block, Backstreet Boys, and Nsync.
2. Treats: particularly pringles, twizzlers, and diet coke/diet dr. pepper.
3. Games/activities: I used to like mad libs a lot for road trips. You can play the states game with the license plates. Or this road trip, we have decided that we are going to rank our favorite Kenny Chesney songs. Yes, we're weird country loving people like that. Originally we were going to have a tournament style bracket, but then you get in the mess of seeding, and it could just be a long drawn out process. We are doing this because when amy and I hear a K Ches (that's what we call him) song on the radio, we say "Oh, my (ranked) favorite Kenny Chesney song!" But the ranking gets confusing, this will add clarity to our lists.
4. A fun book to read out loud. One time on a trip from Nebraska to Kansas with my roommate Amanda, I read Love Comes Softly by Jeanette Oke out loud. It was good times.
5. A camera for taking fun pictures along the way.
Am I forgetting anything?

184 Million Dollars

2010-03-22T10:54:00.001-05:00

That's how much money Joe Mauer will be making over an 8 year extension with the Twins. I'm not going to lie, I'm very excited that Joe is staying in Minnesota, where he belongs. In fact, I was so excited, that I ran from my office into the church parish hall last night to announce the news through a song and dance to my Tiger fan pastor. But after the dancing, singing, exctiement wore off, I got to thinking... What does one do with $184 million?

Sure, there's the obvious, I would want to help people in need. Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give homes to the homeless. I'm not good at math, but I'm pretty sure with $184 million you could adopt a whole nation of children through Compassion International. Buliding wells in Africa, or use it to help underprivilaged high schoolers go to college. Or fund cancer research. My kids are donating our church Easter breakfast procedes to Food for the Poor's feeding program in which $36 will feed one child for one year. We want to feed 11 children for one year, roughly $400. Think of how many people $184 million could feed. But what if I was a frivolous person?

1. I'd buy a fleet of cupcake cars and drive them in parades during the summer and hand out free cupcakes. It would be fun and it would make the world a better place because cupcakes (unless you are gluten intolerant or diabetic) make people happy.

2. I'd go on House Hunters International on HGTV to buy my dream villa in Tuscany.

3. Sloppy Ho's Diner and Cakery would become a reality. So there was a little place in Highland Park, IL where my sister used to live called "Sloppy Joe's" and they served sloppy joe's and frito pie, and grilled cheese sandwiches. It was a cute place. Dating back to college- people have called me "Ho," not in a derrogatory manner at all, it just is the first syllable of my last name. People called me Heidi Ho, it got shortened to Ho. So my sister and I joked that if we ever opened a diner it would be called "Sloppy Ho's" Now, I don't know if anyone would actually eat at an establishment with that name, so we may have to come up with something more appetizing, but, we would quit our jobs and open a diner/cakery where we would make all varieties of cake balls and lolicakes, as well as delicious homemade comfort foods such as macaroni and cheese and tater tot hot dish.

And that is what I would frivolously do with $184 million. However, I think adopting Compassion children, of if I did the math right, feeding over 5 million people for a year seems like a much more worthwhile endeavor.

March Madness

2010-03-16T16:16:00.000-05:00

This is the second year that I have done so, but I am participating in a tournament bracket challenge thing. I know next to nothing about college basketball, so I'm in a beautiful group that you use a fun theme to pick your bracket. Last year my theme was picking based on which team had the best looking coach. That didn't go so well.
This year's theme is "Where do I want to live?" I pick games based on where they are located and pick the city that I would most want to live in. My final four: San Diego State- San Diego, CA because it is beautiful there, so I hear. Vanderbilt- Nashville, TN- hello ! country music capitol of the world! University of Texas- Austin, TX- very cool city. I like it a lot. And Duke- Durham, NC- North Carolina is a pretty state, and they have mountains and the ocean, and Durham is in the middle between both of them. However, I don't think this lends itself to accurate picking, but we shall see.
In filing out my bracket, I discovered something: I just really like filling out brackets. I would do it for anything- like figuring out my favorite movie, or favorite Kenny Chesney song, or really anytime I need to determine the best thing out of a list of items.

Lessons in Faith and Baseball

2010-03-10T11:54:00.000-06:00

Lesson 2: Dealing with Setbacks
Every new baseball season starts out with hope and unbridled optimisim. However, there are three words that can take away that hope quite quickly: Doctor... James... Andrews. For those of you who aren't sports fans, Dr. Andrews is pretty much THE Orthopedic guy that all athletes go to when there is a problem. You know that when Dr. Andrews is consulted, most likely, its serious, there's going to be surgery, and you are going to be without a member of your team. Such is the likelihood for Twins Closer, Joe Nathan.
We Twins fans were looking forward to a new season, a new outdoor stadium, an opportunity to move forward in the post season. This was going to be the year! Then, a setback, we find out that our beloved Joe Nathan- 47 saves last year, has a tear in a ligament in his elbow. Sure, he's going to try to rest it, and see if there is a possiblity that rehab is an option rather than surgery to save his season, but most likely, he's facing surgery and a year long recovery process. The Twins have to think about things like, who can close a game? how do we set up the rest of the bullpen?
Setbacks- we all have them. Life is going along just fine and then, BAM! An unexpected expense comes up, or you have a fight with a friend/significant other, or you or someone you love is faced with an illness. Setbacks can feel like getting punched in the stomach. They cause us to ask questions like, how am I going to pay for that? why did that person hurt me? why is this happening now? How do we respond to setbacks? We have two basic choices. 1. Fear- panic, dwelling on the problem, stressing on how we're going to solve it, hiding or running away. or 2. Faith- Where we lay all our cares on God, trusting that even though we feel lost, He knows the way. Trusting that he will use our setback to bring us closer to him.
Back to the Twins for a minute- Maybe Joe Nathan's elbow will be fine and he'll be able to pitch this year, but the Twins are awesome at dealing with setbacks. Even though us fans may panic, they don't Last season we had no Joe Mauer for a month at the beginning of the season, and we lost Justin Morneau for about a month at the end of the season, and still managed to win the division. Someone always steps up.
1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." When we are powerless, God steps up for us! And I'm so thankful that he does.

Olympic Summary

2010-03-01T13:42:00.000-06:00

The Winter Olympics are officially closed and I am super sad about it. The past two weeks of my life has been spent watching speedskating, ski jumping, and everything in between. The olympics are definitely two weeks every two years (I count the summer ones in there) that I get sucked into things that, normally, I don't really care about. Would I regularly watch hours of cross country skiing and bobsledding? No, but it's the Olympics, so I'm going to.

My new favorite sport is curling. Yes, curling. Where they slide a 42 pound stone on ice and people with brooms sweep in front of the stone in order to get it to go where they want. It's kind of a combination of bowling, bocce ball, and shuffleboard on ice, and I think it should be America's new fifth sport. I like it a lot because it is a sport that normal people can play. Example: one of the women's teams had a curler who was five months pregnant. What other sport can you comptete at a high level while being 5 months pregnant? I also really appreciated the fun pants that the Norwegian curling team elected to wear!

Fun fact about the Norwegian curling team's skip: (The Skip is like the captain) The Skip for Norway owns the two largest tanning salons in Norway. True story.

I loved that at the men's gold medal curling match the crowd broke out into O Canada during the 10th end forcing my new olympic crush John Morris (on the left)to delay his throw. Would that ever happen at a US sporting event? Probably not. Not that I blame Americans... our anthem is hard to sing! O Canada, on the other hand, is catchy and easy to sing.

Speaking of the national anthem and it being difficult to sing. Almost no US athletes sang along to the anthem or even mouthed the words while on the podium. Seth Wescott was the excpetion that I saw. However, every Canadian that got a gold medal that I saw, heartily sang along to O Canada. So hats off the the Canadians! Way to love your country!

Speaking of loving Canada, the closing ceremonies were awesome! I love a country that can poke fun at themselves the way Catherine O'Hara, Michael J. Fox, and William Shatner did. What's not to love about Michael Buble in a mountie outfit followed by giant inflatable beavers and moose? All I can say was it was enough to make me contemplate packing my bags to move north of the border.

I do have some suggestions for the next Winter Olympics: Sochi, Russia 2014.

1. In short track speedskating, allow bumping. Reason- half the time fouls are not called anyway, and many of the ones that do get called are bogus! I say we just turn it into roller derby on ice.

2. Give me more accurate timeframes of when certain events are going to be aired. I did appreciate the random countdowns that would occasionally show up in the corner of my tv telling me there were 20 minutes til Apolo Ohno. That was helpful! I would like more of that!

3. Keep NHL players in the hockey games. Its good for NHL exposure. I had no idea who Ryan Miller was before the Olympics. Now, I know that he's awesome!

So now begins the post Olympic let down. Universal Sports channel isn't even showing me winter sports to help me relive the greatness of the games. They are showing cycling today. At least I have The Bachelor finale to look forward to tonight!

Gym Thoughts

2010-02-25T11:15:00.000-06:00

A post in which I chronicle thoughts, obervances, and experiences at my local gym.
1. I was on the eliptical the other day. To my left there was a guy who was definitely in his mid 50's reading US Weekly. Really, US Weekly, sir? Did you have to find out the latest on The Bachelor scandal? I'm not judging you, but I'm judging you. At least grab a Men's Health, or if you're into celebrity junk, as I am, grab People. Its more legit. That's all I'm saying.
2. I'm super happy with all the people who have been watching Olympic Curling during their workout. It makes me feel like less of a nerd when I watch curling. By the way, does anyone understand curling? When I watch, I think I have it figured out, but then something happens, and I'm totally lost again. I think its a sport that I would actually try playing in order to understand.
3. I'm learning that the gym is not the best place for me to watch sporting events. Yesterday I watched USA vs Switzerland Men's Hockey. I'm one who tends to get caught up in the moment when I watch sports, and I was having a hard time containing myself and refraining from cheering/yelling during the game. No one else was cheering, and I don't want to be known as the crazy chick who yells at the tv.

Lessons in Faith and Baseball

2010-02-21T16:10:00.000-06:00

Lesson 1: HOPE
This past week, I brought my Joe Mauer on a Stick to work with me to show my pastor and our church secretary. This started us on a discussion about the upcoming baseball season. Pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training, the promise of warmer weather on the horizon, we discussed how each of our respective teams ended the previous season. Pastor's Tigers lost game 163 to the Twins. My Twins had the most exciting end of the regular season ever, beating the Tigers in an extra regular season game to win the AL Central, then immediately flamed out when facing the Yankees in the Division series. Beth talked about the Cubs, one of the most tortured fan bases in all of sports. At the end of last season, her husband was ready to burn all of his Cubs gear and support a different team. There was a degree of disappointment for all of us.
But then our discussion turned to this upcoming season... Pastor was still upset about Curtis Granderson (his favorite player) being traded to the Yankees, but willing to support the new guys they got in return. I was nervous that Joe Mauer still hadn't been signed to a long term extension, but I was excited about the addition of Orlando Hudson and JJ Hardy, and Neshek and Slowey being ready to pitch. Beth was happy that Carlos Zambrano had showed up at camp trim and fit and ready to train. Her husband didn't burn his Cubs gear, but instead got it out and has started wearing it proudly. With a new season comes new hope. No one has a winning or losing record. Each team is full of potential. Hope for a baseball fans says, "This could be the year!"
After this conversation, Pastor and I continued our meeting, and our discussion turned to our focus on Lent and Easter activities. I made the comment that waiting for a new baseball season is kind of like celebrating Easter after Lent: a cause for hope. I'm sure that after Jesus' death on the cross, the disciples felt hopeless, worse than Cubs fans after 101 years of not winning a World Series. Their friend and teacher was gone. They had devoted their lives to following, learning, and serving, and now everything was in question. Three days later, hope came to them in the form of an empty tomb, and angel saying "He's not here! He has risen!" The hope that there is something more, something better yet to come!
I remember this hope when I'm going through a rough time whether its something simple like waiting through the endless winter of baseball-lessness (is that even a word?) or a day that I wake up on the wrong side of the bed; or if it is a bigger challenge: dealing with the death of a loved one, guilt, job stress, or other crisis. I cling to hope. Hope that God loves me, and that through Christ's death and resurrection, I am His redeemed child. "We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffereing produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope. And hope does not disappoint us because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." - Romans 5: 3-5. (This definitely sounds like a great verse for all the Cubs fans I know)
So as baseball begins, and fans are filled with expectations and hope that this could be the year for their team. I'm reminded that there is a greater hope in my life that goes beyond hoping for a World Series title and a huge contract for Joe Mauer. There is the hope of heaven, and knowing that no matter what happens in life, the best is yet to come!

10 Favorite Canadians

2010-02-15T11:42:00.000-06:00

The Winter Olympics started this weekend in Vancouver, and the Opening Ceremonies were filled with famous canadians as well as this commercial for British Columbia.

Canada has been generous enoug to share some great people with America in sports, music, and entertainment. Mainly as a procrastination device, I have decided to rank my 10 Favorite Canadians.

10. Mike Myers- Comedian His recent movies have sucked, and that makes it easy to forget about how funny he was on SNL and how much I loved the first Austin Powers movie.

9. Alanis Morissette- Musician Jagged Little Pill was probably the most listened to cd of my junior high years. That album is the root of my love for angry girl music. I also laugh because apparently "You Oughta Know" is a revenge song about Uncle Joey from Full House.

8. Cobie Smulders/Robin Scherbatsky How I Met Your Mother- Cobie, who plays Robin is Canadian. I love that Robin is a super stereotyped version of everything that Canadians and that she is a former Canadian Pop Star.

7. Sarah Mclachlan- Musician. Her songs are hauntingly beautiful.

6. Steve Nash- Basketball Player. I like to call him the Canadian Bullet. I like that he plays with a lot of hustle and detemination, even when blood is running down his face. Bless his heart.

5. Michael Buble- Musician His crooning makes me a little swoony!

4. Ryan Reynolds- Actor He ranks this high for being super attractive!

3. Alex Trebek- Game Show Host I love how pretentious he is when he corrects peoples' wrong answers. And the man knew how to rock a 'stache!

2. Justin Morneau- First Base, Minnesota Twins I love the Canadian Crusher. I love that he's Canadian. I love that he hits homeruns. I love that he plays for the Twins. Also, I'm pretty sure that of the people on this list, he is the one that would look the best in a Canadian Mountie Uniform. I'm just saying.

1. Michael J. Fox- Actor He was Alex P. Keaton, Teen Wolf and Marty McFly! That is a trifecta of awesome right there, and clearly why he edges out Justin to be my favorite Canadian.

Those who didn't quite make the list: Joshua Jackson- You will always be Mighty Ducks Charlie in my heart. Barenaked Ladies- Because everyone loves singing along to If I Had A Million Dollars. Bryan Adams- The song you wrote for the Olympic Opening Ceremonies was like a bad American Idol winning song, and automatically bumped you off the list. Sorry. Eric McCormack- Will on Will and Grace, but what really made me love you is your role in my favorite made for tv holiday movie Borrowed Hearts A Holiday Romance.

Now I want to know, do you have a favorite Canadian?

If I Could Write a Letter...

2010-02-10T13:00:00.000-06:00

Periodically, I feel the need to express how I feel to people. Today is one of those days.

Dear Valparaiso Pedestrians,
It snowed a lot last night; the roads are slushy and icy. It is much easier for you to stop at the corner and look both ways before crossing the street than it is for me to stop my vehicle on the ice.
Thanks,
Heidi

Dear Spring,
I miss you! I'm cold and I'm tired of snow. I want your sunshine, your showers, your tulip, your budding trees, the start of baseball season. Please come soon!
Love,
Heidi

Dear Bachelor Jake,
I'm begging you, please, pull a Womack! Don't saddle yourself for life with one of the three remaining girls. It wouldn't be good.
Just watching out for you,
Heidi

Cake Footballs

2010-01-28T14:59:00.000-06:00

I have a problem. I am completely obsessed with making cake balls. They are delicious, and they can be adapted to become festive for any situation. Consider making these for your Super Bowl party.

Follow the directions for Cake Balls: you know, bake a cake, cool it, crumble it, mix it up with a can of frosting. Instead of shaping them into balls make football shapes. Like, so:

Then dip the footballs in melted chocolate candy melts. I use Wilton Light Cocoa.

Then with a squeeze bottle or a ziplock back with the tip cut off. I suppose you could use a toothpick, as well. Pipe on the laces and lines.

And Voilla! The perfect sweet treat for your football party that will be sure to please everyone weather they are cheering for the Colts, Saints, or just there for the commercials.

10 Song Tuesday

2010-01-26T15:31:00.000-06:00

In honor of Lady Antebellum's new album "Need You Now" I have decided that today's 10 Song post will be my 10 favorite Lady A songs! Note: all Lady A songs are pretty darn awesome, but these are my 10 favorite.

1. Can't Take My Eyes Off You- One of the most played songs on my itunes. Beautiful romantic song.

2. Never Alone (with Jim Brickman)
3. Lookin' for a Good Time- everyone loves a song about getting drunk and making questionable decisons.
4. American Honey
5. Our Kind of Love- on Need You Now. So catchy, I think I was able to sing along with it by the second chorus.
6. Need You Now- another song about making questionable decisions while being a little drunk. I'm sensing a theme.
7. Hello World- I love how much they use pianos, and Charles' voice sounds super good on this song!
8. Love Don't Live Here- their first single that everyone fell in love with.
9. All We'd Ever Need
10. Love This Pain
Ranking my favorite Lady A songs is much easier to do than ranking say, my favorite Kenny Chesney or Dierks Bentley songs, mainly because they have only put out two albums. If you're looking for some new country music, I definitely recommend Lady A. You won't be disappointed.

The Buried Life

2010-01-21T14:17:00.000-06:00

Mtv has managed to produce a tv show that makes me feel warm and fuzzy, and I didn't even have to get into the hot tub at the Jersey Shore house to feel that way. It's called The Buried Life, and its the story of a group of guys who put together a list of 100 things they want to do before they die. So they buy a bus, get on it, and start doing things. Along the way they ask people what goals they have and try to help them achieve those goals. It airs Mondays at 9, and is so far, a pretty good show, and kind of inspiring. It makes me want to get on my list of stuff I want to do before I die. I highly recommend it.

Blast from the Past: Little Big League

2010-01-11T12:24:00.000-06:00

Last night Cartoon Network showed one of my favorite childhood movies: The 1994 classic: Little Big League.

This is the one about the kid whose grandpa dies and leaves him the Minnesota Twins. The kid makes some changes and makes himself the manager of the team in effort to turn the struggling team around. Many people confuse this movie with Rookie of the Year (the one where the guy from American Pie breaks his arm and becomes a pitcher for the Cubs) because they came out really close to each other and were both about baseball. I've always been partial to Little Big League because its about my team.

Its been probably 12 years since I last watched this movie. Watching it as an adult definitely gave me some different insights than when I watched it when I was a kid.

1. I didn't realize this, but the kid who was Billy, was Les in Newsies.

2. Luke Danes from Gilmore Girls is Mike McGreavy.

3. This movie was so 90s! The big team the Twins played in the last game was the Seattle Mariners! Ken Griffey Jr. and Randy Johnson!

4. Speaking of Randy Johnson and the last game sequence. Randy Johnson is a starting pitcher, but was brought into a relief situation in like the 12th inning. This would never have happened in real life! Well, I shouldn't say never, if the Mariners had run their bullpen completely out, I suppose they'd have to go to their starters, but still, it was an improbable situation.

5. I didn't realize this when I was 11 when the movie came out, but 90's Ken Griffey Jr. was hot!

6. Watching the movie made me realize, I'm going to miss baseball at the Dome.

7. I really want to go to Valleyfair. Ok, and Billy's mom and the baseball player totally walked across the bridge by The Wave without riding The Wave. You can't do that.

8. If my grandpa owned the Minnesota Twins, and in his death left them to me, I don't think I'd make myself Manager, maybe General Manager... I would spend some money. It would be like shopping. My first task: handing Joe Mauer a blank contract and ask him to fill in the number of years he wants to play and how much money he wants.

9. I would really like to see a team try the trick plays that the Twins did in that movie. The double steal of second and home... the fake throw to first where the first baseman "loses the ball' all while the pitcher still has it and is able to get the runner out at second base. Super fun!

10. I really need to own this movie. Putting it on the list of movies to purchase along with the Mighty Ducks Trilogy.

These Are My Confessions...

2010-01-05T15:38:00.000-06:00

Today, I need to confess that I watch waaaaaay to much junk realtiy tv. Part of it is my fault... most of it is my fault. I also have to lay some blame on network executives and the rest of the general public, though, for thinking certain shows are good to air/watch. Nevertheless, I try to extract life lessons from the shows that I watch.
1. Mtv's Jersey Shore

The premise: 8 super Guido New Jersey "kids" (I'm pretty sure The Situation is like 30) with ridonkulous self imposed nicknames live together in a house on the Jersey Shore for a summer.

Why its compelling TV: Its a whole culture that I am not accustomed to. Blame it on my Lutheran, Midwestern upbringing, but I do not live in a world where I party, go to clubs, get in fights, and work in a t shirt shop. The friendship between Mike "The Situation" and Pauly D is kind of sweet, but I feel bad for Pauly D because he is always the wingman who takes the "grenades" so The Situation can get the lady of his choice. Pauly D, I'm pretty sure The Situation wouldn't take a grenade for you. Also there's Ronnie who broke his own rule of "Never fall in love at the Jersey Shore" and is currently loving housemate Sammi "Sweetheart."

Why it will rot your mind: The show is the same episode over and over again. Drunkenness. Hot tub full of syphilis and other diseases. Soneone gets in a fight. JWoww debates whether or not to break up with her boyfriend. I can't stop watching it.
Jersey Shore Life Lessons Learned: Ronnie's Rule- 1.Never fall in love at the Jersey Shore. 2. Never go in a hot tub on an Mtv show, you never know what you might catch. 3. when going dancing, aways wear underwear because you never know when a spontaneous urge to do cartwheels might hit.
Show 2: The Bachelor

The Premise: Through a series of group, one on one dates, and other shenannigans, one man chooses from 25 ladies, one woman to be his wife.

Why its compelling TV: Ok, since the Bachelor franchise keeps recycling people The plane wreck that will be Pilot Jake's season is traceable back to Brad Womack (the hot guy who picked no one). You see Brad dumped Deanna, Deanna, dumped Jason, Jason dumped Jillian, Jillian dumped Jake (twice). Anyway, I feel invested in these people, so I feel compelled to watch. And Jake has really nice abs.

Why it will rot your brain: Catfights, Inappropriate comments like: "You can land your plane on my landing strip anytime." No joke, a girl said that last night. Did I mention that Jake is a pilot, so the flight puns about. The tagline this season is: On the Wings of Love. Never mind that the idea of meeting the love of your life on a reality show and knowing they are the person you are going to marry in 6 weeks is completely insane!

Life Lessons Learned on The Bachelor: 1. When makign a first impression, it is good to make a joke or give the guy something to remember you by, that way, he will come find you when confronted with a room of 25 women. 2. I officially have a problem with the irrational scarf! Last night there was a girl walking on the beach in a short strapless black dress, and tied around her neck was a voluminous lime green scarf. That makes no sense! 3. Lincee at I hate green beans has THE BEST Bachelor recaps ever! She's hillarious and awesome, so if you watch The Bach, or even if you don't, check her out.

10 Song Tuesday

2009-12-22T12:33:00.000-06:00

So last week I talked about my 10 favorite secular Chrismas songs. This week is 10 favorite sacred (having to do with Jesus) Christmas songs. I'm feeling really grinchy today, and asking Jesus why he has to send a snowstorm to my celebration of His birthday, so I'm hoping that talking about these songs and listening to them reminds me that the amazing gift of Jesus is why we celebrate Christmas, no matter where I am. Indiana (alone or with other peoples' families), Minnesota (with my own family), Or stranded somewhere in Wisconsin (with my sister).
Here we go: 10 Favorite Christmas Songs About the Birth of Jesus Christ:
1. O Holy Night- I've heard very few versions of this song that I don't like, but I have to say that my top 3 faves are Josh Groban, NSYNC, and Straight No Chaser.
2. Silent Night- So my favorite version of this is when a congregation sings it at candlelight service Christmas Eve, and all the Lutherans bust out the 4 part harmony. Goosebumps and tears every time!
3. How Many Kings by downhere- a recent more modern rockish song, but its beautiful and has a beautiful message that reminds us that only one king would give up his life for us.
4. Come On Ring Those Bells by Evie This song reminds me of listening to my great grandma's 8 track player in their living room.
5. Go Tell it On The Mountain. Spreading the message of Jesus at Christmastime! Yay! My Sunday School kids do an awesome version of this, very loud, shouty, and joy filled!
6. O Come O Come Emanuel- Ok, so I know that this is technically an Advent song, but its still awesome! And even more awesome when it is used as a lead in for Emanuel by Amy Grant or Michael W. Smith, or I think they may have a duet version!
7. Do You Hear What I Hear?- I could listen to a cd of just this song done by different people. And as much as I don't necessarily like Carrie Undewood all the time, her version is so beautiful.
8. In the First Light by Point of Grace- I only like Point of Grace at Christmas time
9. In the Bleak Midwinter: What can I give him? Poor as I am. If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb. if I were a wise man I would do my part. What can I give Him? Give Him my Heart.
10. Angels We Have Heard On High
Honorable Mention: Welcome to Our World by Chris Rice and I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

10 Song Tuesday

2009-12-15T12:52:00.000-06:00

Today's 10 Song List: 10 Favorite Christmas Songs Not Dealing With Jesus. So these are songs about Santa, reindeer, snow, Christmas trees, etc. These are artist specific. I don't necessarily like the songs when performed by other people.
1. All I Want for Christmas is You- Mariah Carey: I like to try to hit the high notes. Its fun for me, and misery for anyone who may be in an earshot.
2. Let It Snow- by Matthew West. He, by far, has my favorite version of this song.
3. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays by NSYNC because you need a little boy band action at that holidays.
4. This Christmas- I like either the version by Elliot Yamin or Straight No Chaser. I don't understand the meaning of the phrase "shake a hand, shake a hand" it reminds me of the Ha la la la song that you sing at Jesus camp or when listening to Psalty the singing Songbook. "Shake another hand, shake a hand next to ya. Shake another hand and sing this song." And you shake hands with all the pople around you.
5. Christmas Cookies by George Strait- My favorite George Strait Christmas song
6. Tennessee Christmas by Amy Grant. It always makes me want to celebrate Christmas in Tennmessee, even though I don't know anyone in Tennessee and thereby, have no reason to celebrate the holidays there.
7. White Christmas by Bing Crosby... so classic!
8. 12 Days of Christmas (only the versions by Relient K or Straight No Chaser) otherwise, I kind of hate that song.
9. Girl of my Dreams by Jonas Brothers: you can have this awesome scarf my grandma made for me! nice!
10. Winter Wonderland by Jason Mraz
Honorable Mention: Baby Its Cold Outside by Lady Antebellum- They're good at singing songs about being drunk and making questionable decisions. And Auld Lang Syne by Straight No Chaser, because its pretty.

Straight No Chaser Concert Review

2009-12-14T16:41:00.002-06:00

Last night my sister and I went to see acapella singing sensation (that's what they say on pbs), Straight No Chaser at Park West in Chicago. In short, it was AMAZING! These guys are so fun and so talented. See video for further evidence:

Anyway, so some highlights of the concert for me, personally:
1. The end encore of O Holy Night... no mics, just sweet beautiful voices! I had goosebumps!
2. Sitcom Medley- So they did a medley of old sitcom theme songs, because let's face it, shows just don't have singable theme songs any more. It included Full House, Different Strokes, Andy Griffith, and a few more.
3. Rehab-A cover of Amy Winehouse. There was fun choreography.
4. Dan Ponce. My favorite former ABC 7 news personality. I miss him. But him being in SNC gives me fun music to listen to, so I can't complain too much.
5. Ok, I can't choose highlights anymore. Truth is, from start to finish, I sat in my seat, alternating between laughing (at the appropriate funny moments) grinning like an idiot (because it was awesome) and swooning (because male acapella groups done well make me do that a lot).
Here are a couple pictures from the night, not the greatest of quality, sorry for that.

Tyler, Walt, and Charlie during Hi-De-Ho.

Mike singing beautifully!

The fun dancing during "Rehab." Yay Dan Ponce

Straight No Chaser

Straight No Chaser has a special on PBS this December... Check your local pbs station for listings. I know I will be watching it tonight!

Christmas Lollicakes

2009-12-07T12:50:00.001-06:00

I have a problem... I can't stop making cake balls. They're just so dang cute and tasty! This weekend my sister and I made Bakerella's Christmas Tree Lollicakes and Christsmasy Cupcake Bites. here's a look at the process for the trees. So you mix a baked cake and a can of frosting together to make a doughy substance. Then you shape the cake dough into cone shapes, seen below.

we used gloves because we were working with red velvet cake, and that tends to dye your hands pink, and that's not so attractive.

Form the cones, and put them in the freezer for at least 25 minutes to firm up. Then dip a lollipop stick into melted chocolate (for trees use Wilton Candy Melts in green) Then insert the stick into the cone. (below)

Then dip the tree shape into green chocolate. We used a spoon to help coat the bottom. You will also need to use either a toothpick or spare lollipop stick to swirl the chocolate on the tree so it looks tree-like.

While the tree is wet stick a star sprinkle on top

Then use a lollipop stick or toothpick to dab chocolate on the tree and stick sprinkles on to look like ornaments. We used these sprinkles that are candy coated chocolate chips.

the finished product is so cute and festive!

Just wrap them up in plastic lollipop wrappers with a red or green ribbon and ta-da! Lollicakes for the holidays!

10 Song Tuesday

2009-12-01T14:44:00.000-06:00

Its after Thanksgiving, and that means I can officially listen to Christmas music! Yay! However, while listening to the all Christmas music station, I've come across some Christmas songs that I absolutely hate! Leading me to compile today's 10 Song List- 10 Christmas Songs I Passionately Hate. Some are songs that I don't mind, but just hate when they are performed by certain people, but others are songs that I truly do hate.
1. Do They Know It's Christmas- I know it was supposed to benefit people in Africa and charity, and all that, but it is the stupidest song ever written. "Well there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas." Duh! It's Africa! There won't be snow in southern California, but they still know its Christmas...
2. Christmas Shoes by NewSong. Christmas is supposed to be happy, not about buying shoes for your dying mom. The FM Static version of this song makes me smile, though.
3. Wonderful Christmastime by Paul McCartney, or any other rendition of it.
4.Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bruce Springsteen- I don't have a problem with this song so much. Sure, it's not a favorite, but when Bruce Springsteen sings it, I want to cut my ears off.
5. Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley. The background singers are very annoying
6. Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer- My grandma used to have a reindeer that played this song, and I always was really annoyed by it.
7. Little Drummer Boy
8. My Favorite Things (from Sound of Music- Not that I dislike the song, but it isn't a Christmas song, and it really annoys me that they play it at Christmas.
9. Jingle Bells. I don't know why I don't like this song.
10. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus: "Oh what a laugh it would have been if daddy had only seen, mommy kissing santa claus last night." I'm pretty sure Daddy wouldn't have been laughing... he'd be beating santa up with a golf club. I'm just saying. Stupid song.

Thankful Thursday (on a Wednesday)

2009-11-25T11:05:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving; a day for giving thanks and eating more carbohydrates than one should consume in a month! In all seriousness though, I have a lot to be thankful for. I'm thankful for:
1. my parents and grandma being able to travel to spend Thanksgiving with me and my sister. I'm excited to go to Chicago and have some hot spiced wine at the Christkindle Market.
2. my youth at church who are willing to do crazy things like bowling with a frozen turkey.
3. The muppets doing a crazy Bohemian Rhapsody cover that made me laugh so hard I cried! Simply amazing!

4. Black Friday sales, I have no idea if we intend to go shopping on Friday, but I love Day After Thanksgiving Shopping! The maddness, the bargains, it's a beautiful thing!

Yay, Joe Mauer!

2009-11-23T13:41:00.000-06:00

Oh Joe, so adorable... so good at baseball....

Finally, baseball writers have realized this (the good at baseball part. Although, I'm sure some probably do see that you are adorable) and given you the MVP award that you deserve! Congrats, Joe!
Now, do me a favor, and sign a long term extension with the Twins. Thanks!

Thankful Thursday

2009-11-19T16:28:00.000-06:00

Today I am thankful for:
1. Starbucks Chai Lattes because they are so delicious and warm and comforting on a dreary fall day.
2. Sweater weather
3. Prayer... that God is willing to listen to me ramble on about my life, which in the grand scheme of things going on in the world, is pretty meaningless stuff. But I thank Him that He hears.
4. Lotion. Seriously, we're not even to winter and my hands are already starting to crack. Gross.

Thankful Thursday

2009-11-12T15:28:00.000-06:00

Today I am thankful for:
1. Music. I can't stand silence, so there is always music playing in my office. Lately it has been a lot of the Glee soundtrack. But I'm currently listening to "Tennessee Road by Daughtry with Vince Gill. I love this song. Its all stripped down and almost country sounding.

2. Sunshine!
3. Wonderful friends in ministry who "get it" and encourage me when I feel down and feel like a failure.
4. Going to see Luke Bryan tomorrow night in Indy! Love him!

Random Ramblings Because I Don't Feel Like Working on Work Stuff

2009-11-09T15:48:00.001-06:00

I got my first free 2010 calendar from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. They give my favorite free calendar because the spaces on the days are extra big, especially Sundays. As a church worker, I appreciate that because that is the day of the week I tend to have the most stuff. So, yay, Thrivent!
There's a new Twins commercial! Moving in at Target Field...and can I just say that I would love Joe Mauer wrapped in bubble wrap delivered to my house. I'm just saying.

I'm also all for tossing White Sox fans whenever possible!
The church I work at is right next to an elementary school playground, and right now there are children banging on some kind of metal pole, and I really want to yell at them to stop. It is making my head hurt. I won't, though, because that is one step away from being the old guy who sits on his front porch yelling "Get off my lawn!" No body wants to be that guy.
This morning on my walk, I heard music from both the Glee soundtrack and Straight No Chaser, and have decided that Straight No Chaser needs to make a guest appearance on Glee. I don't know how they would work into the plot, but it needs to happen. Maybe Acafellas could reunite when SNC challenges them to a duel. Or maybe they could audition Mr. Schu to be a new member of SNC. I just feel that this is something that really needs to happen.

Thankful Thursday

2009-11-05T11:40:00.000-06:00

I've been pretty negative lately... lots of things dragging me down. So I was thinking that it might help to focus on some of the positive things in life, and I like alliteration, so Thursdays =Thankful Thursdays! Today I'm thankful for the following:

1. I'm thankful that the World Series is over. True, the Evil Empire won, which kinda sucks, but the end of the world series means that I won't have to see Chase Utley's yucky greasy hair. Sick! Gross! and Sick! It makes me want to gag and vomit all at the same time... it makes me want to gavomit?

Seriously, Chutley, I hope your wife makes you fix that mess in the off season.

Also, the end of the World Series means that Glee will be back next Wednesday. Praise, Jesus! I love that show!

2. I'm thankful for Peppermint Mocha Coffeemate. It is really only available October- January, so I stock up and drink it in my coffee like there's no tomorrow. Delightful!

3. I'm thankful for my wonderful 7th grade students who ask incredibly insightful questions and always make me laugh during Confirmation on Wednesday nights. They remind me why I do what I do for a living.

10 Song Tuesday

2009-11-03T14:19:00.000-06:00

This isn't so much a normal "10 Song" post, as it is gushing over the two new music purchases I made today. First new music purchase of the day: Straight No Chaser "Christmas Cheers" Straight No Chaser is an awesome a capella group originally formed at Indiana University. A couple years back their hillarious mashup version of "12 Days of Christmas" blew up on youtube, and that lead to them getting a record deal and recording delightful holiday albums. $13.99 at Target because I'm anal about Christmas music and like to have hard copies. However for the same price on itunes you get 6 bonus tracks from their Summer Six Pack. I think I love their version of "Man Who Can't Be Moved" more than The Script's. So for that, alone, its worth it. I didn't because I have the Summer Six Pack Songs.

Five Fave Tracks on "Christmas Cheers":

1. Donde Esta Santa Claus- This song makes me laugh, and it features my favorite former Chicago ABC 7 on location news reporter, Dan Ponce.

2. O Holy Night- so beautiful

3. We Three Kings- they mash in the theme from Mission Impossible.

4. You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch

5. The Christmas Can-Can, because who doesn't love can-can dancing?

My other music purchase for the day: The Glee Soundtrack! Woo hoo! Glee! Sure this show has the redonkulous fake pregnancy, baby stealing, hot tub impregnating storyline, but it has great characters like Sue Sylvester, the crazy cheer coach, and Mr Schue... super dreamy glee club advisor. However, he raps a little more than I would like. His version of Sisqo's the Thong Song made me do the Jim Halpert face. The musical numbers are also amazing...hence the soundtrack.

Five Fave Tracks from "Glee: The Music vol 1"

1. Somebody to Love- cover of Queen

2. Alone- cover of Heart...Matthew Morrison aka Mr Schu and Kristen Chenoweth singing Karaoke...awesome

3. Sweet Caroline- cover of Neil Diamond...where we all fell in love when we found out Puck can sing. le sigh.

4. Defying Gravity- from Wicked I'm assuming this is on an upcoming episode, but it sounds like Kurt and Rachel, and I'm excited about it.

5. Keep Holding On- cover of Avril Lavine.

Honorable Mention: Gold Digger-Kanye cover, awkwardly hott Matthew Morrison rapping and dancing.

So if you have some extra money laying around and are in the mood to purchase music, I highly reccomend both of these.

Lollicakes!

2009-10-27T17:15:00.000-05:00

The domestic genius, bakerella, has these cute things she likes to call "Cake Pops." I like to call them "Lollicakes." I saw the jack o lantern ones and just had to try them for halloween! so cute! This was my first venture into the world of cake balls and cake pops, and mine certainly don't look as good as hers, but they were delicious! Here's how you do it:

Step 1: Bake a cake- I used a chocolate cake mix

Step 2: Get a can of frosting: I used vanilla. I'm not much of a chocolate cake chocolate frosting kind of girl

Step 3: Crumble up the cake and mix it with the can of frosting. It will look like this (see below) Appetizing right?

Step 4: Roll mixture into 2'' balls freeze for 30 minutes then take a few out at a time and stick a lollipop stick into each ball about half way.

Step 5: dunk balls completely in melted candy melts. You can buy ones that are already orange at the craft store! My Michaels had many colors! I was impressed

Step 6: find something green for the stem. I used cut up candy fruit slices. The originals from Bakerella are green tic tacs, but my store didn't have any of those.

Step 7: Using a "food writer" pen, draw jack o lantern faces on pumpkins.

Cute!

However, I don't know if i didn't wait long enough, or if my food writers were just being tempermental, or if there was some other problem, but they just wouldn't write! It was very frustrating. Needless to say, only 5 pumpkins got faces because I was so frustrated. But they were super delish and the Sunday School kids loved them, and their moms all thought I was clever.

I'm a Phillies Phan?

2009-10-14T14:25:00.006-05:00

Some people have dreams of great prophecies, messages from the Lord. Not me... I have dreams that seemingly tell me who to root for in post season baseball. The answer: The Philadelphia Phillies. I was at a baseball game wearing a ton of Phillies apparel (seriously, it put my Twins paraphernalia collection to shame), and everyone around me was saying, "I'm so glad you're cheering for the Phillies." and "Go Phillies." I took this as a sign that the Phillies are supposed to be my post season team since the Twins and Cardinals were painfully swept.

I know very little about the Phillies.

I know they play in Philadelphia and they won the World Series last year.

I know they have Ryan Howard and a few other people who like to hit home runs.

I know that Chase Utley (Chutley) plays for them and he's cute.

I know that Cole Hamels is one of their pitchers and he is kind of dreamy, but he's not pitching at the same caliber he was last year.

I know that Shane Victorino's nickname is the Flyin' Hawaiian, and that someone threw beer on him at a Cubs Game.

That's pretty much all I know about the Phillies, but I know I don't like the Dodgers, so I will be pulling for the Phillies in the NLCS.

Back to my Twins, I saw this picture the other day, and it simultaneously made me want to sad cry and smile all at the same time. "It's ok, Joe Nathan, We'll get 'em next year."

As painfully disappointing post season was for my boys, the last month of the regular season was thrilling and wonderful, and there were so many other great things about this season. And I'm looking forward to hopefully catching a couple games at Target Field next year. Maybe not in April...I don't really like wearing my winter coat to baseball games. Its just not natural.

A Little Pick Me Up

2009-10-12T11:46:00.003-05:00

Excuse me, but I just need to be cranky for a while... getting swept by the Evil Empire, cold rainy days, and other yucky things will do that to a person. I think we could all use a little pick-me-up. Here's a picture of a cute puppy. I'm going to go hide in my bed for a while.

10 Song Tuesday

2009-10-06T11:07:00.005-05:00

Its no secret, I'm a Luke Bryan junkie! I've lost count of how many times I've seen him in concert, the hours I've driven to see him, how many copies of his first cd I bought (I had to replace mine at least once, and I've shared the Luke love with others as gifts). He's one of the best performers I've ever seen. He's easy on the eyes, great voice, dances, has a slow southern drawl... yowza! In honor of Luke's new cd "Doin' My Thing" available now on itunes, amazon (for $3.99 today only), and wherever you buy music, I thought I'd share my 10 favorite Luke Bryan Songs.

1. You Make Me Want To from his self titled cd. I'm so bummed that this was never a single.

2. Chuggin' Along from Doin' My Thing- all about pressing on in the face of difficult circumstances. I love the line, "Sometimes you're the train, sometimes you're the track."

3. Drunk Ass Home from Spring Break EP- hillarious song, perfect to end a night of partying.

4. Welcome to the Farm from Doin' My Thing

5. We Rode in Trucks from self titled cd- Reminds me of growing up in Carver County.

6. Rain is a Good Thing from Doin' My Thing "Rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey, whiskey makes my baby feel a little frisky." Good reasoning.

7. Apologize on Doin My Thing... yes, that Apologize "It's too laaaaaate!" Cover of OneRepublic. Simply amazing when he sings it live!

8. First Love Song from self titled: Such a sweet song.

9. All My Friends Say from self titled: His first big song! And I think we can all relate to having a night where we have to call our friends and ask them what we did the night before. Even better live because they take a break in the middle and throw in some Metalica Enter Sandman.

10. Pray About Everything from self titled. Because its so true... you should pray about everything.

Honorable Mention: Live cover of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's Fishin' in the Dark

Do yourself a favor and get Luke's new cd Doin My Thing today! You won't regret buying it. Well if you absolutely can't handle country music, maybe you would regret it, but it is fabulous!

2009-09-24T16:03:00.003-05:00

Thank goodness former UNC basketball star/current Indiana Pacer draftee, Tyler Hansbrough has AT&T so that he can help find lost puppies!

Ok, so this actually did make me a little misty eyed when I saw it last night for the first time. Yes, I know, I'm a loser.

10 Song Tuesday

2009-09-15T13:42:00.004-05:00

I have discovered the joy of radio on itunes. This joy led me to stumble upon Big R Radio-90's FM- "Where the 2000's never happened," and it is AWESOME! And, really, today I needed some awesomeness to cope with the passing of Patrick Swayze and the news that My Favorite Mountie (Justin Morneau) and Joey High Socks are done for the rest of the Twins season. 90's music really cheers me up. So many songs that I loved, but had forgotten! So here are 10 songs that I've heard over the past couple of days that made me smile at their 90's Awesomeness .
1. "The Sign" by Ace of Base
2. "The Humpty Dance" by Digital Underground
3. "Stay the Same" by Joey McIntyre
4. "I Want it That Way" by Backstreet Boys
5. "Truly, Madly, Deeply" by Savage Garden
6. "After the Rain" by Nelson
7. "Champagne Supernova" by Oasis (For the record, I still don't know what a Champagne Supernova is.)
8. "Miami" by Will Smith (remember when Will Smith rapped?!)
9. "Walkin' on the Sun" by Smashmouth (I forgot they had more songs than "All Star")
10. Little Miss Can't Be Wrong" by Spin Doctors
Lesson learned, if you're feeling sad, put on some 90's tunes, you'll feel better in no time!

If I Could Write a Letter to...

2009-09-14T14:42:00.005-05:00

Dear Mr. Grumpy Face, aka Jay Cutler,

Don't make me take away my number 5 reason for being excited for this football season. I want to be excited and happy that you are the Bears' QB, but your performance last night left much to be desired. You were playing closer to a Brady Quinn level, and that's just unacceptable. Brady can get by on his good looks. You, however, are not as pretty. 4 interceptions! Really?! Only one completed pass to your new BFF Greg Olsen?! Where was the poise we saw in the preseason game in Denver?

Here are some things I'd like you to work on this season:

1. Throw more touchdowns than interceptions. Math isn't my strong suit, but in theory, I think if you throw more touchdowns than interceptions, you should win games.

2. Don't try to be the hero! We know you have a strong arm and can throw the football roughly 7.4 miles, but we don't necessarily need to see that all the time. We need you to be accurate, not stylish.

3. Work on your leadership skills, don't be afraid to shoulder blame when bad things happen. Your teammates will appreciate your willingness to man up, and will respect you for it.

4. Smile, laugh a little. Relax and have fun, Mr. Grumpy Face . I would really prefer to have a more positive nickname for you. You get paid to play a game, and that's a pretty good job if you'd ask me. And you have definite cute potential when you smile. I'm just saying.

Now, Jay, I'm not abandoning you for having one bad game. And I know things are going to be hairy next week against that Steeler defense. I refuse to call it the Steel Curtain, because curtains are meant to be easily moved, and the Steeler defense, is not easily moved. All I'm asking is that you and the team work on improving. And if you could tell Lovie to not make stupid challenges, that would be great. Make it work.

I'll be watching,

Heidi

Are You Ready For Some Football?!

2009-09-10T11:36:00.005-05:00

It has been forever since I've written on this thing...sorry to anyone who may still read this blog/check for updates. Its not that I've been busy, its just that I haven't had anything strike me with inspiration for writing. But that changes today because the NFL is back (for real, not the silly pre season games where the starters only play for a quarter) and I'm excited!

10 Reasons I'm Excited for the 2009 NFL Season:

10. Baseball is depressing me- Even though the Twins beat Roy Halladay last night for the first time! Good Job, boys! I'm not holding out much hope for the rest of their season. Football distracts me from that pain.

9. There is nothing better than coming home from church on Sunday afternoon, putting on whatever game is on, and having a nap.

8. My newfound love of Chad Ochocinco. Child, Please! Ok, you'd only understand that if you watched this season of "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Cincinnati Bengals" on HBO. Don't get me wrong, Chad is a spoiled, selfish, baby of an NFL player, but he cracks me up! Carson Palmer, on the other hand, did nothing to make me like him. I'll show you properly mixed Gatorade.

7. Fantasy Football- I totally have the best team name: "By the Beard of Orton" And no, Kyle Orton is not on this team, even though he and his neckbeard are the inspiration for the name. However, in spite of getting the number 1 draft pick, using said pick on Adrian Peterson (the good one that plays for the Vikings), I don't feel confident about my team. Maybe that's a good thing, though. Last year, I loved my team and finished just above .500.

6. Wes Welker, or "Lil Wes" as I like to call him. He's just too cute!

5. The Bears actually have a quarterback this year. He might not have anyone other than Greg "Thor the Norse god of Thunder"Olsen to throw to, but everyone, including me, is pretty dang excited about "Grumpy Face" Jay Cutler. My apologies to those who think I should not have become a Bears fan. I'm sorry, living in the area, they have converted me.

4. Peyton Manning Commercials. This is one of my faves:

3. Andrea Kramer's glowing sideline interviews while she tries to hold Randy Moss' hand and gaze adoringly at Tom Brady. I don't blame her. All I would be able to do is gaze adoringly if I encountered Tom Brady.

2. No more Captain Obvious John Madden. Ok, this makes me a little sad because the man is an icon and Chris Collinsworth doesn't seem to know how to use a telestrator, but I don't need someone to tell me the grass is green, or that was a hard hit. I have eyes. I'm just saying.

1. Tom Brady! Tom Brady! OMG Tom Brady! Tom Brady's back! Praise Jesus! It was a long, sad season without my favorite football boyfriend last year. I missed him, and it gives me hope that the Pats are going to have a great season! I think this picture sums up my hopes perfectly.

Division Winner/ Super Bowl Predictions:

AFC East: Patriots

AFC North: Steelers

AFC South: Colts

AFC West: Chargers

Wild Card: Dolphins

Wild Card: Ravens

NFC East: Giants

NFC North: Packers

NFC South: Saints

NFC West: Seahawks

Wild Card: Bears

Wild Card: Falcons

Super Bowl Match up: Patriots vs. Saints- Using the threefold theory of QB hottness, Team Colors, and Mascot fiercenss- Patriots win.

Hit by Pitch

2009-08-12T17:18:00.006-05:00

Lately, it seems that beanball is all the rage, culminating in last nights Kevin Youkilis/Rick Porcello slap fight. A batter gets hit...The other team retaliates by hitting a player on the other team. Sometimes it starts an on the field brawl. Which by the way, did you know that there is brawling etiquette? I learned that on Baseball Tonight last night. Apparently, Youk should have thrown a punch and not just half tackled Porcello.

Anyway, all this hit by pitch nonsense got me thinking about if I were a major league pitcher, who would I really want to throw a 90 mph fastball in at? I present 5 Baseball players I'd Like to Plunk:

1. A.J. Pierzynski- The guy is a douche and bleaches his hair and plays for the white sox, do I really need to elaborate any further? I also like to use this pic of him getting punched in the face, because I totally want to punch him in the face.

2. Glen Perkins/Francisco Liriano- Ok, I know they're pitchers, and so this would only be possible if they pitched in the National League, but I just want to hit them because they have been sucking for the Twins, and Glen is being a baby!

3. Nick Swisher- Oh sure, he's all fun and jovial, and a great clubhouse presence supposedly, but something about this guy just annoys the heck out of me. And he plays for the Yankees. This picture of him gives me the heebie jeebies!

4. Carlos Quentin- he pretty much asks for it by hogging the plate, so why not?

5. Alex Rodriguez- He may have pretty eyes, but that's his only good quality. He's greedy, self absorbed, and I just don't like him.

Really this list could have been called the I'd plunk anyone who plays for the Yankees or White Sox.

My Life According to Jason Aldean

2009-08-06T11:13:00.001-05:00

I saw this on a friend's facebook, and thought it was kind of fun- Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Pass it on to 15 people you like and include me. You can't use the band I used. Try not to repeat a song title. It's a lot harder than you think!

Pick your Artist:
Jason Aldean because that's what's currently playing on my itunes

Are you a male or female:
'A Grown Woman'

Describe yourself:
'She's Country'

How do you feel?
'Good to Go'

Describe where you currently live:
in a 'Hicktown'

If you could go anywhere, where would you go?:
I'd go to a 'Crazy Town'

Your favorite form of transportation:
Goin 'On My Highway' on a 'Big Green Tractor'

Your best friend[s] is[are]:
'Johnny Cash'

You and your best friends are:
'Relentless'

What's the weather like?:
There's an "Amarillo Sky' Cripes this is hard!

Favorite time of day:
Whenever 'Love was Easy'

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called?:
'Laughed Until We Cried'

What is life to you:
'I Use What I Got' that's all you can do.

Your current relationship:
'Lonesome USA'

Your fear:
'The Truth'

What is the best advice you have to give?
'Keep the Girl'

Thought for the Day:
'I Break Everything I Touch'

How I would like to die:
'Fast'

My soul's present condition:
'Wide Open'

10 Song Tuesday

2009-08-04T12:59:00.002-05:00

Its summer, and that means that its wedding season. Today I thought I'd share my picks for songs that I'd like to play for a first dance at my hypothetical wedding. So, if you're planning a wedding, take note...
1. At Last by Etta James because by the time I get married, I will be saying "Ah Finally! at last! I'm married"
2. The Luckiest by Ben Folds
3. The Way You Look Tonight by either Michael Buble, Kris Allen, or Tony Bennett
4.Me and You by Kenny Chesney
5. Nothing Fancy by Dave Barnes
6. I Cross My Heart by George Strait... and it makes me want to watch Pure Country.
7. The Day Before You by Matthew West
8. For Once in My Life by Stevie Wonder
9. Nookie by Limp Bizkit A perfect song if you are waiting to have sex until you get married.
10. You Are by Jimmy Wayne
Bonus song: Last song of the night... 'Let's Get it On' Becaus, c'mon you know that's what everyone is thinking!

More to Love

2009-07-29T11:51:00.004-05:00

Jillian picked Ed as this season of the Bachelorette came to a close. I was so excited that Fox was going to give me a program to quench my thirst for another season of The Bachelor or Bachelorette this summer, by airing a show called "More to Love." The twist: Instead of skinny people they would use plus sized people, because lets faces it, us fat people want to be happy and find love, too.
I made it through the whole hour of the show, but I lost count of how many times I uttered the phrase, "I can't watch this show!" So here are my top 5 reasons to not watch More to Love
1. In addition to the normal biographical information on the screen: name, age, occupation, hometown, they also list height and weight of each contestant. Why should it matter? The show is called "More to Love." We already know that they are bigger people!
2. The vast amount of insecurity these women have is ridiculous! I would be a rich woman if I had a dollar for each time one of the women said something to the effect of "my weight holds me back in my relationships." or "I just want someone to love me for the person that I am." We all want that, sweetheart. And the crying! Good heavens!
3. The dude is making out with a woman on a couch when another woman is on the couch with him. Classy! Ok, it wasn't making out, but it was definitely kissing with tongue.
4. The token to be asked to stay is a diamond ring! Something is wrong with that picture. You're giving women, who most of them are insecure, have had their hearts smashed and think they will never find love, rings that look a lot like engagement rings. Boosting their self esteem, and then when the finally don't get a ring or get their ring taken away, setting them up for even more pain and suffering!
5. Most of the conversations revolved around food. Is that what they think? That all fat people do is eat? If I were on the show I would have at least aksed questions like: what kind of music do you like? What's your favorite move? There is much more you can show people talking about then food or how they've never been loved for who they are as a person before.
6. bonus reason- Emme doesn't hold a candle to Chris Harrison. I heart him!
In summary, I can't watch this show! I need to find something better to do with my time Tuesdays at 8pm, so I will take any suggestions you give me.

Who Will Jilly Choose?

2009-07-27T12:44:00.006-05:00

After 8 weeks of drama, helicopter rides, counting abs, and much making out, its all come down to this: Ed, Kiptyn, and (potentially) Reid. No, not my love life, but that of Jillian our favorite spunky Canadian on The Bachelorette.

She's whittled down the field of 30 good looking guys that included an aspiring country singer, a super hot, but all too perfect pilot, an adorable breakdancer, a dude with a foot fetish, and more to the final two-

Kiptyn: Positives- Kiptyn has "nine pack" abs, he runs a charity that helps at risk children by teaching them life skills.

Negatives- He's kind of boring, a little bit too perfect, and his mom is kind of crazy. His name is Kiptyn.

Ed: Positives- Ed looks a little bit like Jeffery Dean Morgan (Denny from Grey's Anatomy), he's kind of goofy

Negatives- He put his work before Jillian, he left the show and then asked to come back. He makes poor fashion decisions. Um, yeah, no man should wear green shortie shorts.

BUT WAIT!!! According to the promo for this week Reid, the last guy to have gotten the boot, comes back, and he's holding a ring! What's going to happen?! Reid is my fave! He's adorable (see picture), He reminds me of Chandler Bing, has a lot of odd quirks, expresses emotions like a 5 year old, and really seems to have the most realistic outlook on this whole bachelorette process. Its ok that you're not quite ready to propose to someone after knowing them for 6 weeks. So what's going to happen. I want to say Reid FTW! But that probably won't be the case... so who knows who will be the one in the end. Anyway, the chances of it lasting are next to nothing, which begs to ask another question: Why do I watch this show if it never actually ends with hapily ever after? Answer: Who knows? I know the chances of finding love on a tv show aren't good, but part of me really wants to hold onto the fairy tale idea that it could happen. It worked for Trista and Ryan, maybe it could happen again. Maybe.

If the drama of the bach-ette wasn't enough, the Twins are playing the White Sox this week, so I will be feverishly flipping between the two tonight. Go Twins!

Randoms...Celebrity Gossip Style

2009-07-20T13:33:00.003-05:00

This past Lenten season I gave up celebrity gossip. I stopped reading Perez Hilton, People, watching TMZ, E!, etc. Since then, I've been doing much better at not being engrossed by the lives of celbrities since then, but I'm still human and enjoy hearing who's hooking up, breaking up, what people are wearing, who's a hot mess, and all that kind of stuff. Today I thought I'd give some commentary on a couple celeb stories.
1. Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson broke up. For some reason, I like Tony Romo. It might be that I feel sad for him because he always seems to have epic fails when it comes to winning big games. I have to say, to Tony, its kind of a cheese ass move to dump your girlfriend right before her birthday, not that I don't think he can do better (He is the quarterback of America's team, after all), and I don't blame him for not wanting to go to a Barbie and Ken themed birthday party, where he would obviously be Ken. Question: At a Barbie/Ken themed party would you make your guests walk around stiff jointed? I totally would. Not that I plan on throwing a Barbie themed party any time soon.
My second thought on this break up was that I really hope it leads to Jessica and Nick Lachey getting back together. Now that their careers are more on the same level, I think it could work. And they could revive the Newlyweds show. That was quality entertainment! Or they could have a Date My Ex kind of show where they found potential mates for each other. VH1 would totally air that! I should pitch that idea to them.
2. Paula Abdul might be leaving American Idol. I'm heartbroken. Part of my joy in watching that show is watching Paula try to put together a coherant sentence, bless her heart. And I doubt that Kara Dioguardi is going to play off Simon as well as Paula does. Sad day.
3. I'm an avid Bachelorette fan (sad, I know) and I'm still angry over Reid getting the boot last week. He was so Chandler Bing-y in the best possible way. But I've read that he wasn't at the taping of the "Men Tell All" Episosde that airs tonight. A tiny part of me hopes that means that he's going to storm the final rose ceremony and profess his love for Jillian beyond his 4 year old words, and sweep her off her feet and they will live happily ever after. Or at least for the next 3 months.

10 Song Tuesday

2009-07-14T15:13:00.003-05:00

This week theme: The last 10 Songs I've downloaded from itunes.
1. Fire Flies-Owl City... This was the Discovery Download this week and its really fun. Kind of electronic mixed with Death Cab for Cutie/Relient K.
2. Love Your Love the Most-Eric Church... He loves mustard on his fries. I don't, but I love this song!
3. That Thing You Do- The Wonders from the Movie That Thing You Do... I really want to watch this movie now.
4. If I Ever Fall in Love-Shai... I got in an a cappella mood.
5. Pick Up Man- Joe Diffie... I do love me a pick up man.
6. Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)- Looking Glass... My wonderful cousins played this a ton at the cabin over 4th of July weekend. I came back, and needed to hear the song.
7. She is Love-Parachute... Pretty
8. Guy Love- Donald Faison and Zach Braff from the Scrubs Musical
9. Don't Wake Me- Love and Theft... they are definitely a new favorite.
10. Boots On- Randy Houser

If I Could Write a Letter to...

2009-07-13T11:43:00.003-05:00

Dear Joe Maddon,
By managing your Rays to the World Series last year, you have won the opportunity to manage the American League team in the All Star Game this week. When 2nd baseman Dustin Pedroia withdrew from the game, you replaced his roster spot with not another worthy 2nd baseman like the adorable and good at baseball Ian Kinsler or statistically comparable Yankee Robinson Cano, but your own first baseman, Carlos Pena. WHY? On any normal team, if your 2nd basemen went out, you'd make a roster move to get another 2nd basman.
There are already three 1st basemen on the team... I know the NL has 4, but we don't need 4! Teixera, Youk, and Mountie Morneau are more than capable of handling the situation! I don't appreciate you taking time away from Justin Morneau. At one point the game could have an all Tampa Bay infield with Longoria at 3rd, Bartlett at Short, Zobrist at 2nd and Pena at 1st, but you'd like that, wouldn't you? Let me tell you, if we wanted to see the Tampa Bay Rays, we'd come to a Rays game! Seriously. If it weren't for the fact that Evan Longoria and Jason Bartlett are adorable, I would completely boycott the Rays. You, Mr. Maddon, sir, are crazy.
Sincerely,
Heidi

Alrighty, So that's my rant for the day. Bottom line Pedroia out, Kinsler should have been in, end of story. Tonight's the Home Run Derby, hoping for the best for Joey Mauer, but my money is on Albert Pujols or Ryan Howard. Should be fun to watch, and the Celebrity/Legends softball game is on after the Derby and Nelly and Brian Littrell are playing! Couple that with flipping back and forth with The Bachelorette and tonight is shaping up to be a good TV night!

Also, I need some help naming my fantasy football team for this year. Last year's team was named "The Hottness." Some names in the running this year are: "By the Beard of Orton," "The Coat of Many Beatdowns," "The Anger of Chris Tomlin," (those were both from Prayers for Blowouts fantasy football team list) "Men with Balls" and whatever suggestions you throw at me.

I Hate Mascots

2009-07-09T11:45:00.004-05:00

Many people love sports team mascots, I am not one of them. They've always creeped me out a little bit. I don't really know why, but they just do, something about them being very unnatural, and not being able to talk.

Anyway, my fear of mascots was proved correct last night, once again. I went to downtown Valpo for the Indianapolis Colts Fan Fest. Why? you ask, when I'm not a Colts fan. I went because I knew in the off chance that Peytie Pie (Peyton Manning), Adam Vinateiri (whom I still love even though he hasn't played for the Pats in forever), or Jeff Saturday (his name is fun) were there and I didn't go, I'd be sad. So I waited in line, in the drizzle with the hillbillies of Porter County. Seriously the lady in front of me was decked out in a Jeff Gordon jacket and pajama pants and the people behind me had quite the ignorant mouths on them. After about a half an hour of waiting, they finally told us who would be there, and when it was two players that I hadn't heard of, I said, "I'm out of here."

Walking back to my car, a scary thing happened to me... I was very nearly attacked by a mascot driving a motorized scooter. Blue, the Colt's mascot...

Sure he looks harmless, with his crossed eyes, and brings joy to many with his t-shirt cannon. But give him a motorized object, and he's deadly!

Perhaps I'm exaggerating just a tad, but I was really scared! He came very close to me, and I had no where to go because I was walking next to the building so I wouldn't get wet from the rain.

I just feel that its not smart to allow mascots to drive motorized equipment. At the Dome they allow TC to drive a 4 wheeler with a child on it. I'm pretty sure they can't see very well out of their furry heads, and that can create a not good situation. What are they thinking? Its just not right.

In Which We Learn Fun Facts about Justin Morneau

2009-07-08T11:22:00.002-05:00

I love baseball and I love fun facts. ESPN's For Love or the Game combines those two loves and this time they even used my boys Joe and Justin! Watch and enjoy, its super adorable!

Justin, if you play well tonight and beat the Yankees, I will buy you some Easy Mac.

10 Song Tuesday

2009-07-07T13:53:00.002-05:00

The theme for this week's "10 Song" post is "Home." I was in Minnesota this past weekend, and its always so great to go back, so I thought I'd share a list of songs that either remind me of home, or have a specific memory of growing up attached to them.
1. "We Rode in Trucks" by Luke Bryan...The verse that talks about "There's a lot about life you learn on the bus: how to lie, how to fight, how to kiss, how to cuss. The closer we sat to the back the smarter we got. We were poor, we were ugly, we were all best friends...." That describes growing up in the country and going to a tiny school perfectly. It was a big deal to grow up and get to sit in the back of the bus.
2. "Fishin' In the Dark" by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band... Don't ask me why, but at every dance I went to at Mayer Lutheran High School, this song was played, and we would make up actions for the chorus, which I still do every time I hear the song, no matter who is singing it, or where I happen to be. Yeah, it gets a little awkward in public places.
3. "Never Forget" by Dazy Head Mazy... A great song that reminds me of working at Camp Omega, by a great Minnesota band.
4. "Secret Ambition" by Michael W. Smith... One of my good childhood friends wasn't really allowed to listen to secular music, so we'd rock the MWS.
5. "Come On Ring Those Bells" by Evie... yeah its a Christmas song, but it will forever remind me of listening to my great grandma's 8 track player at Christmas time.
6. "Fancy" by Reba McEntire... As a child I had dreams of being Reba that I lived out in my mind while I would feed calves in the barn.
7. "Chilly Minnesota" by Ace Troubleshooter... I think the title is self explanatory.
8. "Home" by Daughtry
9. "Ride Wit Me" by Nelly... reminds me of driving to school in high school.
10. "Back Where I Come From" by Kenny Chesney...just a great song about good down home country living.

Get Your Vote On!

2009-07-01T10:41:00.014-05:00

Tomorrow is the deadline for voting for the MLB All Star Game, so I thought it might be a good idea to provide you with some guidance for filling out your all star ballot.

First, some general guidelines for filling out your ballot.

1. Try to pick people who are good at baseball.

2. Adorableness is always a plus.

3. When in doubt, go with team loyalty or give some love to a team that doesn't get a lot of love, like the Pittsburgh Pirates.

4. It goes against my principles to vote for anyone who plays for the White Sox, Yankees, or Red Sox. Feel free to exclude people on teams that you hate.

Here are my picks for American League All Star Ballot

Catcher: Joe Mauer (Minnesota Twins)I shouldn't really have to explain this choice, but I will...He's good at at baseball, since coming back in May he has surpassed his entire home run total from last year and has been batting near .400. Plus he's great behind the plate. And he's ridiculously good looking.

1st Base: Justin Morneau (Minnesota Twins). I couldn't handle sending Joe to the all star game without his BFF Justin...That and he has a better batting average than Teixiera, more homeruns that Youkilis, and more RBI than both of them. And he's Canadian, automatically making him awesome.

2nd Base: Ian Kinsler (Walker Texas Rangers) He's a great all around player. Hits for average and has a good amount of power, steals bases. Bonus: He wears his socks up high and is super cute!

Shortstop: Jason Bartlett (Tampa Bay Rays) I'm still a little bitter that the Twins traded him and Matty Garza for freaking Delmon Young. Not a good move! Bartlett and Derek Jeter have similar stats, though Bartlett's may be a little high because he was on the DL for a bit, but since I refuse to vote for a Yankee, and Jason Bartlett is way more adorable, Jason gets my vote.

3rd Base: Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay Rays) In the being good at baseball category, this was a toss up between Scott Rolen (Blue Jays), Brandon Inge (Tigers) and Evan. Evan wins based on the fact that he's cute and looks good in fedoras.

Outfield (pick 3): This is the position (both AL and NL) that I tend to pick people that are adorable or on my fantasy team or from teams that need love.

Jason Bay(Boston Red Sox) I know I broke one of my guidelines, but that's why they are guidelines, not rules. He's good at baseball and is Canadian.

Matt Holliday(Oakland A's) He's on my fantasy team, and the A's need some love

Nick Markakis (Baltimore Orioles) He's very good looking (Carlos Gomez is right, he is a bit of a Nick Blackburn doppleganger. I'd love to hear Go-Go try to say the word doppleganger!), good at baseball, and the Orioles don't get a whole lot of love, so I will give them some.

National League-I will admit that I'm not super knowledgable of the National League, but I will do my best.

Catcher: Brian McCann (Atlanta Braves) or Russel Martin (L.A Dodgers) I've been alternating between these two because they are pretty much equally good at baseball. Russell Martin, might just be a bit more adorable, though.

1st Base: Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals) Duh! He's a redonkulously good baseball player. He loves Jesus and he works with Compassion International to help people.

2nd Base: Chase Utley (Philadelphia Phillies) Chutley's definitley having, by far the best year at second in the NL. Bonus: He likes puppies.

Shortstop: Ryan Theriot (Chicago Cubs) probably not the best statistical pick, but I heart him. And his name is The Riot! How can you not love that?

3rd Base: David Wright (New York Mets) I appreciate that he's recognized that with the Mets ginormous new staduim he has had to change how he hits, rather than swinging for the fences, he's hitting into gaps. He's also trying to carry an incredibly injured team by himself. And he bats with his tounge out, which is kind of adorable in a weird way.

Outfield:

Andre Ethier(LA Dodgers) He's really stepped up his game since the whole Manny suspension fiasco, and has been part of the reason that the Dodgers have been playing so well. He seems to have a lot of walk off hits, and I love a guy who's clutch.

Nate McClouth(Atlanta Braves) I started voting for him when he was with the Pirates because I thought the Pirates needed some love, and since he's been traded, I've kind of just stuck with him.

Shane Victorino (Philadelphia Phillies) His nickname is "The Flyin' Hawaiian" that's awesome.

There you have it, folks! My picks for the 2009 All Star Game. Get your votes in! www.mlb.com

10 Songs I'm Liking

2009-06-30T14:18:00.003-05:00

The theme for this week's "10 Songs" post is Michael Jackson. I really can't say that his music changed my life in any earth shattering way, but he is a cultural icon who brought us the moonwalk, wearing one sparkly glove, and many more enjoyable moments . And who doesn't love some M.J. from time to time. So, without further ado, my 10 favorite Michael Jackson Songs.
1. Man in the Mirror
2. The Way You Make Me Feel- Not gonna lie, every time I hear that song I automatically think of the movie Center Stage.
3. I Want You Back (Jackson 5) Lil Michael was so cute!
4. Thriller -This year the 5th and 6th graders at church learned the thriller dance to incorporate into a skit about the raising of Lazarus from the dead. it was pretty much amazing.
5. P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing) however now when I hear this song I see Danny Gokey dancing and it makes me giggle.
6. Smooth Criminal
7. Black or White- I remember this being one of the craziest videos I've seen. Michael always had great videos for his songs.
8. Give Into Me
9. Heal The World Everyone loves a feel good song about trying to get together and make the world a better place.
10. Will You Be There- Free Willy was a favorite movie of mine when I was a kid.

St. Louis In Review

2009-06-29T10:50:00.008-05:00

This past weekend, I took my first real trip to St. Louis. I have been to the Six flags and the airport there before, but never really seen St. Louis. Here are some highlights of my trip.

1. Seeing friends that I haven't seen in a while. I met up with one of my college BFF's Nicole and Thursday night we stayed with my High School BFF Miki. We also got to go to dessert on Saturday night with Mary, One of "The Five."

Nicole and I at one of the All Star Arches that were all over STL. We're representing our respective leagues.

Miki and I enjoying some free beer after the brewery tour.

Mary was very excited about her banana bread split. Yum!

2. BASEBALL! My Twins were playing the Cardinals (which happen to be a National League team that I like) It was awesome. We had 8th row seats in between third and home, right by the Twins dugout. There were tons of Twins fans all over the place, and it made me super happy.

I sat behind the world's most obnoxious Cardinals fans.

Here are some quotes from them:

To Michael Cuddyer: "Just because you wear #5 doesn't make you important!" (Pujols wears 5) I would like to argue that Cuddles is very important to the Twins.

Calling Brendan Harris a "whiney baby" and crying every time he was up because he had a discussion with the ump about a call he made. I didn't appreciate that. Poor B. was having a bad night at the plate. I just wanted to hug him and tell him that I still loved him.

Talking smack about Joe Mauer saying "everyone doesn't realize that he hasn't played all season. he's only been back for a week so that's why is average is so high." Um he's been back since May, get your facts straight.

So really I wished my plastic beer bottle was glass so that I could have broken it and cut them. I didn't bother getting into an argument with them because as a rule, I try to stay away from that sort of thing when I'm supporting the visiting team. But I'm sure my new Twins fans friends from Wayzata and the nice couple from Atlanta that were neutral in their cheering would have helped me out. Here's some pics.

Busch Stadium is beautiful!

So is Joe Mauer

Matty Tolbert is adorable. I think I might have a tiny crush on him.

I heart Joey High Socks!

Pujols Batting

The M&M boys were amazing as usual!

Twins Win 3-1! Yay!

I took tons of pics at the game. I don't fee like uploading them all, so here's a link to my facebook album. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019281&id=146500297&l=d1ba65c12a

3. Brewery Tour! And you can't beat the free beer after the tour.

4. Dress shopping for Nicole's wedding. We found a lot of good options. Due to the sensitive nature of who views the dress, I'm not at liberty to share pictures at this time.

5. Other Fun Random things: The Zoo, Ted Drewes, the Arch, etc.

It was a hot day. I cream was necessary.

The arch was a perfect cap to a very fun weekend. Now I have three days of work before I head up to Minnesota for the 4th!

10 Songs...

2009-06-18T14:48:00.002-05:00

Summer officially starts Sunday, so I thought I'd share 10 songs (some old, some new) that get me in the Summer mood.
1. Summertime by Kenny Chesney
"Cheap shades, and a tattoo and a yoohoo bottle rollin on the floorboard, perfect song on the radio. Sing along 'cuz its one we know..." Come to think of it, I've never had yoohoo before.
2. Chicken Fried by Zac Brown band (this was my summer song last year)
This song isn't about summer so much as enjoying the simple pleasures in life, something I like to do in summer.
3. Ride wit' Me by Nelly
Totally takes me back to cruisin around in high school.
4. Cheap Seats by Alabama
Summer and Baseball go hand in hand.
5. Summertime by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
Remember when Will Smith made music?
6. Mmmbop by Hanson
Even if you say you hate this song... you know secretly you sing along and you like it.
7. All My Friends Say by Luke Bryan
For all the Luke concerts I went to last summer and the ones I'll be at this song. Plus its a super fun song!
8. Tie: Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyed Peas Fire Burning by Sean Kingston
I think these are going to be the big summer songs on the pop/top 40 stations. Catchy, good to dance to, what more do you need?
9. All I Wanna Do by Sugarland
This song will get in your head like none other.
10. Yee Haw by Jake Owen
All about the wild and crazy weekend nights. Not that I have many wild and crazy weekend nights, but if I did, Yee Haw captures them.

Weekend Musings

2009-06-15T09:21:00.003-05:00

To quote the epic artist, Meatloaf..."Don't be sad, cuz two out of three aint bad." My Twins were in Chicago this weekend and took two out of three against the Cubs. Not bad, considering we don't play well on the road, and while I would have loved to be at Wrigley watching them, I settled for WGN because I couldn't find decent reasonably priced tickets. Sad day for me. But it was so great to see Twins fans representing and being loud at Wrigley. Seriously, I think they were louder than the Cubs fans at some points.
One thing that kind of bugged me though, was that the announcers just assumed that the entire state of Minnesota traveled down for the series. (I'm sure many people that were there, did make the trip). But they acted like its not possible for a Twins fan (or fan of any other team, for that matter) to live in the Chicago area. Like we all just automatically become Cubs fans upon moving to the area. Well, we don't.
Saturday, my sister, my friend Tiffany, and I went to Soldier field for the Kenny Chesney pre party festivities. We didn't have K. Ches. tickets, so why did we go? Why did we stand in the rain and mud for 3 hours? A one hour free Luke Bryan concert, that's why! What wouldn't I do for that man? If you haven't checked out his new song Do I, you should. Its great!

I also got another official lesson in stalking the band from my friend Tiffany. She's a master at it. And lets face it, I talk a good game, but if I'm truly going to stalk people or talk to the band, I need a partner in crime to do so.

10 Songs I'm Liking this Week

2009-06-09T13:32:00.003-05:00

I've kind of been in a slow and sappy, emotional music mood lately.
1. "Falling Slowly" by American Idol Kris Allen- Such a beautiful song sung by an adorable guy.
2. "Do I" by Luke Bryan- Luke is my fave and this song is different for him. He usually sings about fun things like drinking beer and being a country man, but this is all about a relationship falling apart. I think it should be Jon and Kate's theme song.
3. "Then" by Brad Paisley- The first time I heard this song it made me really wish I was getting married so I could play it at my wedding.
4. "Guinevere" by Eli Young Band
5. "Permanent" by David Cook
6. "Whatever It Is" by Zac Brown Band- I want a guy to think this about me someday.
7. "Whenever You Come Around" by Vince Gill- An oldie, but goodie!
8. "Sweetness in Starlight" by Matt Wertz
9. "Me and You" by Kenny Chesney- back before Kenny went to the Island.
10. "Address in the Stars" by Caitlin and Will.

The Murtaugh List

2009-06-01T13:53:00.004-05:00

This season on How I Met Your Mother there was an episode called "The Murtaugh List" based off Danny Glover's character in Lethal weapon. After every time they did something crazy Danny Glover would always say, "I'm getting too old for this sh**." The characters on HIMYM then developed a list of things they were too old to do. Things like pull an all nighter, crash on a friend's futon, go to a rave, etc.
I definitely have my own version of "The Murtaugh List," and I've decided that after last night "Watching Mtv" needs to be added to my Murtaugh list. I watched the Mtv Movie Awards, for lack of anything better on. I wasn't in a Cubs mood, so it was between that or some lovely PBS specials- The Three Priests (singing priests) and David Garrett (a pretty hott violinist) Anyway, I realized I'm too old to watch Mtv, the screaming over all things Robert Pattinson and Twilight really got to me. While there were definitely funny moments- Andy Samberg/Will Farrell/J.J. Abrams Cool Guys don't look at Explosions song, and Eminem going bananas on Sascha Baron Cohen. Was that planned, by the way? Overall, though, I just felt really out of touch. So I guess I'm not cool anymore.

Happy Thoughts for a Rainy Day

2009-05-15T12:31:00.003-05:00

Its rainy and gross outside, so I need some happy thoughts to cheer me up!
1. Starting Sunday I will be able to watch 5 twins games in a row: 1 on TBS, 1 on ESPN, 2 on a chicago channel, and 1 in person!
2. Rain=perfect movie watching and napping weather.
Movies I'm considering for the rainy day: Dark Knight, Prince Caspian, When Harry Met Sally (got those three at the library today) Say Anything, 27 Dresses, and some episodes of How I Met Your Mother and the First Season of Friday Night Lights.
3. Some people from my church are opening a restraunt and are having an opening party Sunday after church which means free lunch that I don't have to make.
4. Its pay day!

Random Thoughts

2009-05-13T13:39:00.006-05:00

So its raining, and I'm having problems putting together stretches of productivity that last longer than 2 minutes at work today. Its pretty bad, so I thought I'd share some random things/thoughts from the past few days.

1. I refuse to watch Jon and Kate Plus 8, even though its a favorite show of mine. These two are a mess, and they need to get their act together for the sake of their 7 precious children and Maddy. Just kidding, Maddy is precious in her own way, I'd be cranky too if I had 7 siblings getting into my stuff and camera filming my every move. Aaden is my fave with his cute little glasses. Adorable!
I don't blame them for doing a reality show...how else are you going to pay for 8 kids to go to college. That being said, I think being in the public eye has taken its toll and they need to cut the cameras, stop going on the Today show, and giving interviews to People magazine.

Do it for the kids!

For the record, I'm totally on Jon's side, not saying that there is an excuse for cheating on one's spouse, if in fact he did cheat, but if I were to give anyone a free pass it would be this guy. If you don't know what I mean, watch an episode or two and count how many times Kate puts him down. Yes, he's sometimes an idiot, and maybe doesn't watch the kids as closely as they should be watched, but what dad does? They're always the ones giving the kids sharp objects saying "here go run around with this for a while."

2. I have been having really dreams with random baseball players lately. And they aren't even random baseball players that I like. My sister says its because I watch too much baseball. To which I say, you can't possibly ever have too much baseball!
Sunday night A.J. Pierzynski, former Twin, now head douchebag of the White Sox showed up. Now, to be fair, I had just seen an interview that disturbed me on the news with A.J. and I said that he was going to haunt my dreams. He did. But in my dream, I knew I was asleep and dreaming because I told A.J. "You're only here because I saw you before I went to sleep."

Take your bleached head and get out of my dreams!

Monday night I had a dream that I was playing my childhood favorite board game, Mall Madness with Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox. I won and he got angry at me.

This is awesome, add in Youk... not so much.
So if you could play a board game with your favorite baseball player, what would you play and who would you play it with? Candy Land with Joe Mauer maybe?

3. Kris Allen is the most adorable American Idol contestant ever! I want to put him in my pocket.

That's all I've got

If I Could Write You a Letter...

2009-05-06T11:42:00.004-05:00

So, some of you might know that I use the phrase "I should write them a letter," when I want to tell a celebrity/sports figure/team/ tv network etc. something I think they should do. Then procede to say what I would put in the letter. I never actually write these letters, but I was thinking that maybe I should and I can just throw them out on the interwebs. So here are a couple that I would like to send.

Dear American Idol Producers,
Why did you put Adam and Allison together on a duet? Obviously rock is both their genres of choice, were you trying to make Gokey and Monchichhi (Kris) look bad so that Monchichhi gets voted off? I'm very upset with you.
Sincerely,
Heidi
p.s. Kara- "Dream On" is Aerosmith's earlier stuff. I hate you, please leave American Idol now.

The next letter, I'm going to use the "sandwich" method of delivering criticism that I learned while working at camp. You sandwich the bad stuff in between compliments/good things.

Dear Minnesota Twins,
You should first know that I love you. I really do. You are hands down the most adorable real baseball team ever created. But when you play inconsistent baseball, it makes me feel very upset. Please stop playing baseball like its a Katy Perry song. "Your'e hot then you're cold. You're yes then you're no..." Win big one night, lose big the next.
3 errors in one night when you are supposed to be known for your solid fundamental fielding. Really? That doesn't help Little Nicky Sideburns out very much, does it? Also, it doesn't help my fantasy team because I had Nicky picthing yesterday. Which, you might be wondering why I even chose Nicky to be on JesusHatestheYankees in the first place. Good question! I'm wondering that myself. No offense to Nicky, but I blame it on the fact that it was down to the last pick in the draft, I needed a pitcher, wanted someone that I knew, and he's cute, and I'm generally an optimist and like to belive the best about people.
But that's beside the point. Get it together! You guys are better than losing 9-0 to the Tigers! I know you have it in you to pitch well, field the ball and score runs, its just a matter of putting those three together. Now lets go kick some Baltimore Birdie Butt!
Love always,
Heidi
p.s. Welcome back Matt Tolbert.

Dear Brett Favre,
Really? You're thinking about coming back? Again? Really?
I'll admit that as a qb, you are probably a better choice than Tavaris or Sage(by the way, Sage is not a good quarterback name). But you retired...twice. Do all of us a favor and stay retired. Resurface in a couple years as an alligator wrestler traveling from fair to fair.
I'm serious. The only time I want to see you for the next 2 years is when I voluntarily watch There's Something About Mary.
-Heidi

Movie Time

2009-05-04T11:23:00.004-05:00

I don't go to the movies very often. 1. I'm cheap, and really can't justify spending $8 to see a movie, when my library gets a fairly good selection of new releases that I can borrow for free. Sure, I don't see movies right away, but it saves money. 2. I don't really have anyone to go to movies with. Hence, why I've came up with the rule, that its perfectly ok to go to the movies by yourself Monday-Friday before 5pm. Another positive to that rule is that generally you get in at matinee price.
But the Summer blockbuster season is upon us, which is when I tend to see more movies in the theater. This past Friday I shelled out the $5.50 special price that my theater has when you go see the first showing of the day and saw X Men Origins: Wolverine. I have to say for being a showing at 12:30 in the afternoon, there were a lot of people in the theater. Lots of middle aged men, to which I have to ask the question: "Don't you people have jobs?" Maybe they were so excited about the opening of Wolverine that they played hooky, who knows. Also lots of college kids, which makes sense since Valpo is a college town and its getting to be the end of the semester when people need lots of study breaks, and movies are always a good choice. Anyway, on to the movie.
Overall, I would say that X Men Origins: Wolverine was definitely worth my $5.50 plus diet coke and sweedish fish I bought at Target and snuck into the theater. Here are my top 5 reasons to see this movie.

1. Hugh Jackman and his big Wolverine muscles!

All I can say is, "Wow!"

Reason #2: Taylor Kitsch as Gambit

I love this guy! Probably because he's Tim Riggins on my favorite show, Friday Night Lights, but my goodness! He's hott. He was my primary motivating factor in wanting to see this movie. Only drawback, is that there isn't nearly enough of him in X Men Origins: Wolverine. I don't know much about X Men or the characters, but its my dream that they will make an Origins movie of Gambit, so I can have a whole 2 hours of Tim Riggins.

Reason #3: Lots of great action scenes. If you like explosions, go see this movie.

Ryan Reynolds and Dominic Monaghan are also in this movie, but Ryan is really only good looking in the beginning, and Dominic isn't in the movie very much. So there you have it. If you like explosions and eye candy, go see, X Men Origins: Wolverine. Especially at matinee price. I don't know that I would have been so stoked about it if I had paid $8 rather than $5.50. But it was still good.

Joe Mauer, You Complete Me.

2009-04-30T10:04:00.006-05:00

Joe, we need you. Hell, I need you. I'm a mess without you. I miss you so damn much. I miss being with you, I miss being near you. I miss your laugh. I miss your scent; I miss your musk.... Its times like this I really wish I still lived in Minnesota. Not only is it Justin Morneau Fishing Lure Night at the Dome, but tomorrow night my favorite baseball boyfriend, Joe Mauer, returns to playing baseball after recovering from a back injury. Yay! Its going to be good to have his sideburns back in the lineup. Nick Blackburn can only do so much to fulfill my sideburns needs. And I know the team feels that way too, judging by the quotes in this article from the Twins website. http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090430&content_id=4495180&vkey=news_min&fext=.jsp&c_id=min My favorite comes from Michael Cuddyer, "It's a boost, because having him back, now we'll feel whole again." He should have just said, "Joe Mauer, you complete me!" I wouldn't have questioned that kind of emotion because I've missed Joe-Ma, too.
The Twins finished April with a record of 11-11; not bad, but not great. I look at it as, hey, at least we aren't sucktastic like the Nationals. Baseball analysts nationwide have attributed nearly all of the problems the Twins have had early this season on the absence of Joe Mauer. Yes, he's a leader in the clubhouse. I don't think that's quite fair. Yes, he's a great defensive catcher. Yes, when healthy, he is a consistent bat in the lineup. But everyone else on the team still needs to do their part, too. Having Joe back is going to be wonderful, but I'm going to do my best to not expect too much from him right away. Give him time to get back in the swing of things, and everything will hopefully go back to normal. Welcome back, Joe!

Joe Mauer inspires me to Blingee. What can I say?

If you didn't get the opening line of this post, its from Champ Kind in Anchorman. I don't really know what Joe Mauer smells like. I imagine that he smells like heaven. And yes, I really want a Justin Morneau fishing lure.

Thank You for Being a Friend...

2009-04-27T13:03:00.002-05:00

Bea Arthur, you are a treasure and will be greatly missed.

Jesus Really Does Hate the Yankees

2009-04-19T08:07:00.003-05:00

Normally when a team gets beat in baseball 22-4, I feel bad for the beaten team, but not when its the Yankees! When its the Yankees I just laugh!
Sick and twisted? Probably... but it seems only fitting that this should happen to a team that tries to buy wins with their huge payroll. A 22-4 beatdown seems appropriate to christen a billion dollar new stadium. I know that its only April. There's a lot of baseball left to play. The Yankees will probably come back and be contenders in their division. But right now, I'll just sit back and have a good laugh about it all. 22-4 lol!

Thought Provoking Question for the Day

2009-04-16T15:10:00.003-05:00

Today, while I enjoyed a cupcake at a cute little bakery in Valpo I noticed a sign on the wall that posed the question: What would you do if you knew you wouldn't fail? Which got me thinking, what would I do if I couldn't fail? Lots of things- get a date with joe mauer, work at espn, start a contemporary worship service at my church, be better at talking on the phone. The list coud really go on forever. But it got me thinking... Fear of failure stops me from doing a lot of things I should do or want to do.
What would you do if you knew you wouldn't fail?

Back from Vegas

2009-04-09T11:37:00.011-05:00

I hate coming back and adjusting to the real world after vacation. On the bright side, though, tomorrow is my normal day off; negative is that it is Easter weekend and therefore, I will be living at church with services and getting ready for Easter breakfast. By the way, I hate when volunteers pull the switcheroo on what they are bringing. When I left on vacation I had enough breakfast casseroles, and now I have to make like 6.

Anyway, back to a quick recap of my Vegas vacation! I've decided to make a list of things I enjoyed about vacation and things I did not enjoy about vacation.

Things I Enjoyed

1. I appreciate the vast amount of free stuff in Vegas. You can spend days wandering from hotel to hotel looking at stuff. The fountains and garden at the Bellagio, the volcano at the Mirage, the expensive stores in the Venetian, the pirate hookers at T.I. (we didn't go see the pirate hookers, but if you want to see pirate hookers, they're free!) Also the Coke store was handing out free Coke Zero to everyone. We went to a chocolate factory and got free samples. The Academy of Country Music Awards were in town, so we saw a free concert of Zac Brown Band. God bless America!

2. Madame Toussad's Wax Mueseum. Its creepy and entertaining. Its Creepertainment!
They have a scene where you can marry George Clooney. So I did. Even though George Clooney is definitely not on my list of top choices of celebrities to marry.

I met my good friend Barry! That's what I like to call him.

3. Sibling Bonding. I see my sister all the time, but I haven't seen my brother since Christmas. And nothing causes sibling bonding more than a ROAD TRIP! We took a day trip to the Grand Canyon, which is definitely on my top 5 Beautiful Things God made list. Although, after 5 days of togetherness, I was ready to be alone for a while!
4. I appreciate that in Vegas you can buy a drink and wander around with it from place to place and it usually comes in a souvineer cup of sorts. I didn't really take advantage of this too much, but I appreciated the humor of seeing people on the street with 3 foot tall drinks.

5. The American Gladiator "Wolf" He was everywhere we went. Ok, not everywhere, but he was at the Lost Trailers/Luke Bryan/Keith Anderson show on Friday and at Zac Brown Band Saturday. He seemed to be super nice and would pose for pictures and autographs for anyone who asked. We just snapped this side profile picture to go into our collection of "Semi Famous People Profile Pictures." So far this collection includes Kyle Orton and Wolf.

Speaking of Kyle Orton-Shmorton! I was a little sad that he got traded to the Broncos because that means I won't be able to ridicule his neck beard on a regular basis. On the plus side I'm excited that the Bears got Jay Cutler. He may be a bit of a whiney baby, but he can throw the football, and that's what matters. I apologize to any Minnesotans that read this, but 2 football seasons living in the greater Chicago area have turned me into a Bears fan. Not that I was much of a Vikings fan when I lived in Minnesota, but all the same, its a little dirty. I heard an interview with Jared Allen from the Vikes and he said he's looking forward to slamming Jay Cutler's head into the turf twice a year. The NFC North is going to be quite fun this year!

Things I Didn't Enjoy

1. People, don't bring your small children to Vegas! Vegas is not really a family friendly vacation destination, but yet there were children everywhere! I like children and all, but really? Vegas? Vegas is Disneyland for adults. Leave the kiddos at grandma's house!

2. I didn't get to see the hottest import from Austrailia- Thunder From Down Under. Its like Chipndale's but with hot Austrailans.

3. I didn't get to hang out in the MGM Grand and stalk Jake Owen, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, and the ton of other country stars and celebrities that were in town for the ACM awards.

4. Constantly smelling like an ashtray.

5. Due to the timing of this vacation I missed out on the NCAA National Championship (not that it was much of a game from what I heard) and the majority of Opening Day of Baseball. Did you know that in Cincinnati, Opening Day is a civic holliday? True story. I heard it on ESPN while I was watching a bit of the Mets-Reds game. I think it should be a holliday everywhere. No work, just baseball... I think the world would be a happier place.

Well, that about sums up my vacation. I should probably get some actual work done now.

Viva Las Vegas

2009-03-31T15:57:00.003-05:00

I'm very excited to go on vacation to Vegas this week. I leave tomorrow night and come back next Monday night. My bag is almost packed, but its a challenge because we're doing everything carry on. If you check a bag its $15 both ways, and quite frankly, that's $30 I could be spending at the craps table.
Another thing I have found about Vegas, is that when you tell people you are going to Vegas, they like to give input on things you should do. So I've compiled a list of these things, plus some of my own of things to do in Las Vegas.
1. Get married. Ok. probably won't happen, but if you get married in Vegas, you're only married in Nevada right? No?
2. Get Wayne Newton's autograph for my pastor. I don't know why he wants it. I didn't ask.
3. Picture with a fake Elvis.
4. Madame Tussaud's wax museum for Zac Efron and Ryan Seacrest.
5. Find the CSI team and make out with Nick. I just hope that I don't need the CSI team's assistance while in Vegas. That would be unfortunate to become a crime victim. But I've found that most of the victims on that show are rich or hookers, and I'm neither, so I should be pretty safe?
6. Slot machines. I've never been in a casino before, so this is new for me.
7. Reenact scenes from Ocean's 11. Don't worry, I won't rob a casino.
8. Stratosphere tower thing... NOT IN A MILLION YEARS!
Feel free to leave your suggestions!

Jesus Hates the Yankees: an update

2009-03-30T13:49:00.003-05:00

Even though Joe Mauer is still broken, I'm pretty excited about baseball starting next week. One reason for this is that I have a fantasy team for the first time. I'm not sure how its going to go, but I'm hopeful, and I know I'll get the hang of it as the season goes on. We had our draft last week, I thought I had a pretty decent team, but I drafted some players that I didn't realize were injured, and Troy Glaus threw his shoulder out of whack, so I made a couple changes. I drafted based on looking at some stats, picking players I had heard of, and if I didn't know who to pick, I'd go for cuteness or a team I liked. Ladies and Gentlemen: Jesus Hates the Yankees-
Catcher: Chris Ianetta (Colorado Rockies). I liked what I saw from him in the World Baseball Classic.
1st Base: Justin Morneau (Minnesota Twins): What's not to love about my favorite Canadian Mountie? No, really, I want him to become a Canadian Mountie when he's done playing baseball. Or star in a sitcom where he plays a Canadian Mountie- it could be called "My Favorite Mountie" and it would be like Super Troopers only Canadian with a little less reefer. Joe Mauer would have to play some kind of sidekick role.
2nd Base: Ian Kinsler (Texas Rangers): He is super cute, good player.
Short Stop: Jhonny Peralta (Cleveland Indians): So I did use a little bit of the fun name picking. Really, Jhonny?
3rd Base: Originally Troy Glaus, but he's injured so the job goes to Alex Gordon (KC Royals) I think the Royals might actually be semi-decent this year.
Outfield: Matt Holiday (Oakland A's) He's cute and can hit the baseball. Hopefully that wasn't just a fluke because he played most of his games at Coors Field. Apparently anyone can hit there.
Jayson Werth (Philadelphia Phillies) There was a point last year that I thought he was kind of dirty hot. I don't think that anymore.
Justin Upton (AZ Diamondbacks): His more talented brother B.J. wasn't available.
Utility: Mike Aviles (KC Royals): He has a very fun batting stance, he's pretty hott, and he went to a Concordia (New York).
Bench: Casey Blake (Dodgers): I don't know why I picked him? Maybe I should drop him.
Skip Schumaker: Adorable. His real name is Jared, and if I ever meet him I'm going to ask him why he goes by Skip when Jared is a perfectly lovely name.
Yadier Molina: The best looking of the Molina brothers.
Starting Pitchers: Cole Hamels (Phillies) Had some elbow troubles this spring, but the man was insane during the NLCS and World Series last year.
Adam Wainwright: He's coming back from an injury, and has had an up and down Spring Training, but I'm willing to take a chance that Adam will pull it together. And he's very good looking.
John Maine (Mets): I like the Mets and I felt I needed one representative from the Mets and since David Wright was picked before I had a chance, I went with John Maine.
Matt Garza (Rays): I have a soft spot in my heart for former Twins
Nick Blackburn: This was my last pick, I didn't know who to get, so I went for a hot guy.
Ervin Santana (Bench): Currently inured, but will hopefully be good.
Relief Pitchers: Joe Nathan (Twins): Every time I see him I sing "Don't you wish your closer was hot like Joe?..." It works well for other positions on the field particularly catcher and short stop.
Brian Wilson (San Francisco Giants): Honestly I don't know much about this fellow, but his stats were decent so I went with it.
Notice that there are no Yankees on Jesus Hates the Yankees, that's because Jesus hates them, and I try to to avoid things that Jesus hates. Good Luck Boys!

March Madness Thoughts

2009-03-19T14:55:00.002-05:00

Basketball is my third favorite sport, and I really only like college basketball, and in those confines, I don't pay attention to college basketball til after the Super Bowl. So here are some thoughts on the NCAA tournament.
1. Never use Head Coach Attractiveness as a tool to fill out your bracket. Butler was my pick to win, and they lost today. Out in the first round...ouch!
2. I love that you can watch all the games online. www.cbssports.com You just know that no one is actually getting any work done today because they are streaming games at their desk. I know I am.
3. North Carolina is by far the most stylish team I've seen with their pretty blue and the argyle side stripe. Not very intimidating...but who knows maybe they're distracting for other teams. Maybe they see the Carolina players and are like, "wow, those guys look good!" and they can't focus on the game. Probably not.
4. My real final four picks: Michigan State, Purdue, Pittsburgh, North Carolina. Championship game: Michigan State/UNC; Champ:UNC

Heidi's Fantasy Draft Guide

2009-03-14T17:17:00.005-05:00

This past fall, I had my first flirtation with the world of Fantasy Sports. I played fantasy football on facebook with three other girls. I came in 3rd place out of the 4 people in our league. I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about sports, and was embarrassed that I was beaten by someone who doesn't follow football and someone who enjoys football, but pretty much drafted only players from teams that she liked. On the other hand, I tried to do my homework. I browsed fantasy guides and articles on espn.com to know who I should draft. I monitored injury reports to make sure I put a full team out each week. Yet, my team (The Hotness) managed to lose consistently.
This Spring, I've joined a fantasy baseball league. I'm pretty excited about it. I have a great name- Jesus Hates the Yankees, but I'm thinking maybe I need a new approach. Drafting based on being good didn't work so well for me in football, so I've come up with a couple different ideas on how I will put my team together.
1. Draft only players from teams that I feel emotionally attached to. This would mean putting together a team of Twins, Rays, Mets, Cubs and Cardinals players. I can tell you later why I'm attached to each of these teams, right now that's not important. All those teams have some pretty stellar players- Justin Morneau, David Wright, Albert Pujols, etc, but my luck I would end up with Luis Castillo playing second base and Chris Carpenter as a starting pitcher and he'd get injured again.
2. Draft players based on attractiveness. For more on the topic of attractive baseball players, go back to the July 10, 2008 "All Star Hotties" post.
3. Draft players with fun names: Coco Crisp, Milton Bradly, Jarrod Saltalamacchia
4. The Reyes/Rodriguez/Cabrera All Stars- There are a ton of players with these last names, I'm sure I could put together a team of them.
I'm confident that by using one of these methods Jesus Hates the Yankees will be a great team with many victories. What do you think?

Before the End...

2009-03-12T10:05:00.004-05:00

The other day, I was thinking (dangerous, I know) about the fact that I'm 25 and haven't really done anything/experienced anything in life. I always think about that around this time of year becasue its spring break time, and I never really had a "spring break" experience, unless you count that wild road trip to North Dakota with Amanda. Trust me, it's not that I regret not going to Mexico to spend a week drunk on a beach making bad decisions. It's more that other people have stories to tell about things they've done, places they've been to, and accomplishments, and I don't. So, I've decided to make a list of things I want to do in my lifetime, and start doing them. It's still a work in progress, but here is the start.
1. Learn to swim
2. Write a book. I don't know what this book would be about, but I know that I want to write a book.
3. See a baseball game at every major league park. So far I've done the Metrodome and U.S Cellular field in Chicago, but the way teams keep getting new stadiums, I will never be able to check this off my list completely. Maybe I should change this item to See a home game for every team in major league baseball.
4. Go to the Super Bowl.
5. Learn to like running. I've always admired people who just go running. I have never been one of those people, though, because I associate running with punishment.
6. Go on a foreign mission trip.
7. Try stand up comedy. Would I be any good? Who knows?
8. Go zip lining or bungee jumping.
9. Ride a horse
10. Learn to play piano.
Like I said, it's a work in progress, but I've decided to follow the advice of a wise man, who once said:
So...be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea, you're off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So...get on your way! - Dr. Seuss

Viva la Blingee!

2009-03-09T14:08:00.006-05:00

How many times have you wished you could put glitter on your favorite photos, but didn't because it is so messy and expensive? Now you can! http://www.blingee.com/. Take this picture of Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. I think we could all agree that its a great picture and not much could be done to make it better.

But with blingee it becomes a one of a kind, sparkly display of friendship and joy.

Glitter Graphics

Or it could just mean that I have way too much time on my hands.

Blingee also lets you live out fantasies in your pictures. Example: I have always wanted to thug it up with Luke Bryan.

Make custom Glitter Graphics

The possiblities are endless! So if you find yourself bored at work, blingee it up!

I Wish You Joy and Happiness...

2009-02-27T18:26:00.004-06:00

Well, it appears that Tom and Giselle got married, thus shattering my dream of being Mrs. Tom Brady. Has anyone noticed that they kind of look like they could be brother and sister? Weird.

Tom, if being married to an underwear model ever gets old for you, come find me. I will always love you.

Baseball Is Back!

2009-02-26T15:12:00.005-06:00

Sunny days, the crack of the bat, an ice cold beer in hand, baseball’s back, baby! Yesterday marked the first Spring Training game for many major league clubs, and while it is rainy and chilly in Valparaiso, and snowy and cold in my native Minnesota, hope is alive for all 30 teams and their fans that maybe 2009 will be their year.
Some things I’m looking forward to about this season:
1. The full fledged Joe-nanza in Minnesota. The Twins already have a solid base of Joes with uber-hot catcher, Joe Mauer,

and one of the best closers in the league in Joe Nathan.

Last week they added a third Joe to the mix by signing former White Sox third baseman, Joe Crede.

Crede has a couple strikes against him in that 1. he has a history of back problems and 2. he played for the White Sox, but if he can stay healthy, he is a total upgrade from the Twins normal third base duo of Brendan Harris and Brian Buscher (sorry boys.)
2. The drama of the AL East: Are the Rays for real, or was last year some sort of fluke? Will the ridiculous amount of money the Yankees threw at people this off season pay off? Dustin Pedroia was the 2008 AL MVP; can we please stop calling him scrappy? What are the poor Blue Jays going to do? What does A-Rod think of Madonna dating a 22 year old, and more importantly did he use his connections to get her some ‘roids? (Seriously, have you seen the woman’s arms and scary hands?)

3. The Mets hopefully not collapsing.
4. The Cubs hopefully not collapsing. Living near Chicago has given me a soft place in my heart for down trodden Cubs fans.
5. The eventual end of the “Where’s Manny going to go?” saga. Not that I really care where he goes, but I will just be glad when I don’t have to hear about it anymore.
38 days till Opening Night…

Christmas Ramblings

2008-12-23T14:43:00.002-06:00

It has been forever since I've posted on this thing...not that many people read it, but it's December 23rd, so I thought I'd make an obligatory Christmas themed post.

Rambling #1: I love Christmas music! My new favorite is Straight No Chaser, an a cappella group that was originally formed at Indiana University. Last year someone emailed me a video of their version of 12 Days of Christmas, which can be found here:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=748678
I liked it, and thought it was funny, but went on with my life. However, this Christmas they released a cd called Holiday Spirits, and it is amazing and will totally get you in the Christmas spirit! My sister and I saw them in concert earlier this month, and I became completely hooked! I can't say enough good things about this group! I also love SNC because it provided fodder for me and my good friend anna to facebook back and forth about.

Rambling #2: I can't wait to go home! I can't wait to get goofy with my cousins playing the dice game. I'm excited to eat "tradtitions" (bacon wrapped water chestnuts, because really, who doesn't love bacon?) I miss my parents and I look forward to seeing my dad's Christmas village display.

Rambling #3: This time of year, I love and hate working at a church. I hate it because it seems like there is so much to do and not enough time to do it. And trying to work with kids around holiday breaks is nearly impossible! They are crazy and don't listen. But I love watching the kids Christmas program and seeing their excitement as they tell the story of Jesus' birth and what it means to them. I also love that this year my youth decided to show me their appreciation by giving me a Tom Brady fathead. Its on my living room wall and it is awesome!

Merry Christmas!

Dreams Do Come True!

2008-10-23T10:51:00.003-05:00

Tuesday October 21st one of my childhood wishes finally came true. I saw the New Kids on the Block in concert....and it was AWESOME!!! A couple weeks ago I was worried that the show would not live up to my expectations or be worth the $90 I spent on my ticket, but what I got was two hours of pure delight that was everything I hoped it would be.

Opening Acts: We missed most of this chick, I don't even know what her name was, but she was dressed in this pink and purple tu tu number, so I'm just gonna call her the Cotton Candy Whore. Needless to say I'm glad that I missed her.

Then Natasha Bedingfield came on and was really good, although I never realized this until I saw her in concert that all her songs sound alike, almost to a point that you can switch lyrics around and sing the same song. All the same, I love the song Love Like This.

Then it was time for the Main Event, NKOTB: Danny Donnie, Joe, Jon, and Jordan! Suddenly I was transported back to 1989, near tears, screaming with all the emotion of a combination of Mary Murphy asking the New Kids to be on the Hot Tamale Train and a 13 year old girl at a Jonas Brothers concert. My voice has still not recovered. The guys took the stage singing all of their old songs, everything from The Right Stuff and Hangin' Tough to I'll be Loving you Forever and Please Don't Go Girl, as well as singing some stuff from their new cd "The Block." Now over the years, NKOTB has grown up and apparently gotten much dirtier and less innocent in their lyrics, but the songs are just so darn catchy that I loved the new music! Overall, it was a night of nostalgia 15 years in the making, that I'll never forget.

Highlights: The streets of St. Paul being flooded with women aged 24-35, the few poor guys that got roped into taking their ladies to a New Kids concert, the girl in front of us wearing a shirt that said "I heart Wood" (referencing Danny Wood, of course), people wearing big-ass buttons. Drinking at a New Kids concert (that wouldn't have happened 15 years ago) Poor Jon nearly getting pulled off the stage- they prey on the weak one.

Fun with iTunes!

2008-09-08T14:52:00.005-05:00

Here's what you do- Go to your iTunes, put it on shuffle and whatever song happens to come up that's the song for your life soundtrack for that particular situation. I'm scared, but here goes!
OPENING CREDITS: Hey Girl by Dashboard Confessional
WAKING UP: With You in Your Dreams by Hanson
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: Forbidden Fruit by Jessica Simpson (don't judge me!)
FALLING IN LOVE: With the Band by Dierks Bentley (I do love Dierks)
FIGHT SONG: The Best Thing by Relient K (this should really be the falling in love song)
BREAKING UP: Undone by Lifehouse
PROM: Truly by Lionel Ritchie (again, please don't judge me)
LIFE: Forgiven by Relient K
MENTAL BREAKDOWN: Get Down by Backstreet Boys (one of the best ways to deal with stress is getting down)
DRIVING: Song for My Sons by Sara Groves
FLASHBACK: Climb On (A Back That's Strong) by Caedmon's Call
GETTING BACK TOGETHER: Why is Love So Hard to Find by Jesse McCartney
WEDDING: Call Me Irresponsible by Michael Buble (It's Jazzy, I'd play it at my Wedding)
BIRTH OF A CHILD: When the Sand Runs Out by Rascal Flatts
FINAL BATTLE: Your Body is a Wonderland by John Mayer (What kind of battle is this?!)
DEATH SCENE: Blame it on the Rain by Milli Vanilli (wouldn't it be sad to die having mili vanilli be the last sound you heard?)
FUNERAL: Have You Ever by Shawn McDonald
END CREDITS: Over my Head by Brian Littrell

1.) Put your music player on shuffle
2.) Press forward for each question.
3.) Use the song title as the answer to the question.
4.) NO CHEATING!!!

1.) How am I feeling today? Why Why Why by Billy Currington
2.) How will i feel getting married? I Wanna Be a Hillbilly by Billy Currington (I hate when iTunes isn't really random)
3.) What is my best friend's theme song? Here's to You by Rascal Flatts
4.) Highschool is? A Feeling Like That by Gary Allan
5.) I am... Forget About You by Dierks Bentley (so apparently I'm bitter about an ex)
6.) How is today? Come Back Home by Stellar Kart
7.) What is in store for this week? Gonna Get There Some Day by Dierks Bentley (so sadness about the loss of a loved one)
8.) What song best describes my parents? Heaven by Bryan Adams (um...Awkward)
9.) How is my life going? Misty Blue by Monica
10.) What song will they play at my funeral? Meant to Live by Switchfoot (That's kind of profound)
11.) How does the world see me? Flake by Jack Johnson
12.) My friends think... Why Don't You Kiss Her by Jesse McCartney (I'm not going to kiss a girl)
13) My life is lived... Look at You by Hanson
14.) This makes me happy... Lovebug by The Jonas Brothers (Yes this song makes me happy!)
15.) What should I do with my life? She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy by Kenny Chesney (so marry a hot farmer...OK!)
16.) I will be happy when... Please Don't Go Girl by New Kids on the Block (I will be happy when I see them in Oct, unless they do a ton of new stuff)
17.) What is some good advice? I Don't Trust Myself (with loving you) by John Mayer
18.) What do I think my current theme song is? Carolina in My Mind by James Taylor
19.) What does everyone else think my current theme song is? The World has Turned and Left Me Here by Weezer (sad)
20.) The type of men/women I like are... Beauty Divine by Brandon Heath (I do like pretty guys)
21.) How will you feel on your wedding day? I'm Lion-O by Relient K (I love Thundercats)
22.) What should I do with my love life? All We'd Ever Need by Lady Antebellum
23.) What will your neighborhood be like? Faith My Eyes by Caedmon's Call
24.) What will your dying words be? Settle for a Slowdown by Dierks Bentley (Those are some sad dying words.)

So what have we learned about me from these exercises: I have some embarrassing music on my iTunes

Get Excited!

2008-08-28T13:32:00.005-05:00

My favorite Michael Phelps is hosting Saturday Night Live on September 13th! Some things I am hoping for:

1. I hope he does the monologue shirtless.

2. There needs to be a skit where Andy Samburg=Ryan Lochte. Seriously!

3. A Penelope skit where Penelope is talking to Michael at a party trying to "one up" him on everything and says something ridiculous like "Well, I won 12 gold medals and swam to the moon"

4. Something having to do with the French Relay team, Bob Costas, or Andrea Kramer.

5. Phelps in drag

If Michael Phelps had hosted with the SNL cast 8-10 years ago (when I watched the show religiously) I would have liked to see:

1. Spartan Cheerleaders. I know they did one that took place at a swim meet.

2. Jimmy Fallon doing a musical tribute to Michael Phelps during Update.

3. Michael Phelps as Sally O'Mally's personal trainer. "I like to kick, stretch, and kick! I'm Fifty!"

4. Mango... because let's face it, Mango would love Michael Phelps!

5: Phelps in drag because dudes dressed as chicks never goes out of style!

I have my concerns with how funny he's actually going to be because in interviews he doesn't show a ton of personality, but I'm willing to be optimistic.

Dancing with the Stars is Back!

2008-08-25T14:19:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm not really as excited about this season as the title of this post would suggest, but the lineup for this fall's Dancing with the Stars has been announced. Here's what I think...
Toni Braxton, singer, 40, and season one DWTS champ Alec Mazo: Eh, this is one pairing that I don't really care too much about. She sings kind of manly, and I don't really like Alec very much.
Lance Bass, singer, 29, and Lacey Schwimmer: This morning on GMA when they announced the lineup, Lance was the first name they said. I was excited. He was always my favorite NSYNC boy and I absolutely love Lacey! She was on So You Think You Can Dance a couple seasons ago, my other favorite dancing show.
Ted McGinley, actor, 50, and Inna Brayer: I didn't know who Ted McGinley was, and I had to look him up on IMDB. It turns out he's the guy who played Jefferson on Married with Children. He's paired with a new dancer, so pretty much, I'm gonna say he has no chance.
Cloris Leachman, actress, 82, and Corky Ballas: She's old, but she's plucky, and I love that about her. I just hope she doesn't break a hip. P.S. Corky Ballas is Mark Ballas' dad.
Warren Sapp, former NFL star, 35, and Kym Johnson: Dear Dancing with the Stars Producers, Please, give Kym someone decent to work with who maybe has a chance in the competition! I feel so bad for her. She's gotten stuck with Jerry Springer, Penn from Penn and Teller, Mark Cuban, and Joey Fatone (ok, that one worked out pretty well, but still) They constantly stick her with the big guys who can't move.
Rocco DiSpirito, chef, 41, and Karina Smirnoff: I hate Karina, I don't know what it is about her, but I just can't stand her.
Kim Kardashian, TV personality, 27, and reigning DWTS champ Mark Ballas: Quoting Joel McHale from The Soup. "Kim Kardashian is famous for having a big ass and a sex tape." And now a show on E!. I'm just wondering how wardrobe is going to dress or not dress that behind of hers. Another unfortunate thing about Kim being on now is that sadly, we won't get to see her hot boyfriend Reggie Bush in the audience because its football season.
Maurice Green, Olympic gold medalist track and field star, 34, and two-time DWTS champ Cheryl Burke: This guy has the advantage of bein paired with Cheryl who can make a dancer out of anyone.
Misty May-Treanor, Olympic gold medalist beach volleyball player, 31, and Maksim Chmerkovskiy: Maks is back! Maks is back! Oh, I'm doing a happy dance! And as an Olympic addict, I'm so excited that he's with Misty May!
Susan Lucci, Emmy-award winning soap opera actress, 61, and Tony Dovolani: Erica Kane- what more can I say to that.
Jeffrey Ross, 42, comedian, and Edyta Sliwinska: Edyta looks kind of like Giselle Bundchen who is dating my Tom Brady, which could explain why I don't have the best feelings towards her, but she seems nicer than Karina. Anyway, I feel bad for Edyta, though, because Jeffrey Ross is a total d-bag!
Cody Linley, 18, actor, and two-time DWTS champ Julianne Hough: Cody plays Jake Ryan on Hannah Montana. I harbor ill will to this character because the only Jake Ryan I will ever accept is Jake Ryan on Sixteen Candles. I love you Michael Schoeffling! Julianne dropped out of the Brad Paisley tour to dance with this guy. I hope its worth it.
Brooke Burke, 36, TV personality, and Derek Hough: There's something about Derek that rubs me the wrong way. He got paired up with the eye candy last season (Shannon Elizabeth) so maybe like Kym who gets the big guys, Derek is going to get the hot women.
My prediction for final three: Misty and Maks- Misty is going to ride the post olympic high and I think she might actually end up being pretty good, so then people will start voting for her for real. Lance and Lacey- people who were in boy bands seem to do very well on this show-maybe because of the experience with choreography. Cody and Julianne- Julianne is America's sweetheart and people love her and vote for her.
Winner: Misty and Maks. Maks has always been the bridesmaid, I think its time for him to be the bride! K, that didn't quite come out how I planned it. He's been to the finals before with Leila and Mel, he knows what it takes, this is the year he gets over that last hurdle and wins it all!

The Olympics are Coming!

2008-08-04T13:47:00.008-05:00

I love the Olympics: Summer, Winter, I don't really have a preference. The 2008 Summer Olympics start on Friday 8/8/08, and I am excited! Here are a few reasons why.

1. Fireworks! I love fireworks to begin with and the displays at the Olympic Ceremonies are always amazing. This year they should be extra-awesome because the Olympics are in Beijing, China. China pretty much invented fireworks and manufactures a good majority of the world's fireworks, so this year shouldn't disappoint.

2. Swimming. I don't know how to swim, but I admire people that can, espeically when they look like this...

Michael Phelps is pretty much perfection to look at, but he's also a really good swimmer! He's in 8 events and that means he has the opportunity to break Mark Spitz's record for most gold medals won at an olympic games.

However, Ryan Lochte (below), who is equally as adorable as Phelps has the opportunity to spoil Phelps' dream of 8 gold medals, as they are both in the 200I.M. Showdown-Competition- that's what the Olympics are all about! The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat! Ok, that might have been a little too dramatic.

Oh also there is a swimmer from The Netherlands named Pieter Van den Hooganband, and that is just a fun name to say!

3. Gymnastics. I'm a girl, what can I say, we like gymnastics. I wanted to be a gymnast, but alas, I'm too tall and uncoordinated for that.

4. National Pride. I always get a little teary when an American wins their event and during the medal ceremony the national anthem is played.

5. Its something on tv that isn't a stupid reality show/summer replacement show.

So August8-24, enjoy the Olympics, after all, they only happen once every four years (Well, two if you factor in the Winter games).

The Jo Bros and Rolling Stone

2008-07-23T14:08:00.007-05:00

Rolling Stone used to be one of the more edgy magazines, and now they are doing a cover story on the Jonas Brothers? Not that I'm complaining, They've done stories on other pop stars through the years, and I love the Jonas Brothers and will consider buying this issue rather than just reading it while hanging out at Barnes and Noble. But it just seems a little bit odd.

On the Cover Joe (pictured center) has that, "Hell yeah, I'm sexy and I know it, but I'm wearing a purity ring, so you can't have me." look on his face. Also has anyone else noticed that he looks like a pretty version of Peter Gallagher? I think its the eyebrows. I'm a little disturbed by it.

Kevin (on the left) looks sad, like he knows that he is the least popular Jonas Brother. Poor Kevin. Also why is Kevin grabbing Joe's shirt like that?

And Nick (my favorite Jo-Bro because he's the talent in the group) just looks uncomfortable like he is thinking about running away. Also, did you know that Nick would like to do a Johnny Cash tribute album? My dear, sweet Nick Jonas singing the lyric "I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die." What would Disney say about that? And more importantly, why do I want to listen to that album, if it ever gets made, when I know that it would probably end badly?

Thank You For Being a Friend

2008-07-22T14:36:00.003-05:00

Today, I was sad to learn that Estelle Getty passed away. She was known best for playing Sophia Patrillo, the sharp witted Sicilian, on one of the best tv shows ever, the Golden Girls. For many this isn't a huge deal, but to me, the Golden Girls was a significantpart of my childhood. Watching the show now makes me remember evenings spent with my great grandma.

Remember the time Sophia and Dorothy dressed up like Sonny and Cher, pure comic greatness! Or her stories that always started "Picture it, Sicely..."

Rest in peace, Sophia...You will be missed.

Top Ten Reasons I Love Anderson Cooper

2008-07-14T12:35:00.006-05:00

It's true, I have a borderline unhealthy fascination with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper. Many have asked me why I love The Coop so much, and here are my 10 favorite reasons why I love Anderson Cooper.

1. His pretty blue eyes and the fact that he's not afraid to rock the gray hair.

2. I just feel that when he reports, he's being honest with me. I can trust that Andy's gonna tell it like it is.

3. He's got some major guns! (See photo on the right) That's why I love when he goes to remote locations like Africa; we get to see what he's hiding under that suit coat. I'd like two tickets to that gun show, please!

4. He is socially awkward. One of my favorite moments exemplifying this is when he asked Donna Brazile if he could be her "boo"

5. He is my favorite replacement host on Regis and Kelly when Regis is away. Sorry, Neil Patrick Harris.

6. In spite of the fact that he has major guns, he is terrible at sports! see the following- Anderson Cooper with David Beckham.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N6G8XlyCMM

7. He's kind of normal. He likes going to CostCo and didn't go to the dentist for like 5 years. I learned that on Regis and Kelly this morning.

8. He cares about the environment. Have you seen the Planet in Peril special? He probably takes his own reusable bags with him to the grocery store.

9. He's heroic- he saved Jeff Corwin from an elephant when they did Planet in Peril.

10. He's just so dang cute! Do I really need a reason to love Anderson Cooper? I don't think so.

All Star Hotties

2008-07-10T13:49:00.030-05:00

I love baseball, and the All Star Game is next week! That got me thinking, "What if the All Star Game participants were chosen based soley on good looks?" Well, I'm not going to lie, I did vote for some players based on how good looking they are. I'm a girl, I can't help it! But if I had to put a team together of only good looking baseball players, and there are quite a few of them, this is what that team would look like. Note: I have not divided AL and NL that would have taken way too much time.

We'll start with some pitchers:

1. Johan Santana: LHP New York Mets
Sure, he left my Twins for the bigger contract. I miss him. The Mets have struggled this year, so he is not getting the number of wins and attention that a 3 time all star caliber pitcher that he is. All that aside...he's still hot!

2. Adam Wainwright RHP St. Louis Cardinals

I first noticed Adam Wainwright during the 2006 World Series. From that point on, it was love!

3. Nick Blackburn: RHP Minnesota Twins
Nicky's in his first full season with the Twins and is playing remarkably well. He currently has a 3.72 ERA, which isn't awful, but more importantly he has impeccably groomed sideburns that give Joe Mauer a run for his money.

4. Dan Haren: RHP Arizona Diamondbacks (pictured left)
Ok, so this picture was when he was with the A's, but come on! Cute baseball player + puppy= adorable!

5. For my closer I pick Joe "don't you wish your closer was hot like mine?" Nathan RHP Minnesota Twins.

Now for some position players..

Catcher: Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
whether he's picking off runners or winning batting titles, there isn't guy in baseball that looks better than Joe Mauer. Look at those sideburns!

Not gonna lie, I wouldn't mind reading the Sunday Star Trib in a hammock with him!

1st Base: Conor Jackson, Arizona Diamondbacks
The 1st base position is not really a good looking position in the majors, I don't know why. But this guy is pretty cute!

2nd Base: Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers. He's got curls and is pretty much adorable.

Honorable Mention: Chase Utley Philadelphia Phillies, pretty blue eyes!

Shortstop/3rd Base: Short and 3rd are pretty much loaded with good looking guys. You have the traditional Yankee combination that many find attractive of Derek Jeter at Short and Alex Rodriguez at 3rd. They are two of the most recognizable faces in Major League Baseball, not to mention A-Rod has really pretty eyes! They aren't really my cup of tea.

I prefer the dynamic Short/3rd Combo from the other New York Team. Jose Reyes at Short and David Wright at 3rd of the Mets.

Yeah, he's definitely Mr. Wright in my book- get it Right/Wright? Yeah, it was a bad pun. I'm sorry.

Honorable Mention: Blake DeWitt: Shortstop LA Dodgers (left)

Evan Longoria: 3rd Base Tampa Bay Rays (right)

Time for the Outfield- I couldn't pick just 3.

Torii Hunter, Los Angeles Angles(top left)His smile is dazzling!

Ryan Church, New York Mets: I could try to make a gag about Church and worship, but it would probably end up being overly inappropriate.

Michael Cuddyer, Minnesota Twins: He's magical! Well, more specifically he enjoys doing card and magic tricks. Check out those dimples, though! So cute!

Skip Schumaker, St. Louis Cardinals: what can I say, he pulls off the buzz cut very well. Did you know his real name is Jared? I wonder why he goes by Skip?

Well that's it! If I had all authority in baseball, I would put these fine looking gentelmen on a team. It would be a pretty good team, too! I should keep this method in mind if I ever decide to do fantasy baseball.

Dang it, ESPN!

2008-07-02T15:25:00.005-05:00

Why do you have to make me cry? I go to you expecting to receive my fill of testosteroned charged sports action. Normally I partake happily, but not last night. Last night you touched my heart with "My Wish" complete with the Rascal Flatts song of the same name introducing the segment, and the story of young Alonso visiting the Cleveland Indians.
If you haven't seen "My Wish" is ESPN teaming up with the Make a Wish Foundation to help children with life threatening illnesses dreams come true. Watch this and just try to hold back the waterworks...