NFL Monday recap - week #12

Other: My early game this week, since the Bucs were the late game, wasn't Miami, or Jacksonville, or Atlanta, three teams close to my viewing area, but the Baltimore/Cincinnati game. Because that makes perfect sense. I made do with the NFL Network's Red Zone, a channel I had forgotten all about until a friend of mine mentioned it at card night on Saturday.

• Colin Kaepernick tried to get the 49ers a win by playing every position, but Miami's Ndamukong Suh stopped him at the 2 yard line as time ran out in the early game. Kaepernick was a wild man rushing for 113 yards and passing for 296 yards and three touchdowns. Of course, after opening his mouth the day before with Miami reporters and taking a "defending" stance on Cuba's deceased leader Fidel Castro, he was booed as soon as he took the field and knew he would have to have the game of his life.
• The Dolphins were like little kids after winning the game. Quarterback Ryan Tannenhill ran out on the field and practically wiped out chest bumping linebacker Kiko Alonzo. Other players fell into a huge hug pile on the field. It was cool to see a team sharing pure joy at winning their sixth game in a row, reminding us all that while this is big $$ business deep down it all started as a fun with these guys.
• I don't get the whole "touching the pylon" rule for a TD. In my opinion San Francisco's Carlos Hyde and New York's Victor Cruz didn't score touchdowns. Both players ran into the end zone with feet out of bounds and the ball in their stretched right hands...out of bounds. I kept using my slow motion button to observe these two scorers, and finally I looked the damn rule up. "The ball is on, above, or behind the plane of the opponents’ goal line and is in possession of a runner who has advanced from the field of play" Apparently the runner does not have to be in bounds as long as a minute piece of the ball is.... Hmmm....
• The Bengals Vontaze Burfict, he of the many penalties and many fines, hit Baltimore's Steve Smith Sr. away from the ball, and then just because he is such an asshole, as Smith finished his tumbling routine courtesy of Burfict's shoving and was coming up on his feet, Burfict pushed him back down with both his hands to the chest. Whoa. As soon as I saw that I thought, "Dude, you messing with the wrong player this time." Sure enough, Smith jumped up and plunged his head into Burfict's chest, and most likely would have done some more damage, but Bufict realizing his mistake went into his Oscar worthy routine and the refs threw the flag on Smith and stopped it from going any further. But, I tell you, the boy is cruisin' for a huge bruisin', mark my words.
• Can we stop the announcers from talking about "rematches from Super Bowl blah, blah, blah"? These games are not rematches from whatever Super Bowl you are talking about. The 49ers game with the Dolphins was not a rematch of Super Bowl 19. A rematch would mean that the players of both of those teams were playing one another again. That's a rematch. 
• Tampa's cornerback Alterraun Verner intercepted Seahawks Russell Wilson and the entire team surrounded him as he lay on the ground crying. On Friday Verner's dad Robert Lee died after spending Thanksgiving with the family the day before, and Verner crying on the sideline after the interception was just heartbreaking. The hugs from his teammates and his coaches as he sat there made it more poignant. The fact that these guys choose to play after the death of family members, and we have had tons of these moments, is their business, but it certainly doesn't diminish their losses.
• What was going on with Bengals quarterback Andy "fumble fingers" Dalton? He kept missing the snap as if he didn't realize he was playing behind the center.
• Jumping over the pile was the theme for this week with quarterbacks and running backs making the attempt. Some got in and some didn't.

2016-2017 NFL picks - week #12

Thanksgiving Day was a win win for me all the way around!

Detroit over Minnesota - The Lions always play on Thanksgiving Day so they're the pros.

Dallas over Washington - The Cowboys can certainly be beat, but I don't think the Redskins are the ones that will do it.

Pittsburgh over Indianapolis - No Andrew Luck. The Steelers play well on national TV in the evening. I'm not worried.

Atlanta over Arizona - I keep hoping that the Falcons will be the team I thought they would be at the beginning of the year.

Buffalo over Jacksonville - The Bills have lost their running backs, but then again they do have the veteran coach.

Tennessee over Chicago - I'm going with Marcus Mariota over Jay Cutler.

Giants over Cleveland - At this point it's just a matter of time before some team goes down as losing to the losers, but I don't think it will be the Giants.

Miami over San Francisco - Yep, going with the Dolphins again because, well, it is the 49er's.

New Orleans over Los Angeles - The Saints at home on a holiday weekend? Against the Rams? Who went with the other pick?

Baltimore over Cincinnati - The Bengals lost two, and I mean TWO, huge players last week in A.J. Green and Giovani Bernard so yeah unless they band together to win one for the injured...

San Diego over Houston - I feel like Phillip Rivers is a lot like Chicago's Jay Cutler. He wants to win, I think, but then again he SQUIRREL. But this week seems like one he might just pull off.

Seattle over Tampa Bay - The Seahawks defense against the Bucs at home seems too easy of a choice to make.

New England over Jets - They won't lose this week.

Denver over Kansas City - I think Peyton Manning's visit this week to practice will rah, rah, rah these guys back to a win.

Philadelphia over Green Bay - The Packers are in trouble, and I just didn't feel this away game would solve the issues.

Post Thanksgiving wrap up

We have family traditions on Thanksgiving. One is that my husband always runs our local Turkey Trot at the crack of dawn. Another is that he comes home and watches the Macy's Day Thanksgiving parade. A third is that Kelly cooks our turkey, and stuffing, and a million other things, and watches the Westminster Dog Show in between dishes. The last tradition is we make milk gravy. All of those traditions happened yesterday. Check. Check. Check, check, and check.

I got up early and made pumpkin pies. This year I did not make the crust, but relied on Pillsbury and the dough boy did not disappoint. Kelly arrived with the turkey she gets free from work each year and she began preparing it as the pies cooked. After that we just got into a routine. I had chopped the celery, snapped the green beans, and decorated the two tables the night before, and so we peeled potatoes and made the stuffing, and had it all ready and waiting to be cooked. We had so much done ahead of time that we felt comfortable drinking sangria, and we might have gotten a little cocky.

The turkey ended up with an internal temperature of over 200 degrees one hour before the assigned removal from the oven. The temperature in my kitchen was just as hot as we ran around trying to finish up everything earlier than planned which actually ended up later than we planned by the time we were done warming up dishes that had finished earlier. Kelly and I were dripped in sweat, but we kept our sunny dispositions despite people coming into the kitchen asking if they could help or questioning the time of eating.

It didn't matter. The meal was delicious. The turkey was fine. The company was entertaining and we all agreed it was a successful night. My family headed out before the game. They know me well. Our friends hung around until after the first quarter of the game, and I was left alone to relax and enjoy a decent game for a change.

Steelers: No Andrew Luck. An aging defense. Who understands that better than Steelers fans? Happy Thanksgiving to us.

• Again with the damn penalties, and this week we couldn't just have one here and there. No, we had to have double penalties on top of double penalties. Seriously? If I were the player whose run or catch was nixed due to one of my teammates making a stupid penalty I would be in his face.
• Antonio Brown with the excessive celebration penalty again. Yet, then in the next breath the Colts' Donte Moncrief scored and danced in the end zone, but no call. This has got to be a celebrate/no celebrate situation, refs. Otherwise, it is too subjective and geared toward certain players, and that gives you guys a bad rep. Who the heck even made the decision on this stupid rule anyhow? 
• It was great that Tony Dungy received his HOF ring at halftime seeing as he played and coached for the Steelers and coached for the Colts. Probably doesn't work out that well for most inductees.
• I got a little tired of seeing Colts punter Pat McAfee on the Thanksgiving segments of the game, but that just might be because he did that little strut after his fake punt, and after that all I could see was a smugness instead of humor. 
• After the game, when the triple three were being interviewed by NBC sideline reporter Michele Tafoya she had them take a bite out of some turkey legs. Neither of the three wanted to do so, but they played along, and when Tafoya asked Antonio how it was he responded with "Boomin'" Oh, Michele, you walked into that one. All AB fans chuckled.

Other:

• So much for being thankful on this holiday when it comes to football. Dallas' Dez Bryant and Washington's Josh Norman got into a scuffle on the field in the third quarter, and it just kept coming throughout the rest of the game, not ending even when the game ended. Instead the two traded barbs after the game on twitter and in post game locker room interviews. Someone should have reminded them what day it was.
• There is something so annoying about Cowboy's owner Jerry Jones. His pompous attitude? His "please pick me up and carry me on your shoulders like I deserve" mentality?  Ugh. And it is always worse when his team wins. Someone needs to teach the man humility.
• The Detroit/Minnesota game led off the holiday football, and it didn't disappoint with the Lions kicking the winning field goal as time ran out.

Birthday aftermath

So my birthday came and went like it does every year. It consisted of mainly food like it does every year. My girlfriend took me to a birthday breakfast on Tuesday. On Wednesday my neighbor took me a birthday lunch, and on my actual birthday my buddy bought me breakfast, and my daughter picked up Outback Steakhouse carry out. I bought myself a peanut butter pie from the Village Inn, and my family stuck in candles and sang the birthday song in various genres. It was a good week.

The first birthday package arrived in the mail a week prior to my day. It was from my SIL (she signs my brother's name, but lets be honest. It's from her), and it was in a BIG box that stared at me all week long from where I sat it on a dining room chair. So when it came time to open up my presents after the pie and singing, I opted to open that one first. I did it with wide abandonment using only my fingers, ripping tape and pulling with all of my strength. I opened the lid with joyful excitement, and then stared into it with puzzlement.

My brain stared at the three items and registered nothing. Nada. I closed the lid and then opened it again as if the contents were going to magically change. They didn't. The same three items were still there.

Tom: "What is that?"
Me: "A Leap Frog Scribble and Write, a drawing thing, and a mermaid tale."
Tom: "From who? That seems kind of .... why would they send you that?"

Obviously a mistake. An oopsy daisy from Amazon. The message read, "Happy Birthday. We miss you" which I knew was something my SIL would say, but not without some love thrown into the message. There were four pieces of paper inside an envelope with the reoccurring birthday message, but one of the papers had the name, "Tesla" written on it.

SIL: "Won't she be surprised when she opens her gift!"

I texted my SIL who contacted Amazon who agreed they had made a mistake. Instead of making me box and ship the items back to their warehouse they told me I could keep them and/or donate them. Darcy immediately confiscated the mermaid tale. The other two items I shall donate for the holidays. Meanwhile my real presents arrived over the weekend with my long awaited "wish" item, a Glowbowl, a toilet bowl night light

I'm a huge nightlight person. I grew up with nightlights, and I never turned on lights in the night. When I was dating my husband he bought a nightlight for his bathroom for me, and I knew then he was the one. I saw this nightlight on Amazon on one of it's deals of the day, and I immediately added it to my wish list. Because, what's not to love about this? It's motion activated so when I come into the bathroom during the early morning or evening time the bowl lights up to allow me to see. There are six different colors, and since I got it I've changed to a different color each night I go to bed.

Darcy: "It's weird. I mean, really? A light in the toilet? It's weird."

I love it. Downside is that you can't turn it off during the daytime. It really needs an off switch so the batteries don't run down. It will be interesting to see how long it lasts. Other downside is it most likely will be filthy, the part that is inside the bowl. Ugh. I haven't had to deal with that yet, but I'll pull out my handy dandy Clorox wipes I suppose.

Two days after my birthday, while I slept, my brain, slow on the uptake as always, registered that I had not renewed my driver's license that expired on my birthday. My brain alerted the rest of my body to this fail, and I jumped up out of bed Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. on the dot and rushed into the bathroom to brush my teeth. As I went through the motions of getting toothpaste out and wetting the brush, my brain registered the weekend and the fact that I was screwed. And home bound until Monday.

Tom: "You'll just have to drive slowly and obey the law. And look out for cops."
Me: "Uh, obey the law? Hello."

Darcy was away for the weekend, and my husband scoffed at driving me to all of the places I needed to be driven to. My friend SueG hauled me around on Saturday, but on Sunday I broke the law. I had to drive to church, drive to pick up a Greek salad, and drive to buddy's house for the Steelers game. I felt like such a rebel.

SueG: "Good thing you drive like a grandma."

Monday morning I was at the DMV a few minutes after it opened. I came prepared with all of the identity paperwork needed to establish that I was who I said I was, including two pieces of mail. Because nothing proves a person's identity more than a piece of mail with a name and address. Please. I get mail daily made out to my mother, my brother, my sister in law, and recently, my aunt, all apparently living at my home address.

The clerk took my photo, spent considerable time typing, and eventually disappeared to get my new license. Upon her return, she showed me that the laminating hadn't done its job, crinkling up on the edges. She took a red marker and wrote MFT on both sides of my license, and then sat back down to redo everything she had already done. She disappeared to get my new license, and when she returned it was to show me that the damn laminating machine had once again messed up my license. Again she wrote MFT on the front and back on my license.

Me: "I hope you're going to shred those."
Clerk: "Actually, this is a manufacturing issue. It will go back to the company. These machines are just awful."
Me: "Great. I feel so safe knowing this. I think maybe cutting it in half might be more secure."
Clerk: "Let's see if third time is a charm."

It was, but I left with the new license knowing that there were two more of me, complete with triple chins, circulating in the universe. I should have told her I would just take them home and flush them down my lit up toilet. Instead I drove to a local bakery and got myself a couple of donuts and a large coconut coffee. Happy Birthday to me.

NFL Monday recap - week #11

Steelers: We all changed seats and shirts this week while watching at my buddy's house. Superstitious? Damn straight. This is NFL football, people. We do what we have to do to win.

• This week was golden for James Harrison who became the Steelers all time sack man with a take down of Cody Kessler in the second half to give him 77.5 recorded sacks. Word is he got "teary", and that makes me smile.
• Defense wins this game. Eight sacks in this game where our defense has had 6 all season long. They certainly answered the call this week, although still too many missed tackles in my book.
• It was a running game this week for our offensive with La'Veon rushing for 146 yards in 28 carries. His 201 yards total between his rushing and receiving (55 yards) was huge for an offensive that is missing key receivers.
• The craziest part of the game came during the last seconds of the first half. The Steelers were in the red zone on a second an goal, and tired of kicking field goals, the Steelers went for it. Roethlisberger missed Antonio Brown in the end zone as time ran out, but a defensive holding call gave them a second chance. Again Roethlisberger went to Antonio Brown and missed, but a pass interference call gave them a second chance. At this point, my buddy was coming unhinged with us "going for it" instead of taking the easy three point field goal. I, on the other hand, knew Tomlin was thinking how this team has squandered too many opportunities in the second half of games, and three points wasn't going to cut it. It hasn't cut it for us. So Tomlin made the call, and this time Bell ran the ball in for a touchdown, and the extra two was good as well.
• After that score, as the teams ran into the locker room for halftime rest and speeches, the Brown fans threw trash down on the field. Because, nothing says we're disappointed in our team than giving more work to people that have nothing to do with the team's play.
• Ryan Shazier made a great play in the fourth quarter by knocking the ball out of back up quarterback Josh McCown's hands at the one yard line in Steelers' territory. The ball rolled into the end zone, and Pittsburgh's Jason Hargrave fell on it for the defensive touchdown to seal the deal.
• After the game, Tomlin gave a kudo to "old James Harrison", but criticized the officiating for missed calls and no calls. Hmmmm...not sure what he was fired up about, but he did have a better view then I did. 
• Next up the first of our three holiday games; Thanksgiving game against the Colts.

Other:

• Oh, Peyton, how great it was to see you back on the field on Sunday. Peyton Manning visited Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to watch the the Colts play the Titans. He and his kids messed around on the field, chatted with former teammates, visited the CBS broadcast booth, and excited fans by signing autographs. Retired, yet thankfully still so much a part of the game.
• Despite the Colts big win, their future Hall of Fame kicker, Adam Vinatieri's streak of 44 consecutive field goals came to an end on a day where more kicks were missed than made. Vinatieri missed a 42 yard field goal that went way right, but then came back to start his streak all over again with a made 49 yard field goal. Only 43 more to go.
• Eleven extra points were missed yesterday. A record in the NFL. The replays were like a cartoon show, needing the oopsie daisy music playing in the background.
• More concussion injuries this week with Carolina and the Browns pulling players. Interesting how the players themselves are taking hits to the brain more seriously now. Maybe the concussion lawsuits and movie didn't get through to the NFL powers-that-be, but it did hit home to the people whose lives are the ones at stake.
• The long wait on whether Dallas quarterback Tony Romo would or wouldn't return as the main man was answered earlier this week with a clearly upset Romo reading a scripted rah, rah statement that claimed he agreed back up quarterback Dak Prescott should be the Cowboy's leader. Not much of a surprise to any of us who watch the NFL games as Prescott has done more for this team in nine weeks than Romo has done in nine years, but now Romo is looking elsewhere to continue his career. Word is that he is hoping that the Broncos will take pity on him like John Elway has done with former injured quarterbacks, and he will ride into Denver and lead them to another storied Super Bowl ring. Uh, yeah, Romo, you are no Peyton Manning, and there lies the difference.
• Whoa. Cincinnati took two huge hits in the afternoon, losing two of their main men to injuries that appear season ending. Receiver A.J. Green has a hamstring injury, and Giovani Bernard tore his ACL. Both are fantasy players in our household, one mine and the other Darcy's, but truthfully I only had a moment of regret before I realized the impact on the Steelers. I hate when good players get hurt, and I do mean that, but then again this is football and we have to play the Bengals again this year. 
• I'm glad I'm not a Bears fan because Jay Cutler would have me just plain crazy. What is with that dude?
• A few running quarterbacks this week scoring in the houses; Cam Newton, Alex Smith, Russell Wilson. So much for the "keep the quarterbacks from leaving the pocket" mentality all coaches were stressing this year.

2016-2017 NFL picks - week #11

New Orleans over Carolina - I was mad at Cam Newton

Cincinnati over Buffalo - This could be a good game or a blow out.

Pittsburgh over Cleveland - The Browns won't go undefeated, but if we lose today you might as well put a fork in us.

Dallas over Baltimore - I went back and forth on this one as the Ravens are finally getting their act together while the Steelers are struggling, but I went with the better team.

Detroit over Jacksonville - The Lions surely won't let the Jags beat them, right?

Indianapolis over Tennessee - The Colts really need to get going this year, and this is a good game to start.

Kansas City over Tampa Bay - Another game that might be great or might be lopsided. The Bucs always do better away than at home, but the Chiefs keep screwing me every week so this time I'm taking them.

Arizona over Minnesota - The Vikings are too much like the Steelers right now with injuries and shaky playing.

Giants over Chicago - Oh, the Bears. Yeah. Do I need to explain this pick?

Miami over Los Angeles - Okay, so I'm picking the Dolphins this week because the Rams are not a team I expect to do anything flashy today.

New England over San Francisco - Uh, so, yeah.

Seattle over Philadelphia - Another game that should be a good one to watch, but I went with the better quarterback.

Washington over Green Bay - A toss up game in my mind.

Oakland over Houston - Raiders are the better team, but this sure isn't a Monday Night Football game that will have people glued to their TV's.

A birthday shout out to me

10:13 a.m. Text from my friend Kelly:

C is for the care and concern she has for her family and friends and neighbors.
A is for her awesome ability to change tires and other minor car repairs.
R is for the reverence she has for sports and its role in society and her riotous support of the Steelers.

12:10 p.m. I texted her:

That spells CAR. OMG! You got me a CAR for my birthday!!

Kelly's reply:

A is for her adorable imagination in thinking I'm buying her a car.

NFL Monday recap - week #10

I got the Tampa Bay game. No Falcons. The whole television market rights and deals make me nuts. The Steelers were on, however, so I guess I can't complain too much this week, but I would have liked to have seen the Falcons.

Steelers: No matter the score. It was a damn good game for football fans.

• The first two scores had me thinking how amazing it is that Ben Roethlisberger, after having knee surgery four weeks ago, is back in the line up playing at an elite level. Sportscaster always say #7 is tough, but it's crazy how these athletes do it.
• Then Ben got tripped, and I thought oh, boy, here we go again, but as he stumbled he got hit from behind, and then to just ram it home, hit again from the front. That hit was an arm to his head that knocked his neck backwards, and suddenly Ben was on his back on the field. He left for one series, and when he came back out on to the field the noise was deafening. It was awesome. I wish I had been there, but I cheered just as loudly at home from my position on the couch.
• This week was Veterans week where the NFL honors our Armed Service men and women. The Steelers have a veteran, offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva, who has served three tour of duties. Fox decided to discuss Villaneuva as they came back from a commercial break, and the camera cut to Villaneuva sitting on the bench spitting. Not once, not twice, but an all out spitting tobacco kind of fit. It kind of ruined the moment.
• Stephon Tuitt and James Harrison combined for a sack on Dallas' Prescott, but the official word is that the sack went to Tuitt who had Prescott around the legs. Had it been awarded to Harrison he would have set a team record. Favorite tweet on that subject: "They're giving that sack to Tuitt. I, for one, will not be informing James Harrison of that."
• I'm getting tired of the silly game where we start a play during a substitution before the player gets off the field and then the team gets called for 12 players. Run, dammit.
• Ezekiel Elliott killed the defense and that was the difference. He's Darcy fantasy player so she was happy although, "I always root for the Steelers, but he got me 38 points!"
• Dudes. This Dak Prescott is the real deal. Best. rookie. ever.
• Now we will hear the call to fire Tomlin even stronger than last week. Why is it no one wants to yell at the players for not doing their jobs? I agree the coach is a huge part of the game, but frankly, if these guys need someone to coddle them and push them and tell them how to do their job, well, then maybe they aren't the right people for the job. Sigh. All so disappointing.

Other:

• I get the whole "run to the outside" when snagging an interception, but at some point while running toward that area and seeing it blocked, doesn't the brain think "run elsewhere" and not "run backwards"? 
• I always shout out respect for the player who once played for the opposition and who then picks off his old quarterback and scores. That's using your knowledge, your eyes, and your revenge.
• Is Cam Newton a beast or what? His pushing of his body almost ten yards through a wad of muscular defenders and teammates to the end zone was just pure power and strength.
• Chicago Bear's Kyle Long got taken down awkwardly by his own teammate in the red zone and had to be carted off the field. At halftime during Fox's update, Curt Menfee asked Long's father, analyst Howie Long, how his son was doing, and suddenly the dangerous aspect of the game hit home. As a parent, that is difficult to watch in any sport. Howie didn't give out much, but he did say unfortunately it would be a long term injury. His face, though, was heartbreaking.
• Crazy play of the day? Jameis Winston scrambling backwards in the pocket, running left, running right, running backwards into the end zone, then out again before throwing the ball 39 yards down the middle of the field to Mike Evans. I was wincing and screeching, and then just staring in awe. Whoop.
• One of the Buccaneers favorite boys, Mr. Derrick Brooks, called out the Bucs defense this week, and boy, did they answer today. That's what I'm talking about. You want to talk smack about us? Not happening this week!
• Gee, sorry I didn't get to see the Jets/Los Angeles game. 9-6. I wonder if low scoring games will be a precedent this year. Jeff Fisher's excitement of snapping a four game losing streak and his post game pep talk in the locker room had me snorting. Really Fisher? You scored 9 points. You have a ways to go.
• I'm just curious. Is there ever a football game where someone is not hurt?

2016-2017 NFL picks - week #10

Baltimore over Cleveland - Now that the Ravens have finally won they will continue working hard to take the lead in the division.

Green Bay over Tennessee - I went with the experienced.

New Orleans over Denver - This was a toss up. I went with a feeling...which may have had to do more with my two Bronco WR fantasy players who have done nothing to help me in the last three weeks.

Jets over Los Angeles - I didn't even remember that the Rams were still playing football.

Atlanta over Philadelphia - The Falcons are fun to watch, and I still believe in them. Matt Ryan is a beast who doesn't get enough praise so I'm going to heap it on him.

Tampa Bay over Chicago - I haven't seen the Bears play, but the Bucs get Doug Martin back (as do I in fantasy!) today so I'm hoping for some great yardage.

Washington over Minnesota - Another toss up, but I never win with the Vikings whether I pick them or not. Too many injuries and unfortunate circumstances for that team, while the Redskins have found a better groove than the one they started out with.

Carolina over Kansas City - I went with Cam Newton at home. No other reason.

Houston over Jacksonville - One of those games that only the fans care about. Maybe the Jags can pull this off today, but I went safe. Or did I?

San Diego over Miami - Yep, still not going with those Dolphins. Not against Phillip Rivers in his stadium.

Arizona over San Francisco - Like the other California team, I keep forgetting they are still in the league.

Pittsburgh over Dallas - Big Ben made a statement this week shouldering the blame, shouldering his leadership, and shouting out to his guys to follow. I believe.

Seattle over New England - Whoa. What?

Giants over Cincinnati - This might actually be an interesting game for MNF for a change.

First half of senior year? Check

A few weeks, Darcy had her last two swim meets; districts where she swam her last individual events and regionals where she swam her last relay. She is now done with her high school swimming career. It was bittersweet for me. The meet was held locally, south of us at an aquatic center that sits directly on the shore. The views are spectacular, not only of the bay, but also of the top notch pool facility, from the covered spectator seating. It was a beautiful morning, and while I was listed as a timer, I wasn't needed so I snagged a shady spot in the upper right hand corner directly in front of lanes 4-6 to watch my girl compete.

She did well. Her butterfly stroke this year, to my trained eye, was off. She made some adjustments to compensate for her injured shoulder, and it wasn't for the better. It made her come out of the pool too high when breathing and the injured shoulder was always a bit behind instead of being in sync. Her freestyle was great, and I truly believe if she had concentrated on that stroke this year, worked on her turns, she would have gone farther. But swimming, for her, is a joy and what she does for exercise and fun so I pretty much kept my mouth shut and just let her be.

It was a good meet, and her relay made it on to the regionals. That meant a road trip south to Ft. Meyers, but it wasn't a bad drive. Two and a half hours for a fifty meter swim, but hey, all I could think about while I sat at both meets was this was it. This was the last time I would be doing any of this, and so I sniffled and blinked back tears, and enjoyed all of it.

She is busy finishing up her IB curriculum, stressing and pacing and worrying. In between all of that she is applying for colleges and scholarships. In her spare time she is vocal about justice and taking a stand for her beliefs.

She volunteered to be the senior speaker at the junior IB pinning ceremony that our IB organization puts on each year, and she was great. I sat and watched as she did the same thing her sister had done three years prior. She stood tall, spoke eloquently, injected humor, and gave a speech she wrote to her fellow classmates.

It's been cool to spend this time with her the past two years. Her father and I couldn't be more proud of the woman she has become. She is kind, gentle, strong, independent, and true to herself. As she finishes up her last year of high school, we are content to sit back and let her fly.

And to support her by trudging to all of the events she still is a part of, because this time next year we will be wishing we had some of these activities still left to attend.

Things I am grateful for today

• My girls 
• Books 
• Phone calls to and from family and friends
• My congregation 
• Having my home phone back again
• Hope
• My Twitter feed of like minded strangers
• My comfortable bed with its clean sheets
• Coffee
• The time and serenity to go back to bed
• My neighbor
• Amazon
• Freedom
• My girls

I breathe in. I breathe out. I hope for loving kindness. I ask for peace and forgiveness. I pray for us to come together. I breathe in. I breathe out. All will be well. I have to believe that. Hugs.

First day initiation

I'm working on forging a new path for my future, and in doing so I signed up to do some volunteer work at my church. I attend a congregation that welcomes everyone of all faiths, beliefs, backgrounds, sexual orientation, etc. It has fit me well, and when the call for a blog editor went out over social media I realized that fit me well too, and so I responded. I am now the blog administrator for the congregation, and since I was on a roll I also signed up to work in the office twice a week. Forging my new path...

Friday was my first day. It was to be a day of training to learn the ropes, and I was quite nervous, wondering what I had gotten myself into. Working behind the scenes for the blog was one thing, but working where people could see me was another. I'm not too keen on new things, especially when I feel I don't know everything about a subject, and I tend to be reserved and quiet (shocking, I know). My trainer, I'll call her TJ, met me and immediately put me at ease with her outgoing personality and niceness. She showed me where we would be working, and then decided to give me a tour. We had just come out of the supply area when the admin woman told us a young man was at the front door inquiring about the church. I told TJ I would follow her and observe. I had been at the new job for all of ten minutes at this point.

We went out into the foyer, and TJ opened the locked door and in came the man. He was probably late twenties, dressed in a shirt and trousers, a suit jacket, and barefoot. I saw the bare feet almost instantly, and alarm bells went off in my head. I'm a woman always on the look out for danger, and a man with no shoes coming into a church nestled back among residential areas gave me a twinge. There were three women in this building, and now we were admitting a man inside...with no shoes. TJ, however, seemed at ease and immediately put out her hand introducing herself. The young man pulled back his hand, explained that he had some metacarpal damage and thus needed to shake gently, and proceeded to do just that, introducing himself as Jim (name changed to protect the innocence). He then came toward me with his elbow tucked tightly against his side, his hand out, fingers curled. I gently took his hand and introduced myself, and immediately grew more suspicious at the dead fish handshake, something I totally find repulsive having been taught the importance of a good handshake.

TJ: "So I understand you are interested in learning more about our congregation. What types of things are you looking for?"
Jim: "God has sent me here. God told me that this church was a welcoming one. God told me that this church welcomes everyone."
TJ: "That is very true. We welcome everyone. What are you looking for, Jim?"
Jim: "Well I know that God is great. I know that God is good. I know that depression is not really depression and that bi-polar is not really bi-polar, and that the Bible is true, and that God loves us all."
TJ: "Okay, well, I'm not sure that this is the right fit for you. Have you tried the church across the street?"

Up to this point Jim had been pretty mellow, but not mellow enough that my guard was down. I figured he was a street preacher, and that he didn't really like what the UU's were all about, and was here to set us all straight. He reminded me of a guy who use to stand on a box on my college campus every week and shout out bible verses that would save all of us heathens. Again, TJ seemed at ease, smiling and nodding her head as he spoke. Her demeanor relaxed me, but not enough that my head wasn't thinking of various dangerous scenarios and how I might respond to them. But when TJ suggested the church across the street, Mr. Mellow suddenly got a bit agitated.

Jim: "I will NOT go to that church. Do you know why? Because they say that GOD IS A WOMAN! GOD IS NOT A WOMAN! DO YOU BELIEVE GOD IS A WOMAN?"

My first thought as soon as he said the first GOD IS NOT A WOMAN was here we go again with another male who will vote for Trump, hoping that women will go back to being submissive. I did not say this aloud as the "recognize danger" part of me knew that would not be the right thing at this moment. Instead I turned to see how TJ was going to handle this one, my feeling at this point that this woman was GOD herself seeing as how calm and collected she appeared to be at handling this crazy situation.

TJ: "Well, actually I'm the wrong person to ask that question of because I personally don't believe in God."

Jim and I both looked at her in disbelief, albeit for different reasons. Up to this point, I thought she was going to save us from danger and get this guy safely back outside on the other side of our locked door, but as soon as that came out of her mouth I was sure we were goners. I was thinking in my head how that would probably not have been the right thing to say at this time of the conversation, and my head spun around to Jim wondering if he had any kind of weapons inside his suit jacket and whether or not I could diffuse a bomb if he had that strapped to his chest under his shirt.

Years ago, when I first moved to Florida, I worked for Kelly Girl and had a stint at a church in the city downtown. It was not in a good neighborhood and was kept locked tightly up during the weekdays. A camera and intercom was at the front of the church, and my job as the temporary secretary was to answer questions from people who rang the bell. I was warned that all sorts of people would attempt entry and that under no circumstances was I to unlock the door, not even for deliveries. After the first three visitors, I understood why. I had one person who wanted to come in to rid the church of the devil who was lurking inside. He had incense that he kept waving around the door of the church. I had another person who told me a sad tale of losing a job, needing to feed kids, and when the minister spoke to him through the intercom he pulled a weapon, issued threats, and I had to call the police who came and moved him along. Immediately, all of this came flooding back to me as Jim stared at TJ in utter disbelief of her proclamation.

I waived between my stances; standing tall and fighting or flight. There was silence, and then suddenly Jim's head swiveled on his neck and he stared bullets at me. I had to fight down the urge to shrug my shoulders and say, "Don't look at me. This is my first day on the job." That phrase coming from a story my friend told me of her first day as a bank teller about to be robbed. Wisely, I kept my mouth shut and smiled at Jim.

He was good. He looked back at TJ, took a deep breath, and told her it was okay and that God loved her anyway. TJ thanked him, and then proceeded to gather some brochures for him to take with him. He followed her over to the brochure stand.

Jim: "God is telling me right now that he forgives you. He loves you even if you don't believe."
TJ: "Well, I appreciate that. I really do, Jim. Now here is some information for you to read. Let's see what else I have here that might speak to you."
Jim: "You know, TJ, God is telling me that you once were a believer when you were young. You believed as a child, but something happened to cause you to lose your way, and he is okay with that. He forgives you because he knows you will repent and find your way back to him. He is telling me he can wait."

I refrained from looking around the foyer for God, but that was flitting through my head seeing as how God was apparently talking to this young man right then. That thought almost had me laughing because by now I was a bundle of hysterical nerves, and thinking about how these types of situations always seem to happen to me. I knew the poor man was obviously having a episode, most likely some sort of manic bi-polar episode seeing as how he brought that up in the beginning of our conversation, but that didn't put my mind at ease. Danger still lurked in there for me, as it always does.

Jim: "I really like that you have a Zen Center here. God says that I need to see the Zen Center. Would it be possible for me to go through the Zen Center?"
TJ: "Yes, yes, we have the Zen Center on property, but it isn't affiliated with the church. Unfortunately, it isn't open right now. It is open on Wednesdays so if you want to come back then you can surely speak with them at that time."
Jim: "That won't be possible. I won't be here on Wednesday."
TJ: "Oh, are you just passing through then?"
Jim: "No, I will not be here after tomorrow."

My mind kicked in on that one wondering why he was here asking for information if he wasn't going to be here for Sunday service. The next thing I know he and TJ are discussing the Rapture which apparently, in Jim's mind, was happening the next day.

Jim: "That's why I'm not wearing shoes."

I had no idea what that meant and was rolling that around in my mind. By now TJ had successfully moved toward him causing him to walk away from her. It was like she advanced toward him and he retreated. The direction was toward the door, and I was feeling like the end, of his visit, not the Rapture, was near, but then right as he got to the door, Jim swung away and walked over toward me.

Jim: "Do you have any books I can read?"
TJ: "No, we don't really have any literature in here."
Jim: "I've only read the Bible. I would like to read the Koran. Do you have the Koran?"

Back popped the danger in my head. TJ actually looked around the foyer as if searching for the Koran, but then I thought maybe she was searching for a defense weapon, and so I looked around the foyer too. Jim didn't pay much attention, but launched into a dissertation regarding Arabic and how if read backwards it spelled out numbers. By this point, my nerves and my brain were shutting down, and I just wanted to sit down. I wanted to put my hand in my head and scream, "Why can't we all just get along?"

But there was nowhere for me to sit unless I plopped down on the floor, and I couldn't do that. TJ continued moving him toward the door, and this time he went. They both went outside where she thanked him for coming, told him good luck, and he climbed on to a bicycle that I hadn't noticed when he first came inside. TJ turned to come back inside and found the door locked. She peered through the window at me and mouthed, "Help! Let me in!" and I did, this time allowing the nervous energy to come out in a sharp laugh.

TJ: "Okay, please do not quit. I promise that this doesn't happen. In fact I've never had this happen before in all my years of volunteering."

We went back inside to the office where the admin was waiting for us. We all agreed he was suffering, and while we certainly didn't belittle that, it was quite the initiation for my first day. So much so that when a gentleman arrived to take my picture for the volunteer board he was putting together, when he asked me for a line or two on what I would say to others who might be thinking of volunteering, I suggested, "RUN. RUN FOR THE HILLS."

He didn't take my picture.

More information about bi-polar disorder and depression can be found HERE. I actually have friends with this disorder, and do not take it lightly. The above story is like the rest of my entries: occurrences that happen to me in my life. 

NFL Monday recap - week #9

Steelers: I feel like I say the same crap every week, every year. Nothing changes. We either play well, or we don't. There is never any in-between. This week we didn't even play until it was WAY too late.

• Ten penalties in the first half. Yep, nothing new there.
• Quietness from Antonio Brown. Yep, nothing new there.
• Missed tackles. Yep, nothing new there.
• Celebrating when a tackle is finally made. Yep, nothing new there.
• What did I say about Mike Wallace in my picks? Uh-huh. I know. I wish we had more guys on our team that feel that fire. And then who go out and do something to put it out. 
• Ben was off. He overthrew, wasn't mobile, made tons of mistakes, couldn't push off his left leg, and generally looked confused. I'd say he came back too soon, and it showed. At halftime, Tomlin was interviewed on the field, and said Ben "was solid." We all fell off of the couch. WTH? Tomlin needs to get his head out of his ass, stop being friends with his players, and hold them accountable. Ben had 66 total yards at halftime. Not our Ben. Let's hope he can pull it together for Dallas next week at home.
• The Steelers had only 2, T-W-O, first downs in the first three quarters. Ain't going to win a game playing like that.
• The game was over when the Ravens blocked our ninth punt of the day. Not one Steelers player, not even our kicker who granted was on the ground, attempted to go after the ball rolling around the field. So the Ravens picked it up and scored. It was as if the Steelers knew it was all over.
• James Harrison was in beast mode on defense. He had a sack and a forced fumble and gave the Ravens offense something to think about. If only he had scored for the Steelers.
• The defense showed up, but the offense was flat out, well, hell, I don't even know what they were doing. Sleeping? They sure weren't doing what they are paid to do. Jeez.
• Oh, hello Eli Rogers, where were you in the first three quarters?
• Ben ran for the second touchdown. Yep, that's what we had to do. Have our two weeks from surgery, still limping, quarterback score. So much for having the number one wide receiver on our side.
• With less than ten minutes left in the game, we woke up. We scored two touchdowns to avoid a shut out and to make it look like the game was close. We haven't been shut out in ten years, so I suppose that was a plus, but not even those two touchdowns could take out the nasty taste of this game.
• Our attempted onside kick was seriously the craziest thing ever. Boswell thought he was playing soccer. He took a few little hops, twisting his legs around one another, and tried to kick with his right leg behind his left leg. He missed. "He was doing the ballerina," my buddy said. So much for a turnaround. The seven refs gathered midfield, laughing. They had no idea what to even call that. At least we'll make the SportsCenter reel. 

Other:

• Last week Cam Newton talked at his post-game conference about his lack of calls from the refs and his intent to discuss the situation with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The two did meet to discuss the case, and Newton said the discussion went as well as could be expected. Cryptic, but nothing new when it comes to talks with Goodell. What annoyed me was how other NFL players dissed Newton's complaint. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson said, "...if I didn't want to play football, if I didn't want to get hit, I'd be playing tennis." Seriously? Where is the solidarity? 
• Detroit's quarterback Matt Stafford looked like he was sunburned in overtime of the Detroit/Minnesota game, but it was just pure exertion. He's a fighter, that one.
• Kudos to Detroit's kicker Matt Prater for his 58-yard field goal straight between the uprights. Someone knows his job and works to earn his keep. Got the Lions into overtime.
• The Lions won the game in overtime, but wide receiver Golden Tate better stop that somersaulting into the end zone because I didn't think he got the TD. Luckily, for him that breaking the plane nonsense saved his ass.
• I have come to the conclusion that Odell Beckham Jr. hears voices and talks to them on the sidelines. Anyone else with me?
• Nice win for the Dolphins with that 99-yard punt return to win the game. I hope Jets Ryan Fitzpatrick doesn't dream of 300+ pound men intercepting him tonight. Oh, wait. That did happen for real.
• I wish I knew what Aaron Rogers and Andrew Luck said to one another after the game. A lot of nice long bombs, a couple of interceptions, a few scrambles, and these two quarterbacks were blazing. Too bad one had to lose, but it's always nice for me to see the old man get schooled by the youngster. A little quid pro quo.
• Do we really believe that Dallas' Jerry Jones is truly undecided on whether or not he wants Tony Romo back as his quarterback? Please. He isn't fooling any of us, and I wish the media would stop asking him what his plan is when Romo is healthy. I'll tell you. Romo will be on the sidelines just like he is now. If Jones smokes something and puts in Romo next week against the Steelers, he'll end up on a stretcher. Put a fork in him. He's done.

2016-2017 NFL picks - week #9

• Atlanta over Tampa - Not a bad game in the first half, but then the Falcons showed why I picked them.
• Dallas over Cleveland - I'm impressed with what the Cowboys have done this year, hands down. I don't expect them to mess it up this week. I'll wait and let that happen next week.
• Kansas City over Jacksonville - Okay, the Chiefs have convinced me.
• Jets over Miami - Okay, I had the Dolphins up until I started putting all of this down for the blog, and then I got to thinking that maybe the bye will slow them down. Then I was sorry I changed my mind since they are at home, and have done so well since they played the Steelers. These two are evenly matched in statistics. A toss-up.
• Minnesota over Detroit - Another one that I'm unsure of in my pick. The Vikings are at home and have lost two in a row, so I think the odds are more in their favor, but then Detroit has my boy Matthew Stafford, the comeback king.
• Giants over Philadelphia - Hmmmm, I maybe should have changed this one, but the Eagles are up and then down, and then, what was I thinking?
• Baltimore over Pittsburgh - It pains me to do that, it really does. I've only gone against my boys once before (I was right), but this "will Ben play or will he not" nonsense is not good. He shouldn't play after having surgery two weeks ago. The Ravens have lost four, FOUR, in a row. They are at home against a team they absolutely-truly-are-sickening-hateful against with a coach who is truly-batshit-crazy-in-his-hatred of us. They also have our old teammate Mike Wallace, the other Antonio Brown, who, of course, is playing like he did in his former Steeler days. He will want to kick our asses. No Ben? Poor little Landry Jones doesn't stand a chance. But, Go Steelers!
• Carolina over Los Angeles - Go, Cam, go. Jeez, he has felt the wrath this week, but I hear him. More on that tomorrow.
• New Orleans over San Francisco - I'm a believer in Drew Brees when he is on, and so far this year, he has earned some serious fantasy points for Darcy.
• Green Bay over Indianapolis - This might turn into a passing fest today, but poor Andrew Luck can't stay off of the ground.
• San Diego over Tennessee - Well, maybe Phillip Rivers comes out swinging and throwing to the correct jerseys, but then again, perhaps not. I've got Mariota as my fantasy quarterback because Ben has been out, and he is pretty consistent, but....yeah, now I'm second-guessing myself. Hmmm....
• Denver over Oakland - I feel the Broncos are the better team despite the hype for the Raiders.
• Seattle over Buffalo - One never knows which Buffalo team will show up, but I figure the Seahawks get a pumped-up speech from their coach this week after two crazy, low scoring games.

To the Halloween thieves...Boo

When my kids were small, and we trudged around the neighborhood, seeing Halloween through their wondrous eyes, two of my neighbors sat together in one driveway, passing out candy and enjoying adult cocktails. I told them that one day I would be able to join them, and several years ago I did. Eventually, they joined us in our driveway, food was added, and more neighbors joined the circle.

This year my neighborhood is different. Gone are the first couples who started the trend. Our new neighbors next door who joined us last year inquired on whether or not my driveway would be open. I hemmed and hawed. I got sad thinking about my neighbor who arranged the previous year's gathering with such joy, and who had us laughing with his silly costume. He got sick two months after Halloween and died two months after that, and it just seemed too much to continue the tradition.

Then an impromptu visit from friends from Indiana and a couple of trick or treat aged children changed my mind. I set up chairs in my driveway, my friend made some cocktails, and one by one the neighbors trickled in. We handed out most of our candy, admired the costumes, and had a lot of laughs. It was a nice evening.

Darcy dressed up and went out trick or treating with her friend and her younger brother in their neighborhood, but she returned in time to join our next-door neighbors for a small party. She left the canvas bag full of her candy haul between my chair and a cooler.

Since the neighbors around us were turning off lights, we decided to call it a night. Tom wanted us to walk down to see the neighbor's haunted house. I felt we should clean up first, and we did, leaving only our chairs, Darcy's bag of candy, and our left-over Halloween candy on top of a cooler. At the last minute, I went back and collected my phone and keys. Tom pooh-poohed my worry of thieves.

When we returned home, we had been robbed. Someone drove by and stole our bagged candy and Darcy's canvas bag, which also included a make-up bag full of expensive cosmetics. Suddenly our lovely evening wasn't so great. I felt violated. I mean, really? Take the candy on top of the cooler, but don't take a canvas bag clearly hidden. That's a crime, and it left a foul taste in all our mouths.

Thankfully, the thieves did not enter our house despite the front door being left wide open. My friend's husband was inside, but he was sound asleep in the bedroom.

We discussed it and then let it go. We didn't need the leftover candy. We hoped the thieves felt crappy when they discovered her bag contained personal items.

The next day my neighbor across the street gave Darcy her leftover candy and a hug when she heard what had happened, and we realized that good neighbors and good friends will always triumph over ugliness.

10 month resolution check

Gulp. Two months until I have to think of new resolutions? What?

I grade from 1-10, with 10 being the highest.

1. To get into a routine with my physical therapy exercises and to have massages - I would say that the routine with the workouts has gone well. The massage thing had to be placed on the back burner due to the cyst-that-wouldn't-die. That can't be helped, although I have paid for massages that are waiting while this thing heals. Grade: 6
2. To be serious about getting healthy, lose weight, exercise regularly, swim - Again, out with the swimming due to the cyst-that-wouldn't-die. The healthy, weight loss, and exercising have been sporadic. Grade: 4
3. To celebrate people's birthdays via my blog - I have considered this resolution a success. Done. Over. Completed. Grade: 10
4. To scan all my photos and organize them on the computer - Not sure why I said ALL my photos, but I have done well with this resolution. Check. Grade: 10
5. To work on myself mentally - Yes, I think that having the cyst-that-wouldn't-heal helped me to get into this resolution. I'm going to call this one completed too. Grade: 10

Total Score: 40 out of 50 - Still have two months more to go, so maybe, just maybe...