Wallpaper of the Month. (Yes it use to be of the Week) I KNOW THIS!!

So I went camping over the weekend with Jon and Damon over by East Lake(flipping Gorgeous) and we came across this look out point that over looked the World yes the entire World. Check it out for yourself and save it as a wallpaper.



Ok if you didn't like that one let's try one of the hidden falls nested deep into the steep terrain that we hiked.



Overall, we all enjoyed the MEN ONLY camping trip. We pretty much played Horseshoes, Poker, drank beer, hiked and took photos. Let me tell you though this wasn't just a "lets see who can drink 10 beers faster then the other guy" trip. It was a lets have a couple now followed by a game then eat and a couple more. I was really impressed that NO one challenged me to the game I mentioned above because that's what usually happens. After all said and done we go to sleep about midnight when everyone in the campground was in bed at 9 and just start laughing hysterically at Damon's brothers song "WHY" I haven't laughed so hard for so long in my life. It was the feeling that your abs were going to cave in and you were going to die but you couldn't do nothing about it but just laugh and cry more because it hurt that bad. Sorry for the quick blog I have to get going to my new AWESOME job.

Fall Camp Notes - Day 6

1. Gas prices are down to $3.99
2. Lot's of good 1-Up'ing today, one co-worker made a one up so funny while I was in the middle of eating my turkey sandwhich for lunch that I laughed unexpectedly mid-bite and snorted mustard into my nasal cavities - like when you're drinking a glass of milk and someone makes you laugh and the milk gets snorted out of your nose. Well, let me tell you, mustard in the old sinuses doesn't feel so great.
3. Had a cookie with dinner.
4. Tomorrow is our first day of full pads and also our first double day, I don't know if I'll manage to blog tomorrow - it could get ugly.
5. Joba is got an MRI, and he's getting a second opinion - and they don't get second opinions on papercuts, son.
6. I'm going to re-post Zeb's blog to the top of the page, because he needs a little more blog face time. Comment away.
   

Official American Mustache Institute Statement On The Passing of Giambi's Mustache

It lived a life most of us would envy. But in the end, Jason Giambi's mustache never really had a chance, and ended up in a bathroom basin, dead after less than a few months of life.

The American Mustache Institute salutes Mr. Giambi and his mustache, for having the bravery to walk proudly down the same lines upon which other great Yankee mustaches have -- including Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, Don Mattingly, and Sal Fasano. Our hearts and prayers go out to Mr. Giambi, his family, and the Yankees organization. And while we are all gravely disappointed by the passing of Jason's mustache, no one, or thing, feels a greater loss than his upper lip. The thick coating of fur had become a part of that lip - like peanut butter and jelly - and we can only hope Giambi's late lip sweater isin a better place.

It is important during this time of mourning that we all reflect and understand that every time a mustache is shaved, an angel in heaven dies and falls to earth. And the American Mustache Institute has established a fund in memory of Mr. Giambi's mustache that will be used to educate young people about the merits of facial hair, circus clowns, and juggling.

In the end, while the hearts of mustached-Americans everywhere are broken, we must always remind ourselves that a mustache is a terrible thing to shave.

We look forward to a newly erected monument in the new Yankee Stadium commemorating Giambi's mustache alongside Ruth, Gehrig, and DiMaggio.

Fall Camp Notes - Day 5

1. Invented a new game today. It's called 1-up'smanship. You see we have a real 1-up'er that works with us. I won't say the name of the person, or the capacity in which they work, but I'll say that they drive us crazy. So we devised a game to entertain ourselves. The goal of this game is to 1-up the 1-up'er. You know, 1-Up'ers are those people who have been everywhere, done everything and know everything twice. They always have to put in their two sense, and try to tell a story that is somehow bigger or more interesting than yours. And you usually have a sneaking suspicion that they're lieing! Anyway, tomorrow is our first full day of 1-Up'smanship, we're going to attempt to top every outlandish claim this person make throughout the course of the day. Should be fun, I'll let you know how it goes.
   
2. F'ing Joba Chamberlain left the game in the 5th inning with a stiff shoulder? Oh hell no.
3. Got some new sandals from work, they remind me of those ones that everyone had in Jr. High - you know one thick strip across the top of the foot, usually addidas. Yeah, 8th grade called and they want my shoes back.
4. Zeb made a bomb post huh? I'm proud of him, and his witty remarks. He should blog more.
5. It's getting HOT here this week. I am working on possiby the worlds greatest sock tan line ever. I'll document it at the end of camp and let you guys see what I'm working with. People started getting crabby today and we haven't even started full contact yet. Wednesday morning the shit might hit the fan.
   

There's No More Hits In It

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Jason Giambi arrived in the Yankees clubhouse Monday without his famous mustache. But it won't be gone for long, he said.

Giambi, who began to swing well around the time he decided to grow a mustache back in May, has been slumping, hitting .234 with three homers in July and going 0-for-9 through three August games. But he kept the facial hair because the team was still winning.

He was taken out of the game in the eighth inning Sunday for defensive purposes, and when the Yankees fell behind 9-8, Giambi decided to shave.

"I shaved it as soon as I came out of the game," Giambi said. "We were losing when they hit that grand slam and then we came back and won."

Giambi said he's already growing a new mustache.

"In about a week, it will be back. It goes hand and hand with winning," Giambi said. "I would have kept it if we were winning that game."

Perhaps the mustache was weighing him down. In his first two mustache-free at-bats, he hit an RBI single in the first and an upper-deck home run in the fourth. He hadn't had a hit since Thursday.

Giambi came into the game hitting .249 with 20 homers and 62 RBIs.

Fall Camp Notes - Day 4

1. Today was the first day of shells practice (for those not schooled in the language of football it means they only wear shoulder pads and helmets for protection and they don't go full contact.) Things are starting to ramp up, and I'm feeling like its just about time to turn it up a notch. WATCH OUT.
   
2. Still no cookie today, but I have convinced myself to have one tomorrow after dinner.
   
3. Slightly less bitter today than yesterday. Zeb is home from his weekend camping trip, so that's nice. He took some awesome pictures at East Lake, so you're lucky he'll get in the blogging spirit and slap some of them up here for everyone to check out.
4. My co-worker got worn out by one of our SIDs for dropping a pass during practice today on the official website - embarrassing! Click here to read, it's in the "practice points" section. If you know him feel free to harass him.
   

Fall Camp Notes - Day 3

1. Boo.
2. Ate all green light foods today, I would probably be in a better mood if I had a cookie after my meal.
   
3. A forgotten note from yesterday: yesterday was my first ever football practice as a staff member, which means NO WATER BOTTLES. Pretty awesome.

That's all I have, it was a lot harder to get up today. How is it possible that we've only had 2 practices?

Fall Camp Notes - Day 2

1. First day of practice today, it helped me remember some of the reasons why I really do like working football, I can still whip out a pristine OSU football ankle with the best of 'em, and actually it's still pretty fun when you get in the madness of the pre-practice preparations.
2. I've gotten more gear in the past 2 days than the past 6 months that I've been here. That's nice.
3. I'm working on getting my memory skills back, I was a little bit surprised today at how well I was starting to get a hold on several of the guys names and positions. I still have a ways to go, but it's looking promising.
4. My boss challenged us all to to a weigh-in at the start of camp and then again when camp it over. It's easy to over eat with all the free food constantly provided, so this was just a way for us to keep it all in check. I have never in my life gone through a football camp with the intention of eating health-fully; there is just too much good food for that kind of nonsense, but this year I am really going to give it a legitimate shot. At the dining hall they show the menu based on weather it is a "red light" "yellow light" or "green light" food. You get the idea, red light are foods that aren't very good for you and you should limit your consumption, yellow are foods to be cautious with, and green light foods you can go right ahead. Ha. Well, I must say I've been doing a really good job the last 24 hours of sticking strictly with the green light foods. This means no dessert, no soda, portion control, and plenty of fruits and veggies. Overall I am proud of my efforts but I have to say that the last two nights when I have gotten home I have been starving & none too satisfied. I think for my own sanity I may have to devise a rule regarding the occasional consumption of desserts. It is fall camp, so I fully reserve the right to take back all these intentions and go after the fried foods and all you can eat desserts (breakfast, lunch and dinner) at any time. I'll let you know how it goes.
   

Fall Camp Notes - Day 1

1. Today was physicals & health updates day. One easy task for the Student Athletes is updating their contact information. It is alarming how many of these kids don't know their own address. They don't know where they live. Some have somewhat reasonable explainations (i.e. I just moved) but some have lived in the same place for quite some time, and just never bothered to find out the address. Seriously?
2. Today my ovaries came in handy. All the guys on staff have to take turns staying in the dorms during Camp. I don't. :)
   

Mourning Manny

Gotta say, I'd been hoping that the Sox would trade off Manny before the deadline, mostly just because I think they'll be easier to beat without his bat. Yeah, less distractions in the club house, blah, blah blah. We'll see how it all ends up working out for them, Jason Bay is pretty comparable as far as the stats go this season, but I still think they'll be missing that "Manny being Manny" factor.

You know, it's actually kind of sad to see him go. Manny is one of the best in the game, and that makes beating the Red Sox even more sweet. He was a huge core to the Red Sox success in the recent years, so it's a little bit of an end of an era. Hopefully, an era that ushers in a few more World Series Titles for the Yankees, then I'm sure I won't miss seeing Manny in the other dugout at all.

Around The Horn

Oh Hi, yeah, I've been struggling with the blogging this week. Maybe it's because I'm pretty busy mourning my life - which is about to be over tomorrow when Football reports for Fall Camp. Here's a few tidbits of what's been going on:

1. Who do the Angels think they are? They go out and trade for Mark Texiera, and then Lackey damn near pitches a No-No against Boston on the same day. F you guys.
2. Ha! Yankees get Pudge, I like this. We're making moves, who knows if it's going to work, but we're making moves. If only the Red Sox would unload Manny it could be damn near the best trade deadline EVER.
3. Okay, so I've been sulking this week. Really last weekend through this week. "This is my last week of freedom before Football Camp" We went out to dinner with Damon the other night and I tried to make them go around the table and say one thing they would miss about me while my life is taken over by Football. They refused to play along, spoil sports. I thought it would be fun.
4. Thursday is reporting day for football, so we're officially going into Fall Camp. I am going to try to post of some sort of Fall Camp Notes, ridiculous things that occur, because there are always several. We'll see how that goes.
5. Zeb has a new job, Assistant Athletic Director at the Corvallis Boys & Girls Club. So far he is really enjoying it, it's right up his alley and he seems to be doing an awesome job. I can tell he likes it because when he was working at Home Depot he would work a 4 or 5 hour shift and come home complaining about how horrible it was, how long, how difficult. Last week on the other hand, he was working very long hours (12 hour days or so) at the State Baseball Tournament hosted by the Boys & Girls Club and he would come home all chippery. Makes a difference when you like what you do.
   

Eh. I guess that's it. More to come later.

Just Why?

Yes, this is a Llama in the back of a 4-door sedan. But why? Things that make you go hmmmm. I have no more words.

Wakeboarding!!!

We finally made it out to the lake to do some wakeboarding this weekend for the first time this summer, which is horribly pathetic I know. And wouldn't you know it? It was probably the coldest morning there has been in the past month. We had the entire lake to ourselves, none of those "tourists" who only like to go out when it's nice and warm and sunny. The water was great and really warm - warmer than the air I'm pretty sure. Anyway, here's the pics of us shreading, hehe, actually, Charles shreading and me and my Dad acting like old people. Lots of fun though!

The Dark Knight

Along with just about everyone else in America we went and saw The Dark Knight this weekend. I am a big fan of the Batman series (Actually, I don't really recognize the middle 2 - Batman Forever & Batman & Robin as a legitimate part of the series. So lets pretend those never happened for the purposes of this blog) Little known fact: Batman is my favorite super hero, and the original 1989 Batman movie is probably one of my all time favorites, one of the few movies that I've seen over and over gain. So anytime there is a new Batman movie made it has a lot to live up to in my eyes. I refused to even see Batman Begins until long after it had been released on video, because I didn't want to be disappointed again.

Long story short, The Dark Knight did not disappoint. I really enjoyed it (although it was probably about 30 minutes too long.) and it got me thinking about two things: 1) What makes a great sequel? and 2) Which version is better? So here goes:

1. A great sequel must be able to stand on it's own. It should be enjoyable to watch and make sense even if you haven't seen the first one.
2. A great sequel should capture a similar style and vibe as the original - they should fit together.
3. A great sequel should leave you wanting to go back and see the originals again.

I think that The DarkKnight did all these things, and did them very well. Its interesting because the Batman Begins & The Dark Knight are really completely separate entities from the first 2 Batman movies, but they still somehow feel like they go together.

Batman was actually on TV last night, so we ended up watching that again, and it was really fun to compare the two. It got me thinking about which Batman, Joker and Batmobile I prefer. So check out the pictures below, and then vote for which one you like best!

Michael Keaton, pictured above as the original Big Screen Batman - Or Christian Bale and his moderized version?

Jack Nicholson's sophisticated psycho - or Heath Ledger's Batshit Crazy rendition?

The original Batmobile -

Or the new big wheels version?

Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?

Got my T-Shirt in today - I'm pretty juiced. Photo-shopped my mustache on, probably not the best look for me, but it's for a good cause. Oh yeah, there isn't really a cause. Eh. I was in 7/11 today wearing my shirt and some guys started laughing at me. Awkward. Might have to reconsider wearing this in public again.
This fake 'stache came with my shirt, so I put it on Dwight. I find that it helps me remember to be a badass at work.

Mitch Canham Article

Great article about a former Beav. Check it out here! Click this link for some more pictures that go along with the article: Zoom Gallery. I just want you all to know that for some reason the enter button on Zeb's keyboard is not working right now, and the inability to create a space between lines surprisingly aggravating. Am currently about .46 seconds away from ripping the keyboard off it's cord and banging it against the desk. :)

All-Star Evening

Last night was an evening that for whatever reason I may come to remember as one of the great all-time nights. Jenny (Appleseed) was in town visiting (yes i should have taken a picture, damn it.) We DVR'd the All-Star game planning to watch it later, but when I went to pic up Damon from his apartment to hang out for the evening he suckered me into the game by telling me that Mariano Rivera had just been brought into a tie game in the 9th. Instead of Damon coming out to meet us, we quickly parked (This is An Parking Space, Please Park Here) and headed into Damon's place to catch Rivera's outing.

Anyone who watched the game should know, that as soon as we layed eyes on the TV we were stuck watching the rest of the game, however long it took. I can't remember being that interested in an All-Star Game in quite a while. We even managed to hustle out for drinks at McMinaminns (can't spell that to save my life!) in between innings without missing much. My All-Star highlights are as follows:

• Papelbon gives up a run. Suck it.
• Rivera pitches 2 shutout innings, given he'll probably be shot for the rest of the season, but it was nice to see.
• Great defense & pitching & overall some good calls by the blues. I mean a game isn't interesting if you don't have at least a couple calls that can be hotly debated the next day!
• By starting to watch the game in the 9th inning I managed to avoid any siteings of A-Rod.

As a side note: Today Strick relayed a story to me involving a conversation he had with Erin Andrews (ESPN sleuzzy) wherein she stated that A-Rod is a complete sleeze ball/creeper who thinks that he can get any woman he wants, and Derek Jeter is the epitomy of class and dignity, a guy who really "gets it" and is just an all around great person. That Erin Andrews really has a good head on her shoulders. End side note.

So then we left McMinimens only to find that Zeb had left his lights on and now the car battery was dead. But not to worry, a friendly man on a gator (yeah, i have no idea why he's driving a gator around the streets of Corvallis at 11:30 PM) stopped and offered to try and jump the civic from the gator battery, somehow I doubt that was going to happen. Luckily we had another friendly man with an interesting accent who stopped to jump us with an actual car.

So anyway, it might not seem like much. Maybe it was just the fun of connecting with an old friend after a long time, hanging out and telling stories and laughing until we cried, but this really could go down as an All-Time Great Day. I gotta let it marinate, but I think it might.

in other news: Zeb has a new job, and I got all kinds of crafty today after work. I'll try to blog that out soon.

Home Run Derby

Each year during MLB's All-Star break one of the main attractions is the Home Run Derby. I always make it a point to try to watch, admire the swings - some text book perfection, some completely broken down (see Vlad Guerrero,) - all beautiful in their own way.

Justin Morneau was crowned the camp this year, but a young slugger, Josh Hamilton, from the Texas Rangers stole the show. His is a true underdog story, and everything about his performance today seemed made for TV (but in a good way, not that disgustingly chessey way.) He even chose his 70-something year old high school coach to pitch for him. Adorable. Check out the link below for more on Hamilton. The second video is Hamilton talking about his historic first round, too cute for words.

later: f'ing ESPN.com making their video's unavailable after what, 2 days. that'll ruin a perfectly nice blog.

Help Me Pick Out an IPod Skin

I've been wanting to get a protective covering for my IPod for a while now, but I've been having a hard time making a decision about which one I like enough to see on a daily basis. I've spent quite a bit of time checking them out online and managed to narrow my choices down to the eight you see listed below. I figured, what better way to get a little piece of mind about my decision than open it up to the tried and true Married to the Game readership. Check out the pictures below and voice your opinion Poll Styles off to your right. Thanks for your help!!!

Sweet Pea

Baseball

Flores Agua

Six Pack

Chinese Flowers

Azure

Blowfish

Eagle

Start Spreading The 'Stache

Can you believe this is a T-Shirt graphic? I bought it immediately. Too bad Giambi didn't make the All-Star game, but I can't be too mad because Longoria really did deserve it. Anyway, I'll be sure to post a picture of me rocking my new favorite shirt as soon as it arrives. I feel like this shirt is going to go down in in the history of all time great shirts - I just can't decide if it should rank directly ahead of, or directly behind Laef's "What Would Johnny Damon Do?" shirt. (A-Ross, If you made him give that to the good will that is an atrocity!!!) I found it on a site called Giambi Mustache Squad in case anyone is interested.

In other news, check out the new star-rating system I have put on the bottom of each post. Rate away - if you are so inclined.

Late Pass Wednesday - Tire Blowout

Here's a doozey for ya. A few weekend's ago we rolled out to Springfield to kick it with Emily & Chicken and just so happened to have a tire blowout on our way. See the thing about it was that about ohh...10 minutes prior to our little accident we had passed a Hummer parked on the side of 1-5 with a blowout and a Les Schwab truck there working on it. Zeb gave a little smartass honk on the horn and we preceeded to comment how ridiculous was it for a Hummer to get a flat tire on the freeway, and how much that would suck. Fast forward and it's us on the side of the road. Instant tire karma.
Zeb was actually really impressive with his tire changing skills. I'd say he had us back on the road in about 12 minutes flat. No thanks to Damon standing there in the back looking on. (hehe, just joking Damon)
As you can see in this picture there was quite a bit of rubber from the tire still wrapped around the....axel? or whatever part of the car that is. Either way - it would have been a pain in the butt to try to get that off.....
.....that is if Zeb didn't have a handy buck knife in the glove box! See the funny thing about this is that we joke every single year at Christmas time when my Dad gives Zeb some variation on a pocket knife. Dad always makes some comment about how a real man should always have a sharp knife in his pocket - I can't agree more!
There's what remained of Zeb's tire. For some reason I felt bad to just leave the poor thing on the side of the freeway.
Wow! Later we realize, it's a good thing that Damon brought Zeb this Dale Earnhart Jr. Amp energy drink before we left, NO WONDER he was so good at changing that tire!

Also, I learned a valuable lesson that day. When life gives you lemons - blog it out!

Support The 'Stache

I'd actually been meaning to post up in honor of Jason Giambi's astonishing mustache for quite some time, but today when I found out that the Yankees are campaigning for Giambi's bid at the AL Final Man for the 2008 All-Star game using the slogan "Support the 'Stache" I could not resist.
I consider this mustache to be pretty much the most prolific 'stache this side of the Mexican/American border. Now some might chalk up Giambi's recent performance surge to "just another cycle on the 'roids" but I am one of many believers who attribute every single hit to the 'stache. I mean, just look at him. I strongly urge all "Married to the Game" readers to Support the 'Stache. Click here to vote - or hollar at the link on the right of the page!
In case you had any questions, Zeb also supports the 'stache.

Nothing Says Patriotism Like Wii Tennis

Not that you can actually tell from the picture, but Zeb got a Nintendo Wii for his birthday. Well sort of birthday/graduation/miscellaneous all wrapped up in 1. Like everything he buys, he got a great deal on it - bought it off Craig's List from some guy who needed money quick for a trip to Hawaii for his girlfriend and him (likely story guy!) This is what we spent the 4th of July doing. I'm jucied on the deal because Zeb agreed to sell both the old old X-box and also the Playstation and guitar hero. I think its fair to say that we only need one gaming system at any given time.

He Would!!

Us Weekly reports in its new issue that Madonna's seven-year marriage to Guy Ritchie has stalled out – and the singer has been hosting late-night visits from New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez at her Central Park West apartment in New York City.

A source tells Us that the $28-million-a-year Rodriguez, 32, has made numerous solo nighttime visits to Madonna, 49, at her spacious home and would sneak out "as late as midnight." Says the source, "All the doormen are talking."

Rodriguez attended Madonna's April 30 NYC concert; the singer sat in his seats at a Yankees game on June 22 (it was the first time she ever was photographed at a Yankees game). Her son Rocco, 7, also sported Yankees gear on June 25 while playing in Central Park.

Rodriguez, married with two young daughters, has already faced speculation about cheating: In 2007, he and a stripper were reportedly spied in Toronto, Miami and Dallas.

Complicating matters: Former Yankee slugger Jose Canseco – who once dated Madonna – wrote in his book Vindicated that he "hates [A-Rod's] guts" because he once hit on his wife.

New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez was at Madonna's Central Park West apartment in New York City shortly after his wife gave birth to their second daughter, Usmagazine.com has learned.

One source tells Us that Rodriguez, 32, visited the singer, 49, possibly as early as the night after his wife gave birth.

Rodriquez, reportedly flanked by a child from the Make-a-Wish Foundation, wouldn't answer questions about their friendship Tuesday.

So of course my first reaction was "he would!" A-Rod always has a way of doing things in a way that makes him look like the biggest douche bag possible. So if he was going to cheat on his wife, he wouldn't keep it low profile with someone that is under the radar, no, he would go for Madonna. Awesome, guy. But then as I read on, I stared think I might need to give the guy a break.

Alex Rodriguez's wife has been seeing singer Lenny Kravitz, according to the New York Post as the New York Yankee has befriended Madonna, Kravitz's ex.

As Madonna and husband Guy Ritchie stepped out holding hands Tuesday amid reports of a potential split, Kravitz and Rodriguez's wife Cynthia have been "spending cozy time" in Paris for at least the past four days, the paper reports.

Cynthia and Alex Rodriguez – who wed in 2002 and have two young daughters – attended NBC's New Year's Eve 2008 party where Kravitz performed.

Madonna, 49, and Kravitz, 44, collaborated on her 1990 hit "Justify My Love" The pair were romantically linked at the time.

Another connection? Rodriguez, Madonna, and Kravitz all have the same manager: Guy Oseary.

See, when Zeb is telling a "tall tale" or "joke" as he likes to call is, or - as I like to call it - a LIE, I just let him keep talking. I ask him questions and keep him going until finally he says something so ridiculous that I can without question classify his whole story one big lie. As much as I hate it, this whole thing might be fiction. I was with them all the way until they had to go and say that A-Rod's wife is dating Lenny Kravitz. Seriously?! Lenny Kravitz? Oh what a tangled web we weave.

Happy Birthday Zeb!!!

Zeb is finally 26, this means for the next 6 months or so until my birthday he officially can't make fun of me for being old! yay! So here's to you buddy, a tribute to you and some of your favorite things!!!

Pedro Martinez's Midget

Rockstar
Sonicare
Top Gun
Cat Stevens
Gigabytes, Megabytes & RAM
Famous Dave's
Friday Night Lights
Monopoly

P.S. I posted this while I was at work! This should tell you how committed I was to documenting Zeb's birthday blog-styles, because I NEVER blog at work since I have been back at Oregon State.

P.P.S. Be sure to hollar at Zeb with some birthday/belated birthday greetings!