Well There You Have It

Well, there you have it. Roger didn't do it after all. Boy, selective reality sure is handy. If you didn't get a chance to watch the whole press conference & you actually give a shit, I suggest you check it out. Here are a couple of my take-away thoughts on the topic:

• Last night when I watched 60 minutes I thought he looked guilty as hell, but today I am overcome with guilt for thinking so badly of him. Dude was thirsty and pissed off listening to all the allegations. I thought he made a good argument for himself today and seemed genuine and believeable.
• In the phone conversation McNamee kept bringing up how broke he is, and how bad of a financial situation he is in, really seemed like he was trying to bait Clemens into saying "Oh, I can take care of that for you" or something along those lines. I can really buy into Roger's lawyers argument that McNamee was trying to trap Clemens into saying something that could have gotten him in trouble for tampering with a witness.
• What is the hell was Clemens doing letting a strength coach inject him with anything? That just seems so out of place to me? If he really was getting legit B-12 or lidocaine injections, why would he be having this guy doing it?
• As an Athletic Trainer it is pretty annoying to watch a lot of the coverage for this, they are constantly throwing around the term "trainer" and the majority of the time it doesn't have anything to do with the Athletic Training Profession. I know I personally don't want my profession to be associated in any way with this kind of scandal.
• Lastly, I would like to introduce the conspiracy theory that I am going to be using to justify this whole situation from now on. Mitchell of "Mitchell Report" Fame is associated with the Red Sox organization. I would like to contend that he had a vendetta against The Yankees and Roger Clemens and influenced McNamee to indicate Clemens against his own will. I really should have thought of this sooner.

An Open Letter to Roger Clemens

As baseball fans we have the right to "selective reality" - it is our inalienable right. I think it's in the Bill of Rights actually.

Selective reality is that thing that allows us to be absolutally sure that the ump blew the game for our team - even when that pesky instant replay shows that he got the call right. It's the thing that allowed Dodger fans to berate Joe Torre and his inferior managing skills for the past 10 years, then instantaneously hail him as one of the games greatest minds when he crossed over to the dark side late last October. This is what baseball fans do. I should know, I actually managed to convince myself that the 2003 World Series never happened (for those of you who don't know, that's the year that the Florida Marlins allegedly defeated my Yankees for the title.) I also use selective reality when I proclaim Derek Jeter as the best shortstop in the game.

I've got this down to an art. But recently, one Major Leaguer has been making this task pretty difficult for me. Roger Clemens is a legend (even if you take everything else away, the simple fact that he beaned Mike Piazza and knocked him out cold should be enough to get The Rocket into The Hall.) That slow southern drawl, 350 + wins, BFF with Andy Pettite, 7 Cy Young awards, and named his kids all starting with the letter K??? How can you not love this guy?

Then this whole "steriod thing" came about. I mean, honestly, I guess it's really not much of a surprise to anyone, but I desperatly want to use my selective reality to maintain my untainted image of Clemens. He's just making it so difficult. He got caught playing the game that Barry Bond's invented, only he's just not quite as good at it. At least Bonds was either smart enough, or scary enough, to make sure that his steroid supplying flunky was loyal. Clemens - not so much, he managed to associate with only guy with a bigger mouth than Jose Canseco. And now, to make matters worse, he doesn't even have a good excuse that I can buy into. So here is my open letter to Roger Clemens:

Dear Mr. Clemens,

Help a girl out. I don't want to have to turn my autographed baseball to the side with Ramiro Mendoza's name. Please, in the name of all that is good, think of an excuse that is at least plausible. For your convenince I have included a few ideas of my own.

Top 5 Reasons Why Brian McNamee Says I Did Steroids

1) I stole his girlfriend and now he is out for revenge.
2) I tripped and fell on the needle he was prepping for Andy Pettite.
3) The dog ate my homework.
4) Have you ever seen that movie The Fan? Robert Deniro = Brian McNamee
5) I thought it was the flu vaccine.

Thanks,

Heather

Announcing "His Gal Friday"

Yes, the day if finally here, all your diligent blog petitioning(okay, maybe it was just me) has finally come to fruition. Gal has a blog. I am so psyched about this, that I would like to give it the distinct honor of "Congratulations! You did it!! World's Best Link!!" So check it out in the links section, or right here for that matter:
His Gal Friday

p.s. Gal's birthday was on 12/31. She completely deserved an honorary birthday blog, but I was lazy and stupid. Sorry!! I still love you Gal!! This picture of Leonardo DiCaprio is for you.

Sad Mac

This is what I'm doing today. This morning, upon arrival to work, when I plugged my ipod into my brand spanking new ipod docking station to listen to some music I was met with quite a surpise. My ipod sounded like it was chewing on gravel, and then it made the SAD MAC face, as pictured above. My only prior experience with the Sad Mac comes from an episode of Sex and the City where Carrie's computer dies, and it too makes the Sad Mac face. So, for as little as I know about it, I know its bad. My basketball girls assure me that this ipod is dead and that I should just cut my losses and move on. Maybe so.

Later: I took custody of Zeb's ipod for the time being and synced it with my itunes, so things are okay. The old ipod is definitely shot.

Al the "Gal" Blogging Initiative 2007 - The Wrap-Up

The poll has closed, and the results are in. 87% of Married to the Game readers think Gal should start a blog. And don't worry Gal, the one vote against was someone that orginally said yes, but later changed their mind. It was probably just Damon thinking that he was being funny. Am I right Damon?

So rumor has it, from a very reliable source that Gal is in the begining phases of starting up her blog. You heard it here first.

A-Ross' Blog

Just a quick note - A-Ross', a self proclaimed myspace blogger from way back, has come over from the dark side and started a blog here at blogger. Click HERE and check it out, I've also added the link to my "other notable links" section.

Rex Cunningham - Voice of the Bobcats

In an unusual, but wonderful turn of events, Zeb decided to "chuck a sickie" (or call in sick to work - as our australian friends say) and travel with me and my team to Utah State this week. Maybe it was brought on by the fact that we watched anchor man on the bus on the way there, but Zeb really stepped up his involvement this road trip. It all started during shootaround when Zeb was talking to our radio guy, Tyler, and looking through his stats pages. Zeb helped him brainstorm for questions for his interviews with the coach and a player. At some point it was decided that Zeb should be the color commentator in addition to Tyler's play-by-play. And if he was going to do the color comentating, he was going to need a new and improved radio name - Rex Cunningham was born. So we thought we were pretty funny, and continued to joke about this for the rest of the day, but then Zeb actually ended up sitting at the media table next to the radio guy, listening to him call the game. Zeb sat next to the live stats computer and pointed out key stats throughout the game, and Tyler actually said that Zeb found some pretty interesting stuff that he never would have thought of.

Zeb was pretty disappointed when he found out that radio guys don't really make that much money, and that they all pretty much have to keep second job to make a living. Before he found that out, Zeb was already making plans to quit his day job and come on the road with us full time!

Holiday Spirit - Elliott Yamin Style

Yes, thats right, I'm sure some of you can hardly believe it, but Elliott Yamin (see previous posts regarding my Elliott Yamin related obsession by clicking the Elliott Yamin label on the right -->) has a christmas CD. Unfortunatly it only has 8 tracks (not nearly enough to be considered satisfying) but the tracks that are there are delightful. My favorites are:

Track 1) This Christmas - This is one of my favorite christmas songs in general, previously recorded by Stevie Wonder, and just about every other soul singer on the planet - this classic does not disappoint.
Track 2) Warm Me Up

As usual, I have had this on repeat in the office for the last week or so. This is an especially impressive feat, as it only takes about 20 mins to get through the whole thing - and if you do the math I believe that is about 457 plays in the course of a day (I might be exagerating)

As an added bonus for you guys, I've included a picture of my office decorations. Last year I only had the snowflakes, so the multi-colored lights are a big next up to the next level. Also, there are just a few hours left to have your voice heard on the Al the Gal Blogging Initiative of 2007. This is a very important topic, and it is your right as an American - so vote on my poll! Top right corner of the page!!

Al the "Gal" Blogging Initiative 2007

Recently the idea occured to me that Gal needs to start a blog. It's intuitive really, she was an english major & and very good writer. She writes huge long comments, and im sure she only stops because she is self concious that the comment is too long, she has more to say! And the world should hear it.....or, you know...maybe just the few of us that actually read this blog.

So really I got the idea from coming across a blog where the person does movie reviews, see below:

A Girl and Her Netflix Account - This pile of poop was actually named a blogger.com Blog of Note. I know Gal could do better than this.

So I thought that Gal could do a movie/TV blog, all the news, her own reviews, she could pull from her old files and whatnot. Or really, it could be a blog about nothing (seinfeld reference,) or anything, but knowing Gal, it would be pretty interesting.

So feel free to use the comments section here to sign on in support of Gal blogging. I'm also going to post a poll for everyone to state their opinion.

And a last plea to Gal, start a blog soon! Don't make me drag this out into the Al the "Gal" Blogging Initiative of 2008, please. Setting up the blog is really easy, and if you need any help, just call me!

Ugh.

Blogging is Hard.

Yes, That's what she said.

I've been struggling big time lately. But I AM trying to find some new motivation, and hopefully keep the few loyal readers I have a little more entertained. If I haven't lost you all already?

More news tomorrow. I have the morning off (finals week, so we're working slightly reduced hours) so I'll try to get a little somethin' somethin' going here.

Feel free to comment and try to motivate me to blog more! Thanks!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALI!!!

Today, December 6, is Ali's birthday. Happy Birthday Ali! I have collected some of your favorite things/things that remind me of you right here in the blog in celebration! Hope you had a great day!!!

Being a Doctor

CoffeeHiking Women who catch extrordinarily large fish

Boston
Traveling
Oregon State Beavers

Happy Civil War Week!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

One day late, but I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving. I know we did. Remember those wild turkeys that used to run around the avenues in Sweet Home? Crazy.

Emily said it best when she quoted Adam Sander - The Turkey Song:

Turkey with Gravy & Cranberries,
Can't believe the Mets traded Darryl Strawberry.

Have a great weekend! I'm off to Denver.

New Alicia Keys

The newest cd in my office playlist is Alicia Keys - As I Am. At first I was a little bit skeptical and wasn't feeling it as much as her previous discs, but it has really grown on me, and its on full fledged repeat mode in the office. Two thumbs up, but you might have to give it a few spins past the initial listen to let it get to ya.

p.s. Did anyone watch How I Met Your Mother last night? Hilarious. I especially enjoyed the part when they were debating about Canadian Thanksgiving. I laughed really loud all by myself at the house.

p.p.s. It's snowing again. Last night Zeb had to work until 12:30 AM or so. Poor guy. But its early in the "overtime season" so he's not sick of it yet. He woke up and was singing "money money mooonnnneeeyyy" in the shower this morning. Ha.

Late Pass Wednesday - 2 For 1 Special

Late Pass Part 1) The Plant

A long time ago. July I believe, we got a plant. We found it at Costco when Damon was here visiting and it was love at first sight. We sorted through about 10 plants that all looked nearly identical and found this one. The best one. We brought it home and named it "Fenway". We're trying to gradually increase the number of living things in this household. This makes it 4. Me, Zeb, Robinson (the fish, who will be discussed later) and now Fenway. I guess it's weird to name a plant. But.....oh well. What's done is done. It took me forever to find the kind of pot that I wanted to plant Fenway in. Since Zeb was working full days while Damon was here, and I was only on half time, I forced Damon to accompany me in finding the perfect pot. I do feel pretty sorry for him, because I think we spent upwards of a few hours debating in the home/garden section of several retail establishments in Bozeman. But it was all worth it, because Damon was actually the one to finally find this pot and convince me that this was the one. But he was right. Now he knows what Zeb goes through on a very regular basis. Sorry Damon.

Fenway is doing very well in the house, and the odds that we will continue to keep it alive are in our favor.

___________________________________________________________
Late Pass Part 2) The Fish

The fish has not been doing well lately. He got all lethargic, and never wanted to eat. And to make matters worse, Zeb broke his lovely fish shaped living space while washing it.

evidence article 1

evidence article 2

So we were forced to get a new bowl for Robinson. We opted for this larger bowl (about 2 gallons)

Along with this interesting decoration. We were hoping he might want to swim through it, you know, give him some extra entertainment. He really seemed to enjoy his plastic grass, so we really thought this would be a hit. But it wasn't. Still just floating at the top, not eating. And no, he wasn't dead.

Through much google research, Zeb determined that Robinson was either constipated (huh?) or had a fish mouth rot caused by too cold of water. We bought a beta remedy solution to put in his water to make him healthy, got a smaller bowl (pictured below) for him, and have been trying to keep him water warmer by using an electric heating pad next to the bowl sometimes. He seems to be doing much better. At times we thought about just flushing him and getting a gold fish, but we are very committed to this fish. So, I would say that his odds are looking better everyday. Keep your fingers crossed.

So there you have it, I know I need a late pass for my late pass this week, but it's finally here. Make sure you share your own late pass information too!!!

The State of the Yankees

Okay, a lot has gone on in Yankeeland since the season ended, so I figured it was time for a quick recap with my commentary.

• A-Rod out. maybe? This is the best news to me EVER. I rejoiced. I did the fist pump. No, better yet, I did the mini lunge-triple fist pump-80's guitar leg kick. Take that. Management said, goodbye A-Rod and vowed to not negotiate with him, and the spawn of satan Scott Boras. And now they tell me he might be back in? NO. It's almost enough to make me shun the yankees. It's almost too much for me to handle. I'm getting an ulcer just thinking about it. I mean....i did the mini lunge-triple fist pump-80's guitar leg kick. You can't take that shit back.


• Joe Torre out. It was inevitable, so I'm not that stressed. It's weird to see him with the Dodgers, but I hope he does well for himself and I wouldn't mind seeing the Yankees/Torre grudge match in the '08 World Series. Would make for some good media right?


• Joe Girardi in. Yes. This guy was my top pick. He is a GREAT yankees, and he was with all the important teams that won back in the day. Back in the Tino Martinez, Chuck Knoblauch, Wade Boggs, Paul O'Neill, David Cone perfect game day. I see great things in the future.


• Posada and Rivera get offers they might accept & Pettite says its the Yankees or Retirement? Great, this is all going in the direction that I like. I've said before that I think Posada is the biggest priority of this off season. Keep him, and somehow manage to hang on to our young pitching prospects and we're golden. GOOOOOLLLDEN.

So in closing, I leave you with this image. And I hope it's enough to ward off his evil presence with the Yankees.
P.S. Go to http://www.arod.com/ and try not to vomit. I dare you.

Let It Snow....

Yesterday was the first day that it really snowed. We had a little bit of snow in september, but it didn't stay long and it happened on the weeekend, when I could just close my eyes and stay in bed until it went away. Yesterday I actually had to drive in it. I detoured from my normal snow route to work (which is the straightest and slowest possible path) and almost hit a light post. So much for detours. When i got to work I decided to deviate from my strict "no christmas music until thanksgiving policy" and brought out the mythical Christmas Mix. I promised myself I would only listen to it once through, but I ended up listening twice. I'm weak - what can I say? Will any of you admit to pulling out the christmas music yet?

The Great Office Tragedy of 2007 (a.k.a. writer's strike) / This Week on "The Office"

Once again, I appologize for my lateness in last week's recap post. I was on the road, without my laptop, but I luckily did get a chance to catch the episode on Thursday night. Jim was such a douchebag in that episode. I get the point that he was "turning into Michael" but Michael is so much funnier, even when hes a jerk. Jim just came across as a jerk. Lame. I get that the writers are trying to build up all this new character stuff, but come on, if this writers strike doesn't end soon, we'll be stuck with all the build up, and no payoff. Michael as survivor man was hilarious, I'm pretty sure I've never seen them make their pants into shorts, and then back into pants again on any of those shows. great stuff. Also, Dwight still just seems off to me. Not the normal Dwight especially from seasons 1 and 2. Anyone else with me?

So I know we've been doing a lot of talking on the comments section on another post about this, but I thought it would be good to get a new place going for this discussion. Here are some links I found related to the writers strike that could soon be wreaking havoc on our lives. My top 3 television priorities are in rank order 1) The Office 2)Friday Night Lights & 3) How I Met Your Mother. In contrast to previous years, this does not include any reality TV. I can't go back to the old way. I must have new episodes of my shows. Here are a few links that you might find interesting regarding the strike (a.k.a. The Great Office Tragedy of 2007) I might try to get Gal to guest blog in the future to provide more commentary as necessary. Meanwhile, we'll just rely on her providing lengthy descriptions in the comments section.

How The Writer's Strike is Effecting The Office
United Hollywood Blog



Allegedly (if you read that first link) this is the last new episode that is ready to air, until the writers come back. Savor it. It could end up being the season finale..?!?!? Apparently I may not be typing this again anytime soon....but...here goes......Next week on The Office:

THE DEPOSITION 9/8c TV14 11.15.2007
SUE CRAZY IN THE OFFICE--Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) finds himself between a rock and a hard place when Jan (Melora Hardin) sues Dunder Mifflin and Michael is deposed as a witness. Meanwhile, Kelly (Mindy Kaling) trash-talks Pam (Jenna Fischer) after Darryl (Craig Robinson) beats Jim (John Krasinski) at ping-pong. Rainn Wilson, B.J. Novak, Leslie David Baker, Ed Helms, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Angela Kinsey, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Paul Lieberstein, and Creed Bratton also star. -->

Coming Soon...

My blogging is so sad lately. I promise that I will get back in the game soon though. Here are some ideas that I have for upcoming blogs, and just some random news:

• I got a new phone. It's orange.
• My recent hair cut "experience"
• MSU Women's Basketball Season just got started this last week.
• My dad is coming to Montana for Christmas!
• Yankees news update (Manager Drama, A-Rod, all that)
• My new initiative to get Gal blogging.
• Fish update. Robinson might be on his last legs.
• What is Zeb doing now that baseball season is over?

"The Office" Friday

There is only one thing that I have to say about last night's episode, and that is:

Wanted: Middle-aged black man with sass. Big butt, bigger heart....

Up next week is:

SURVIVOR MAN 9/8c TV14 11.08.2007
INTO THE WOODS-SPECIAL GREEN WEEK EPISODE - After Ryan (B.J. Novak) excludes Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) from a corporate wilderness retreat, Michael heads into the woods for his own survival adventure with nothing but the suit on his back. Back at work, Jim (John Krasinski) tries to revolutionize the office birthday party. Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Ed Helms, Angela Kinsey, Kate Flannery, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Mindy Kaling, Paul Lieberstein, Creed Bratton and Craig Robinson also star.