Saturday, November 28, 2009

Turkey

It's been a while, eh? Sorry so lame about the posting lately. . . currently I am thankful that, though I am sick, it is just a bad cold. It could be much worse.


Oh yeah, and pink eye. How can I manage to be thankful for waking up this morning with pink eye?

Thursday, November 19, 2009

45-0

Ahhhh, finally getting around to talking about the game. I know how anxious many of you have been!
When our family godfather Dan found out we were going to be going to the game he hooked us up with his brother-in-law who owns Plank's Cafe. They charter a bus from the cafe to every home game and have a designated parking spot in a tailgating section (oh and for those of you who are local, tonight they will have members from TBDBITL playing at the cafe, as they do every year, every Thursday before the Michigan game-get some pizza, it is good!) Dan is from Columbus but currently lives in Las Cruces and we know him because we worked for him when we were in college. He also sent his nephew some NMSU gear and he proudly wore it (for about 30 minutes).
unstaged photo. . . we were taking the picture of Matt to send to Dan when the next person walked on the bus and started choking him.

The bus has a PA system and John (Plank's owner) gets on it occasionally to say things like "It's 9:24 AM" and the rest of the bus says "and Michigan still sucks" or he says "Ann, what are we going to do today?" and she yells in a heavy smokers voice "We're gonna kick some ass!" This is Ann, though I don't actually remember her name.

This was our bus. Plank's doesn't own it, they just charter it.
Here is a shot of the parking lot. Apparently during conference/bigger games it is much more full.
Some of the other buses.

They had lots of beer, lots of brats and it was lots of fun!
Once it was getting close to game time we headed to the stadium—we didn't want to miss the band taking the field. Here they are getting ready to go in. . . you can barely see the green of the field at the end of the tunnel.
And here they are taking the field. . .
with Brutus waiting for them at the 50 yard line (we took our small camera which the kids now often use. It appears they have messed up the zoom.)
The start of Script Ohio. Tug ended up taking video of it so no more pictures of it.
The fuzzy team taking the field.
A picture of the entire stadium (from our seats.)
Though there weren't many, the Aggies actually had a few fans there. Apparently their backup QB is from Ohio and he got quite a few cheers when he took the field. I didn't know why people were cheering but heard later that they were cheering for him, and he promptly fumbled-poor guy!
First touchdown of the game. You can see our QB running it in for a touchdown. There were quite a few more as the Buckeyes won 45-0. Our alma mater did us proud though and held the Bucks to a scoreless first quarter. Tug joked before the game saying it was a win-win regardless of who won. I said, "Yeah right, if the Aggies win you are going to be happy?" I think he said something about hell and no and the Buckeyes better win.
Overall it was a fun time! If we are ever able to return I think I would rather go to a better game. . .perhaps a lower level in-conference game.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Fingers Crossed

I never got around to showing pictures of the fingerless mitts I made for the Ohio trip. Believe you me, they came in handy!! I ended up not taking my scarf along. Well, I did take it to Ohio but didn't take it to the game. We went to the game on a tailgating bus and when we got to the meeting point it didn't seem that cold. Once tailgating at the game though, it was relatively freezing (even the natives were cold). Tug's teeth were chattering! I wasn't that cold though and I think it had everything to do with my hands being warm :)

Fingers crossed in the picture for a possible job opportunity. I got a call this morning from a lady I used to work for in NM. She is a psychologist and owned her own practice and I did her billing for her. She ended up closing up shop and moving to OK to be closer to her family. This morning she left a message to see how I was doing and to see if I wanted a job. I left a message back for her so am not sure what she is looking for though I think it would be the same thing which would be totally awesome. Fingers crossed that it works out.
For those wondering, I am still planning on doing the MT thing. I haven't applied to many places. . .I had planned to get on the job hunt once returning from Ohio but haven't really. If I am able to do the billing thing I would still look for MT work since the billing thing would be very part-time.

Monday, November 16, 2009

I am speaking English

Come on guys, it isn't that hard. It is even easier now that we beat Iowa. We are guaranteed a spot in the Rose Bowl and at least a share of the Big 10 title. If we beat Michigan this upcoming weekend we will be outright champions. If we lose then we will share the championship with any other team that has 2 losses in conference (currently Iowa, Penn State and Wisconsin). Every one has 1 more game so if we lose AND all 3 of those teams lose then we will still be outright champions (because we would have 2 conference losses, they all would have 3). If we lose and they all win then there is a 4 way tie (because all would have 2 losses). Either way, we get to go to the Rose Bowl because we beat Iowa, Penn State and Wisconsin in head-to-head competitions. Of course we still want to beat the hell out of Michigan!

photo from espn

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Keeping you in the loop

since I know most of you aren't. Of course, most of you don't care, but you really should so here is the breakdown.

The top 3 teams in the Big 10 this year are Penn State, Iowa and, of course, Ohio State. Now, Penn State lost to both Iowa and Ohio State so they are out of the running for the Rose Bowl. [Oh, I guess I should tell those who don't know, the winner of the Big 10 gets an automatic trip to the Rose Bowl (unless they go on to the National Championship game. Ohio State hasn't been to the Rose Bowl since 1996 because we have been to busy going to [and losing] National Title games when we win the Big 10.)
Iowa lost to Northwestern last weekend.
Ohio State lost to Purdue a couple weeks ago.
[Another tangent, for the conference title your out of conference wins/losses don't matter.]
Today Ohio State plays Iowa at Ohio State. Whoever wins this game will get the automatic bid for the Rose Bowl.
[Last tangent, whoever wins today gets to go to the Rose Bowl, but isn't necessarily the outright Big 10 Champion. If Ohio State wins today AND wins next week against Michigan they will be outright champs. If Iowa wins today AND wins next week they will be outright champs. Now, if Penn State wins their remaining games, Ohio State wins today and loses to Michigan and Iowa loses today but wins their last game, OR Iowa wins today and loses their last game and Ohio State loses today but beats Michigan then there would be a 3 way tie for the Big 10 Championship and Penn State, Iowa and Ohio State would all be co-champions since they would all have 2 losses. In those instances the tie-break for going to the Rose Bowl is whoever won head-to-head. Penn State has already lost to both Iowa and Ohio State so it is left to today's game for deciding who plays in the Rose Bowl. Oh, and in the Rose Bowl they will play the winner of the Pac 10.]
[Final, final tangent. Iowa is currently #10, Buckeyes are #11. However, we are favored in this game because Iowa's starting quarterback and running back got hurt last weekend against Northwestern. Oh, and because our defense is awesome.]
Did you get all that? Moral of the story,

GO BUCKEYES.
picture from the game 2 weeks ago.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Tis November 10th

And nary a day has passed since October 31st that I have not had a piece of candy. ummmm.

In other news, for those who saw the devastation post, devastation has been postponed. {r}'s coach has decided to keep her until at least December. We will re-evaluate then and she will either stay pre-team or move back to rec. I think her coach forgot she is 7 when she said to move her back down (well, her coach said she forgot she was 7 when she said to move her back down). Compared to their cousins, my kids are shrimps. Compared to others in her gymnastics class, {r} is a giant and her coach thought she was older. So for now, all is right in the household.
And here is an old picture of her from her first, and so far only, judo tournamentwhere she got a bronze medal (because I heard posts without pictures are boring).

Monday, November 9, 2009

Done deal

me: I don't want you to get bigger. Can you stay little please?
{j}: But I want to get bigger. I want to get as big as Daddy.
me: No. I want you to stay littler than Daddy. Stay little.
{j}: Please can I get big like Daddy. Please?
me: What if I make you a deal. You can get big like Daddy as long as you promise to still love me and let me cuddle you.
{j}: Deal.

Good thing I made that deal yesterday because he got bigger today!
Happy 4th birthday James.
We love you!!

Friday, November 6, 2009

O-H


Finally getting around to saying something about the trip. . . IT WAS TOTALLY WICKED. Tug was giddy the entire time, it was really cute! We stayed with my cousin, whom I haven't seen in nearly 20 years, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. Thursday we went trick-or-treating (actually, our very FIRST stop on Thursday was at Chick-Fil-A. I love that place). Friday Tug and I walked around campus. Crazy to think I almost went there!!
This is heading across the Olentangy River onto campus. . .

Part of campus, near Eddie George's bar where we stopped and had some nachos. . .

Tug at Mirror Lake, which I kept calling Mirror Pond which is Tug's favorite beer. . .

The Ohio State part is part of the stadium and the glass stuff/cement in the foreground was some sort of student workout center that looked pretty awesome. . .

The Horseshoe (just for you Barb)

How sweet of them to put up a sign just for my kids!!

This is one of the entrances to the stadium (pretty sure it is on the North side). . . look familiar??

The triangle thingy is a tribute to Jesse Owens. My cousin's wife's father (so my cousin's father-in-law) worked for Ohio State as a planner and had some sort of influence on this memorial.

We saw a lot of band people going to practice. As we made our way around the stadium we saw the drum majors leaving. I should have made Tug take a picture with them. (fyi, this is not a drum major.)

After walking around the stadium (we never did make it to Buckeye Grove), we stopped at St. John Arena (I have never seen a basketball arena with seating going up so high) and saw pictures of all the old teams from various sports.

And once leaving SJA, we walked down Lane street and ran into this guy. I saw another one (dressed in fatigues) on our way in but didn't see him while we were walking. I was so bummed to find out these statues are no longer 'on parade' and are instead strewn about the city.

Tomorrow (or eventually) I will post pictures from the game. I know you are all dying in anticipation!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Halloween

This is the first year (in a long time) we have been completely uncreative and just bought store costumes. We didn't get costumes until Tuesday night which meant slim pickings.
{s} as Dorothy
{j} as a Power Ranger
{r} as some sort of Diva Soldier I guess

and {l} as a Glam Genie

And here are our pumpkins. . .
I don't know why we didn't take any pictures in the dark of the pumpkins. My mom was sweet enough to take the kids trick or treating on Halloween. We were kinda busy at a football game. We did get to go trick or treating though because certain parts of Ohio have some crazy tradition where they go trick or treating on a day prior to Halloween. It sounds like most of the Columbus area does that (my cousin's city, Dublin, did it on Thursday night), but Cleveland does it on Halloween (not sure about further south). Tug and I were both disturbed by this tradition.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Quickies

We got home last night and are just getting around to thinking of getting caught up (though it probably won't start until tomorrow so I can spend time with my mom today). I will give proper updates later but here is a quick funny for when we find ourselves in this all too often conundrum. . .


Tug's uncle: You guys know what causes that don't you (of course talking about being prego with #5)
Tug: Yeah, being Catholic.

I laughed so hard when he said that. Classic!