2004
Mood:  happy
Now Playing: Courthouse -- Isaak
Topic: Introspection
This year has really started out well, except for New Year's Day which I spent mostly in bed with a bitch of a migraine. And not from drinking, either! I started off the new year by making some hefty payments on several bills, which made me feel good. Had a tasty hunk of fillet mignon, got good deals at Bath & Body works...

Then came the Joe Gibbs announcement... I was ecstatic! Now today, another piece of news which I will not share yet, but will certainly help my life in some fashion. It remains to be seen how much it will help, but I will find out within the next few weeks.

Tomorrow I get to find out if taking one or another ADD drug will help me think any clearer and be more organized. I wonder if drugs are really the answer... I have no doubt that taking Wellbutrin has helped me incredibly. I wonder if I've always been depressed or it was just certain events that would get me down. I tend to think that I may have been depressed my whole life, just more at certain times than others. I remember thinking how bad my life sucked, and I wonder if it was that bad. I know that there were certainly some times that I had that weren't so pleasant, and I have gone through a lot. In more recent years, a lot of it I brought on myself, I guess because that's what I was used to. But look at me now, how normal I feel. Even *gasp* happy at times?! Certainly not happy at work most of the time, but in other areas of my life, I'm happy. I doubt that many people actually like their jobs, anyway. I'm eventually going to go back to college, although I won't be able to go full-time. I'm still searching for my true passion in life. Everything that I get really excited about doing, I start strongly but always finish weakly. Hmm. ADD? Supposedly that's a sign.

Guess we'll see. Will my life be even better by this time next year? It's good now, but it can always be better... and I am in control of my own destiny, so only I can make it better. I can't depend on others to do it for me.

Ahh, time to get back to work. I'll try to post over the weekend, especially after the games. Speaking of football, the sports junkies are supposed to be at Jillian's tomorrow at the Mills. Maybe I'll get to meet them!

Happy, Happy Joy, Joy
Mood:  rushed
Now Playing: Two Hearts -- Isaak
Topic: Football
Only 15 minutes left until the biggest press conference of the decade -- the official Gibbs announcement! Too bad I'm going to miss it. I'm sure that they'll replay it tonight on the news; at least the highlights. Or maybe I should leave work now?

Been a busy day, went to my doctor this morning and she wrote me a new prescription for my Wellbutrin, we upped it 100 mg a day, because I've been bitchy and down lately. I'm also going to try Ritalin and Concerta to see if they help my concentration any better... if I go crazy on them, that will mean I don't have ADD!

I'm still all achy and sore throat-y, I even took my herbal microwave wrap thing to work to put on my shoulder... that shoulder has been hurting for the past two weeks, it sucks! I don't know if I'm sleeping on it funny or what, it's annoying that I have so many aches and pains. People at work swear by their chiropractors, I'm thinking that when I go see my OTHER doctor on Monday (my yearly "well woman exam", what fun!) that I'll ask her for a referral. She's my favorite doc except for my therapist. She's really young and is also my GP (I would have said PCP, but that sounds weird)... she was finishing her internship or whatever it's called before you take your doctor exam thingy... she's really in on the latest technology and stuff. I really feel that I can tell her anything, which is a nice relationship to have with your doctor. Since I've been an adult, I've never had any real working relationship with a GP, since when I was a kid I went to the same pediatrician until I was 16 or something.

Well, I have to get going... see if I can sneak out early and catch at least part of the press conference! (We still have a bottle of champagne left from New Year's... I think that this deserves a toast!)

AWESOME article on the new Gibbs era from ESPN
Mood:  happy
Now Playing: Changes - 3 doors down
Topic: Football
Kurtis just sent me this article, it's by far the best one that I've read and almost brought tears to my eyes. I can't wait until next year's season... it's going to be impossible to get tickets, though... I don't care, I'll even sit in the nosebleeds to see the NEW Skins!



Check out the article by Tom Friend

Or, read it here:

Wednesday, January 7, 2004


By Tom Friend
ESPN The Magazine

I can't wait for Redskins-Cowboys again.

I can't wait for Joe Gibbs' rematch with Bill Parcells -- without Lawrence Taylor!

What, this isn't big news to you? The Redskins rehiring Joe Gibbs? If it's not, the hell with you then. This would be the equivalent of Casey Stengel returning to mange the Yankees. Or Vince Lombardi returning to coach the Packers. This is a Hall of Fame coach coming back to where he belongs. This isn't Parcells selling his soul to Jerry Jones. Joe Gibbs turned down NFL jobs for 11 years, and I'll tell you why -- because he's a better man than Parcells. You think Gibbs would've come out of retirement to coach the Panthers? Or the Falcons? Or the, gulp, Cowboys? Never. Never in a million years. He's no Parcells. He's no sell-out. He was a Redskin in '81, and it looks like he's a Redskin again. And I promise you'll never hear another peep out of Dan Snyder.

With the Redskins on the brink of becoming the Arizona Cardinals, Snyder has done what he had to do: he's gone retro. Dan Snyder is conniving, and Dan Snyder is impatient, but the one person he'll never interfere with is Joseph Gibbs.

Do you know who Dan Snyder is? He's a kid from Charles W. Woodward High School in Rockville, Md. who grew up during the Redskin golden years. He grew up at a time Edward Bennett Williams was hiring Vince Lombardi and then George Allen to save the franchise. You think Steve Spurrier was a big name? Hah! Lombardi, now that's a name. Allen, that's a name. Dan Snyder grew up in an era where, from 1971-92, the Redskins had exactly two losing seasons, a 6-10 in 1980 and a 7-9 in '88. Other than that, it was five Super Bowl appearances and three titles, all courtesy of Joe Gibbs. It was Sonny and Billy and Hanburger in the 70s, and it was Gibbs and Riggo and Joey T. and Monk in the 80s. It was Sunday night celebrations at Duke Zieberts, it was Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan in the owner's box and it was RFK Stadium throbbing, throbbing.

Did little Dan Snyder get spoiled by it all? Of course he did. I went to a high school down the street from Snyder's, Wootton, and I got spoiled, too. From 1969-92, the team had three Hall of Fame head coaches. From 1971-85, they had just three celebrity quarterbacks -- Sonny Jurgensen, Bill Kilmer and Joe Theismann. And after that, you could've handed Gibbs anybody (even someone named Danny Wuerffel), and he'd have won with him. I mean, Gibbs won Super Bowls with Theismann, Doug Williams and Mark Rypien. He made the last two guys Super Bowl MVPs. It was football nirvana, and a young Dan Snyder even sat in the stands for the last game Gibbs ever coached, a playoff game in San Francisco in 1992. He sat in the stands and cheered. Lost his voice.

So there you have it. Now you know why Dan Snyder is nuts for the Redskins. Now you know why he overpaid Spurrier and why, after that mistake, he's reaching out to Gibbs. Now you know why he wants a celebrity coach, why he wishes he could walk into ol' Duke Zieberts and get standing ovations, the way Edward Bennett Williams used to, the way George Allen used to, the way every Redskin used to.

He could've hired Jim Fassel -- and if Gibbs falls through, he still might. But getting Joe Gibbs is bigger than big. I don't care if he's 63, and I don't care if he can only hold up until he's 65. This franchise needed credibility and it needed an old friend. And when Dan Snyder reintroduces Joe Gibbs as head coach, he will be able to just put his feet up and watch.

You think the game's passed him by? Please. Take a look at Dick Vermeil, Parcells. They're just as ancient, and look what they did this year. I'm guessing Gibbs will bring old buddy Joe Bugel back as his assistant head coach, and I bet he'll bring Russ Grimm back from Pittsburgh and groom him to be his successor. He'll also probably hire former Bills coach Gregg Williams as his defensive coordinator, and I bet he'll work smoothly with Snyder's personnel director, Vinny Cerrato (Vinny's mentor is Lou Holtz; he's been around legends before).

He'll have to get used to free agency and instant replay, but don't think for a minute he'll tolerate the cell phones and the eccentricities of today's young players. When I covered the Redskins for the Washington Post in the 80s, Joe Gibbs had his hand in everything. He was a control freak who slept at the office and who wanted lunch pail, work ethic players. At the same time, he knows how to deal with egos. He had Riggins and Theismann and Dexter Manley eating out of the palm of his hand. He's a people person.

And now the rivalries will fire up again. Back then, Giant Week was as bad as Cowboy Week. He was always afraid L.T. would kill his quarterback, so sometimes he'd only send one receiver out in a pattern and use everyone else to block. You think Patrick Ramsey's gonna get killed this year? Forget it.

He's more of disciplinarian than you'll ever know. He'll run three-hour practices in pads. Free agent Champ Bailey will want to stay now. LaVar Arrington will stop freelancing. If Ramsey thought Steve Spurrier knew quarterbacking, wait until he gets a load of Gibbs.

Gibbs is also the master of adjustment. At halftime, he'd always come up with some new wrinkle, and he'll adjust to the new NFL, too. I found it amusing how people say that Spurrier came to the NFL to see if his Fun 'N Gun would work and then quit when he realized it wouldn't. What a loser! Gibbs came to the Redskins in 1981 with the same reputation as a gun-slinging coach, straight from the Air Coryell Chargers. But after an 0-5 start, he looked at his roster and adjusted, became a run-first offense behind Riggins. He didn't quit, he didn't run off to play golf. It took guts to do what change everything, but Joe Gibbs is no dummy.

And he'll do it again. It won't be easy to win, not without a defensive line, but I bet they make a run at free agent defensive end Darren Howard or Jevon Kearse. And I bet Gibbs won't quit until he has his Redskins, his one and only Redskins, back in contention. The only coach who seemed to have his number in the old days was Parcells, but now he'll get another shot at the Tuna -- twice a year! I only wish Spurrier hadn't gutted his backfield, hadn't run Stephen Davis out of town. Because that would've been something to see ... Stephen Davis running 50-gut.

But that's okay. Joe Gibbs won with a scat back named Joe Washington, and he'll win with a scatback named Trung Canidate.

Can we play at RFK?

Tom Friend writes for ESPN The Magazine.

It's OFFICIAL!!!! (at least he made a statement)
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: Football
From the Washington Post Article

Joe Gibbs, the legendary coach who led the Washington Redskins to three Super Bowl titles in the 1980s and early '90s, announced today he will return as head coach of the Redskins.

"The desire to coach has always been with me, even after being away from the game for 11 years," said Gibbs in a statement released by his NASCAR team, Joe Gibbs Racing, in North Carolina. "After speaking with my wife Pat, we both agreed it would be a thrill to go back. I appreciate Daniel Snyder giving me the opportunity to coach again. But rest assured, I remain personally committed to Joe Gibbs Racing and each and every sponsor who supports the many employees of Joe Gibbs Racing."

Gibbs, 63, has agreed to a five-year contract, the statement said. The terms of the agreement were not immediately available, but sources said his contract will contain provisions that will keep Gibbs with the Redskins even after he finishes coaching.

Team officials said earlier today they would comment later. Gibbs was expected to be formally introduced as the Redskins new coach at a news conference on Thursday.

Gibbs has already been working to assemble a coaching staff, and sources said there was a strong possibility that he would bring in former Buffalo Bills head coach Gregg Williams as defensive coordinator. Williams was a highly successful defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans before his three years with the Bills, in which he was 17-31, with a 5-15 mark against AFC East teams.

Another of Gibbs's assistant coaches appears likely to be Joe Bugel, his offensive line coach during the team's glory days. Bugel is the former head coach of the Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals and served as an unpaid consultant to the Redskins this season.

The Redskins have been looking for a coach since Steve Spurrier resigned eight days ago. Owner Daniel Snyder and vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato were known to have conducted face-to-face interviews with three other candidates -- former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel, former Minnesota Vikings coach Dennis Green and Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes.


Next season, the Skins will go AT LEAST 9-7 and while they may not make the playoffs next year, they will most assuredly make them in 2005. Super Bowl Champions within the next 3 years. Just you see!

Finding Peace in the Office
Topic: Work
Here is an article that was on the front page of MSN today from their career section, apparently it came from careerbuilder.com. I think I'm going to print it out and post it in my cubicle. I'll be good, though -- I won't write names beside each personality type (after all, I only have limited space, right?! haha).

Finding Peace in the Office

Handling Difficult Coworkers
Like any social situation, a professional environment is bound to have its good and bad apples. There is no rule that says that once you find a job, you will enjoy working with each of your coworkers. In fact, you are bound to run into a colleague who irritates or even offends you. In these situations, it often becomes your responsibility to maintain a professional attitude. Here are some common types of "nightmare coworkers" and tips on how to keep your reputation intact, no matter what.
1. The Office Gossip - Most offices have one person with a direct connection to the company grapevine. This person has the "scoop" all the time and is not afraid to share it. While it can be fun to be in on the office news for a while, it is best to be cautious when presented with office gossip. The majority of gossip is false and hurtful. If you keep information to yourself instead of passing it on, your coworkers will come to see you as reliable and trustworthy. In addition, deciding not to spread gossip is one of the best ways to keep yourself from eventually becoming the subject.

2. The Constant Complainer - Misery loves company, and some individuals are just not happy in any situation. These employees are not afraid to complain, and do it often and vocally. But in an office environment, negativity often means lower productivity and company morale. Complainers typically seek out others who will share their grief. Your best bet is to listen respectfully if someone approaches you to vent, but not to join in. Sooner or later, the complainer will stop using you as a sounding board and you will not have to risk being labeled a negative employee.
3. The Nosey Neighbor - Many workplaces are set up in an open environment, with employees situated in cubes rather than in offices. This layout is great for employees who love to learn as much as possible about coworkers' professional and personal lives. If you are faced with a colleague who always knows what is going on in your life, you might want to be more discreet at work. This means keeping personal calls to a minimum, or utilizing a conference room to handle personal business. If your nosey neighbor has truly crossed the line, talk to your manager about the situation. The company may be able to make adjustments in the office layout to provide you with more privacy.
4. The Office Thief - The office thief typically is not known for stealing pens and pencils, but for stealing credit and ideas. You may find that an idea you brought up casually is later presented formally by this individual, with no reference to your input. Unfortunately, you won't do yourself much good by yelling "that was my idea!" Steer clear of this person, particularly when it comes to brainstorming or sharing ideas and materials. Be professional, but also be guarded in your interactions with the office thief.
5. The All-Around Unpleasant Coworker - While some individuals in the office cause problems without being blatantly offensive, this individual is downright nasty. He or she is rude, arrogant, condescending, and just not enjoyable to be around. There are a couple of tips for dealing with this coworker. The first is realizing that you never know the whole story. This person might have something going on in his or her life that is causing the negativity. Try having an open conversation - privately, of course - to discuss the interactions between the two of you, but be careful about how you approach the conversation. You want to be seen as supportive and open, rather than accusing. Next, talk to your manager or human resources rep about the situation. It never hurts to document issues, and you may be able to decrease the amount of interaction you have with this individual.
Bottom line: If you keep out of the negative situations that arise, you will save yourself a great deal of heartache in the future. Remember that the workplace is an environment that mixes a wide variety of personality types. The trick is staying true to yourself, getting your job done and doing what you can to ensure you are happy at the end of each day, even if it means biting your tongue from time to time.

I'll be good and not put any names down. ;-)

LOTR lyrics
Mood:  lyrical
Now Playing: All you wanted -- Michelle Branch
Topic: Lord of the Rings
I just wanted to post lyrics to 3 of the songs from ROTK..

I found this one while browsing through other people's blogs, these are the lyrics (hopefully the correct ones)to the song Peregrin Took aka Pippin sings to Denethor while Faramir is on his suicide mission to reclaim Osgiliath.

Home is behind, the world ahead,
There are many paths to tread,
Through shadow, to the edge of night,
Until the stars are all alight,
Mist and shadow,
Cloud and Shade
Home shall fade,
home shall,
Fade.

May it be is on the soundtrack to Fellowship of the Ring and it is a particularly haunting song performed by Enya. It sends shivers down my spine when I hear it.

May it be an evening star
Shines down upon you
May it be when darkness falls
Your heart will be true
You walk a lonely road
Oh! How far you are from home

Mornie utulie (darknesss has come)
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantie (darknesss has fallen)
A promise lives within you now

May it be the shadows call
Will fly away
May it be your journey on
To light the day
When the night is overcome
You may rise to find the sun

Mornie utulie (darknesss has come)
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantie (darknesss has fallen)
A promise lives within you now

A promise lives within you now

The final lyrics are to Gollum's song which is on the Two Towers soundtrack and is performed by Emiliana Torrini... I think that the song goes very well with his character. The lyrics talk about how the ring corrupted him and I believe the song is also talking about Frodo's struggle with the ring, particularly the stanzas at the end when he says that he can never go home. Although Frodo did return "home" to the Shire, he realized that he couldn't stay there which is why he went on the last ship to the Grey Havens (which would be likened to heaven in Christianity, I believe).

where once was light
now darkness falls
where once was love
love is no more

don't say - goodbye
don't say - I didn't try

these tears we cry are falling rain
for all the lies you told us
the hurt, the blame!

and we will weep
to be so alone
we are lost!
we can never go home

so in the end
I will be - what I will be
no loyal friend
was ever there for me

now we say - goodbye
we say - you didn't try

these tears you cry
have come too late
take back the lies
the hurt, the blame!

and you will weep
when you face the end alone
you are lost!
you can never go home

JOE GIBBS BACK IN WASHINGTON?!!?!!!!
Mood:  party time!
Now Playing: The Sports Junkies on WHFS 99.1
Topic: Football

JOE GIBBS IS IN DISCUSSIONS WITH DAN SNYDER!!!!!

Yesterday at work, I was talking with another Redskins fan here (there are only four of them, including me and Kurt, and he is a convert since he's dating me, we have mostly Ravens fans here, about 80% Ravens, 5% Steelers, 5% Skins and 2% Cowboys (yuck))... anyway, I was talking to another fan (CJ) and said, "We need Joe Gibbs to come back." What do I hear when I get up this morning and turn on the junkies??? They were talking about Joe Gibbs! I looked at Kurtis and said, "No way...they can't be bringing him back!" But they kept talking and I found out that they are! At least most likely. It would really suck after everyone got all excited and then he didn't come back.

"He is a proven winner who surrounds himself with winners" one of the junkies just said. There was an article on washingtonpost.com this morning entitled, "The Next Joe Gibbs could be Joe Gibbs"... I found that amusing.

ESPN reported:

WASHINGTON -- Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs is set to make a surprise return to the Washington Redskins.

NFL sources have comfirmed to ESPN that Gibbs has agreed to coach the Redskins.

The Washington Post, citing sources with connections to Gibbs, reported late Tuesday on its Web site that Gibbs was in serious discussions about returning to the team that he led to three Super Bowl titles.

Gibbs, who is 63, coached the Redskins from 1981 to 1992 before resigning to pursue a career with his own NASCAR team. He has been adamant over the years about not wanting to coach again, although he has retained NFL connections. He is a minority owner of the Atlanta Falcons.

The Redskins are seeking a replacement for Steve Spurrier, who resigned last week. They have interviewed former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel, former Minnesota coach Dennis Green and Seattle defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes, who was in town Tuesday.

A source close to Fassel told the Post that he did not believe Fassel would be hired because the club was planning a major surprise. That source added that he believed Gibbs' return would be the surprise.

Calls to the Redskins and to Gibbs' racing team were not returned immediately.

Gibbs' racing teams have been among the most successful in NASCAR, with two Winston Cup championships in the last four seasons. Bobby Labonte took the title in 2000, Tony Stewart in 2002.

Gibbs' oldest son, J.D., is president of Joe Gibbs Racing. The former coach's youngest son, Coy, finished 14th last season in the Busch Series standings.

WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to have to burn my "Got Spurrier?" shirt... I need a "Got Gibbs?" shirt now!!! It's a shame that my grandfather didn't get to see the return of Gibbs to football... he was a huge Redskins fan.

Who would have thought that Spurrier resigning could be a good thing?

Argh..........
Mood:  irritated
Now Playing: Learning to fly
Topic: TV, music, movies, etc.

I'm so pissed! I hit a button on the keyboard and half my freaking post disappeared! I guess that I hit "cancel" some weird way. Fortunately I'd only typed about 8 or 9 sentences, but that is still too many.

As I was saying, I don't have much time... I've been busy at work today so I haven't had a chance to post. (but when has that stopped me before??) My throat is still sore, I feel achey and tired. But other than that, I'm fine. Cepacol kicks ass, by the way...I have this sore throat spray, honey lemon flavored. Wasn't so sure about the flavor to begin with, but the numbing action is awesome.

Anyway, there is lots of exciting TV coming up. 24 starts back tonight after the 3 week holiday hiatus. Oh, Jack Bauer how I've missed you! Then, Thursday night the 3rd (and final, sniff sniff) season of the Chris Isaak show starts. It's been a LOOOOOOOOOOOONG time since it's been on, I'm really looking forward to it. Amy is having a pampered chef party next Thursday though, so I may miss part of it next week. (Stef just called and asked me if I could pick her up at the airport one day next week--apparently she's going to Florida) Ahh, where was I? Yes, Isaak show and 24.

The week of the Super Bowl is going to be super-$$!! 24 on Tuesday, Isaak on Thursday, Super Bowl (ARGH!! it never fails that someone needs something done at 4:55 every freaking day...) on Sunday -- FOLLOWED by the first episode of ALL STAR SURVIVOR!!! I hope that Rupert is going to be on it, he is awesome! I only watched the first season of Survivor religiously, but last season (Pearl Islands) I watched a great deal of. Everyone loved Rupert from what I understand.

Well I have to go do this last-minute fax, ugh. Maybe more tonight, Kurt has his guitar lesson and I may be able to get some time on the computer!

Playoffs and Superbowl picks and predictions
Topic: Football

I made my predictions earlier, I believe -- Philadelphia and New England...

However, if my predictions below are correct, I think it will be Green Bay and New England.

I want to see football played in the snow, not in a domed stadium. It's meant to be played in the cold weather!

Here are my playoff predictions...these predictions I've made on assumptions from a play-off chart and if I have the home team wrong in any of these, I may have the wrong pick.

NFC -- Carolina at St. Louis
St. Louis almost always kicks ass at home. The Rams definitely have my vote on this one... final score 24-27, it's going to be a close game.

NFC -- Green Bay at Philadelphia
This is going to be the game of the weekend... this is a tough call. The new Philly stadium is crappy, especially when it comes to kicking field goals. Both teams have exceptional kickers, and I'm not sure who will have the upper hand in this game. I'm going to say that it will be Akers because he has more experience in this stadium--his longest FG this year was 57 yards and Longwell's was 50. Both are damn good in my opinion! There are a lot of variables, foremost being the weather. I think that Green Bay has a superior passing game as well as superior running game -- Ahman Green gets it done! However, Green has a fumbling problem which may come into play at a key point in the game. This bothers me. McNabb isn't what he used to be, though -- I don't care if he's come back from his early season slump or not, he isn't the same Donny McNabb as he was last year before he was injured. That being said, if it's windy or there is crappy weather, 21-17, Packers. If it's not windy and the weather is half decent, 30-27, Eagles.

AFC -- Tennessee at New England.
New England wins, hands down, even if Brady is having a bad day, they'll find a way to win. Especially if it's nasty weather. 27-21, Pats

AFC -- Colts at Kansas City
This is going to be another good game, I'm looking forward to it. To be honest, I have no idea who is going to win this one. Kansas City has won something like their last 13 games at home, so that is one thing you could look at. For the Colts, it's going to come down to Peyton Manning. For the Chiefs, it's all going to be on Priest Holmes. Holmes has 27 TDs this year, which is an NFL record (I know who is going to be first on my fantasy draft next year!). Manning has 29 TDs this year, but he's a QB! This game is going to rely heavily on turnovers, I believe. Whoever coughs it up the least is going to win this game. It's going to be exciting, that's for sure. Neither team has beaten a team that the other team has lost to, and they have both been beaten by Denver -- who the Colts pummeled last night.
I have no idea who is going to win, but my bet is that the Colts will win, their schedule seems a little bit stronger than KC's. 34-24, Colts.


Thanks for reading through all of my silly predictions. It's fun to do and it will keep my mind off those stupid Redskins. I'm going to find a new team to cheer for. Like.... Green Bay!

Great weekend, but now I'm getting sick(er)
Mood:  accident prone
Now Playing: Enya -- May it be
Saturday was fantastic! (1/3/04)

I got to sleep in, although I still felt tired when I got up. Kurt and I went to Marley Station to buy some more Christmas gifts -- I had to get something for M.C. and he had to get something for my mother -- since we were visiting them on Sunday. Anyway, we went to quite a few stores, I started by having breakfast at Cinnabon (yum). Don't think that I've had one of those in a few years! We then went to JC Penney's where I found some penguin socks for MC, pantyhose and a nice wrap/scarf on sale for me! After that, Kurt said that he was going to go to Waldenbooks while I went to Sears. In Sears I found the perfect penguin sweater, but long lines. I still made it back to the bookstore while Kurtis was still waiting in line, though. Didn't expect that to happen! I then went in to Bath & Body Works who were having a huge sale! I bought $24.15 worth of stuff that would normally have cost about $60! The best part is that I didn't even really pay for it, because I had a gift certificate. :) While I was in there, Kurtis went to Yankee Candle who were also having an awesome sale and bought a nice candle for $5 and also 2 dozen votives. We then went home, relaxed a little and then watched the Ravens game. At around 6, I started getting ready to go out to our dinner at the Prime Rib. My hair wasn't cooperating very nicely, but I finally managed to do something with it. Kurtis and I both looked smashing, I must say! At around 7:20, we were passing the Ravens' stadium as we listened on the radio to Tennessee driving down the field with a tied game and less than a minute left on the game clock. Several minutes later we listened to the crowd go silent as Tennessee's kicker Gary Anderson kicked a 46 yard field goal (with barely an inch to spare) to win the game. The amazing thing is that he is the oldest player in the NFL at 44, and the two field goals that he made in that game were his longest of the season!! He came up big when they needed him to. We then got a little turned around trying to find the Prime Rib, but located it after a few minutes with little difficulty. Although we were 20 minutes early, we were seated immediately, and we weren't seated by the bathrooms OR the kitchen! We had an attentive waiter (for the most part), and the atmosphere was perfect. The menu was definitely pricey, although that was expected... I ordered a $29.95 filet mignon which was fantastic and Kurt ordered a prime rib for something like $37, which was HUGE and tasty. We had wine with our meal as well, I believe it was Cabernet Sauvignon of some sort. For dessert, they brought out some kind of chocolate pie that was delicious! Kurtis told them it was our anniversary (even though it wasn't!) when he made the reservations, so they brought it out with a candle in it. When we got home, the Cowboys-Panthers game was on. The Panthers proceeded to beat the crap out of Dallas, winning 10-29. What made my day perfect: a perfect shopping excursion, (great deals and finding what I wanted!) relaxing on the coach, the Ravens and Cowboys losing their playoff games, a romantic dinner with huge, yummy hunks of meat and a chocolate treat for dessert!

Sunday we went to my mother's for "Christmas". Exchanged presents, and missed most of the Seahawks-Packers game-- which was the one that we really wanted to watch, of course. Oh well! I'm going to post more about football in another post so that I can put it in the right topic. Not that anyone ever reads this thing, though.

I'm feeling pretty exhausted today, my throat is sore, nose is a little runny and I have an occasional cough. I've been feeling sick on and off for a while, but around New Year's Eve I realized that I definitely have whatever's going around and all I can do now is take vitamins and drink lots of fluids! There's no doubt in my mind that I got it from one of the people here who've been hacking and coughing without covering their mouths. It's disgusting. Of course, now they're all feeling better and aren't coughing as much. Maybe I'll be nice and wear a mask to work so that I won't infect other people.

Kurt and I ate lunch today at Quizno's... on the way there, he told me that I looked pale... I laughed and told him that he looked pale, too... he isn't feeling well, either. Not surprising. Quizno's was freezing, they were getting a shipment and the door was open... it really sucked. Then of course I was wearing my winter coat, and as I'm taking the lid off my chili, a few tablespoons ended up on my jacket and my pants. Kurtis told me I deserved it since I bought him a stain defender shirt -- apparently I needed it today more than him. I guess that I'll buy a pair of slacks that have that stuff on them. It really is quite amazing, I was washing the shirt last night and splashed water on it just to see -- it beaded up and rolled right off! Amazing that it actually works the way that it's supposed to.

More later, perhaps. Work beckons.

posted by a cautiously optimistic Redskins fan at 2:17 PM EST

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