Chillin Chillin...

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Nasdaq-100 Open

My pops invited me to watch some tennis tonight down in Key Biscayne. I think the last time I went to watch this tournament it was still called Lipton. Very excited. Looks like I might get to see a good Russian woman's singles match between Sharapova and Myskina. Never heard of Myskina, but she is ranked 10, so she has to be pretty good. Should be fun.

While I'm on the subject of tennis... I played tennis for the first time last Saturday with my father-in-law, uncle, and my father-in-law's friend. Had to be the first time I picked up a racket in over a year (maybe two). I ended up pairing up with my father-in-law's friend and we beat the heck out of my uncle and father-in-law.

Surprisingly I was on fire. Had only one bad service game, and my ground strokes were on. Had trouble with my uncle's serve on one side of the court, but other than that my game was pretty solid. My biggest advantage to the "older guys" was my speed. I covered a lot of court, and was able to get to shots they didn't expect.

Since everyone had such a great time, we are planning on doing it again this Saturday. This time my Pops is coming out there too. Should be a good time. Hopefully I can continue the good play.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to post the score (7-5, 6-0). We killed them!!!

Gators in the Final Four!!!

So the Gators handled Nova last week and are going to tangle with George Mason in the Final Four. George Mason is this year's feel good story of March Madness. An eleven seed who beat Michigan State, UNC, Witchita State, and UCONN. They are on an unbelievable run, but I think we match up great with them.

I have only seen their last two games, but it seems like they try to get the ball inside and and if it's not there, kick out for the open jumper. They play great defense, and unselfish team ball. Sounds familar.

My guess is this game will be close all the way down to about 10 minutes left in the game. That's where I see the Gators pulling away. We just have too much depth and better talent down low. With all of the hype surrounding Noah and Horford, I see Humphreys being able to get open looks and having a big scoring night.

We'll have to wait and see Saturday.

My prediction:

Gators - 72
Mason - 59

Friday, March 24, 2006

I'm Still Here

Between BizTalk Training at work, spending time with the family at home (all of us have been sick the past couple of weeks), and the NCAA games I have not had time to post in a while.

Lots of good things going on right now. The Gators have a big game tonight against Georgetown. Game starts at 9:40 so I am going to have to force myself to stay up. We win this game and we are in the Elite 8.

Leslie surprised me with a Vegas trip for our anniversary (April 14 - April 16). We started doing the research on hotels earlier in the week, but it turns out my cousin has some connections, and was able to get us taken care of at the Bellagio (good to know important people). He might even be able to get us some tickets for shows. We are using our credit card points for the airfare, so so far we are looking at a free trip to Vegas Baby!!!!

We also visited Gerlinde (photographer) a couple weeks ago and got our family potrait's taken, and some pictures of Sam by herself. Originally we were all going to look at the pictures together, but with Sam being sick we had to reschedule for during the week. So I haven't seen the pictures yet, but Leslie says they came out great. Gerlinde also hooked us up. A gift certificate for one of the pictures Leslie wanted. For some reason people are in the mood of hooking us up with free stuff. Keep it coming!!!

Sam has her second swimming lesson Saturday so that should be fun along with the Basketball Games and some contracting work I have to do. Also have to go and get a tuxedo... Hopefully I will have enough time for everything. We'll see.

GO GATORS!!!

Friday, March 17, 2006

Samantha's Sick :(

Since the start of March Madness, I have been slacking on the Samantha posts. So here are the updates:

Last Saturday was Samantha's first swimming lesson. All in all it went pretty well. She was very attached to Mommy, but she did pretty well for it being her first lesson.

After the lesson we took her home for her nap. Later on we went to the mall and Samantha had her first taste of ice cream. She loved it!!! After the mall we took her home fro her nap. When she woke up, we found her covered in throw up. It was all over her crib and herself. This was the first time she had done this. So we cleaned her up, changed the sheets, and didn't think anything of it. Thought it was the ice cream.

On Sunday, she started to get a stuffy nose, and was very congested. Lots of coughing up phlegm. Jaime and Jeff came over Sunday night to help out with Samantha's eating habits (doctor says she’s underweight). Apparently the doctor told us a Speech Pathologist can help babies with eating issues (don't ask me how). So Jaime (she's the Speech Pathologist) came over to help.

Samantha was very cranky and wanted to have nothing to do with the exercises. So Jaime wrote down some notes for Leslie to try later. As the night went on Samantha continued to get worse. She had coughing fits where she couldn't breathe for 3 or 4 seconds and was very uncomfortable. We ended up calling the doctor, and he said to give her saline nasal drops to clear up her nose, and PediaCare if she is having trouble sleeping.

Surprisingly she slept through the night, but her appetite was completely shot. She would give Les trouble, even with her favorite foods (yogurt and goldfish). Monday and Tuesday night were rough too.

And then there was Wednesday night. We put her down for bed around 7:30, and she woke up around 9:00 with one of her coughing fits. Leslie was able to calm her down after a while. We then gave Sam her first does of PediaCare. It seemed to do the trick. She was happy and ready to play within 15 - 20 minutes. So we put her back down for bed and then put ourselves down for bed.

So I'm sleeping, and at 12:00 I hear Samantha screaming. Not crying, but screaming. So I go get her, and she is burning up. I bring her to our room, and Les takes her temperature. She's got a 102.4 fever. I completely start to freak out. My first thoughts were hospital and call the doctor. Fortunately Leslie didn't freak out as much as I did. She called her mom, and asked what we should do. While she was on the phone I am googling "One year old" + "Fever" + "What do I do". After an unsuccessful search I then attempt to search for Message Boards for Baby Care. I was in complete panic (what a nut). Looking back it's pretty funny.

So after Les got off the phone we gave Sam some Tylenol and steamed up the shower to help with her breathing. Also tried to put wet towels on Sam's wrists and ankles, but she was not having it. After an hour of all of this, Sam's temperature came down and she was back to bed.

The next morning Les brought Sam to the doctor's office. Turns out she has Bronchitis. They used a nebulizer on her to help with her breathing, and we are giving her some medicine every 6 to 8 hours to help clear up the passage way for her breathing.

Yesterday was a lot better. Her appetite is slowing coming back, and she is getting back to her smiling happy personality. Hopefully she will knock this thing out, and we will be back to having our healthy and happy little girl.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

First Round Upsets

So March Madness has officially started. We're about one hour into the action, and my biggest sleeper (Pacific tied with BC at the half) is holding their own so far.

Here is the list of first round upsets I have picked:

(9) NC-Wilmington over (8) George Washington
(10) NC State over (7) California
(10) Alabama over (7) Marquette
(9) UAB over (8) Kentucky
(12) Utah State over (5) Washington
(13) Pacific over (4) Boston College
(10) Northern Iowa over (7) Georgetown

Tip Off Time - 2:45 P.M.

One of the big advantages of my previous job was the four plasma screen TVs in the conference room. The last couple of years I was fortunate to be able to watch March Madness games while at work. A luxury that I will truly miss today.

I could attempt to take a late lunch, but then I will miss the second half of the Gator game and have to work late (not even sure my boss would allow this). Probably not worth it. So I have decided that I will just be glued to the CBS Sportsline website all day, and watch the games on-line.

I have heard that the games are being streamed live on-line, but have yet to find a site that is doing this. Once, I'm done with this post I'm going to browse around and see if I can find something.

That's it for now. Go Gators!!

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Did I Embarrass Gator Nation?

A couple of weeks ago I came across an ESPN Florida Gator Message Board titled Copycats at FSU. In it was a link to an article on the Tallahassee WCTV web site. The article was about 5th graders from a Tallahassee elementary school creating a sports drink called Noleade.

From there the Florida/Florida State bashes started. Typical stuff. Was all about the schools. Really had nothing to do with the 5th graders. Just an opportunity for Gators and Seminoles to talk their typical trash. I found some of it very funny, and decided to post it on my blog.

Well, one of the parents happen to come across my blog (when you search Noleade on Google, MSN, etc., my blog comes up in the Top 5) and was very offended, and said I was an embarrassment to my fellow Gators (see comments in blog post). In know way did I intend to make fun of the 5th graders, just found some of the Florida State bashes funny.

So my question to my fellow Gator Alumni is, did I embarrass you? Do you find my post offensive? If I receive enough negative feedback I will remove the post.

Again, in no way did I intend to make fun of the 5th graders, and I apologize if readers felt that way.

Round One - South Alabama

So for our first game in the Dance we match up against a 14 seed South Alabama team coached by ex-Assistant Florida Gator Coach John Pelphrey. I remember being very impressed with Coach Pelphrey when I was going to the Gator games from 1996 - 2000. I never saw any of the team's practices, but during the game Pelphrey was always coaching the players on the bench, and he was the first guy Donovan would go to when discussing strategy during timeouts. Was very involved, and the team took a big hit when he left for South Alabama.

He is the reason why this first round matchup scares me. South Alabama plays a lot of guards and have a deep bench. They are a hustle team, and play a team game. No superstars on this team. They press most of the game which will give Taurean Green a lot of problems. They also have a number of players who can come out and give you 15 points on any given night. Look for them to create a fast paced game.

The one knock on South Alabama is there frontcourt, or lack of frontcourt. The Gators must get the ball inside to Noah, Horford, and Richard on every half court possession. This is something the Gators tend to lose focus on late in games.

I think we win this game easily if we get the ball inside to the big three, and limit our turnovers (need to break their press).

Prediction
Gators - 70
S. Alabama - 54

Monday, March 13, 2006

March Madness is here!!!

I am happy to say that my SEC Tourney predictions were all wrong. I was very surprised to see us win the Tournament. Was unhappy with our play against South Carolina in the finals, but a win is a win.

With the SEC Tournament under our belt, it's on to March Madness. I was expecting a 3 or 4 seed, and was happy to see the committee give us the 3 seed. More importantly they sent us to Jacksonville for our first two games. We are matched up against South Alabama in our first round game, and would play the winner of Oklahoma/Wisconsin-Milwaukee if we win. We should be favorites in both games especially with the home cooking, but you never know with this team. Sometimes we just don't show up, and our youth and turnovers are a big concern.

Back to the brackets. Was hoping we would get a Friday game instead of a Thursday game in the first round. The committee did this to us last year too. We played the SEC Tournament Championship game on a Sunday and we had our first March Madness game on a Thursday. We deserve the extra day of rest, and need it. Especially for Taurean Green. Don't get how this happens two years in a row.

I also can't believe Tennessee got a 2 seed. I mean they had a great year, but their finish did not warrant a 2 seed? I know they have a great RPI and all, but to lose four out of your last six (two at home), does not make a great two seed. Sounds shady (Coach Pearl = Shady). Wonder if there is something there?

Now it's off to filling up my brackets. I already did the easy part... No not the first round, the part where I mark in Florida for the Championship game. For some reason I just can't be unbiased when it comes to the Gators. I guess that's why I haven't won any pools in the last 4 years.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

SEC Tournament Predictions

The SEC Tournament starts today. The Gators need to get at least one win to solidify a 5 seed for the Dance. If they are able to get by Arkansas (play UGA today), I see them coasting to the finals. LSU is banged up, and they should have a tough time with the Vanderbilt/Auburn winner.

Here are my predictions for the tourney:

Vanderbilt vs. Auburn
Arkansas vs. Georgia
Kentucky vs. Mississippi
Mississippi State vs. South Carolina
---------------------------------------------
LSU vs. Vanderbilt
Florida vs. Arkansas
Alabama vs. Mississippi
Tennessee vs. South Carolina
---------------------------------------------
Vanderbilt vs. Florida
Alabama vs. Tennessee
---------------------------------------------
Florida vs. Alabama
---------------------------------------------
Alabama

Monday, March 06, 2006

Sams 1st Birthday

Mommy, Daddy, and Sam



Samantha in her Party Dress with Bubbie



Aunt Debbie and Samantha



Grandpa and Samantha



All Smiles



Grammie and Samantha



DeeDee, Aunt Debbie, and Samantha



Papa and Samantha



Mommy and Samantha



Samantha loves Baby Doll



The Girls



The Guys and Sam



The Cousins



Weeeeeeh!



Bring the Cake Grandpa



Let me have it Mommy



Yummy!!!!!



Chinese Noodles for Dinner



Good Night

Friday, March 03, 2006

Seven Things

Saw this on of my buddy's blog and decided I would do it.

Seven Things To Do Before I Die:
1. play in a major Poker Tournament
2. go to the French Open, Wimbledon, Us Open, and Australian Open
3. buy a custom built house
4. get an MBA degree (preferrably from UF)
5. be a grandpa
6. travel around the world with my wife
7. win the lottery

Seven Things I Can’t Do:
1. remember things (mostly short term)
2. public speaking
3. pilates (I have tried multiple times)
4. kiss *ss
5. fix your computer (I'm a programmer)
6. be without my family
7. can't think of another thing I can't do (and I know Leslie could probably point out seven in a matter of seconds)

Seven Things That Attract Me To Blogging:
1. improve my horrible spelling and writing
2. show off my family
3. it's the cool thing to do
4. learn about web 2.0 so I can create the next million dollar site
5. getting advice from other people
6. sharing my stories with others
7. everybody's doing it

Seven Things I Say Most Often:
1. good deal
2. cool deal
3. honey
4. hey baby
5. chillin, chillin
6. bro
7. whats up buddy

Seven Books That I Love, in no particular order, with the caution that these are not necessarily my favorite books of all time:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. I don't read books.

Seven Movies I Watch Again and Again:
1. Shawshank Redemption
2. Groundhog Day
3. Casino
4a. Godfather I
4b. Godfather II
5. Heat
6. White Men Can't Jump
7. Pure Luck

Considering I do not know seven people that blog, and the few I do know probably have already done this, I will not tag seven people.

Noleade?

Apparently there are a group of 5th grade Seminole fans upset that we have our own drink (Gator envy again). Seminoles just can't help to want to be like the best. Click on the link below for more details.

http://www.wctv6.com/home/headlines/2383986.html

Here are a few comments I have heard from my fellow Gator alum:
  • Why not call it Seminade?
  • FSU has developed a sports drink and are working on getting a medical school.
  • ...and 40 years after Gatorade is invented, some fifth graders realize that FSU doesn't have its own drink. Noleade is created!!!
  • have you heard of the Noleade formula? they actually pour Gatorade into their own bottle.
  • fifth graders = FSU PhD students
  • FSU is at least 40 years behind UF. Making it worse, is that the most they can come up with is to copy something that greater humans already made.

Saved the best one for last (from CK)

  • Here is a listing of FSU’s future endeavors:
  1. Koka-Kola
  2. Mikrosoft
  3. Leveye Jeans
  4. Pepzi
  5. Nron
  6. McDonaldz

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

How big is Samantha?

So Big!!!!




Samantha having fun at dinner