Category: Diversions

Fantasy Football Fluke

Diversions, Sports

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I have participated in football pools for years. I’ve long been a football fan, but only by participating in a pool am I able to stay interested in what happens with every game each weekend. The friendly competition with others in the pool, and the random chance that the right picks could put some extra bucks in my pocket, greatly increases my enjoyment of football season.

I have never previously participated in a fantasy football leagues, but this year I found myself invited to join two different ones, and so I gave it a shot. In each case, my approach was based on my own cluelessness and an inactive approach towards trades and managing my bench. Rookie mistakes such as leaving players in my lineup during a ‘bye’ week reflected my ineptitude as a fantasy owner/coach.

I named my teams Old Guys Rule and the Montclair Mopes. I made a few good picks in the draft. I had #1 ranked Quarterback Carson Palmer leading the Old Guys, and Peyton Manning for the Mopes. But my key player was one I had on each of my teams, Kansas City running back Larry Johnson.

The Mopes went 7-6, and I made the playoffs as a wild card team. After two playoff victories, I found myself in the big game. And I made my fatal mistake in trying to coach. I benched some players in favor of some other newly acquired replacements, thinking I could improve my score. But my replacements choked, leaving me in second place where I would have won it all if I had stuck with my original starters. But the Old Guys did indeed Rule! With a 10-4 record on the season, the Old Guys rolled over most challengers, and we won the big game against the boss last week.

I was a bit surprised how much I enjoyed these leagues. Where my regular pool peaks my interest in how each team does each week, the fantasy league created new interest in the performance of individual players. It got tricky sometimes. You might find yourself looking for a good performance from your Quarterback, but not wanting his receivers to do well. Regardless, it was fun and the fact that I did as well as I did my first time out was probably enough to hook me for seasons to come.

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Return of the Capitol Tree Cam

Diversions

Last year, I wrote about the demise of the U.S. Capitol Treecam. It was a sad event for me to see the Treecam not come back for Christmas 2004, as it was a tradition that I was personally involved in starting.

But there’s good news this year, the Treecam is back. The picture isn’t so great. It’s too far back and very unclear. You can see reflections from within the Senate Chaplain’s office on the glass (that always has interesting possibilities). Still, I’m glad to see it back. Obviously, I wasn’t the only one who missed it. And someone with enough authority told someone else, “Bring back the Treecam!”

And just so I’m clear about my position on this vital Washington issue. Compared to the Capitol Tree, the White House Tree just doesn’t measure up. It looks like something done by an interior designer. The Capitol Tree is bigger, and looks like it belongs in a family room, a very large family room. And I’m glad it is once again being called what it is, a Christmas Tree.

for further reading: Three Trees, but Only One Star?
The Washington Post, 11/30/05

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St. Nicholas Snow Day

Diversions, Family, Guide to Life

st_nick.jpgAs a kid, there were a few holiday traditions brought over from the old world family roots in Bohemia. Some were food related, like the braided Hoska bread, or the Kolacky pastries. But the other meant gifts, and that’s why I enjoyed the fact that we celebrated St. Nicholas day in our house.

St. Nicholas of Myra lived in the 4th Century in what is today the country of Turkey. According to Wikipedia, he was known for secret gift giving and “is revered by many as the patron saint of seamen, merchants, archers, children, prostitutes, pharmacists, lawyers, pawnbrokers, prisoners, the city of Amsterdam and of Russia.” Happily, as a child, I fell into the child category and so was glad to celebrate his feast day on December 6th.

Although I’m not sure we really celebrated it as they did in the the Czech Republic. To me, celebrating St. Nicholas day meant an early visit by the historical predecessor to the coming visit by Santa which followed three weeks later. We’d get some toys and some candy (always a Lifesavers Sweet Storybook). That’s all that mattered.

St. Nicholas was known to travel with some less appealing companions. Good children would receive gifts from St. Nicholas, while bad once received beatings. My mother recalls that her Grandfather would dress as Black Pete to scare his siblings and later his children. Presumably they were beaten.

Yesterday we had enough snow that today the schools were closed and my wife and kids enjoyed a bonus day off. There was candy and gifts in their shoes (thanks folks), as there had been in mine. And while, like me, they know little more about the day than I did, I’m glad to carry on the tradition. Maybe this year I’ll try and make a Hoska. Next year, I’ll be Black Pete.

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Republican Black Velvet

Diversions, Politics
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Bush has the Floor
Originally uploaded by Indignico.

I found these great photos submitted to the Flickr group I created for campaign-related photos. So many choices! Ashcroft, Bush, Cheney, Zell, Bush and Elvis! Which would you choose? Hard to imagine much of a market for these in Tijuana.

And how about some Democrats? Maybe ours would be on Blue Velvet 🙂

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Magnetic Poetry

Diversions

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Among my birthday gifts received last summer, was a set of word magnets. Magnetic Poetry has become a widely familiar diversion for refrigerator doors, and office fun. I have the ‘Party Edition’, so the collection includes many words related to partying, drinking, and all forms of carousal. And so a new blog category is born. Having invited my co-workers to indulge their creative side with my word magnets, I will from time to time share their efforts here. I will keep authorship anonymous, so as to no inhibit any creative flourishes. Enjoy.

play hard
flirt always
date wild
entertain but naked

you would pinch our monkey after her toxic stain

I scream to wiggle above this pretty suit

almost too easy
watching furniture
between barfs
drunk under influence

loud mambo music will never make you sleep

beer bottle beverage room

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Licensed to Fish

Diversions

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I did some horrible things to fish over the last couple of days, but it’s OK, I have a license. I needed it for the two day canoe trip down the Rapidan and Rappahannock rivers that I just took with some friends and our sons (more on the trip in a later posting when I have photos to share).

I didn’t need a license to take a kayak on the river, I guess any idiot can drift downstream. And I think my new fishing license joins my driver’s license and marriage license as the only things I’m licensed to do, one I did once and one I do daily. Getting my fishing license didn’t require any knowledge, there was no test to pass. It just took $12.50, and I was given a booklet of regulations (I’ll be sure to look at that later).

I probably could use some more skill, I caught only about three fish over two days (a few others ‘got away’, really). My fellow fisherman were much more productive with their rod and reels than I. But it was fun, on the river with my son, putting live minnows on hooks, in hopes of luring something larger onto that hook, only to turn it loose again (we did eat some of them).

The catfish was particularly memorable for the odd barking noise it made. While I don’t claim to talk ‘fish’, it was very apparent what he was saying to me, “Why?? Why are you doing this to me? Get this f-ing hook out of my mouth and put me back in the water you a-hole!”. Not having a good answer, I did what he asked.

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