Bracket Fever

Are you the kind of person that drools over the thrill of predicting the path of people seeking the ultimate title? Do you spend day and night analyzing statistics in search of the group with the best possible chance of success? Are you willing to take the risk of placing all your hopes on just one team? Well, if you set yes to all three of these questions, and yes, I mean all three of them of you plan to get any sort of success or enjoyment out of this. Anyway, you would be the perfect candidate for an NCAA March Madness bracket.

Only once every year do we get such an opportunity to participate in such an activity where the chance of success is as low as the New Jersey Nets win total. Only once do we feel true disappointment as our national champion is gone in the 2nd round, our cinderella team is blown out in their first game and three of the four teams in our Final Four are gone by the Elite Eight. Yes, it is true you will face the sting of defeat, but it will be worth it when you see your final total. When you see that you achieved a standout 23% correct choices score. Trust me, when you see your colleague got 15%, you'll be happy. Tell you what, sign up today, within the next twenty minutes since you know we can't do this all day. You'll get a second bracket, absolutely free, so you can double your chances of failure..er.. success, sure, success.

NCAA Brackets: Giving a reason to follow the tournament for those who don't know what state Villannova is in.

Spring into Spring

Ahhh... It's spring. The one time of year where it isn't -30 degrees Celsius or when I don't have to puzzle over what constellation the bug bites on my leg form. Spring, it means spring foreward, spring showers, spring cleaning, spring training, spring allergies; you know, that kind of fun stuff. I mean, what could be more fun than rain, (yay) hayfever (how..how.. AH-CHOO.. fabulous) cleaning out the house (woo-hoo) or losing an hour of sleep (zzzzzz...) Okay, fine. Maybe spring isn't perfect, but I can honestly say I love it. It doesn't matter that I have spring allergies or I have to set aside four hours of my day to clean out my room or... wow. I hate spring. Spring allergies make me feel miserable, the constant rain makes me miserable. But you have to admit, the fact that it is no longer -10 outside is pretty awesome too. So what if it isn't perfect? I know, everything.

Goodbye to Vancouver

After two and a half weeks of furious competition in grueling disciplines such as ice shuffleboard, High speed toboggoning, So you Think you Can Dance on ice and downhill ironing board races, we bid farewell to Vancouver 2010 Olympics. That was one week ago. So obviously, there less things to watch on TV now that the games are a thing of the past. One week, I find skiing, curling, snowboarding at four o'clock in the afternoon. Now, it's poker, junior hockey, and more poker. So obviously my choices are somewhat limited. I guess you can say it's back to normal. But it is still a bit of a disappointment knowing I won't be able to see two guys polishing an ice rink while being pursued by a 40 pound granite block until 2014. Then, it will be Sochi's turn to host such sports of great and high honor.

You've probably noticed that I'm not giving the winter sports the respect it deserves. But I can't help but poke a little fun at a sport where the athletes probably train in the summer by working part-time at a car wash. Okay, fine, I'll stop making fun of curling. Despite what you may think, it is actually a fun sport to watch. I can't believe I said that.

But after two weeks of non-stop Alexandre Bilodeau, "I Believe, "Own The Podium", awful french, and technical glitches, the 2010 Olympics will go down in history as either a moment of glory, or something parodied on SNL. Either way, Vancouver wins.

I Don't Know What To Write About...

I don't know what to write about. I honestly don't. I know what you're thinking, if I'm going to blog about something, I should at least have a small idea as to what it's going to be about. But, I've got nothing. Nothing to say, nothing to comment about, nothing to critique, nothing. Nothing funny to mention, nothing amazing happening. No groudbreaking ideas flying around my head, nothing that could change the world for the better. No story ideas, no poem ideas, nothing. Nothing, nothing, nothing. What the...? Did I just spend the last little while stating how I have no idea what to write about? Here's an idea. Let's now spend the next little while stating what I can write about. No, no, bad idea. I'm just going to end up right back where I started. Rambling on what I can do. Probably not going to get me very far. So, let's actually think of something. That makes sense, let's do it. Thinking...........Thinking.......................Thinking............................Thinking.............................................

....................................................Thinking. I got nothing. Why don't we just stop before we go completely insane here? Wow, two great ideas in one night, we're on a roll.

Our lives have been taken over by...

When you get something really awesome for Christmas, you are going to want to use it as much as you possibly can, right? I thought so, that's just basic human nature. So, this year for Christmas, our present that was either something we had been talking about buying for months, or worth more than $300, was none other than a 120 GB Playstation 3. Needless to say, Sam, Eric and I were thrilled to have something that was the topic of countless dinner discussions sitting right in front of us. So, now a day cannot possibly be complete with at least four hours of Burnout Paradise, Grand Taurismo 5 or both. I can honestly say since Christmas day that we have kept good to that regimen. Up to today, we have unlocked eight cars in Burnout, moved up to class A in Grand Taurismo, played about ten songs (that's it) in Rock Band 2, and less than that in Beatles Rock band. Also one vomiting incident as a result of a Burnout overdose. We did the same thing when we received a Wii about 2 years ago, so this has become a bit of a holiday routine. This has gotten to our heads enough that when asked what we received for Christmas; our three favorite gifts, the response will be in similar context to this:

"Okay, number one was obviously the PS3, number two was probably Rock Band 2 and number three.... what else did I get? I forget.

Or if you're me, you'll respond:

"One was probably my four pairs of drumsticks, two was my granite block for my drumset, and three was... oh yeah, the PS3.

Which is completely out of sarcasm, I'm thrilled to have the PS3 as well. But I just wish to point out that with this lump of black plastic casting a spell on our lives, long forgotten are the presents that someone spent their money on for us. That's gratitude for you. Oh well, this will die down in two weeks, tops. I am certain.

Wrong time to get sick

"This is not a time to get sick, with report cards around the corner"

"Saturday at 5:30, got it"

"Saturday at 12:00"

"Math test on friday"

Somebody answer me this one question, why is it I get sick when I always have a full agenda? Why is it, all the other times I could have been sick, it happens NOW??!! I guess that is just me, someone has a party, there's a math test, I plan to work on a geography project with some other people, my school's remembrance day service, and God know's how many other things, I end up home sick with "a fever, a cough and flu-like symptoms" (flu?!). Now I don't get sick very frequently, but when I do, it is always at a price.

This is now the fourth day of school I have missed and instead of getting one wheelbarrow full of homework, I'll probably end up with two. And since I'm still contagious apparently, there is the potential for more. If this wasn't 2009, I'd probably be sitting in a geography class right now. But with all the fear of H1N1 and all the precautions being taken, I now have to wait seven days before I can even consider going back to school. By this is over, there'll be a U-Haul waiting outside the school with my name on it with a wheelbarrow thrown in for good measure.

The thing I find funniest about this is that I was supposed to go to a friends party Saturday night. He had been waiting since August for a day all of us were available. On the day of the party, 2 of us couldn't make it.

2009 hasn't been a great year health wise for me, or anyone for that matter. I usually get sick about three or four times a year. I have now gotten sick three times since August. Looks as if this is how we will remember 2009. With two letters and two numbers.

MY view

So Eric Was Focusing on the "fun aspect of the trip and matt on the "not so fun" aspect, me am just giving a over view

Day 1 left home at 6:15

Went to gas station with cool sign "HIDE YOUR BEAGLE VICK'S A EAGLE"
Ended up in Williamsport Iowa with outlet mall and Arbys

Day 2

Left Williamsport Iowa Headed to Denver!
Went to strategic air and space museum in Nebraska.
Ended up in Sterling Colorado
Ate at TJ Bummers
Day three
Did Hanging Lake hike
Stopped in Colorado Junction
Had Mexican food
Day 4
Missed Obama (landed in Colorado Junction that day)
Went to Colorado Nat'l Monument
Left for Moab
Did Delicate Arch Hike.

Ate sandwiches the Arch
Day 5

Went to Campground got #16!
Did Petroglyphs, Delicate arch overlook, Windows and Park Avenue Hikes Before Lunch

Went to Moab ate Sandwiches and walked around town for 2-3 hrs.

Left for Campground for dinner tube steak and salad

Did Landscape arch on Devils Garden Hike

Day 6

Left campground heading to Sand Dune Arch

Left For Canyonlands Nat'l Park (Island in the sky)

Went to the Grand View point and trail hikes a bit.

Went for picnic in the picnic area

Left for Upheaval Dome Hike.

Left Canyonland

Headed back to Moab For the night

....... To be continued (Have to go to bed)