Vices...

Been awhile since my last post and for good reason. I've been smack dab in the middle of the Winter doldrums. Not much going on... but it seems the weather has slightly improved here in Eastern PA and Spring feels right around the corner. Last Saturday it was in the low's 70's and I actually got to run outside at the park instead of on that "GD" treadmill! The workout regime has been going well. I am getting my strength back from lifting and the cardio is paying off. I still am tempted though. I have seasonal vices. In the summer I am a sucker for Frappes. I am from New England so I call them Frappes, not MILKSHAKES. I love those. As the Fall rolls around, it is Halloween candy. Then you have the gorging of food on Thanksgiving and Christmas. January/February the Easter candy starts to appear (my favorite candy period) even though Easter is several months away. I have no break. No natural lull in temptation. I should be buying stock in Cadbury right now.

Super Bowl

I have to vent about Super Bowl XLIII... As a New Englander, I am a die-hard Patriots fan. Us Patriot fans have a supreme hatred for a few teams. Obviously any team in the AFC East, along with the Chargers, Colts, and yes Steelers. I watched the Super Bowl this past weekend rooting for the underdog Arizona Cardinals for obvious reasons. To stop the Steelers from achieving a 6th Super Bowl Championship and to shut up the hundreds of Steeler fans I have to work with on a daily basis. My company is headquartered in Pittsburgh. Every phone call I have received from the 'Burgh has begun with the same phrase, "did you see the Super Bowl?". A simply yes and the verbal floodgate of admiration literally spills into your inner ear canal. I try to contain the bile slowly making its way up my esophagus as I drown in the affection pouring through the receiver. Please stop, I can't take it anymore... Okay, the Cardinals were underdogs and they did a lot more and made the game a lot closer then anyone could have imagined, but why oh why did they have to taunt me so badly. I watched the first quarter in relative "I knew this was how it was going to happen" fashion. Steelers drove the ball at will, while the Cardinals looked a little shocked that they were actually playing in the Super Bowl. Steelers jump out to a 10-zip lead.... Then the Cardinals drive down the field and score... 10-7. Hmm, interesting. Cardinals pick off a tipped Ben "Ballerina" Roethlisberger pass late in the 2nd quarter and have the ball in Steeler territory. Getting interesting... Kurt "Jesus" Warner throws a perfect tight spiral into the breadbasket of.... James Harrison, starting end for the Steelers when the Cardinals were driving in for either the go ahead TD or tying FG before half. NOOOO... okay just tackle the guy, there is no time on the clock. You tackle him or push him out of bounds and it is a push. No points added to either score and Springsteen is ready to go. What? Harrison is still running. Surely this cannot be. Lamar Woodley of the Steelers, please feel free to use any means necessary to stop a Cardinal player from tackling Harrison. Block him in the back, the Ref isn't looking. They, like everyone else, are in shock that Harrison is still on his feet stumbling for a Pittsburgh six. Warner, you threw the interception, the least you could do is stop or slow down Harrison. You saw the interception first, you had the proper angle, just slow him down or hinder his path so a teammate can catch up and stop him. I understand Kurt Warner is not one of the NFL's toughest guys. Kurt is liable to burst into tears if he saw a vision of the Virgin Mary in his oatmeal. But Kurt, we are not asking you to rearrange Harrison's spine, just slow him down. Nope, instead Kurt made the most pathetic attempt I have ever seen. Kurt, you were right in front of him.... lie down, get in the fetal position! Be a speed bump. Better yet, do what you know, genuflect! Nope, he "Astaired" his way to the sidelines while Harrison labored into the end zone for 6 plus 1. 17-7 at half... I was fuming. The only thing that made me chuckle was watching Bruce Springsteen dry hump a camera while doing a knee slide. I'll be honest, I didn't watch the 3rd quarter and much of the 4th. After the debacle right before the half, I was fed up. When I finally turn the game back on, the Steelers had the ball with about 2:50 minutes left and the Cardinal were up 23-20. Sweet! Wait. Steelers have the ball, 2 timeouts left, I was being set up again for disappointment. Yep. Even after a penalty made it 1st and 20 at the Steelers own 10 yard line, they still drove the length of the field and scored. Santonio Holmes or as John Madden likes to call "San Antonio" Holmes made an outstanding catch to seal the Cardinals fate. I few observations on that final drive... Did Roethlisberger coat himself in grease. No one could tackle him. He would be surrounded by Cardinals and somehow "Michael Flatley" his way out of danger. I was having Randall Cunningham flashbacks. When will NFL teams scrap the prevent defense? Prevent defense should only be used when there is 3-5 seconds left on the clock and the offensive team is trying a Hail Mary. Then you need the players back defending the goal line. In a scenario where a team needs to drive down the field and they have time and timeouts lefts, play your normal or nickel defenses. Instead the Cardinals let the Steelers gain chunks of yards and methodically work there way down the field. A few more observations: After the Holmes final TD, why wasn't he called for excessive celebration for using the football as a prop in his end zone celebration? That is a rule and has been called several times during the season. Wes Welker got called for doing a snow angel (not even using the ball) during the season. The Steelers would have had kick the ball from there own 15 which might or might have not given the Cardinals better field position with 2 timeouts remaining. Also, why was Warner's last fumble not reviewed? If Warner has a chance to throw a Hail Mary, he has one of the best go up and get it receivers in Larry Fitzgerald... I think the Ref's really called a poor game. Who saw James Harrison punching a Cardinals' player as he was lying on the ground? This isn't the NHL with 5 minute majors. You do that in the NFL you get tossed for the game. Happened to Matt Light of the Patriots this year during the season.... Horrible officiating again in a Super Bowl... Argh... I'll be hearing about this Super Bowl and the Steelers until this August when the teams report to camp again. Tom Brady... you are in my prayers. Get better, please!

"Midnight in Paris" Martini

I took Kate out for her birthday last weekend and she has discovered her new favorite martini. It is a little "girly" for me but I could drink one or two in a pinch. Sorry, I pass on the foo-foo drinks for the real stuff. Scotch on the rocks... Anyways, here is the recipe...

Equal Parts
Raspberry or Citron Vodka (depending if you want it sweet or tart)
Chambord (Raspberry Liquor)
Sour Mix
Garnish with Raspberries & Blackberries

The Gym

I started going to the gym again somewhat religiously... It was not a New Year's Resolution, it was a factor of a few things. It was way overdue, I am starting to feel old, I have gotten a little heavier then I want to be, and my company pays for it. I used to go to the gym all the time. It really started in college because I played sports and the level of competition got a lot harder and quite a bit stronger. I probably peaked right after college when I went to the gym almost every night with my friend. I used to meet him there around 9 PM because he worked late and I wouldn't get home until around midnight. Not to mention I held a full time job during that time. After I got married and moved around a bit, I stopped going as much and then just didn't go at all. Three years went by and when I went for the first time a few weeks ago, I was about as weak as could be. It is slightly embarrassing and emasculating in a way knowing how I used to be. Of course I over did it the first few days and I pulled just about every muscle in my body. It was awful. My wife had to help me put on and take off t-shirts because I could not lift my arms over my head. I had trouble lifting the phone to my ear at work and taking a shower. It was so bad that I would have to contort my head in such a strange way to eat because I could not lift my arm high enough or bend it to reach my mouth. I should have known what I was getting myself into because I have done it before. One time my buddy was doing calf exercises and I rarely do much weightlifting with the lower half of my body because I do cardio instead. He was doing these calf exercises and he guilted me into doing them. I did and of course I did the same weight he did. Big mistake! I woke up the next morning and I couldn't walk. I remember having to renew my license that day and walking into the DMV. When I walked in, everyone stared at me as a hobbled around like a 90 year old man. I learned my lesson this time and stayed at home until I recuperated.