Weekend Plans + Football Friday

Dear James, Daniel and Emily,

Lot's to cover today, weekend plans, Daddy Hours, football, misc. other thoughts cluttering up my mind. I have hard a hard time getting motivated to write this week, finally feeling the urge today so be warned. I might end up ranting a little and writing an epic post.

Weekend Plans

This is short, no plans! Hopefully get some cleaning and house organizing done, clearing the decks for the holiday. We need to clean out and organize the back room (again). Which shouldn't be too painful, just time consuming.

Daddy Hours

I don't know what Daniel wants to do, I asked him this morning and he said he wants to play on the trampoline. I don't mind that if the weather is decent, gives me some exercise, which is not always easy to come by on a weekend. If the weather doesn't permit that then maybe I will take the time to show him how to play something simple, like Candy Land.

I am looking forward to sitting down with James this week and showing him the new Magic deck I built for him. I had fun constructing it for him, it's a super basic deck, I have no idea if it is competitive, but it should be fun anyway. I think Magic is a good alternative for us for right now, it forces him to learn some new skills, and he can practice other things, like reading.

Family

There is nothing real new this week, it's just a tough time right now, with Thanksgiving coming up, which means the anniversary of Manny's cardiac arrest (which meant his death to all intents and purposes). And all we can do is offer a helping hand to Connie, make sure she has someone there for her. And try to help her make the right decisions right now. Tammy is maybe getting her act together to some extent, and now it is time for Connie to find some way to move on. But all we can do as far as that is concerned is just be there, and that's my focus for next week, make sure she doesn't have a lot of time to just sit around and think about that horrible time a year ago.

Football

CU Buffs

I watched bits and pieces of the game last night, and followed score updates on my phone. I saw what I have seen for pretty much the enitre season: a young, talented team with very little experience. They made a lot of mistakes, but also just enough plays to stay in the game. Such promise. And I think that if that or next week end up being Dan Hawkins last game it will be fitting. Because if there was a better example of what went wrong this year and in other years this was it: promise and talent that was wasted due to ineffective coaching. We have the players, but they haven't met their promise likely due to a failure of the coaches. That is the coaching staffs job: take that talent and mold it into a successful team, and that is what the coaching staff missed.

Ole Miss

LSU game this week. This was the game last year that made me realize the potential for this team. And if there is any game this season that they need to win to fulfill a part of this season's promise it is this one. Beat LSU, and they get into a better bowl, and keep the ball rolling on improving this year to next.

St. Louis Rams

Big game this week, sort of, as big as they get for a 1-8 team. Big to beat Warner in St. Louis. Big for Bulger to try and remind the fans that the team made the right move several years ago. I just want them to keep doing what they have been doing: play tough, competitive football. Maybe scare the other teams, start building the core of the team for next year.

Denver Broncos

Can Simms rediscover what it was that made him a 2nd round draft pick? Can the offensive line open enough holes for the running game so the defense has to be honest? And most importantly can the defense get enough rest so it doesn't wipe out in exhaustion in the 2nd half again? Big questions. I don't know the answers, I like to think the coaching staff can figure things out and make the right adjustments, but San Diego flat out scares me, so I just don't know. I hope that the bleeding stops this week, but I kind of doubt that it will.

Basketball

LA Lakers

If there is any one thing that Laker fans need to remember right now it is that they don't hand out championship trophies in November. Just because they had a couple of big losses won't mean a thing in May and June, that's just a fact. So I am not remotely worried about this big losses last week, nor did I care when my mother in law chortled about the Nuggets thumping the Lakers, don't mean a thing in November, as long as you don't have a major injury.

Simmons' The Book of Basketball

Slowly working my way through this book. Taking my time, trying to ration it, enjoy it, argue with it etc. So far I am immensely pleased with it, and think it is a wonderful addition to my collection. Sure I may not agree with him on everything, but it is great none the less, and so far he has presented reasonable argument so far pretty much all of his stands, even if I don't agree with all of them.