Awesome weekend

Dear James, Daniel and Emily

Well the party was awesome, the rest of the weekend was merely very good. James' basketball went okay, he continues to have fun. I was able to take the time to get in some exercise after the game. The Super Bowl party went very well, all those in attendance had a good time. And got to enjoy a really good game, making me very sad to see the last football for a long time.

James Basketball

Well I got to see what it is like to be on the other side when teams play James' usual soccer team, a group that has been playing together for quite some time and has really developed together. Because the other team in basketball just outclassed James' team. Not for lack of effort, there are some good players on James' team, they just clearly are lacking in experience and therefore don't grasp the nuances of basketball. Like how to press the ball to the paint on offense, how to play solid defense, take good shots etc. It's not a criticism as much as a lack of experience. But he continues to have fun, and that is what is really important.

Health

Lost a little ground lately due to lack of eating discipline, particularly early last week. But I was able to carve a little time on Saturday for exercise, and see no reason I can't do the same every week. Just a matter of focus, and discipline. But I'm still feeling good, and really not a huge difference in the long run.

Super Bowl Party

The party went quite well. We had good attendance (packed living room in fact). The food was all good, thanks again to everyone who contributed a dish. I was already stuffed by the 2nd quarter. My Bacon-Cheese roll was good. I didn't quite cook it as long as I should have, but it was still good, and it was all eaten. I took some pictures and added them to my Flickr account as a Set here.

One thing that I noticed yesterday that was of real interest to me was how people watched the game. If this was a normal football game the noise level would have been very different. During normal games when the game breaks for commercial people start talking more, about the game, other things. But the Super Bowl is unique in that things got quieter when the commercials came on. Just an interesting thought, I don't think that meant we were all going out to buy Bud Light and Doritos to eat & drink while we drove our Ram Charger to go see a movie. Just that it has become a really unique cultural event in that regard.

Football

Well that was a good and fitting way to end the football season. It was a good game, insuring the season ended on a high note. I was happy to see the Saints finally get over the hump, and it's always fun to see the underdog win the game.

I think the Colts kind of did themselves in, coupled with better coaching by the Saints. I think the Colts got too conservative, not realizing that they were actually playing a team that was capable of scoring just as many points as they normally do. And the Saints played the right kind of fast & loose, even taking what would normally be considered crazy risks. That was the surprise as much as anything, that the Colts would be the team that failed to keep pace in scoring. And I think that was due to their game plan and play calling as much as it was the Saints Defense doing anything spectacular.

So football is done for the year, and with my stated plan to minimize NBA watching, it is time for me to get on with my life, and find other more constructive things to do with my weekend days. And to be honest I am looking forward to it. It should be fun to get back to focusing on household projects and healthier things than sitting around the house watching football.

Manny

Today is the 1 year anniversary of the day that Manny actually passed away. Which is why I am removing his picture from the main page. He will always be there in our hearts, but a year of true mourning is enough, and time to move on.