NFL Week 12

Thanksgiving and NFL football - the most perfect combination in the world. I really enjoyed this year's Thanksgiving games. Dallas came within a field goal of beating the Super Bowl Champs, and New England embarassed Detroit in front of the Lions' home crowd (this isn't really a good thing, but at least it was good, exciting football).

The Steelers were nearly upset by the Buffalo Bills, but a Pittsburgh field goal in overtime ended the game.

The Vikings improved their record this weekend against Washington, but they're still third in the NFC North. Chicago, who leads their division, defeated the Eagles 31-26.



The Rams are still in contention for the #1 spot in the AFC West. They beat Denver on Sunday, and if the playoffs began today, they would be in.

Thankfully, the playoffs don't begin today, because if they did, Green Bay's season would be over. Following a 20-17 loss to Atlanta, the Packers are 7-4.

The game was close, and I mean very close. The Mighty Pack were down by a field goal with two minutes left in the fourth quarter. They marched up the field (with little help from Brandon Jackson) and scored the timely touchdown.

The Falcons then reached the 30 yard line, burned some clock, and kicked the field goal. The Packers couldn't do much with 19 seconds remaining, so Atlanta got the win.

Packer fans aren't the only ones suffering. Indianapolis was crushed by San Diego on Sunday Night, and the Arizona Cardinals - who competed in the Super Bowl two years ago - lost to San Fransisco. Their record is now 3-8, and they continue to suffer from their quarterback situation.

GO PACK GO!

Thanksgiving 2010

On Wednesday, after my choir sang at the courthouse, we drove up to Crown Point. We arrived at my Aunt Sue's house at 11:00, so we went straight to bed.

Thanksgiving Day began with donuts and Cinnamon Toast Crunch. After our sugary breakfast, we hung out upstairs, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in between turns on Star Wars Battlefront 2.

After three hours of this, we changed into more suitable clothes and greeted the first guests. Quality family time is always a good thing, and the delicious meal only added to the peaceful atmosphere. Dessert was followed by more dessert, and then we watched the football games.

At around 8:00, the guests started leaving. My mom stayed at Aunt Sue's house to play a few rounds of Apples to Apples with us. Inevitably, we got to bed very late.

After another day of video games and fun, we said goodbye, packed our things, and headed to Valpo.

At Grandma Speckhard's house, we watched Toy Story 2, while Ella and I had an iPad conversation. When the movie was over, we decided to brave the temperatures and have a game of football.

As always, our football game was full of unbelievable plays, including a one-armed interception, a flea-flicker touchdown, and plenty of sacks. Ella and I were the first to retire, and the boys soon followed.

We had leftover Thanksgiving desserts for cocktails, and then filed into the living room for the first Advent devotion.

Each cousin was $20 richer after devotions, for Grandma and Grandpa had given us our Christmas presents.

I spent the night at Rob and Sue's house with Ella, Anna, Rachel, Josie, and Stephen. We piled four comforters onto our beds, because their attic is quite possibly the coldest on record.

Ella and I arrived downstairs fashionably late, as is our custom, to a breakfast of cereal and donuts. A trip to Rob's is never complete without a hike through the nature preserve, so we bundled up and journeyed into the wilderness.

We took a few pictures of a very strange tree, explored deep ravines, and even found a deer bone, which we took home for Roxie.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at Silhavy, playing "Bug Wars" and listening to music. Ella, Benjamin, Sammy, and I convinced Sue to take us to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (which I had already seen twice). We were all highly satisfied with the movie (Sam only liked it because of Emma Watson), and we went back to Grandma's house for cocktails and devotions.

Sunday was football day, so after church, we all headed to Rob's house to watch the Packers game. We had pizza and dog food dip while enjoying a blazing fire. The game wasn't very satisfactory, so we built a huge castle upstairs.

Our trip ended after cocktails. We waved farewell and hopped into the frigid van, looking forward to Christmas.

I hope your Thanksgiving was as delicious as mine!

Halloween 2010

Yes, this post is coming much too late. The delay is probably caused by a sugar overdose, leaving my brain groggy and unresponsive. This Halloween was, indeed, one of my sugariest (yes, that is a word), something I should be grateful for. By all rights, I shouldn't have even been able to go trick-or-treating at all, but after days of begging, my dad allowed me to go.

My friend Meron and I went as the Weasley twins. I was George and she, Fred. Yes, I know, it was terribly clever. The costumes were about as last minute as possible. We were still in the constructing process as trick-or-treating hours were starting! Finally, after we cut down a long, orange wig so that it looked remotely like Fred and George's hair, donned black capes, and found a good stick in the backyard to serve as a wand, we were off.

Unfortunately, we had to skip the first few houses in order to catch up with our group. Despite this setback, we still brought in a fairly good haul of sweets.

My brothers were strange, disturbing monsters that barely passed as Halloween costumes. Needless to say, we're running alarmingly low on costume ideas.

This Halloween may have been my last, but I think I went out with a bang.

NFL Week 11

Man, the 2010 NFL Season just keeps getting better! All the underdogs have been winning, there has been no shortage in spectacular plays, and Brett Favre is having arguably his worst-ever season.

Following a humiliating, 31-3 loss to arch-rival Green Bay, head coach Brad Childress was fired, adding yet another plot twist to the Brett Fave Circus. Favre threw two interceptions and had a 51.2 passer rating, while Aaron Rodgers had a career day. He threw four touchdowns, three of them to Greg Jennings, and didn't throw a single pick. The Vikings now have a miserable 3-7 record, while the Mighty Pack are sitting pretty at 7-3!

The New York Jets, who I have mentioned numerous times the past few weeks, beat the struggling Texans in another overtime game. Mark Sanchez has been surprisingly reliable, due in part to his fantastic supporting team.

The Buffalo Bills got a huge win against Cincinnati. Even though they've already dug their graves, the Bills have been playing with a renewed vigor.

Jason Garrett has won another game as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, this time beating the Detroit Lions 35-19. At this point, the Cowboys are just playing for pride.

The New England Patriots beat Indianapolis by a mere three points, thanks to a rare Peyton Manning interception late in the fourth quarter. I don't know what happened to the Colts, but their season has been mediocre, to say the least.

Eli Manning is also in the hot seat, after his inexplicable fumble on fourth down against Philadelphia. He could've (and should've) slid, but instead he tumbled awkwardly forward, losing the ball in the process.



GO PACK GO!

Joseph's 11th Birthday

Joseph's birthday was celebrated at Matt's house on a chilly November afternoon. After opening presents, feasting on the gigantic Rice Krispy Treat "11" Sara made, and listening to the techno song Avery and Chandler wrote for Joseph, we walked to the park to play some football.

The game was almost as spectacular as Green Bay's win over Dallas. We all had fun, even though our fingers were numb with cold. Finally, we retired back to Matt's house for some delicious potato soup, courtesy of Sara.

There's nothing better than potato soup and NFL football. We joyfully watched Brett Favre's beat-down and then played Joseph's new board game.

It was quite late when we left. The party was highly satisfactory. Happy birthday, Joseph!

Suburban Bethlehem Tournament

This basketball season has been eventful and exciting. After our latest tournament at Suburban Bethlehem, we are now 4-4.

All of my AAU teammates played in the tournament as well, so I was very familiar with my opponents. Playing against my friends was pretty weird.

During the second day of the tournament, I competed in the 3-point shooting contest. I sank two shots in 60 seconds, a record I am not happy with. On a good day, I could easily drain four threes in sixty seconds.

Despite the disappointing 3-point shooting contest, the tournament was lots of fun, and our team gained valuable experience.

GO CRUSADERS!

NFL Week 10

Week 10 was practically perfect in every way, despite the Packers' bye week. For Green Bay, all the right teams won, including Chicago, Atlanta, and Dallas.

The Cowboys, under new head coach Jason Garrett, finally scraped a win against New York. Their season is virtually over, but a good morale-booster never hurts.

The Cleveland Browns could not finish off the Jets, but they certainly put on a good show. Mark Sanchez proved unstoppable in overtime, but the Browns persevered until the end.

Randy Moss' situation continues to worsen. The Titans lost on Sunday, but that probably wasn't Moss' fault, since he was only targeted once.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, who many view as the best team in the NFL, couldn't bring down the Patriots on Sunday Night. Led by Tom Brady, New England has very little to worry about, and the loss of Randy Moss does not seem to have affected them.

Michael Vick and the Eagles performed brilliantly against Washington on Monday, thrashing them 59-28. Michael Vick is being considered for NFL MVP, while Donovan McNabb is facing a dilemma similar to Brett Favre's.



GO PACK GO!

Indy Tournament

This past weekend was arguably the third-most enjoyable weekend of my life.

It started on Friday, when we pulled out of the Holy Cross parking lot, headed for Indianapolis. The drive down was mostly uneventful and boring, but it was certainly anticipatory and tense. We were all a bit nervous, some more than others.

Finally, after several minutes of shouting at the erroneous GPS (which we dubbed, "Lola"), we arrived at our hotel. The hotel was the best I'd ever stayed at. The huge lobby boasted a touch-screen TV, two computers for visitor use, a Starbucks, and "The Market", which sold over-priced snacks and beverages. Not to mention the pool and fitness center.

Our first game was disastrous. We couldn't handle the opponent's tenacious press, our shots wouldn't fall, and turnovers killed us. Needless to say, we were very disappointed. We spent the evening gloomily watching TV, trying to forget about the game.

After an unpleasantly early morning, we beat our next opponents easily. Spirits lifted, we won again. The game was tough and physical, but we survived, with nothing more serious than a few bruises.

That evening, we ordered pizza, "worked out" in the fitness center, and swam. We watched random MTV movies until 11:00, and then finally got to bed.

We had a delicious, Starbucks breakfast in the lobby, checked out of the hotel, and then headed for the mall!

After an early, food court lunch, we split up and explored the huge mall. A French hair-dresser did our hair for free (this particular hair-straightener cost $250), I found a pair of $290 sunglasses, and Meron and I reveled in Hot Topic, where every shelf was stacked with Harry Potter merchandise.

Our day at the mall came to an end, and we focused on basketball once more.

We now were playing in the losers' bracket, and if we won this game, we would finish in third place. However, we couldn't settle down, and lost the game by five points.

In my eyes, the Indianapolis tournament was a complete success, and we all had a great time.

NFL Week 9

This week was about as perfect as they come. Upsets, overtime, huge hits, and high scores abounded in Week 9, making this week my favorite so far.

The Browns, coming off a stunning victory in New Orleans, defeated the New England Patriots. The Raiders have been playing surprisingly well also, beating rival Chiefs in overtime.

The Minnesota game went into overtime as well, but Brett Favre and the Vikings came out on top. Brett Favre had a record day, throwing for a career-high 446 yards.

The New York Jets nearly lost to Detroit, and again, overtime decided this game.

The Dallas Cowboys continue their streak of awfulness, losing to the Mighty Pack 45-7. Their pathetic effort prompted the firing of head coach Wade Phillips. Clay Mathews still leads the NFL in sacks, and Greg Jennings is having an unbelievable year.



GO PACK GO!

Camping

Another camping trip with the Fisher's has come and gone, and despite the near-freezing temperatures, it was really fun.

The huge fire was fed constantly, and we were never far from a decent outhouse. The backwoods ravine was always fun (and slightly dangerous) to play in, and we brought our brand-new football to pass the time.

Of course, a camping trip is never complete without roasting marshmallows. We sang campfire songs, passed around a can of Pringle's, and succeeded in burning most of our marshmallows.

At around 11:00, we would brush our teeth, zip up the tent, and huddle together under a gigantic gush blanket. We could practically see our breath inside the tent, and the sticks, acorns, and rocks underneath the thin layer of tarp only added to the uncomfortableness.

Somehow, we made it through those long, cold nights, and woke to a delicious breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and fruit, courtesy of Mr. Fisher.

Our nature hike was reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, and we even spotted two deer, fleeing from our raucousness.

This trip was probably our best yet, and I can't wait until next year's!

NFL Week 8

Week 8 of the 2010 NFL Season earns the "Coolest Trick/Accidental Plays Award". In fact, Sports Center created a Top Ten Trick Plays countdown exclusively for this week!

However, there were no thrilling plays in the Packers - Jets game. It was a defensive struggle, and neither team could execute on offense. I was a bit uneasy. The Jets are widely regarded as a top defensive team, while the Packers main threat is on offense.

Turns out I needn't have worried. Not a single touchdown was scored in a Jets shutout. The Mighty Pack scored three field goals, and our only huge plays were on defense, including two interceptions and a Clay Mathews sack.

Indianapolis got revenge against Houston on Sunday Night, thrashing them easily. Matt Schaub was pressured all night, and the Colts handed out unforgiving blows left and right.

The Lions defeated Washington for their second win this season. Controversially, Donovan McNabb was benched late in the game, resulting in a Rex Grossman fumble for a touchdown.

Both St. Louis and Oakland won yet again, and the 49ers managed a win against Denver in the annual NFL game in London.

After spending a few weeks with Minnesota, Randy Moss was waived by the Vikings and is now a Tennessee Titan. I'm sick and tired of Moss' on and off-field theatrics, and apparently Brad Childress was, too. Moss was more or less ineffective during a Vikings loss to New England, and Brett Favre needed ten stitches in his jaw after a monstrous hit.



GO PACK GO!