Week 3 follow up

Well, I'm 3-3 for this week. Due to a minority issue in my house, I didn't get to see much of any games over the weekend. That issue has been remedied and resolved (can you believe it?! I'm a girl and love football way more than anyone else in this house? Why didn't I marry one of those football-crazy guys you hear so much about?;D) Most of what I know about the week comes from what I've read. I'm pretty disappointed in Week 3.

-My '9ers came off a great game against the Saints and should've kept that momentum going against the Cheifs. What happened?! Now San Fran has fired their offensive coordinator, which was probably for the best, Crabtree is again creating unnecessary drama, and they're still whispering about firing head coach, Mike Singletary. Ever since Eddie DeBartolo (legal troubles aside) hasn't been behind the scenes, the '9ers have struggled. It's not all the owners fault, but issues could be traced back to their office. Anyway, the '9ers are prepping for a tough game against the Atlanta Falcons... it could be a rough Week 4.

-The Cowgirls won, so did the Vikings. It was just a horrible week!

-The Jets officially now have my attention (remember my ultimatum from last week). They play the Buffalo Bills next.

-I'm wondering, are the Steelers really missing Roethlisberger? They had a great game with Charlie Batch leading the way! They are set to play the Ravens next; those 2 teams going at each other is always a great match up.

-There are 3 remaining undefeated teams: Bears, Steelers and Chiefs(!). There are 5 teams still in the winless category: Bills, Lions, Panthers, Browns, and (gulp) 49ers. Not good company boys. I hope this week, the '9ers can dig down deep and finally put a "W" in their 2010 resume.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Mom, you are celebrating your day today
and I hope it goes great in every way.
I hope everyone around you makes you smile
and that the gifts and well wishes are worth the while.
Mom you're a blessing all the time
and I love you without reason or rhyme.
I hope your day today was relaxing and fun
and that everyone made you feel like #1!

Have a great day Mom! I love you!

NFL Week 3

Ok, I'm gonna try multi-tasking here: do my week 3 picks and keep an eye on some of the neighborhood kids (who decided today that my house is fun to hang out at:D) and Aria at the same time! Here I go...

Cowboys @ Texans: How 'bout them Cowboys?! I love it!!! In a year where they wanted to play the Super Bowl as they are also hosting it, they aren't starting off so hot. I maintain that while you may have lots of "stars" on the team, it does you absolutely no good if you can't play as a team. They are playing state rivals Texans on their turf. Cowgirls will fall to 0-3 and Texans will continue their hot streak and go to 3-0. Texans by 10.

49ers @ Chiefs: Whoa! What is going on in KC?! Now the Chiefs did beat the Browns last week... so can we really get too excited? The 49ers were thisclose to beating the Saints. This is too easy for me. 49ers by 7.

Chargers @ Seahawks: Both teams are 1-1 going into week 3. Both teams are kind of in the "meh" category of playoff contention. The Seahawks are coming off a spanking from the Broncos last week and the Chargers did the spanking against the Jaguars. Seahawks have home field advantage and they will be my pick to win by 3.

Colts @ Broncos: This could've been a good game. But, after the tragic death of Kenny McKinley earlier this week, Denver will obviously be reeling from the week's events and make it hard to put a solid game plan together, esp. against a tough team like the Colts. I'm sure the Broncos staff is doing all they can to assure that doesn't happen, but if there is one thing even a professional can't always do, it's control emotions. Colts by 14.

Jets @ Dolphins: A good division match up for Sunday evening's game. I have not given the Jets proper respect, so this weekend, we'll see if they live up to some of their hype. But listen Jets, this is it. If you win, I'll watch you more closely. If you lose (to the Dolphins!!! Remember who partly owns them!), I will put you in the proper category of wanna-be's and leave it alone. Jets by 3 in OT.

Packers @ Bears: Another division game with teams who are 2-0. I'm liking the Packers for this game. The Bears wins did come against the Lions and the Cowgirls, so there's that. Aaron Rodgers is making Brett Favre look like a fool (another reason to pull for the Pack)! If the Packers come out gunnin' for Cutler, it should be easy for them to win this one. Packers by 10.

Happy watching week 3 to all!

Happiest. Girl. Ever.

Seriously, can the time slow down just a bit?! I've been wanting to post these pix from last weekend all week and here it's Friday and I still need to do my NFL week 3 post! GAH!!

Anyway, Aria was finally able to meet her baby cousin, Reagan, last weekend (as was Uncle Tony). She was on Cloud 9! She talks about Rea-Rea all the time; all the toys she's gonna give her, she will teach her to draw and roller-skate, she even wants to share clothes with her! I'm hoping someday, these 2 can actually do these things together... but for now, the times we get to spend are sweet but too short!

I love this pic... Sisters and Daughters:)


Grandparents with their 2 granddaughters


Aria just wanted to play and play... Reagan may have gotten quite an intro to that!


Reagan didn't know what to think of Uncle Tony's beard, we think!


Aria says, "she's so wiggly!"


Aria just admired her, saying, "oh! She's so cute" or "are ya, hungry, baby cousin?"


See what mean? Happiest girl on earth:)


I love how in most of these pix, Aria and Reagan are just in awe of the other!:)

A huge thank you to Daniel's sister and brother-in-law, Stephanie and Rob, who invited us to their wedding so we could spend the afternoon hanging out with everyone. That was so kind of them, and we enjoyed the day immensely!

Week 2 follow up and a correction

What a game on Monday night (which left me a little sad at the end), but first I erred the other day and need to fix it. In my last post, I thought the KULR 8 website was wrong in quoting the AP story of the 163 deploying out of Great Falls instead of Billings. I was wrong. 600 Guardsmen from Great Falls, Missoula, Helena and Billings all deployed on Sept. 20. My bad. At any rate, Paul is now in Mississippi (he apparently found summer there!), as are the rest of them. Keep them all in your prayers.

Ok, on to the NFL! I'm 2-6. Could've been 5-6. What was the theme for the teams that lost? TURNOVERS! Yikes... how many did the Titans have?! How often did the '9ers cough it up in the red zone?! What happened to the Patriots in the 2nd half?! These teams would've won their games had they not had so many rotten turnovers! The Ravens were hosed on the roughing-the-passer call. Let the boys play! But, the Cowgirls and Vikes both fell to 0-2, which is a good day in my book! Now the Monday night game was game of the week as far as I'm concerned. I have to admit the '9ers gave 'em a good run! Even Alex Smith looked pretty sharp most of the game. You can tell they're a young team as most of their mistakes could be chalked up to inexperience. They were costly mistakes, tho. They have no reason to be ashamed. They played with a good Saints team. They kept Drew Brees on the sidelines quite a bit which was a great game plan. I think a lot of sportswriters will have to make some serious revisions to last week's assuming commentary pieces about teams that are in trouble after WEEK 1! You guys just jumped the gun way to early! Now take what you said about my '9ers back, ya hear?! I have to tell you, I was so sure that game was headed to overtime! That ball looked tipped! When the refs indicated "goal", I was so let down. But, considering many thought this would be a blowout, well, I got yer blowout right here! Speaking of blowouts, what was up with the Giants/Colts game?! Was a bummer of a game. Not even close. Even Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth admitted it was boring.

So, off to a luke-warm start... but hey! I'm a bit rusty;) We'll see what Week 3 offers soon enough.

163rd are off... Godspeed Paul!

Whew! This last week has been busy! Hopefully things quiet down a bit (I'm feeling a bit over-stimulated!). It was good tho. Got to see all of my family, just not at the same time. Good thing, too. Daniel heads to Korea the end of this month. I am not sure when I'll get to see him or Shosh and Reagan for that matter. They may journey this direction as they move up to Alaska early next year; it's too soon to make those details. Speaking of military people (and the reason for this post): my brother, Paul, is officially on deployment today. He technically started on Friday, the 17th, but they were mostly just getting things ready for today. I found this quick write-up on Billings KULR 8 website. It's wrong tho as these soldiers left from Billings, not Great Falls.

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — About 150 Montana Army National Guard troops have left Great Falls for their final training before being deployed for a year in Iraq.

The Great Falls Tribune reports that soldiers with the 1-163rd Combined Arms Battalion spent about 90 minutes saying goodbye to family and friends before dawn Monday and then flew out for six weeks of training at Camp Shelby, Miss.

Brig. Gen. Stan Putnam, commander of the Montana Army National Guard, says the troops will be driving armored and machine-gun mounted Humvees and MRAP trucks, providing security within Iraq for moving convoys.

I am so glad I was able to spend a little time with him before he left.
And he was able to meet Reagan too!


I must admit some apprehension towards this deployment. Since our King President Obama "deemed the war in Iraq" over, this just puts our troops more in harms way. It essentially gives the green light to Islamic extremists, suicide bombers and the like to "go crazy" on the infidels. The base that my brother will be located in is nearly on the Kuwait border, but in the article listed above, Paul is the only person exposed in those "armored and machine-gun mounted Humvees and MRAP trucks" as they escort convoys from one destination to the next. His last deployment, he didn't have to use his weapon once. I'm praying for the same outcome this time around. I hope I am wrong about the green light thing, and perhaps security hasn't changed much since his last deployment. I will tell you that I know no matter what, God is in control. His plan for Paul, every service man/woman, for me, for you, is one of hope. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11.

Please continue to pray daily for Paul and all our men/women in uniform. And thank you to everyone of your kind wishes on Paul's behalf. He is a hero, even if he's my little (sometimes annoying) brother! Love you Paul!

NFL Week 2: YAY!!!

Ok, so here we are week 2! I watched most of week 1 (and I say most as a little beauty aka Reagan was distracting me from much of the games last week!) in the comfort of my sister's home in Georgia. No posts for week 1 for that reason. Following previous tradition, I pick 6 games (really it's quite random) and predict who I think will win and how. I will also add a few comments regarding this Ines Saitz/Jets fiasco mostly as an FYI for everyone, cuz I know how much you care;)!

Ravens @ Bengals: Ravens did the "unexpected" by beating the Jets last week. It wasn't dominate, but it still was a "W" in the column. I still think the combo of Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens is asking for more trouble than J-Lo, Mariah Carey, Leann Rimes and Britney Spears put together for diva of the year award. Could be wrong, but I think that is a nightmare waiting to happen. I like the Ravens to win by 10.

Steelers @ Titans: I have kinda liked the Titans (not just because there is a local northern Montana boy playing there now either). I like that Jeff Fisher has been the head coach there for longer than I can remember. It means consistency in my book. The Titans have been thisclose for a long time. Not sure if this is their year, but with the Steelers playing again without Roethlisberger (any lessons learned yet, Big Ben?) their offensive game is admittedly suffering. Steelers defense will be good, but Titans will win by 6.

Seahawks @ Denver: You know, I like what McDaniels is doing with Tebow. He's giving him time to develop, mature, learn the game... and it's driving the media and fans crazy! I like it. No need to rush fellas, Tebow will get his chance. I scoff at sports journalists who, after just 1 week, have written off so many teams, including my 49ers from last week's game against the Seahawks. The '9ers are getting better (I'd like to personally give Alex Smith a whooping for his lack of disrespect for his coaching staff, tho... I never was on board with that brat!), and a first week "rookie" coach's luck for Pete Carroll is no reason to give the 'gulls a pass. Denver, almost pains me to say, will win by 7.

Patriots @ Jets: Ooooh! for the unnecessary media firestorm surrounding the Jets all week. That has to distract, what with all those female reporters clamoring for their big interview! HA! *I'll discuss this more after my predictions are made at the end of this post* Mr. Gisele Bundchen... oh, wait! he's making more than her now! apparently was unfazed by his little fender bender last week. Jets, kinda ate a big heap of humble pie last week and I look for the Patriots to serve up another slice or 10 as they put the Jets in their place. Pats by 12.

Giants @ Colts: Manning Bowl! Yes! Folks, I have to admit, I like this match up. Both teams are good. Brother vs. Brother. It's waiting for Hollywood to write a script it's that good! The Colts were dealt an embarrassment last week (they lost to the Texans!), the Giants took it to a mediocre team at best. I think Peyton and Co. have some 'splainin' to do, so Colts will win by 3.

Saints @ 49ers: I love my '9ers, but how did they snag a Monday Night Football game?! Is it because they're playing the New Orleans Katrina... er, I mean Saints? The media is just stupid over that still. Opening kickoff and wouldn't you know they're still sniffing and slobbering over something that happened 5 years ago... and was totally preventable (as far as lives lost I mean. Anyone knows you can't control the weather, right? RIGHT?!) Well, the Saints won the Super Bowl and now New Orleans has a reason to live. Bless their hearts. I am not a Saints fan (wasn't even before Katrina; they're in the same division as the '9ers), but this gives me more fuel for my anti-Saints fire! They are a fine team, obviously, but they're playing the '9ers on home turf. And the '9ers also have some 'splainin' to do. 49ers by 1.

Now, I'll try to keep this short and sweet. Women DO NOT belong in men's locker rooms. Get over it Pam Oliver. I know it's no longer the 1950's but when is it ever okay for women and men to be in the same bathroom/shower/locker room? Umm... you better say never. What question can't wait till everyone is showered, changed and in the press room? And to be clear, I watched a few interviews with Ines Sainz herself and she tweeted she was "dying from embarrassment" not from the comment understandably lobbed her direction, but that she was in a roomful of naked men! She admitted she knew her dressing the way she does does illicit comments, but she "ignores" them or "pretends to not hear" them. Those were her exact comments. Plus, if she wants to be taken seriously as a professional, try dressing like one. If you're going to enter a locker room full of naked men dressed like a hooker, you'll be treated like a hooker and not a journalist. Which is a job she only has because of her looks. Last time I checked, "Woman" wasn't part of the criteria to get a job; skills and competence were. Honestly, does she even know what a 1st down is, what "LB" stands for, the difference between what a punt and a kick-off are? If she is truly good at her job, she wouldn't need to grossly over-compensate for her lack-there-of by dressing like a hussy. The media did blow this out of proportion, they took a few comments and turned it into a sexual harassment suit; even Ms. Saitz admits she never felt threatened in any way. A couple of Jets' get their flirt on, we have a provocatively dressed "reporter" and suddenly we have a lawsuit! Leave it to our typical, swing-left-template media to turn this into a all out bashing of men in general again in jumping into conclusions about the "piggish" Jets and the "poor defenseless" reporter. Who's in charge here? National Organization of Women?! Go bother someone other than the NFL... Roger Goodell is grovelling enough to the players union as it is!

Now, ignore the ding-bat female sideline reporters (Andrea Kramer, this means you!), pay close attention to those who know what they're doing (Suzy Kolber is a good start) and enjoy the 2nd week in the NFL!