December Post

Making my way through finals week, I have a few group projects and presentation to finish up, but things are looking good. My Christmas shopping is almost done, complete with Dave's compensation for the Steelers gear. Thanks Davey!

I feel like much of my weekly emotional resources are devoted to simultaneously recovering and preparing for the next Steelers game. Shit's getting intense, it's December, and if these dudes can pull it together on offense in these last few games things are looking up. A lot of it is dependent on this weekend. Just gotta be consistent, and I am hopeful that the offense can turn things around from this past sunday. The feelings from the Pens run to the cup is running low in the sports-happy-high-five tank, but still high in get-drunk-talk-about-it tank. Either way, time to refill boys!

Ultimate wise - I think since practice is done, I'm gonna really try to take healing the knee seriously. I think it could happen eventually if I keep biking/running/lifting like normal, but probably run the risk of hurting it again or just delaying the healing. So gonna head into the pool, which will probably consist of me almost passing out after 15 minutes, gonna do arm lifting, bought a core training book today, and gonna keep up with the PT. Sad times. Gots to be done though. Hopefully this month will make the difference.

My Pals

Overheard In...

My bed, watching Arrested Development:

Tobias: Ah the clumsiness of adolescence. Everyone goes through it, except for me. Like a cat, I always ended up on all fours!

I AM WAY TOO BUSY FOR ANYTHING!

Yeah, it's the last two weeks of the semester after Thanksgiving break. So as a grad student everything ever due is due next week. I dunno, I'm not feeling so crunched as other weeks. Don't worry I already knocked on wood preemptively for that statement. Still, everything will be done by about the 12th, so hopefully I will have some time to maybe shop or get a video game or knit some stuff before going back to Pittsburgh again.

Well, I ate my words, and I thought Kanye's album was really good. Couldn't really notice the autotone as much as it slaps you in the face usually, and sounded good on most tracks. Not an album for singles, but good all the way through. Joe didn't think so. Well Joe, why don't you go spend $40 on some crappy Kings of Leon knock off indie crap cause you liked the cover of the vinyl. Another little known Joe fact, he fishes his favorite poos out of the toilet and puts them in a shoebox and keeps them as dried up momentos to look at when he has a hard day. Whatta boob!

In ultimate news, Match didn't pick Cal as one of the super-contenders this year. Nor did he mention my sweeping rise to the top of the college ultimate scene. Think you can overlook our 15th place finishes this fall?? Think again buddy. Well, I actually mean it. I think the development of the rookies and being patient on cuts will pay off in the spring. I think staying healthy, knowing we can suceed, and being confident as a team will be our biggest challenges. Specifically, this is going to depend on us controlling the disc and being consistent. Reducing turnovers is already a common theme.

Up top is Malkin and Gonch on vacay, as if I even had to tell you. The Steelers game ruled last weekend, giving a sense of vindication I haven't felt for those duders since the Super Bowl. If we can ride the momentum from that through the next few weeks we will be true contenders. 25 days till gameday.

Break in Pittsburgh

So this is my first school break coming back to Pittsburgh, I don't think coming from Australia really counts. Things to do, no particular order:

• Get some Aiello's
• Call Andy "Kwiatfartski"
• Watch Pens on local TV
• Call Joey? Hey Joey.
• Mad Mex?
• Talk to Mr. Zaw (my mom told me you can order general tso's "not so spicy!")
  
• Steeler's gear
• Get free sweater from mom
• Yuengling, Magic Hat, Victory (dad still had whirlwinds)
• My parents got that sweet as instant on demand netflix!
• See Dave for like 30 mins, talk about how busy he is but how excited he is about all said busy-ness
• Cake
• Dee's baby

Mary's "Pittsburgh doggie bag list": Pub fries, white pizza.

What a post!

Cypher Post

The motivation for this post came from being inbetween assignments for school, a stomach full of hawaiian bbq, and a stellar dream last night that allowed me to really live out my natural talent... freestyle rap. Anyways, it was some sort of setting where a bunch of dudes I know, I'm pretty sure Vanessa and Jamo were there, were all getting prepped up for this big rap battle between us. I was nervous at first, but as the competition grew nearer, I was spittin hot fire! Jamo and Vanessa could sense this, and knew they were donezo. I really think I was coming up with some solid stuff. I think at one point in the dream I asked someone "Who's winning the rap battle?" "I think it's Consequence, he was pretty good." I didn't get to actually rap in front of a crowd, but I'm sure I would've killed it. In either case, there's always the Cheeburger rap to hold me down.

This weekend is the Sean Ryan Memorial Tournament and it looks like it's gonna be a very nice weekend weather-wise. From what I've seen of the teams I know on the list, I think we have a good chance of winning the whole thing, but I'm sure we will be playing an open rotation as there are still cuts to make. We get done pretty early on Saturday, so maybe we can hit the beach for a little. I think my main goals for the weekend is to get a good feel for the offense and to slam some bros.

Puppy update (pupdate?): I've been thinking very hard about getting a puppy in June after I graduate and move out of the current apartment. I think I would have hopefully 1-2 months free, and seems like prime-time for puppy raising. I've been researching with Mary possible hypoallergenic ones and the cairn terrier (above) has been the most promising. Gotta figure out if it's gonna be feasible to live with it without allergy medicine. Research has opened up some very interesting puppy doors, including puppy cam.

Back to work. Peace!

Emergency Post

Haven't posted for a long time, and felt like I should throw some thoughts/updates/apple pies before I get too far behind for my readers! Let's do it in quick update format, since homework is gonna cut this one short:

Social: Went out for Halloween in the Mission, despite having to get up at 5:45 to BART it back to Berkeley and hit the road for the tournament in Santa Clara. Mary's Sarah Palin costume was very, very successful. Cops wanted pictures. People shouted things. Fatter Palins were no match. I went as America's most blunted receiver. Not as successful, but very funny for me and that guy dressed up as Serena Williams

School: The beef LCA is coming around... think things are coming together nicely after the mid-term report. My other group is in a big crunch to finish our value stream map report of a general contractor's preconstruction design process. Hopefully things turn out alright. Could've been much better if we had a well defined idea of what we wanted from the start.

Job: Giant civ-e job fair on campus Wednesday! The resume is ready, and I picked out a bunch of Bay Area firms. Hopefully things go well.

Ultimate: My knee tendinitis flared up last week... not sure why, maybe because of all the standing around while working retail at the Cal game. So practice and the tournament, which got cancelled halfway through Saturday, have been a little frustrating as I usually have to stop at somepoint because I don't want to hurt myself more. Lame. I want to be ready for the Sean Ryan tournament where our final A team will be there. The team is looking better and better each practice since the first round of cuts.

Pittsburgh Stuff: Got to go to the Pens vs. San Jose game last Tuesday with some duders. Totally crappy game. We got 11 shots off, and still only lost by 1 somehow. I hope this is the low point of our season, but the last game shows we are coming out of it. Steelers need to man up! Massive game! The election depends on it! Pretty sure I'm gonna wear Randle El, and give number 10 to Jamo. Gooooooo Steelers!

Oh and remember to vote, here's Sam Jackson reminding you to vote no on prop 8: