Drew's Weekend 12/19-12/20

12/19 - 7am - Took Carolyn to the airport. Rewarded myself with a Acai Superantioxidant and a Jamba Juice Oatmeal.

9am - Started watching Rocky IV. I know it's a cheesy movie with three separate musical montages, but it's still really awesome. I mean...Ivan Drago is so big and strong - how does Rocky really beat him in the end?

11am - Went to play tennis against Tyler. He showed up a few minutes late, and I got some really nice work done on my spin serve. When we started playing, I got it in perfectly. It bounced in the front outside corner of the box, and it curved away from him - impossible to hit. I also had a couple nice power serves in that game, and it was easily my best serving game to date. I won 6-1 in our one set, but Tyler was trying out a new racket. I accepted the excuse, but I'm basically dominating him regularly. I am teaching him some new things, and I'm sure it'll be competitive again soon.

12:30pm - I start heading to the Stars/Wings game. I really, really hate the Red Wings, and I was hoping the Stars could pull it out. I was supposed to meet Woody at the Chipotle downtown, but I'm really bad at driving downtown. I'm also apparently really bad at finding parking downtown so I made a wrong turn and had to meet him at the AAC. He brought me Chipotle so that worked out.

2pm - Stars/Wings starts. The great Stars/Wings Anthem War takes place, and Woody and I both yell "Stars" during "rockets red glare" to drown out the stupid Red Wings fans. The Wings jump out to an early lead, but the Stars score four even strength goals and Turco does enough to win 4-3. The Stars tried that stupid thing where they try to hold a one-goal lead for 18 minutes, but it actually worked this time. My three stars would've been 3. Turco 2. Neal 1. Skrastins.

4:30pm - All the stupid Wings fans go home sad. I love it. As I walk out, I see Bob Sturm in a booth in the AAC plaza. I wave to him, and he waved back. Then, it took him a second, but he recognized me. It was pretty funny to see the transformation of "Hey, loyal P1" to "Hey, former intern!"

5pm - Bluetooth College began their 2011 season with a solid 42-3 win over Iowa State. All-American Scott Williams and All-American Mark Atkinson led the offense, and the very-young (mostly freshman) AWESOME defense did their part with two defensive touchdowns and two red zone turnovers.

7pm - Cowboys/Saints start. I'm going into the game with no expectations of winning the game, but part of me almost expected the cowboys to actually get the win...just so that they could let me down again in the next couple of weeks. But they started off the game with a 3-and-out defensively, and then they scored their first opening-drive touchdown in 18 games. Then they had another hold and another touchdown. Just like that, the Cowboys were up 14-0. It was pretty surreal.

8:30pm - As the Cowboys game goes into the half with the Cowboys holding a 17-3 lead, I continue to obsess about these kids across the hall. We've lived at the condo for a few months now, and I've never seen anyone come out of the door. I've heard stuff coming out of there, but I've never seen any real movement. But all night, kids were coming in and out of the door. I don't know why I found it so interesting, but I did.

10:10pm - After leading most of the game, including getting a 24-3 lead, the Cowboys start slipping. The Saints have come back again and again this season, they had the crowd behind then, and Drew Brees was tearing through our defense. After Romo led the Cowboys down the field to an extremely makeable field goal with just over two minutes left, Nick F'ing Folk steps onto the field. They showed some clips of his warm-up kicks, and they were doing something really weird. But this was a sub-30-yard field goal, and the ball was right in the middle of the field. For real...I could make that field goal. Nick Folk couldn't, though. Hit the damn post.

10:20pm - After several failed attempts to fast-forward into the future, the game finally ended with a Cowboys' win. I was really proud of the boys...I've been really hard on them, and I still can't allow myself to believe...but it's still a great win for the franchise. I didn't believe the defense would hold the Saints on the final drive, but they were able to do it. Their magic number to get in the playoffs is two, and they still control their own destiny to win the division. Should be exciting.

11:30 - I finish the night with the Ticket's post-game show on the radio and a nice episode of 30 Rock. Good times.

12/20 - 11am - After waking up late, starting my laundry, and having a pineapple breakfast, I start the day with my fantasy football show on yahoo.com. I make a couple moves, but I'm fairly confidant in both of my playoff matchups.

12pm - I start watching football, monitoring my fantasy games. Still...so far so good.

2:30pm - Ashley and I head to Tucker and Keely's house. For about a week, I've been wanting to get together and play a friendly game of football. The weather was almost perfect this weekend, and Shep was in town...so it worked out great. I wear my T.O. t-shirt for the first time since his release...along with my old baseball socks....pulled up. It was awesome.

3:00pm - We show up to the field and break into teams. Shep, Tyler, and me against Ashley, Keely, and Tucker. We do a bit of warming up, and it actually turned out that I had the best arm on the team so I was the quarterback. A few weeks ago, Tucker actually told me to hold the ball a little further back, and it's really help my spiral.

3:15pm - The scoring starts as I lead the team down for a TD pass to Tyler. I'd end up throwing three TD passes, all to Tyler. Unfortunately, I also threw the game-tying (and technically ending) pick-six to Tucker. But the highlight of my day was a huge pass that went for a long touchdown to Tyler. I basically threw the ball up as long and high as it would go, and it fell right into Tyler's hands in stride. A really cool moment for me.

4:30pm - After playing two more series with teams of JAM/Drew/Tyler vs. Shep/Tucker/Keely, we decide to stop. It was really fun, but then most of us rested while Tucker and Shep threw the ball around. Then, for some reason, Tucker threw the ball into our group, and for some other reason, no one told me it was about to hit me in the head. Then it hit me in the head. I already had a bit of a headache, and this really didn't help matters. I'm not sure who I was more upset with...Tucker for throwing the ball...or everyone else for saying nothing. I tink I no have brane damag tho.

6:00pm - I make a pretty delicious meal of pork chops, broccoli, and asparagus as I watch the end of the 3pm games. The Eagles win but the Packers lose. So the Cowboys are still in a good position to make the playoffs.

7pm - Waiting for Shep and Tucker, I start watching an old episode of the West Wing. Man...that show is really awesome. I wish they could've done a show with Bradley Whitford andRob Lowe about the Matt Santos presidency. Josh Lyman and Sam Seaborn are just great characters.

8:30pm - Shep and Tucker show up for Halo. It was really cool to see Shep again, and it sucks that he lives in Washington, D.C. But we all play pretty well, especially Shep...who hadn't played in a long time. We won a lot of our games, but the system kept putting Tucker on the other team. And in games that we lost...we were slaughtered.

11pm - The fellas leave, and it's time to go to bed. And even though I'm at work right now, I can say it was a great weekend.

So awesome, I will just copy/paste

http://i.gizmodo.com/5152141/google-proves-humanity-is-sick-and-sad-yet-absolutely-hilarious
Recently we found out that, according to Google's search, 303,000 people out there were "extremely terrified of Chinese people". We got deeper into Humanity's brain, and got a list of hilarious and scary findings:
Go to the US version of Google, and type what is in bold to find the following:
• 5,310,000 pages from people asking or answering: How to get pregnant.
• 69,400,000 people asking How to make money.
• 32,600,000: How to get over someone.
• 3,290,000: Who do I have to be to make you sleep with me.
• 841,000: I have a large cat in my pants.
• 3,300,000: I have a large uterus.
• 112,000: I have a lovely bunch of coconuts (lots of swallows surfing the web).
• 256,000,000: I want to die.
• 3,160,000: Why do I fart so much.
• 528,000: Why do indians smell.
• 63,500,000: Why do I sleep so much.
• 680,000: Why do I have green poop.
• 883,000,000: Why do I have no friends.
• 7,570,000: Why do I have diarrhea.
• 4,170,000: Why do I have so much discharge.
• 7,120,000: Why do I have to pee so much.
• 230,000,000: Why do I have gas or so much gas
.• 456,000: Why do men have nipples.
• 6,000,000: Why men don't call.
• 8,380,000: Why men lie.
• 11,000,000: Why women have affairs.
• 36,500,000: Why women lie.
• 94,200,000: Why Obama should be president.
• 19,100,000: Why Obama should not be president.
• 42,300: Why Luke Skywalker is an idiot.
• 1,610,000: I would like to buy a hamburger.
• 286,000: I would like to extend you an invitation to the pants party (at Jason's house, in Jason's pants).
• 818,000: I think im pregnant.
• 442,000: I hate Indiana Jones 4.
• Almost 800,000,000: Who do I vote for.
• 4,980,000: I want a new drug.
• 114,000,000: I want a wife (114 million people are nuts).
• 783,000: I have one testicle.
• 21,900,000: I have one more drink.
• 12,400,000: I have three breasts.
• 320,000: I have three testicles.
• 1,580,000: I have three girlfriends.
• 610,000: I have four sides, all opposite sides are parallel, I have no right angles. What am I.
• 159,000,000: When to work.
• 126,000,000: When to say I love you.
• 2,730,000: Sleep is for sissies.
• 2,890,000: I smeel like poop.
• 1,510,000: What is a recession.
• 1,400,000: I have a hard time swallowing.
• 338,000: I have a big bag of crabs here.
• 1,060,000: Sex is for making babies and revenge.

We. Are. Doomed.

My favorite part is how terrified we are of Chinese people. Extremely.

Sick

The "sick" title is for two reasons.

1. I was sick this weekend. I'm a bit of a hypochondriac, but I was legitimately sick for the first time in a while. At one point, my fever actually rose to 101.7...which was a bit worrisome. In the same half-hour, I was burning up and shivering. It sucked. Luckily, there wasn't any nausea.

But being sick sucks. Really bad.

2. I'm a bit sick of the Cowboys, and I'm hoping that Jerry Jones is pretty sick of his choice of head coaches three years ago. As some of you might remember, Jerry Jones had his choice between Wade Phillips and Norv Turner as his head coach, and he chose Wade. Norv proceeded to go to San Diego.

I'm not saying that Norv Turner is the best coach in the world, and I'm not saying the Cowboys would've won a playoff game with him. But for his entire career, Wade Phillips-coached teams have failed in December. Since he arrived in San Diego, Turner's Chargers are undefeated in December. If only that part was fixed, the Cowboys would be a much more dangerous team.

I know the circumstances. Wade was brought in to fix the defense that was seen as incomplete under Bill Parcells. At the same time, Jason Garrett had already been brought in to be the genius for the offense. Since Turner is an offensive-minded coach, it wouldn't have made a lot of sense to have two offensive gurus...still having to find someone to run the defense.

Of course, there was thinking back then that Turner could mentor Garrett and the team could bring Mike Singletary in to coach the defense. It would've been a very expensive coaching staff, but it also would've been really awesome.

But here's the thing. Wade Phillips didn't fix the defense...it's still not up to the level of a defense with so many top picks. Jason Garrett made the offense look great one year, but it's struggled a lot since. I realize the Cowboys get a lot of yards, but they can't score. Jason Garrett is now Mike Schultz. Congratulations.

The Wade Phillips era has just been a disappointment in every way. The team is undisciplined, it underachieves, and there is zero accountability. Take a look at the Nick Folk situation...he misses some field goals and it's the holder's fault. They change the holder, and he still misses a field goal.

Communication is a mess. Wade Phillips doesn't know that his starting RB is hurt and can't play. Patrick Crayton finds out that he's lost his starting job through the media.

And I know it all starts with Jerry Jones. He's the main problem, but that's not the issue. And it's only not the issue because Jerry will always be there. He owns the team, he named himself GM, and he's not dying anytime soon.

So, until then, I'm gonna be mad at Wade. And mad at Garrett. And mad at the entire coaching staff. Because they can be changed...and until they find people who can work with Jerry's fascist system, we'll keep looking.

Odd Thoughts

1. Well, if I was looking for a sign...that was it.
2. On that note, why does that keep happening to me?
3. I was the only one who saw it. The only one who knew that it was Tommy driving the car. And to this day, it's the one thing I've never told anybody. I'm ashamed to be telling you now. Tommy never stole a car again, never did nothing, turned his whole life around. I mean he could've made it out, but he wasn't gonna let his brother be hurt again. And this was the day that changed Jimmy's life forever. Because Jimmy went to rehab. And Tommy? Tommy became everything he never wanted.
4. I'm really happy I didn't go to that Town Hall meeting. Although I still want the 31st off.
5. Shows I wanted to tape tonight? Six. Shows I successfully taped tonight? Zero.
6. I swear, I'm being haunted.
7. And just like that...it's gone.

You Get Hoynes

I've been watching a lot of West Wing on Bravo in the mornings, and tomorrow morning, they will be showing one of my favorite episodes - "Two Cathedrals". It's one of my favorites because of a scene at the very end. I might post the video tomorrow or tonight - it's definitely worth watching because it's extremely powerful. And here it is, in text form.

That's as good, right?

The below scene is President Bartlet inside a large cathedral after the funeral of an old friend in a tragic accident. He's speaking to God, full of anger and emotion. He's just let the nation in on a big secret that he's been lying about, and he's trying to decide if he's going to run again (or let Vice President John Hoynes run in his place). That's about all the context you'll need.

You're a son of a bitch, you know that? She bought her first new car and you hit her with a drunk driver. What? Was that supposed to be funny?

"You can't conceive, nor can I, the appalling strangeness of the mercy of God," says Graham Greene. I don't know whose ass he was kissing there, 'cause I think you're just vindictive.

What was Josh Lyman - a warning shot? That was my son. What did I ever do to yours but praise his glory and praise his name?

There's a tropical storm that's gaining speed and power. They say we haven't had a storm this bad since you took out that tender ship of mine in the North Atlantic last year. Sixty-eight crew. You know what a tender ship does? Fixes the other ships. It doesn't even carry guns. It just goes around, fixes the other ships and delivers the mail. That's all it can do.

Gratias tibi ago, domine. Yes, I lied. It was a sin. I've committed many sins. Have I displeased you, you feckless thug? 3.8 million new jobs, that wasn't good? Bailed out Mexico. Increased foreign trade. Thirty million new acres of land for conservation. Put Mendoza on the bench. We're not fighting a war. I've raised three children. That's not enough to buy me out of the doghouse?

Haec credam a deo pio, a deo iusto, a deo scito? Cruciatus in crucem. Trus in terra servus, nuntius fui, officium perfeci. Cruciatus in crucem. Eas in crucem.

[deliberately lights a cigarette and grinds it out on the Cathedral floor] You get Hoynes.

Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies)

Sleeping is giving in, no matter what the time is.
Sleeping is giving in, so lift those heavy eyelids.
People say that you'll die
faster than without water.

But we know it's just a lie,
scare your son,
scare your daughter.

People say that your dreams,
are the only things that save ya.
Come on baby in our dreams,
we can live on misbehavior.

Every time you close your eyes
Lies, lies!
Every time you close your eyes
Lies, lies!
Every time you close your eyes
Lies, lies!
Every time you close your eyes
Lies, lies!
Every time you close your eyes
Every time you close your eyes
Every time you close your eyes
Every time you close your eyes

People try and hide the night,
underneath the covers.
People try and hide the ligh,
tunderneath the covers.
Come on hide your lovers
underneath the covers
come on hide your lovers
underneath the covers.
Hidin' from your brothers
underneath the covers,
come on hide your lovers
underneath the covers.
People say that you'll die
faster than without water,
but we know it's just a lie,
scare your son, scare your daughter,
Scare your son, scare your daughter.
Scare your son, scare your daughter.

Now here's the sun, it's alright!
(Lies, lies!)
Now here's the moon, it's alright!
(Lies, lies!)
Now here's the sun, it's alright!
(Lies, lies!)
Now here's the moon it's alright
(Lies, lies!)
Every time you close your eyes
Lies, lies!

Every time you close your eyes
Lies, lies!
Every time you close your eyes
Lies, lies!
Every time you close your eyes
Lies, lies!
Every time you close your eyes
Every time you close your eyes
Every time you close your eyes

Lies, lies!

Horrible F-ing Weekend

This weekend sucked. Royally. I'll go ahead and get out of the way the fact that the Mavs, Stars, and Cowboys all lost their games. The Stars lost in a shootout so I guess they still got a point. The Mavs lost to the Hawks who are pretty solid. And the Cowboys are horrible in December. Their QB can't win in December, and their coach has never won in December. So that's not a surprise.

Let's talk about TCU. There were about five things that could have gone right for the them. None of them did.

And at the end of the day, we get Boise F'ing State again.

Are they kidding? Let's just start with the obvious. They're stuffing the two non-BCS teams in the same game, hoping that no one will notice and/or care. The BCS schools are tired of us beating them in big bowl games (we're 3-1), and they want us to beat up on each other.

And since we're both small schools, the attendence and ratings are going to be horrible. There's no way that such a game sells out the University of Phoenix Stadium, and no one is going to watch a couple of "no name" schools play each other. And I'm sure all the BCS big wigs are going to pay the Fiesta Bowl a pretty penny to make up for the lack of tickets and ratings - just so they can point to this game and say, "See! You guys don't draw. Why should we include you?"

It's a joke. An absolute joke. I know, for certain, that there are 2A Texas high schools that play harder schedules than Boise State. The WAC is the biggest joke in all of college football (moreso than the Sun Belt), and it's embarrassing to TCU that we have to play them. Because, honestly, it's a no-win scenario for us. If we win, we've beaten a glorified high school team. If we lose, we've lost to a glorified high school team.

Boise State and their horrible schedule, their dumb blue turf, and their stupid dumb face quarterback is everything that is wrong with the world. They do nothing to earn their spot, but they expect to be treated equally.

And I hope we slaughter them. Absolutely slaughter. To the point where they'll never be considered for a BCS bowl ever again. In fact, if I had my way, they'd have their football program disbanded at every level...including intramurals.

But I feel bad for the players and coaches at TCU because they have to play this team of high school punks. They go undefeated and this is their reward? It's an absolute joke, and I hope that everyone that helped make this decision lives to regret it.

Note to Self - Blog More

So I realized that I haven't been blogging much. Part of that is the idea that I'm not supposed to be on the Internet at work, and I would blog in my off time at work. Since writing long entries is noticeable, I've stopped. And since I don't usually remember about this thing when I'm at home, even when I have something important to write, I typically forget.

So I've made a December resolution to write more. And since it's 12/1, what better day to start. And what better way to start than with a nice "random Drew thoughts" post.

1. I have pink eye. I know all of the stereotypes and jokes you can make, but none of that applies to me. It all started when I noticed that my eye kinda hurt. Then I noticed that something was coming out of it. By the time Tucker and Ashley helped me think what it was, it was too late to do anything about it. I created a makeshift eye patch (I taped a kleenex to my face) so that the gross stuff wouldn't get on my pillow, but when I woke up, my eye was crusted shut. It was pretty gross, but I took a picture of it. I also took a really creepy picture of my eye patch in the dark. I got some antibiotic eye drops, and it already looks better. No oozing, at least.

2. Tucker and Keely bought a house, and we went over there the other day for dinner. Congrats to them. Also, congrats to wine.

3. I just reserved two tickets for the TCU bowl game. We won't find out what bowl we're going to until Sunday, but I'm definitely going wherever the game is. I really, honestly, can't wait until that game. This season has been so amazing, and I have full confidence that our team can play with anyone in the country. I hope the Frogs get the chance to prove it.

4. Tucker and Keely are both huge Texas fans. And as much as I like them, I hope Nebraska beats them in the Big 12 Championship game. I want the National Championship.

5. TCU offers bowl tickets based on season ticket "points" - you get a point for having season tickets, renewing them, giving money to the Frog Club, etc. I have 16 points. You need 100 to get out of the bottom level. I have some work to do.

6. Tyler had a great quote the other day. I'm not going to give the context, but it was awesome. He said, "I'm an asshole, I'm not the devil." I'm definitely going to use that line in a movie or two.

7. Speaking of that, I started on my next script. I haven't tried to sell the first one (which I really like) or fix the second one (which needs work) yet...but I started on number three. And when I say "start," I mean I've written one line. But it's a good line.

Big League Chew

*Disclaimer - The following blog shouldn't make any sense. Don't feel bad if you don't get it

If I could ask you what you really want at this moment, I'm sure you'd come up with a lot of things. But one thing I'm pretty sure you wouldn't think of is Big League Chew. Now...hold that thought.

Let's put you at the checkout counter at the supermarket. You look over, and you see a big pouch of grape-flavored Big League Chew.

Same question...what do you want? I'm guessing the answer is grape-flavored Big League Chew. You can only get it certain places so it usually doesn't cross your mind. For me, a similar thing is the white chocolate Nestle Crunch bar. I'm not sure if they even make it anymore, but I buy it whenever I see it. It's a rare treat.

I have a point to this, but it doesn't really matter what it is. The moral of the story is that, for the moment, I've found some Big League Chew. But, sometimes, Big League Chew isn't enough. Sometimes, I really want pumpkin cheesecake. And that's something even more rare.

So if you find Big League Chew, get it. But if you can find pumpkin cheesecake, you can't pass it up.

TCU 55 Utah 28

I realize I haven't been writing as much as I had been in the past. There a myriad of reasons why, but it'd be a mistake not to take a few minutes to discuss the Mighty, Mighty Horned Frogs. After all, take a look at the layout of the blog itself.

And let's not forget that I started this blog after TCU's bowl game last year. If I'm the father of Crocodile Hunting, there's a good chance that TCU is the mother. Nah, that doesn't sound right.

Anyway, the Frogs have been doing great this season. As of right now, they're 10-0 and ranked #4 in the nation. All that stands between the Frogs and the BCS are two games. The hardest game will be a trip to Laramie, Wyoming with a date with the Cowboys. It will be cold, but according to the forecast, it will not snow. And if they can take care of business there, the final test would be against (currently) winless New Mexico.

But let's not talk about the future; I'll let Gary worry about that. Let's talk about an extraordinary day. Or GameDay, should I say?

With Northwestern's win over Iowa, ESPN decided to come to Fort Worth with their epic show, College GameDay. And as soon as we knew they were coming, every Horned Frog started preparing for it. Facebook was full of messages, and it was obvious that everyone was struggling to get through the week and make it to Saturday.

Since we wanted to get there early, we decided to leave Friday and spend the night with Tim. "Happy" Matt Turner also drove up from San Antonio to join us, and we got out to campus around 7am.

7am is right. Keep in mind that, on work days, I wake up at 7:15am. And I was sitting in a crowd in TCU's beautiful new quad at 7:00am on a Saturday morning. It was surreal.

When the show finally started, the hosts kept saying how impressed they were with the Frogs' showing. There were a whole lot of people there, most of them supporting TCU. And for every three people, there seemed to be a sign. When we watched the replay, we couldn't believe how many signs were made.

I must say that we considered making signs but never did. We went as far as to buy foam board, but we couldn't get a workable pole. And it wouldn't have mattered because we were far back enough that our signs wouldn't have been on TV.

And it was so amazing that TCU has that kind of support. It was nothing, however, to the stadium atmosphere when the game finally arrived. I've never seen the stadium that full, and it was utterly incredible to hear that crowd. There was a chant, early in the game, where half the stadium screamed "go" and the other half screamed "Frogs"

And 50,000 people, speaking as one, sounded as clear as day. It was just really cool.

The game started, and the Frogs jumped out to a huge lead. Seconds later, they recovered a fumble. Even after a Utah score, the Frogs eventually took a 35-7 lead.

Let me paint the picture of the stadium. We were towards the top of the student section, and the entire area was crammed with students. We were actually standing diagonally for most of the game, trying to take up as little area as possible.

But when Tank Carder picked off a pass and returned it for a touchdown, the stadium just went crazy. They played a video that encouraged fans to get up and jump around, and the students did just that. And most of these guys had been drinking all day, since 7am, and they weren't great at it. There were a couple times when I feared that a TCU student avalanche was going to start, but it never really happened.

And TCU just kept scoring. We were up 38-14 at the half, and I was actually a bit disappointed. We missed a field goal where we could've scored a touchdown, and we threw an interception inside the red zone. And one of Utah's two touchdowns was scored on a drive that basically consisted of two Hail Marys.

It's a good sign for TCU when its fans are a little disappointed to be up 24 points at the half against the #16 ranked team in the nation.

By the end of the game, TCU won 55-28. And even though it was the biggest win that I'd ever experienced at the school, I didn't really think about charging the field. I mean, the game was basically decided in the second quarter, and we were just waiting for the game to end so that we could celebrate.

But then Ashley told me that Gary wanted the fans to charge the field to celebrate with the team. And that's really all he needed to say - I'm willing to do quite a bit for Gary Patterson, and I obliged.

And standing there, on the field after a huge win, it was just incredible. Little TCU has a chance to go to a BCS bowl, and there's even an outside chance at the national championship game. There's still work to be done, but they're so close that I can smell it.

It's just a fantastic time to be a Horned Frog, and I couldn't be more proud of my team.

Uprising

Muse - "Uprising"

Paranoia is in bloom,
The PR transmissions will resume,
They'll try to push drugs that keep us all dumbed down,
And hope that we will never see the truth around
(So come on)

Another promise, another scene,
Another packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed,
And all the green belts wrapped around our minds,
And endless red tape to keep the truth confined
(So come on)

They will not force us,
They will stop degrading us,
They will not control us,
We will be victorious
(So come on)

Interchanging mind control,
Come let the revolution take it's toll,
If you could flick a switch and open your third eye,
You'd see that
We should never be afraid to die
(So come on)

Rise up and take the power back,
It's time the fat cats had a heart attack,
You know that their time's coming to an end,
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend

They will not force us,
They will stop degrading us,
They will not control us,
We will be victorious
So come on

They will not force us,
They will stop degrading us,
They will not control us,
We will be victorious

Girl Next Door, Huh?

Taylor Swift hosted Saturday Night Live tonight, and while she was pretty good (and the show was pretty funny), there was a moment that kinda made me chuckle.

During her first musical number, she sang "You Belong With Me." It's one of her big hits, and it describes the girl next door who's trying to get her best friend to realize that they belong together. The song states that she wears t-shirts and sneakers instead of high heels and short skirts, and that's why she hasn't caught the attention of her crush.

And yet there Taylor is, singing the song in a dress that probably costs more than Ashley's TV. Not exactly the wardrobe of the girl next door.

I realize that it's SNL and she's supposed to look like a star, but I thought that it was pretty funny nonetheless.

Blowing It

If you are a Dallas fan, and you turned off the Mavs' and Stars' games in the final minutes of their respective contests...I'm sure you were surprised to find that both teams ended up losing in overtime.

Why? Because when each game entered the final minute, victory was looking like a very solid probability. But in their own ways, each team found a way to lose. If you have no idea what happened, let me go into it.

Mavericks

The Mavs were in New Orleans last night, coming off a big win against the Jazz at home. It took an amazing fourth quarter from Dirk Nowitzki, but it was a big win nonetheless. It was the second night of a back-to-back so I imagine the team was a bit tired.

But it didn't seem to matter. Dirk actually fouled out with about 2:36 remaining, but the team seemed to be in control of the game by then. Even when New Orleans tied it with about a minute left, the Mavs were up 3 with about ten seconds left. Chris Paul had the ball, and he was determined to make something happen.

Defending Chris Paul was tiny J.J. Barea. And while Barea is (relatively) loved in Dallas as a scrappy player with a sweet ability to score, he's still J.J. Barea. And Chris Paul is still one of the biggest superstars in the game. And earlier in the fourth quarter, Barea tried to take a charge on Paul - he went sliding down the court when Paul lowered his shoulder into him. But the ref simply watched as Paul set his feet and drained a wide-open 3-pointer.

This time, however, Paul pushed off on Barea, and the whistle blew. The refs actually called an offense foul on Chris Paul...drawn by little J.J. Barea. The Mavs quickly inbounded the ball, and they were awarded two free throws.

Up by three with Barea going to the line. Seemed like a victory to me, and it did to the Hornets too. One of the Hornets got a technical for arguing the call, and Chris Paul went from ref to ref to let them know that he wasn't happy. All of the Hornets looked like they were defeated.

Then Terry missed the technical free throw. He'd made his first seven free throws, but he'd suddenly missed two of three. But it didn't matter. With nine seconds and only one Hornets time out left, Barea just needed to make one of his two free throws to clinch an almost-certain Dallas win.

But he missed the first. Then the second.

That's right. Two different Mavericks had three free throws to clinch the game, and they missed all three.

I shouldn't have to tell you what happened next. The Hornets called their time out, drew up a play, and they drained a 3-pointer.

But the Mavs still had a chance! Six seconds to play with a chance to win the game. Kidd inbounded the ball, got it back, but then tried to force the ball to Jason Terry. Four of the Hornets knew where the ball was going, and they stole it. Paul damn-near hit a three-pointer at the buzzer that would've clinched the game.

He might as well have done it. Without Dirk, the Mavs just couldn't score, and they were handled pretty easily in overtime.

And it brings up some legitimate concerns about the Mavs. Without Dirk in the game, the Mavs looked like a different team. Erick Dampier scored four huge points for the Mavs. Kidd drove the lane to a wide-open basket and missed two free throws. Barea missed a couple three-pointers.

And even though he replaced Dirk when the German fouled out, Shawn Marion was nowhere to be seen offensively. I thought he was being brought in to be Dirk's offensive sidekick, but I don't think he took a single shot.

Hopefully this team will look better when/if Josh Howard ever returns at full strength. Because even though they're 3-2 with a big win at the Lakers, the Mavs have looked pretty pedestrian the rest of the way. They barely beat the Clippers, and they had to have a monster quarter out of Dirk to beat Utah.

Stars

I actually went to this game, and it was pretty rough. After pummeling Calgary's backup goalie (who I'd never heard of and don't care to look up the name of) with over 30 shots, the Stars finally scored at the 15:00 mark of the third period to tie the Flames at 1-1.

It was a pretty cool moment because the Stars had dominated the play for the most part. They'd had five power plays (including almost a minute at 5 on 3) and a penalty shot, but they hadn't been able to score.

And it was kinda funny because I brought my buddy Tyler...who had come to a game previously where the Stars had been shutout. He'd seen five periods without a goal, and it was such a relief to him for the team to finally score.

And after holding off a Calgary rush, the Stars went down and scored again. It'd taken nearly 40 shots, but they'd taken the lead.

But then they went into their shells. For about five minutes, the Stars were stuck on 39 shots. They'd basically been launching an all-out attack all night, but they decided to try and nurse a 2-1 lead at home. It seemed much more like a Dave Tippett team than a Marc Crawford team, and it made me incredibly nervous.

But with a minute left and the Calgary goalie creeping towards the bench, things started to get exciting. After all, it would just take one steal of the puck to clinch the game.

Instead, the Flames got the puck to the front of the net, and they scored with about 45 seconds left. The game went into overtime, and after a weak "delay of game" call on Nik Grossman, Jarome Iginla scored for the Flames to get the OT win.

Two things about that:

1. I don't have any statistics to back myself up, but I swear the Stars get scored on way more than most teams when the other team pulls their goalie. And even if they don't, it seems like the Stars never score when they pull their goalie. And the Stars never score empty-net goals either. So when the other team pulls their goalie, they either score or the Stars win by one. It almost never ends with an empty-netter.

2. It was the Stars' 6th OT/shoot-out loss of the season. Six! That's double more than any other team in the Western Conference (and the Red Wings are the only other team with three or more). I realize that it's a point for each of those, but sooner or later, the Stars have to find a way to get the extra point in a game that goes beyond regulation.

So to summarize, the Mavs and Stars both should've won last night. Instead, they both lost in overtime. The Mavs have the excuse of being on the second night of a back-to-back and being on the road, but their game was more in hand than the Stars' game was. The Stars get a point out of the deal, but their game was at home.

All in all, two pretty pathetic performances. And more reasons that it's sad to be a Dallas fan.

Colorado Trip - Part Four - Sunday

Sunday was, for the most part, just a travel day. Following our freezing-cold night, the hotel was abuzz with stories about the road conditions. We woke up a little later than usual, but we still had to make the airport by 11am or so. Especially since we still had to return the rental car and get a bus over to our terminal.

Now a quick note to everyone about our (Ashley's and my) mothers - they're both worriers. Ashley typically receives weather updates from his mom; for example, he'll hear when it's raining in Aledo even though we're 40 or so miles away. So when she heard about all of the cold weather, Ashley had to continuously assure her that everything was okay.

My mom's no different. Right before we were going to leave, I called her and she told me to bundle up because it was colder than usual in Dallas. It was 50 in Dallas and 20 in Colorado Springs so I was pretty sure I'd be okay.

So, with our mothers being worriers, we simply decided not to tell them that we were going to make a 70-mile drive in the ice. More specifically, that is, I would be making the drive. I'd say I'm slightly better at driving in inclement weather, but I'm still not super-confident in my ability to drive on ice. But I can confidently say that the Camry was up to the task.

So we started out to the airport, driving a little less than the speed limit. The entire countryside was covered in snow, but the highways actually weren't that bad. For the most part, we followed directly behind this one car. When we finally separated in Denver, I checked to see if he was my dream girl, but he was an old Asian dude. Sucks for me.

As we drove, the weather steadily improved. The car's thermometer kept rising, the average speed on the highway increased, and the snow began to fade. About halfway through the trip, the snow and fog were completely gone. And for the first time, since the summit of Pike's Peak, we were actually able to see Colorado clearly. I spent a lot of the driving trying to soak up the scenery as much as I could.

When we arrived at the airport, we handed over the car. I was a little worried because a couple of warning lights had turned on, but they didn't say anything. We hopped on our bus, and we made our way to the terminal.

After enjoying some Panda Express, we headed to our gate. When we arrived, I decided to check on my fantasy football team, and I had a terrible revelation. From the moment we'd planned the trip, I thought the Cowboy game was going to start at 3pm Dallas time. We were scheduled to land at 3:55 so I figured we could start taping the game, and we could watch it when we got home...maybe even catching up before it ended.

But there on my fantasy football update was 13-3 Chiefs in the 3rd quarter. Not only was the game already started, but I saw the freakin' score and we were losing to the winless Chiefs.

And I was pissed. I made a couple of comments about Tony Romo's suckiness, and Ashley got a bit angry about that. Because I was mad (and to not hear anyone talk about the game), I put in my headphones until we boarded the plane. I assumed we were going to lose, and I started hoping Jerry Jones had the balls to fire our coach after such a humiliating loss.

The flight back was uneventful, and I put my headphones back on when we arrived just in case someone mentioned the score (with the game already over) at baggage claim. We'd arranged for Tucker to pick us up, to avoid all the public transportation, and he'd also set the game to tape at his place.

So when we got there, we started to watch the game from the beginning even though I knew what the score would be in the 3rd quarter. I know a lot of people can watch a game that they already know the score to, but I have a lot of trouble with it. When I saw the Cowboys drive into the red zone, I wasn't excited because I knew they wouldn't score a touchdown. And any early excitement didn't really matter...because I knew we'd be down 13-3 in the third quarter.

But if we were going to lose to the Chiefs, I wanted to know who was rightly to blame. I'm pretty critical of these Cowboys, and I want to be able to do so intelligently.

So when the 13-3 moment arrived, I was finally able to watch the game with a sense of suspense. And that's basically when the Cowboys finally decided to play. It's also the moment when Miles Austin decided that he wanted people across the world (or, at least, those people that play fantasy football) to know his name. I was pissed when I found out the game went into overtime, but I was relieved when we got the win.

With that, Tucker took us home. We played some Halo, and then it was time to go to bed. I did some unpacking, got ready to do some laundry, and just kinda unwounded. It was one of those strange trips where it felt like it rushed by...but it also felt like it'd gone on forever.

And even though my computer wasn't working when I got home (Ashley says the starter died) and I realized I'd left my phone charger in Colorado, I was happy to be home. I still had two more days off (and the U2 concert still ahead of me) so there wasn't any need to get back into work mode.

In conclusion, it was a great trip. It was kinda expensive (especially adding in the cold-weather clothes I had to buy), but it was absolutely worth it. I'd like to be able to do at least one road trip for each TCU season because it's pretty fun to go to the opposing stadium and cheer on your team. I realized I've actually been to a road game every season (which is made easier by the fact that the Frogs play in Dallas every other year), and I'd like to continue the tradition.

And I'd also like to make it back to Colorado Springs someday soon. It's a beautiful city with nice people, and it was a lot of fun to be there. Hopefully I'll get to go back, and hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.

Colorado Trip - Part Three - Saturday

Saturday came, and it was time for the big game. Zombieland was fun, the mountains were great, but we were here for TCU football. Little did we know that, in addition to the game itself, a huge competition would exist between ourselves and Mother Nature's fury.

We woke up, had breakfast, and started planning for the game. We'd seen all we wanted to see, nature-wise, and we just thought we'd check out the Academy and then go to the game. Simple enough, right?

Well we knew it would be cold, and I'd brought several layers in order to fight the cold. But as the day approached, even the locals started talking about how cold it was going to be. So I put on my layers (undershirt, long-sleeved T-shirt, sweatshirt, and fleece) and gave it a shot. And I could barely walk around in the parking lot.

Problems included the following:

- My hands. I don't own a pair of gloves, and simply sticking my hands inside of my shirt sleeves wasn't going to work.
- My head. I was wearing a skullcap and a baseball cap, but that wasn't good enough. My face was still exposed, and it was feeling the cold.
- My feet. Cotton socks in running shoes. Enough said.
- My legs - Jeans and boxers. Being from Texas, that's all I've ever needed.

Ashley had mentioned going to a sporting goods store, and I agreed with him. I knew I'd need some underarmor "long johns", gloves, and wool socks, but I was ready to buy just about anything.

So we headed there, and we quickly found that a few people were doing the same thing. And, the funny thing was, they weren't all TCU fans. This weather was unseasonably cold, and everyone seemed to be gearing up for it.

And I decided to go fully crazy. I'd be in this unspeakable cold (every few minutes, the forecasted temperature seemed to drop), and I wanted to make sure I was ready. I bought long underwear (top and bottom), wool socks, gloves, and one of those ski masks that covers everything but your eyes.

$130 later, I was ready to go. I put all my gear on, and it passed the test. I couldn't really feel anything, and almost every inch of my body was covered up. So we got in the car, and we headed to the Academy. Our hotel was just a couple miles away from the entrance, so it was a pretty easy drive.

At the front gate, I came to an interesting realization. The guard had a very powerful-looking rifle in his hands, and I realized that it was probably the closest I'd ever been to that kind of firepower. And, because of this, I made sure to drive the speed limit the entire time. Because these people weren't really messing around.

We reached the visitor's center, and we checked it out. We learned that, due to it being Saturday and the weather being cold and rainy, a lot of things at the Academy would be closed. Even the cadet's chapel, a big highlight of tours of the place, was closed because of a wedding.

So we checked out everything at the visitor's center, including a 10-minute film about life there. It was all pretty interesting because I don't really know about life inside of a military academy. I thought it was cool that everyone is basically required to participate in athletics - either in an NCAA sport or intramurals. I also learned that the Air Force has a junior varsity football team - something I didn't think existed after high school.

It was also pretty cool to read about the history of the academy, how it ended up in Colorado Springs, and all the achievements of the people there. Some of the traditions were cool, including the fact that cadets can't have a TV until their fourth year, and they can't have any personal effects until after Christmas of their first year.

Basically, as soon as you step foot on the Academy grounds as a cadet, you're focused on one thing, and they don't let your focus waver.

I also had a bit of fun with the Academy's honor code - "we will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate among us anyone who does." And while it was very true (all of the cadets were very polite to us the entire time), it made me think of something. Wouldn't causing a turnover in football be considered "stealing?" And since they run the triple option, isn't their whole offense based on lying?

Yeah, I know.

So we checked out as much of the Academy as we could (which wasn't much), and we tolerated the cold about as long as we could. We drove all the way around, and I was surprised at how vast it all was. I guess it makes sense (since planes have to fly around there), but without any planes in the air, it just felt really big. And there was fog the entire day, so we couldn't really take in the scenery either.

After we wasted as much time as we could, we headed to the stadium. As soon as we parked, a female cadet saw us in our purple and yelled "T - C - Boo!" And I couldn't help but laugh because I don't think I've ever heard that before. It wasn't creative by any means, but it was, at least, unique.

A lot of the "fans" of Air Force were a bit more hostile, but everyone seemed more focused on the cold than anything else. We got inside, found our seats, and watched warmups. It was cool to see the cadets all come in on the field before going to their seats, but I was a little sad that we didn't get a flyover (stupid weather).

A funny thing happened before the game started, though. I went into the bathroom, and I noticed that there were a lot of cadets in there. It was then that I realized that the bathroom had a heater in the ceiling, and the cadets were sitting under the heater to stay warm. During the game, I kept hearing that the bathroom was full of cadets, and at halftime, I saw it for myself.

And it was true - there were probably a hundred cadets stuffed into this bathroom, and I'm sure the women's restroom was the same. You see, cadets are required to attend the game, but I guess it doesn't matter if they actually watch it. So, given the choice between watching the game in the cold and staying in the bathroom, a lot of the cadets were choosing the bathroom.

As for the game itself, TCU jumped out to a big lead, but Air Force's defense was able to keep things close. Just like the SMU game, we fumbled inside the Red Zone a couple of times, and it kept us from blowing the game up too early. We jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but the Air Force kept chipping away slowly but surely.

At halftime, I think most of the people had given up. We were on the same side of the field as the cadets, but the other side of the stadium started to disappear relatively early. By the start of the second half, it was mostly TCU fans and cadets in attendance. Everyone else seemed to prefer warmth to staying.

And it sucked...because less people meant that the wind was stronger. It could've been that the wind was stronger, but either way, it was colder. My running shoes were terrible at keeping in warmth, and my feet were pretty cold the whole time. The rest of my layers were keeping me warm, but it was still a pretty miserable experience that we had to fight through.

In the end, TCU was able to pull off a close win (having to recover an onside kick to clinch it), and we were able to breathe a huge sigh of relief. Because, honestly, the trip would've been a disaster if we hadn't won the game. After all the cold, it would've put a damper on the rest of the trip.

But we won, and it was fun to be able to celebrate with the team. With no band, we were forced to sing the alma mater with no musical accompaniment, but it was really cool that the fans all sang it together. By that point, we were the only ones left, and it was fun to see the unity there.

As we walked back to our car, I wanted to make sure that I talked to one of the cadets. Because while we were just rivals, these are kids who have committed themselves to protecting the country. It doesn't matter why they did it - they're doing something that I'm probably not capable of doing it. And they're making a commitment in a time when we're fighting a war that probably won't end. And I wanted to at least thank one of them.

And I got my chance when we were waiting for our car to defrost. There were a couple cadets doing the same next to us, and I talked to them for a bit, asking the questions that I'd had about life in the academy. And I thanked them for their service, and they thanked me for my support. It was a pretty cool moment for me, and I'm glad I was able to do it.

After that, we made the long journey through the academy back to the hotel. And as cold as it was and as unpleasant as it was at times, I was really glad that we'd gone. It was a great experience to be there, in the cold, supporting my team, and it was really cool to be in the academy, surrounded by snowfall. Like being in the mountains, it's just not the kind of stuff that I got to see on a daily basis, and I was trying hard to keep it all in.

And, with that, the trip was pretty much over. We still had our final travel day, but for the most part, everything we'd planned was complete. All that was left was the trip home. But day four is probably worth it's own post. And that's how I'll complete my four-part series next time.

Next on Colorado Trip - Part Four - The Trip Home, featuring Tucker and Miles Austin

Colorado Trip - Part Two - Friday

So we woke up on day two of our trip at 6am because we wanted to get out to Pike's Peak (our primary destination...for some nice hiking) before it was too late. I'd heard about "afternoon storms" and problems with getting caught on the mountain. And since I wasn't sure what the hiking would be like, I wanted to be more safe than sorry.

The hotel had a nice, free breakfast, and we took advantage. I assumed that we'd be hiking until a couple hours passed lunchtime so I tried to eat as much as possible. We also had some beef jerky, some trail mix, and I bought some almonds at a convenience store the night before. I figured that would be enough food. As I'd find out, Ashley's stomach was going to disagree.

So we drove up to Pike's Peak in our little Camry, and I was surprised at my ability to drive on a mountain. I have a pretty decent fear of heights, and I'm also not a huge fan of being crushed by rocks in a landslide. But, throughout the drive, I didn't really disrupt the native Coloradans with my slow, non-mountainous driving. Which is a win for me.

So we drove through the clouds to Pike's Peak, but it was closed until 9am because of ice on the highway. So we drove back through the clouds to stop by Garden of the Gods for a little bit.

And, yes, I mean through the clouds. As we passed a point on the mountain, we drove above where the clouds were. At Garden of the Gods, it was cloudy and cold. Above the mountains, it was warm and clear. And it was really cool to be driving below clouds one minute, in fog the next, and see nothing but blue sky a second later. Its a bit trippy, to be honest.

Garden of the Gods was cool - there's not a whole lot to it, but there's just a whole lot of cool views (all of these enormous red rocks make you feel pretty small). And there was a nice snow that made all of the evergreen trees look great. We only spent about 30 minutes there, but it was definitely worth the trip.

About 9am, we went back over to Pike's Peak, and our first stop was this reservoir about five miles in. And it was freakin' awesome. Here is this water, as blue as I've ever seen, with this huge mountain in the background. My mom said it looked like Heaven. Ashley said it looked like a Coors can. I just thought it was amazing.

We hiked around there for a bit, going through the woods and finding our way back to the highway. It was very nice and peaceful to be out in nature, miles away from facebook statuses, fantasy football, and most of all, work. We also found a little stack of big sticks that resembled a teepee that was pretty awesome.

After that, we did a bit of driving on the mountain. We found another reservoir with just as many picturesque views before starting our climb up the mountain. We figured it would be a pretty big haul up the mountain on foot, and we decided to try and find a nice place to get out and do some more hiking. But as we continued up the mountain, passed the tree line, there wasn't really any place for that.

And by the time we got somewhere to get out, we realized something: on top of the mountain, it was very windy. And very cold.

After that, we didn't really consider much hiking. We did, however, take a few pictures on top of the mountain before we actually reached the summit. And when we did, the wind and cold picked up significantly. I could tell that Ashley wasn't thrilled by the cold, but I was trying to enjoy the moment...particularly since I had no idea when I'd ever be back to this place, where I could see the whole world below me. It was one of those times when you just stand there and realize...this world is just really cool.

On our way back down, I kept looking for places to stop and get out because I wanted to, you know, climb a bit. And everywhere that it seemed cool to climb had no place to stop, and the places to stop didn't have anywhere to climb. I ended up settling for a small place off the road where I was able to climb a bit - I'm sure it was frowned upon, but we were only out of the car for a minute.

After that, Ashley started talking about lunch. Now, if you don't know, Ashley is the kind of person who likes to have 5 small meals a day...as opposed to someone like me, who usually just has two...maybe three meals a day. And since he'd already eaten all of the trail mix and most of the beef jerky (and doesn't like almonds?!?!), I thought that was going to buy me enough time to take one final hike around the reservoir.

I could tell that Ashley wasn't thrilled with this idea, but he went along with me. Like I said, it was mesmerized by this place, and I had to spent another hour or so there. As we walked, we took some water breaks, but I could tell that he just wasn't feeling it. We got passed the place that I considered "the point of no return", however, and I knew that we'd have to finish the hike instead of just turning around. Eventually, however, it seemed like there wasn't really a way to go all the way around, and we had to go back anyway.

And Ashley might disagree, but this was my favorite part of the trip. I wish that I'd brought a notepad and could do some writing out there because it was just so peaceful. It was the place where "America the Beautiful" was written, and you can see why. Everything mentioned in that song is present, and it just screams at you the entire time.

My only regret was that we didn't see any wildlife. At all. At Garden of the Gods, we saw a couple of rabbits, but we saw nothing at Pike's Peak. And Ashley will tell you...I looked.

And it made me a little sad because the park ranger said that someone had seen a bear in the area about a week before. And while I don't really want to get mauled by a bear, I think it'd be cool to see one. Hoping, of course, that they're actually more scared of us than we are of them.

So we made it back, both of us pretty tired, and we drove into town to get Ashley some lunch. We ended up making it to Hooters for some chicken, and a couple hours later, we got Ashley a steak at Outback.

It was a long day with a lot of walking, but it was extremely rewarding. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, and I'm definitely making sure that I make a return trip at some point. It was just so very awesome.

Tired, we went to bed relatively early to get ready for game day. It was the excuse for the trip, and we thought we were ready. But after a beautiful day on Friday, Mother Nature was ready to show us her teeth.

(Fun Fact - On my bag of almonds, there was a warning label. It said (totally honest, here) "Warning: Contains Almonds." It was a bag of almonds, and they had to put on the bag that it contained almonds. Seriously).

Next on Colorado Trip - Part Three - Game Day

Colorado Trip - Part One - Thursday

In my U2 post, I mentioned the Colorado trip that Ashley and I took. It was designed, primarily, around the TCU/Air Force game on October 10. TCU is playing four big road games this season (Virginia, Clemson, Air Force, and BYU), and we decided on Air Force. I don't remember our exact reasoning, but I'm sure it revolved around the fact that Air Force is a military school (cool in itself) and in conference. Any of those games would've been cool, and we probably should've picked a non conference game (just because we go to Colorado every two years...we may never go to Virginia again) - but that's what we went with.

One thing about Ashley and me...we're both pretty lazy. We had the trip planned for months but didn't buy tickets until about a month before. In fact, Ashley wasn't even sure when the trip was until the week before (he took off days a week later). So me being the force behind the trip, I made arrangements online, and we were ready to go.

I took off eleven days in a row, with the trip being the centerpiece of my SEC-mandated week-long vacation. So when Thursday came around, I'd already had a few days to get ready, pack, and rest up for the trip. I knew it was going to be cold so I packed a few sweatshirts and a couple of fleeces. My unpreparedness is going to play a big part in my game-day blog (part three) so we'll deal with that then.

I did, however, forget to bring my fan. My closest friends will realize how big a deal this is because I always bring my fan when I'm sleeping outside my apartment. I absolutely have to sleep with my fan on, but on this trip, I left it at home. Which meant that the fan in the AC/Heater had to do for the entire trip. It sucked, but I made it through.

Since we were leaving on a Thursday, there wasn't a whole lot of people available to take us to the airport. Since that was the case, we decided to take public transportation (instead of paying for long-term parking). So look at this fantastic voyage to Colorado Springs.

1. Walk from our apartment to the Forest DART station. It's only about a mile walk, but it was hot and muggy and early.
2. DART Train from Forest Station to Union Station. It was rush hour at this point so we stood most of the time. By the time we got to downtown, the train was pretty empty.
3. TRE Train from Union Station to Centreport.
4. Two shuttle buses to the airport. There's some kind of depot in between, and you have to switch buses there to get to your terminal.
5. Airport. A nice respite.
6. Plane flight to Denver.
7. In the Denver airport, there's a little subway to get to the baggage claim area. Ashley loved it because of this little guitar that plays every time the train makes a stop.
8. Shuttle bus from the airport to the rental car place
9. Rental car from Denver to Colorado Springs

We rented a little Toyota Camry, and it was a miracle vehicle. It got us everywhere we needed to go, on a single tank of gas, and it was amazing. We did activate two warning lights during the trip, including check engine, but she was a pretty great little car.

Anyway, by the time we arrived in Colorado Springs, I was pretty tired. I hadn't felt very good the day before, and I had to take a little nap. By the time I woke up, it was dark and snowing, and we weren't really sure what to do. So we drove around town for a little bit, and we ended up stopping at a movie theater.

We saw Zombieland, and I'm hesitant to talk about that movie until I get the chance to see it again. Short story - I loved it. Long story will probably come when Tucker watches it with us - it will be our third time to see it.

The funny thing about that was the theater itself. It was off the highway, but there was almost no way to get to it. We circled around the damn thing several times before finally finding this tiny little street that eventually led to the theater.

We got home after the movie, watched a bit of TV, and then went to bed. We were planning on waking up very early for our big Friday, and so we made sure to get plenty of sleep.

Next on Colorado Trip - Part Two - Our Day in the Mountains.

U2

I think, even for a person my age, I came across U2 late. I'm sure I heard a couple of their songs on the radio, and I'm sure that is what prompted me to buy my first U2 album, their "Best of the 80s" double CD.

And one of my clearest memories is riding on a bus in the Dominican Republic on my first-ever mission trip, listening to that CD. There's something about listening to beautiful music (with a meaning) while you're doing something meaningful, and it was pretty cool. Ever since then, I've really liked the band. I don't really have a favorite band, but I've answered U2 as my favorite band on a couple occasions. Because, honestly, they're as good as any other answer I could give.

Of my favorite songs of theirs, a lot of them are from the early years. "Pride (In the Name of Love", "Where the Streets Have No Name", "With Or Without You", and "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" are a few of my favorites. And "One" is one of my favorite songs of all time. I've liked some of their newer songs, but I haven't followed them as closely as I've followed other bands. That probably has something to do with the fact that I haven't bought an entire album in years (of any band), and the fact that I don't listen to much (music) radio.

But when I heard that U2 was going to play The Death Star (aka the new Cowboys stadium), I bought tickets because I knew that I had to go. Seeing U2 in concert was something that I knew I wanted to do before I die, and while I realize that they'll probably be in concert for another 20 years, I wanted to make sure it happened as soon as possible.

And so when I returned from Colorado (much more on that in my next post) on Sunday, I had to put together a group to go. The final roster included Ashley, Tucker, and Beau. It was extremely exciting because it would be my first-ever U2 concert, and it'd be my first trip to the Death Star. I couldn't think of a better experience.

We left around 6:45, and we arrived at the stadium during the opening act (Muse). The stadium is enormous, and it took quite a while to go up all of the ramps to the 400 level. The seats weren't great, but we were pretty close to the stage (albeit behind it).

About 9pm, it started. And the concert was a perfect example of the pros and cons of Jerry's behemoth. First of all, the stadium was huge enough to contain U2's massive stage. The stage was awesome in every sense of the word. It released smoke, lit up, and turned into dozens of different colors. Then there was the 360 degree screen that was always filled with something cool, not to mention the couple of songs where the screen stretched into a cool light show. I'd describe it, but I wouldn't be able to do it justice.

But the sound in that place is terrible. You could hear the music fine, but the lyrics just barely reached me. I've heard that the PA is almost impossible to hear at Cowboys' games, and now I understand what people have been talking about. I knew most of the songs so it didn't really matter, but it was really hard to understand Bono whenever he said anything. He didn't stop down much, but when he did, I had to focus to figure out what he was saying. And, no, not just because of his accent.

That being said, the show was great. All of the visuals, the great music, and the live versions of some of my favorite songs. Yeah, Bono is full of himself, but there's at least something behind the jacket and glasses. There aren't a lot of people who do as much as him, and I think that's commendable.

I was a little surprised that they didn't play "Pride (In the Name of Love)", but they played a lot of other great ones, including a cool live version of "One" that was pretty sweet.

In conclusion: if you like U2, you need to find your way to a concert. You'll love it, and it will be a great memory for you. If you just like concerts, I still recommend it because the band puts on a Hell of a show. And I know there are people out there that don't like U2, but I don't understand it. Not all of their songs are "preachy" and most of them have a great beat/melody. Even the songs I didn't recognize were pretty cool and well done.

And next time, I'm gonna shell out a bit more cash and get better seats. I've had the experience now, but I'm going to want a bit more on the encore.

Surrogates

So last night, we (Tucker, Ashley, and myself) saw Surrogates for free at the Studio Movie Grill. I'm not going to review the movie because there's not much to tell. It's your standard sci-fi action movie, and it's only 90-minutes long. If you want to see something like that, you'll like it. Expect more and you won't. Simple as that.

What I'd like to discuss is the world of Surrogates, something I find extremely fascinating. Ever since I saw the first preview for the movie, I have been asking myself how realistic that movie is. Whether or not most people would choose to live their lives through a robotic surrogate if that option were available. Whether or not I would choose such an option.

At first, I didn't think people would be willing to trade actual experiences for the "ease and safety" that such a thing would provide. When I asked Tucker what he thought, he answered (in a confidence that only Tucker has) that he thought everyone would do it.

And as I started reading about the movie and the graphic novel it was based on, I started to agree with him. I read that the original writer, basically, came up with the idea when he realized that people were getting fired from their jobs and divorced because of their "online identities." That if someone could get wrapped up in a life that doesn't exist, what if they could put a face and body to that identity? What if they could be that identity 24/7?

The movie only glances by this topic. A woman at the beginning turns out to be a man, and a couple people on a subway train have blue skin. Because surrogates would give people the chance to be as out there as possible, whether you wanted to be completely different or simply felt like you were born in the wrong body.

And I think people would love that. People that have always wanted to be a few inches taller could have that done easily. Women concerned about their breast size could have bigger ones added to their surrogates. Fat people could become athletic. And so on.

Not to mention the in-movie explanation for the beginning of the surrogates - disabled people could live happy, normal lives through their surrogates.

So we've established that a segment of the population would love the idea. What about people who are perfectly happy with themselves? Surrogates would allow their human operators to perform superhuman tasks (enhanced strength, increased agility, improved senses, etc). Athletes would probably be interested, and professional leagues would have to outlaw surrogates or use them exclusively. The movie hints at an Extreme Football league, indicating the way the writers thought that would go.

And let's not forget injuries. Tom Brady's surrogate could tear its ACL, and he could just get a new one for the next week. Heck, he could probably have a backup one on the sidelines, just as if he'd torn his uniform.

Then there's thrillseekers and law enforcement officers. Anyone who faces death in their normal lives would want a surrogate. Because, while I'm sure the endorphins are a little less wild when you know you're safe, I'm guessing the experience of skydiving would still be great. And I'm sure there'd be a lot of people who would love to actually plummet to their (surrogate's) death if they knew it was safe. And all fire fighters and police officers would probably use surrogates, just because it takes away the risk of death. More (human) lives would certainly be saved if the saviors didn't have to worry about their own safety.

So there are a few more segments of the population that would use it. What about everyone else?

Tucker seems to think that some people would want to use surrogates some of the time. Maybe you don't feel well, but you want to go to work. You could send your surrogate to work while you "rest" in your home. Maybe a woman doesn't want to worry about putting on makeup and getting dressed to run to the store, and she sends her pre-made-up surrogate instead.

I believe these people would start with just some small thing, and I don't think they'd intend to use their surrogates full-time. But then people would get lazier, I think. They'd be attracted to the ease of things. The sick guy might still feel a little ill so he sends in his surrogate for the rest of the week. Just until he feels 100%.

Then there are the other factors. Maybe I send my surrogate to the grocery store, and I get some looks from a cute girl. I might think that my surrogate is more attractive than me, and I might send it out again to see if that's the case.

But here's my prime theory. I think after a couple months of part-time use of a surrogate, there will be some noticeable changes. With less exercise, the human operator might put on some weight. Maybe there are a couple of blemishes on the face that the surrogate doesn't have. Maybe there's some hair loss or some grey hairs.

Suddenly, the person who was okay with their body isn't as okay with it. And why try to work off the weight when you can just use the surrogate? Why cover the blemishes with makeup when the surrogate doesn't have them in the first place? Don't have hair? The surrogate has plenty.

And now a part-time user of a surrogate is a full-time user.

Then there's things like peer pressure and social norms. If the majority of people are using surrogates, the minority will start to crumble. It takes strength and courage to go against the norm, and a lot of people don't have it. And, perhaps, people who were against surrogates would be tempted to give it a shot. And after a few months, like the people in the example, would be using one all the time.

And I think the world would end up being a lot like the world in the movie. There would, of course, be people who would be against them, and these people would (literally) stick to their guns. But since the surrogate-using majority has the power, these humans would probably live in more impoverished situations like in the movie.

And I'm sure the conflict would eventually get violent.

So there you have it. A way that surrogacy, as described in the movie, could sweep the world. How our world could turn into the world of Surrogates.

It doesn't seem that difficult when you think about it. And, honestly, that scares me a bit. There's something very creepy, at least to me, about a world where robots are running the world. Even if there are humans controlling them.

And here's my final point - how different is the world of Surrogates from the world of The Matrix? Both worlds have immobile humans in charge of AI-based versions of themselves. Both worlds have a small human resistance movement trying to save people that don't even think they need to be saved. In fact, both worlds have people who don't want to be saved (think of Cypher from The Matrix).

One world is less sinister, but I think they're pretty similar in other ways.

So there you have it. Surrogates isn't a great movie, but I think the world it gives us is thought-provoking. Because I watched a little story on the "science behind the movie" and they said we're pretty close to that kind of technology. In fact, they said, it's just a matter of being able to make the robots look more like the humans they represent.

So when it happens, don't say I didn't warn you. Or, I guess, the movie makers. Or the author of the graphic novel. Even if they warned you first, remember that I did too.

Drew's Day - 9/26

* Note - All times are approximate *

9:45am - Drew wakes up because it's way too bright in the room to try and sleep. He's also been trying to get back to sleep for about half an hour after spending most of the morning sleeping in 15 minute increments.

10:30am - Ashley and Drew confirm the train schedule with Woody, planning their trip to Fort Worth to watch the TCU-Clemson game at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.

10:35am - Drew calls Keely to check and see if she's coming to watch the game. She says she will drive to the stadium, hopefully arriving before halftime.

11:00am - Needing to meet the DART train at 11:15, Drew and Ashley leave the condo.

11:00am-11:15am - Dallas traffic.

11:15am - Drew and Ashley are paying for DART tickets when the train comes and leaves. Drew and Ashley realize their only plan is to drive to Union Station.

11:25am - Drew and Ashley, with 30 minutes to make the train, realize there is no parking near Union Station.

11:26am - Ashley runs a red light, and Drew is nearly killed. An annoyed Ashley accidentally gets on the wrong street, and we're forced to drive five minutes out of our way.

11:40am - With only ten minutes to spare, Ashley declares that we aren't making the train. Drew believes.

11:44am - Drew and Ashley park a few blocks away, running towards the train station.

11:47am - Drew and Ashley make the train with a couple minutes to spare. Drew's faith pays off.

11:49am - TRE leaves Fort Worth.

12:15pm - Guy on the train goes around asking if he can use someone's cell phone. One man says that he doesn't give his phone to strangers. Ashley says that his iPhone is an iPod Touch. Drew gives the guy his phone because it's a cheap piece of crap. The first man shakes his head, secretly hoping that the guy will steal my phone to teach me a lesson. The guy doesn't steal my phone, but I don't think he completed his call either.

12:45 - The elderly woman sitting across from us, who we've spoken to a few times on the trip, says goodbye with a fist bump. That's right, she offered to blow us up. And, yes, I typed "up." Grow up.

12:50pm - TRE arrives in Fort Worth. Woody is there to pick us up and take us to Railhead Bar-B-Q.

1:20pm - After a fascinating discussion about religion, Drew gets tired of waiting and decides that it's time to eat.

1:30pm - Tim and Ben show up. Everyone eats.

1:45pm - One car collides with another in the parking lot. Hilarity ensues.

2:15pm - Everyone leaves Railhead for the DMC.

2:35pm - Everyone arrives in their seats at the DMC, and the game begins.

3:15pm - Keely arrives at a game where TCU has taken a 7-3 lead.

4:00pm - Clemson take a 10-7 lead, and Keely starts to believe that she is not good luck.

4:10pm - Keely meets Ryan Thomas. Ryan and Woody loudly argue with each other. Ashley and Drew realize that Keely is having a truly TCU experience.

4:15pm - Everyone returns to the stadium to finish the game.

5:45pm - TCU, having regained the lead, holds Clemson on fourth down twice for the win. Clemson's D-bag fans finally stop counting.

5:50pm - Not wanting to drive alone, Keely offers Drew and Ashley a ride to the American Airlines Center for the Stars' game.

6:19pm - Drew and Ashley arrive at the AAC - four minutes after their train would've left Fort Worth.

7:00pm - Stars' game starts.

7:01pm - It is obvious that the Stars don't have it.

8:30pm - The Stars are already down big when four people arrive. Two guys and two girls. Both of the girls are attractive (although one is trashier than the other). I simply note this because the cuter of the two girls was with this really shrimpy small guy. This girl was tiny, but she was still bigger than her "boyfriend." I say that because, despite his Smurf-like qualities, she was all over him.

8:32pm - Drew contemplates taking this boyfriend out with a single punch, fully confident of his ability to win such a fight. The only issue is with the other guy (aka "The Backup"), who might be able to take Drew and Ashley combined. Plan abandoned.

8:45pm - The foursome leaves their seats, having been in them for almost a full period. As they're leaving, I notice that the trashy one is wearing really tight and really stretchy pants, probably made of spandex. Then, the man sitting next to Ashley tells him, and I quote, that "his wife had a dump last week bigger than her." He gets hit, but everyone has a nice laugh.

9:15pm - Stars down 5-0. Seriously, guys? I know you're bringing in a new offense, but you might want to work in a goal. And some defense.

9:30pm - Game is over. Thank God that hockey is only 150 minutes long. We walk over to the train station hoping that a train will go the right direction. We're told the DART is going back to downtown.

9:35pm - Train arrives. We get on.

9:40pm - We're still sitting on the train. Ashley starts getting upset.

9:45pm - Ashley is fully bored and annoyed again. It's been a long day, the train is slow, and he had to watch (bad) hockey for two and a half hours. Drew understands.

10:00pm - The train drops us off at the West End, just a couple blocks from the parking garage.

10:15pm - Drew and Ashley arrive back at the condo.

Final Record
One hockey game (live) and one football game (partially live).
Two meals - good barbecue and a stale hamburger/fries from the AAC
Record - 1-1, although I hesitate to give the Stars credit for the loss. You have to participate to lose.
Total spent - $20 on transportation (train tickets and parking in downtown). About $40 total on food.
One train missed. Two successfully boarded.
Two heart attacks and one near certainly-fatal car crash avoided. But narrowly.
Two elderly fist bumps.

All in all, a full and interesting day.

Sore

About a week ago, Ashley and I started on a new workout plan. Bob Sturm, through George DeJean, recommends it, and I thought I'd give it a try. He basically says that you should do pushups, straight for a minute, for three reps. Don't worry about counting them...just make sure you finish the rep.

It doesn't sound very hard. After all, a minute is just a minute. But Bob says that, by the first thirty seconds, you'll want to switch to "girl" pushups. And that's pretty much true. And by the end of the minute, you're going to wish there was something called "baby girl" pushups.

I mixed in two sets of crunches in between each rep of pushups, both to get an ab workout and to give my arms a rest. Even though it's only about 10 minutes of actual work, it's a heck of a workout. The first time I did it, I pretty much collapsed on the final pushup. My abs were sore, and my arms hurt. I pretty much assumed that I would die, right there on the floor, because I was completely immobile.

I did it again last night, after a few nights off, and I've been sore all day. But I feel like I'm going to stick with it. I'm playing tennis one-two times a week (although the rain is killing me in that area) for my cardio, and this will work out a couple other areas on my body. I'm not sure I've ever been "in shape" in my entire life, but I might be as close as I've been in a while.

Looking Back

Tonight was TCU's first home game, and I went, of course. Even though I'm approaching the four-year anniversary of my graduation, we've always sat in the student section. It's more fun to be there because the students, obviously, are more into the game than the alumni section.

And it's great - I love it. One thing has bothered me every time I've gone, and I imagine it always will. And that's the girls in the crowd. I'm not really bending the truth when I say that the great majority of girls at TCU, especially those at the football games, are cute. Really cute. And while I'm starting to feel like an old man, that's not really the way I'm taking this blog.

It make me wonder what the heck I was doing for four years.

Because I don't really have to ask myself whether or not the girls were this cute back in the day. They were - I know this. Hundreds of girls who I'd love to date, and there were probably even a few that would've been okay dating me.

Did I take advantage of this overstock of incredibly cute girls? Take advantage of the generous male-to-female ratio that I was a part of?

No. Not at all.

And, looking back, I have to ask myself what I was doing. I realize I'm not exactly a Romeo in these matters, but it seems like I didn't really make an effort. And at the end of the day, romance-wise, I think I wasted an enormous opportunity.

Because from the first time we step into kindergarten class, we're constantly meeting people. You meet new classmates in elementary school...eventually knowing almost everyone in your grade. When we got to middle school, there were all the kids from the other elementary schools that you could meet in all your new classes. With eight classes a day, you were certain to meet a dozen or so new people every year. At least.

And then, in high school and college, you're meeting people from other grades. Freshman meeting sophomores, seniors meeting juniors, and so on. We meet several hundred people in a matter of 12 years, and there's not a whole lot of work that goes into it. You meet them all in the first day of school, and over the course of the year, they're all lab partners or study partners or at least the girl that sits behind you in algebra class.

But then you get out of work....and it all seems to stop. Once you meet your coworkers in the first couple of weeks of work, that's about it. Unless your job has huge turnover, there might just be a dozen new workers every year.

And by the time you're out of college, you've made most of your important friends. You already know all of their friends and siblings, so you're not really meeting anyone new.

It seems like, unlike in school, if you want to meet anyone, you have to go out of your way. You're meeting friends of friends of friends, or you're going up to someone new in a bar or a restaurant. Something that used to be so simple and ample has become something difficult and rare.

Back in school, if you wanted to meet that cute girl you saw in the cafeteria, there was a good chance that you'd have a class with her. And, if not, the school was probably small enough where you were connected to her in less than six degrees of separation.

Now, you have to do most of the legwork yourself. Yes, that usually just means going up and talking to her, but it didn't even need to be that hard in school. Like I said, most of the meeting in school was forced.

So...it all makes me wish that there was some way to go back with the information I have now. To take my 25-year-old brain and put it inside of my 18-year-old body. Because I know, for a fact, that I missed opportunities along the way in college, and I'm pretty sure I could've done better if I knew then what I know now.

Of course, as I sit here thinking about 18 at 25...I can't help but think that some of them were wasted. And then I start thinking about my life now. Will 32-year-old Drew be pissed off that 25-year-old Drew worried so much about 18-year-old Drew? Is this just an F-ed up cycle that we're all doomed to relive over and over again?

And so I'm going to do my best to avoid that. Live in the now. Enjoy what's ahead of my instead of worrying so much about what was behind me. Whether or not I missed the boat in college is irrelevant at this point. Whether or not I get on the boat now is fully under my control.

Hopefully that's what I remember most about these times.