Because I have no skills! Arg! Worst week ever! That's all I have to say about that!

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This next picture is dedicated to Grouchy Old Man... I thought of you (for some reason!) when I saw this picture my email this morning... I think your cat would like the picture as well...

So Kiks and Jim's party was really good. Their newly configured basement worked perfectly for the get together. Everyone really seemed to enjoyed themselves... and it was a great time... but even at Christmas, with all the good feelings and appreciation for health, family and friends: some people continue to be selfish, ignorant, hurtful and suck in general.

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William's work party at Beachgrove was a good time as well. I would like to share some advice for those people attending a work party:

- Do not get visibly hammered at the work party... especially when you are 'the new guy', having only worked there for a few months.

- Don't let your spouse become visibly hammered at the work party.

- Rockin' it on the sparsely populated dance floor at a conservative venue is not recommended. Neither is getting jiggy with it.  

- Don't let your spouse go into the bathroom alone if you suspect the possibility of her passing out without the benefit of undergarments.

- Damage control in said situation may include preventing the boss' son from discovering the indiscretions mentioned above.

- Don't sit outside main entryway, smoking darts, languishing in your drunkenness, awaiting a taxi.

Reasonable advice, no? I'm awaiting William's phone call informing me of related shop talk from this morning! 

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I really need to focus and get organized for Christmas. We have only one decoration up in our house up and no tree yet. I have purchased only 4 gifts. I have completed all the Christmas cards (they will be others I have forgotten, and will remember over the next week - so wisely I have not packed away the Christmas card work area. There is booze we need to purchase for our Christmas Eve day festivities, and for gifts as well. There are food items I need to buy for the dinner at our house (for 20 people) on December 27th... I have 2 get togethers during this week and 1 one the week-end. There is a lot going on and I'm not feeling on top of things! I love the Christmas season, but I'm feeling distracted and am not quite into it yet....

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I have 6 more books to read by the end of the year to reach my goal of reading 50 books in a year. I missed recording a few in the 30's and I think this has messed me up! So for now, my Nintendo DS is put away, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010 is in virtual hiatus as well as actual.

______

Life is good!

What's the worst book you've ever read?

Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie.

Wow, the season is flying by, which means I'm only that much closer to golfing again!

Okay, the Thursday night game: after much research and analysis, I of course chose to take the BROWNS anyway. And Holy Moses they won! Wow, what a great game! It was great to see Big Ben brought down so many times on the 3rd down. That game was huge for Cleveland's confidence. And now that William has told everyone else in the world, I can tell you all, that I actually cried a little when they won. I was so happy and overcome with emotion - it was truly a great moment in my life.

This week appears to the be most difficult when making picks. So many games could go either way. Playoff wishes and draft pick dreams are all becoming a factor. A few teams may even choose to rest their best starters, as they are assuredly winning their division.

Weird, wild wacky stuff!

NO @ ATL -  I'm taking NO. ATL has been rather disappointing and inconsistent this year. Ryan probably won't start, and I think NO is going to walk all over them.

GB @ CHI - Except for TB, GB has had some good wins and decent losses. CHI isn't doing much of anything this year, many of their wins were squeakers and some of their losses were terrible. This one might bite me because of home field advantage, but I'm taking GB.

DEN @ IND - Indy. Wow, I realized I still really hate Denver.

BUF @ KC - Hm... I'm leaning towards the home team for that reason only. Both teams have their moments of awesomeness, and both show signs of suckdom. I'll go with KC because of home field, and all the crap that has gone on in BUF can only hurt them.

CIN @ MIN - I'll take MIN. Oh, still hate Cinci.

CAR @ NE - Yikes! Both team's QB's may be out this week... what is there to back them up? I'll take NE only because they are at home.

NYJ @ TG - Haha, oh Mr. Picklez, how you make me laugh! Anyways, I'll take NYJ with no confidence at all. TB is playing for the draft.

MIA @ JAC - Oh... hm... I really wish MIA was at home, but they're really not that far. I'll take MIA, but I could see it go either way. Oh, now I think MIA will win because William is watching Ace Ventura Pet dectective, and that is how the world works! 

DET @ BAL - Mr. Picklez says: No brainer!  Hooray!  Picklez Pick:  BAL I agree Mr. Picklez!

SEA @ HOU - I agree with the Screwston! Those guys are starting to piss me off! Seattle has screwed me over many times too... They both have the same crappy record... I'll guess I'll take HOU.

STL @ TEN - TN - I hope this is an easy pick.

WAS @ OAK - I have no idea. Not a clue. I'll take OAK.

SD @ DAL - Tough pick again! No idea again! In Dallas? Rats. Romo bugs me. I'll take DAL only because they are at home. If SD was at home, I would have taken SD.  

NYG @ PHI - Yikes! I have no idea. Tough pick! Should I go with who I hope wins? I'm going out on a limb, but I'll take NYG...

ARI @ SF - ARI. They are gearing up.

WOW! Tough week... oh, and I want to win the Vox group. I recall all the glory from last year and I want it ALL! 

For the past half hour, I've been pouring over Browns' and Steelers' stats, (I know, great use of time), trying to make a decision on how to make this pick.

Of course it is extremely painful to take the Steelers to beat the Brownies at home. Oh, the agony! So I've been trying to justify choosing my Browns to beat the evil Pittsburgh team. This is what I've come up with so far:

- Palamalu is out and Ward is questionable (not a pull hammie either: infectious, non-life threatening STD that I've willed them both thankyouverymuch)

- Last week's point spread was 13.5 this week is only 10 favoring the Steelers - so that's an improvement!

- Big Ben has had concussion issues of late, and actually in the last 3 games Quinn had an average passer rating higher than Mr. Roethlisberger.

BUT of course:

- The Steelers have beaten the Browns 12 straight. Quinn will be the 6th starting Brown QB facing that dismal record... but we all know he grew up a Browns fan, and this game means a lot. 12 straight games - does that mean they're due? Could William's lucky Dan Marino #13 help my Brownies pull off a major upset?!

- The Steelers have to win this game to have any playoff hopes. That's inspiration to the nth degree when coming off a SuperBowl win in 09.

- Mosley and Rogers (oh Shaun) are out, and a couple other Brownies are questionable.  

- Flat out, the offensive and defensive records between the two shows the clear and obvious dominance (and painful) of the Steelers.

You know what? I'm taking the BROWNS. I know it's stupid, but only 1 pool I play is for money.. an if by chance the Brownies win and I didn't take them, I'd never hear the end of it (a la beating the Giants last year on Monday night football). Oh and I'll be 'sitting on lucky couch!' 

Apparently I haven't posted for 7 days... I think that's a record. A sad record.

Anyways, this past week-end (you may have noticed my banner) was our annual Cleveland trip. This year Kiks and Jim came along for the fun, and it was a crazy awesome good time. The dinner at the Chophouse was a little disappointing (not mine, mine was super great). They have awesome home brew there and I of course drank up.

 Somehow near the end of the night we realized Kiks' bra was on the outside of her shirt. Yes, it was that kind of drunk outing... Billy made me choke down a ham sandwich which probably saved me from a severe hang-over. What a good husband!

Kiks had never before experienced an NFL game, and Jim had never been to the Muni-lots and under the bridge, where all the die hard fans party. 

After roaming the lots for a couple of hours (of course started drinking at 10am - Jim at 9am...)

 

Of course, it wouldn't be a trip to Cleveland without visiting the team store. We didn't buy anything (I was obviously already geared up!), but had fun in there nonetheless!

 

we ventured over to the Blind Pig to watch the early games. We arrived at the perfect time, as it packed up fast. It was a rowdy big crowd...

they were filming a commercial in there (we signed releases, who knows if anyone will ever see it - they'll probably use the take when I was in the bathroom), and there were, well, a whole crop of um, 'little people' (guys actually), sitting at a 'little table' giving away 'little Miller Lites'. Jim spied a 'little person' using a 'little urinal' in the men's bathroom.

Even the walk to the stadium is fun... we arrived a little later than we would have liked because of the commercial, but everyone is so pumped and ready for a good game.

The game was really exciting (although a loss) and our seats were awesome. Looking back I was so annoying that the couple next to me moved 2 seats away. It may have something to do with nacho cheese sauce... Oh well! 

After the game we partied back at the hotel - that's when I decided to wrestle everyone and dance like in an Old Navy commercial. I have suspicious bruising and a very sore left leg, 'How cute are these boots'. I'm very grateful that there isn't any photographic evidence of my bad behavior! I could hardly walk yesterday, and didn't feel like a three hour car ride home... but I survived.

For me, every second of the week-end (okay, not the car ride home so much) was awesome. Going on a nice long cruise is so relaxing, and camping is always fun, but in Cleveland we really tear it up! I love that city! More picks tomorrow on FB.    

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been mentally composing a list of wrongs - here it is.

- Tiger Woods. Enough already. Who cares? I'm sure there is a time in many marriages when one partner would very much like to take a stiff shaft of steel and strike it against a thin pane of glass. Most of us are lucky that our lives and indiscretions are not written about in the tabloids. I do feel bad that Tiger thinks we're all so dumb as to believe his story. It also sucks that so many of his fans won't be able to see him play this week-end. I'll be glad when this story isn't the headline of every news report.

- People shooting one another. There was just another incident in Seattle where someone took it upon themselves to kill random (or not so random) people. We need to find another way of dealing with our frustrations people! Step away from the gun! And yes, guns do kill people - when they are held by angry mentally unstable people. America - It's way past the time to review the 'right to bear arms'. Seriously.

- Party crashers in DC. Obviously this couple is completely classless - way to inspire terrorists -  Good job Secret Service. Get over yourselves. If that couple does appear on the Real Housewives of DC, yes I will watch, but I will do so knowing they are douches. Yes, douches.

- CBS sports coverage of football. PLEASE! Stop showing fantasy stats 2 minutes into the first quarter! Just give me the scores. FOX tried this one week, then they realized it is very annoying. The CBS pre-game hosts are so stiff, serious and boring - they need to re-think their coverage. Also - please get the grown men dressed in suits OFF a mini field recreating plays. It's embarrassing to watch them fake passes, pretend to block and run about in slow motion while telling us lowly viewers what is going on. Who thought this was a good idea? Even the superior FOX pre-game does the 'All State Covers the Field' segment - it's just terrible!

- VOX. I like so many things about VOX, but you'd think they'd have the bugs worked out. I can rarely comment on other blogger's posts. I would say my success rate is less than 10%. For a month I couldn't load any books... It seems like there aren't many 'real' people out there... only ads and tweets...

- The music in the Big Break. The Big Break is a compelling (although slightly cheesy) golf competition reality show on the golf channel. The 'background' music is so loud it's difficult to hear them speak! The music is full of 80's inspired gratuitous guitar riffs chock with dramatic starts and stops. It makes the show nearly unwatchable. I swear the guy editing the sound is also the writer, producer, and composer of said crappy music and he thinks it's the most important part of the show. ARG!

- The service at RBC. My mom isn't exactly mobile right now. After a rough hour of therapy the other day, she asked me to run into the Royal Bank to make a deposit. She handed me her bank card and a personal check written to herself from her CIBC account. The place was completely empty, and the teller asked me if I had an account there, and I told her not for about 8 years or so - and informed me I couldn't deposit it for her. She called over a supervisor and they told me it's illegal for me to have her card - I pointed to my mom sitting in the car and told them it's difficult for her to walk. No go. She has been banking at RBC so long her account number is like '8'! I have been making deposits for my mom at CIBC for 20 years. Random vacationers deposit money in our account in Tennessee all the time. When in real estate, it was a well known fact that RBC lacked customer service. They told me my mom would have to come in. I pointed at the teller and supervisor and said, 'This is exactly why I don't bank at RBC - your customer service it terrible!' My mom then limped in, and we had to wait a few minutes for the supervisior to re-appear - although the place was empty - they told her to swipe her card in the card reader, it didn't work, oh wait, no you have to sign this... they have no idea what they are doing there... they told my mom, now that they 'know' her, (she has been banking at that location since it opened more than 30 years ago...) if she needs to do another transaction, they can come out to the car (no drive up window...). Sure. Brutal.

- Tim Horton's. I was at the drive thru last week, and after making my order, the girl working the drive thru said, '$1.32'. No drive up, no please - just the total. When I picked up my coffee, she never said a word. Not the amount, not the change she gave me and not a 'have a good night'. Nothing. I should have said, 'HEY! You may hate your life and your job, but you're paid to be nice. It's your job to be polite, follow policy and smile.' Ah well, I'll put that retort in the vault and use it next time - I'm sure there will be a next time.

- People who are all show and no go. I know people who brag about the parties they attend, the rich people they know, the cars they drive - and when it comes to being generous - nothing. If they donate anything it's used and worthless. There is a Sutton Creek Ladies Christmas party next week where we all bring toys and canned goods to donate. Believe me - I'll be watching to see what this one lady brings. She is so pathetic. If she doesn't bring anything I will say something to her.

- No response. I hate when I ask people to get back to me on something and they don't. Even if they don't have the answer, then just tell me that! I'm guilty of this occasionally, but I always apologize and have a reason... some people are just lazy, afraid so say 'no', or are trying to piss me off.  

Oh, there's more... but I have to run, and wow, I really feel better now!  

It's Week 12 of the NFL season. How's your team faring? 

Not so great, but thanks for asking, Vox.  

I can't believe how fast this football season is flying by. I can't believe how terrible I'm doing! This week is tough... there are some games that really could go either way...

GB @ DET - I chose GB for this game. I thought Detroit would fare better, then poor Stafford went from being a SuperStar against the BROWNS to throwing 4 (at least at my last count) interceptions against GB.

OAK @ DAL - I picked Dallas and it proved to be a wise choice.

NYG @ DEN - Damn the formidable power! of Manning - at least Indy will win this week. Because I hate Denver so much this NYG loss was a big surprise and disappointment... ah well.

TB @ ATL - Blah - TB

MIA @ BUF - I'll take the fins.

CLE @ CIN - Oh the pain! Oh the agony! Poor Cleveland! Even with a Cinci loss in week 11 against the Raiders of all God forsaken teams, I'm still not confident in the skills of my Brownies... Someone said last week that Quinn works out too much for a quarterback...

Brady-quinn-throwing

Yep, he big... does it hurt him and the Browns? I don't know! All I know is I love the Browns and am looking forward to going to Cleveland next week! Yeah! Oh, yeah, I'll take Cinci, although it kills me to do so. I shall don my gear and cheer heartily for the Brown Boys.  

SEA @ STL

- Seattle. I don't know why.

CAR @ NYJ - Hm... never bet against the Jets versus Delhomme realizing throwing multiple interceptions doesn't win football games... dilemma dilemma. Jets at home! Carolina is decent! Heads - Jets. tails Carolina = Go Jets!

WAS @ PHI - Phi. And I hate them still

IND @ HOU - The power of Manning! should result in a Indy win. The balance must be restored! Indy.

KC @ SD - SD

JAC @ SF - American quarter says - Heads Jacksonville, Tails San Fran = Go JAX.

ARI @ TEN - TN is on a 4 game winning streak... ARI is on a 3 game streak and at the top of their crappy division... TN is at home - ARG - well I'll pick TN and from this I should determine if the quarter makes better choices than I do... 

CHI @ MIN - Min

PIT @ BAL - Oh, I hate both of these teams so much! I love that Pits isn't a dominant team this year, but they are so unpredictable... Hmmm... ahh well, coin toss - Heads Pits, Tails Balt = It was heads, and I'm not cheering for Pits.

NE @ NO - Dilemma, dilemma... William is convinced that NO is not that awesome... Tom Brady bothers me... so does his coach... NO at home... I'll take the Saints.

Yikes, this week could be scary.

Well, American Thanksgiving is over, and it was, (if I say so myself) quite successful. It was a good time, with one very odd, slightly awkward pop over. Ah well... We had a few people cancel, and one guy (who could have potentially brought up to 5 people) thought we were having people over on the Saturday after Thanksgiving... uh, no - but now we probably are.

Last Sunday the Jude and I

attended the Lions V Browns game in Detroit. It was the best, most exciting game I've ever seen, even though the Browns lost - it was an amazing time. It was interesting to see how Detroit hosts a football game - I've only ever been to Cleveland and the Silverdome, so seeing the difference in the tailgating (we only saw a bit)

and the atmosphere downtown was really cool. Ford Field is pretty nice, but so different the the Browns Stadium - and a totally different vibe.

We went to Cheli's Chili first and it's absolutely stupid that they can't serve alcohol before noon. That Detroit by-law is costing businesses some serious dough. All in all, it was a great time, and when they play each other again I would certainly go.  

This is what $585,000 can buy you in the Toronto area:

1,300 square feet, 2 bedroom condo in downtown Toronto... the monthly fees are $800+ a month.

This is what $585,000 can buy you in the Detroit area:

That's right. Recently the Pontiac Silverdome sold to a Toronto businessman for $585,000...It was built in 1975 for 56 million. That's some serious depreciation...