Back Safe and Sound

We're back in Minnesota safe and sound. We had a great honeymoon but it feels really, really good to be home. To celebrate, I started up a new blog on the beta version of blogger. You can get there by replacing the "karin24" in your web browser with our last name or waiting until I get things together enough to send out an "official" email. That email will probably come sometime tomorrow after I get the honeymoon post up, but go take a look around now if you're interested.

In fantasy news, I won by a tie AGAIN last week against Todd. I'm up by 31 points this week but my opponent has one player left. Hopefully his player doesn't have a big night because my bench is very depleted this week (lots of byes) and can't hold up to the challenge of a tie breaker.

2 Point Conversions

I saw 3 two-point conversions today! That's crazy - more than I've seen all season. Reggie Wayne, T.Go, and T.O. all got one. All 3 won their games as well, so might as well keep on throwing them. Green Bay also played excellent today - if this keeps up we could salvage Brett Favre's "last" season. :)

In fantasy news, in the same league that I tied Nick in last week, my game is over with a tie score AGAIN!! I played two of the wrong players and could easily be winning by 30, but that's just how it goes sometimes. My bench is destroying his, so my fingers are crossed that my defense isn't adjusted down, nor his up, because that's where most of the changes occur. If I win by bench points two weeks in a row, I may have to change my team name!

The Real Last Football Update

Nick and I ended up tied 90-90. The tiebreaker is bench points, and I won that battle 46-29 so I got the win!! Poor Nick, he lost this way last year too. Poor me, my starting quarterback was injured and lost for 2-4 weeks, no wonder he only got 13 points! We both have a 4-3 record in that league now, so we'll see where it goes from here.

Today is a cleaning day, so don't look for any updates about fun things!

Last Football Update

The Packers win by 10!  And I am beating Nick 77-54.  I have Tiki Barber and he has Eli Manning and Plaxico Burress so it will be an interesting game tomorrow evening.  I may be kicking myself for leaving 10 extra points on the bench.

 

More importantly, Nick is safely at home again and had a great time this weekend.  Thanks to everyone who put it all together for him.

Packer Update

So, after a very odd ending to the first half - Dave Rayner makes a 55 yard field goal negated by a Miami unsportsman like conduct penalty that cannot be declined, then makes a 40 yard field goal negated by a Packer personal foul that causes the clock to run out, the Packers start the second half in style with a pair of touchdowns.  First, Charles Woodson returns an interception for a touchdown.  Next, Brett Favre throws a ball to Donald Driver in double coverage.  It looks like a touchdown but is ruled incomplete.  Packers challenge and - TOUCHDOWN!!!  Brett Favre dancing around on the sideline like he's 25 again.  GO PACKERS!!  The Dolphins aren't making this easy but we are alive and in the lead.

 

In fantasy football, Nick has a slight edge over me - 24-12 with a lot of football left to play.  Speaking of Nick, he should be home in about 20 minutes!!  Then I'll have a real person to discuss the game with and won't have to post frequent Packer updates.

Crazy Announcers

Where is my Packers Radio Network when I need it?  These announcers are extremely annoying.  First, one of them can't pronounce "Green Bay."  Yes, the man cannot say "Green".  Next, they are calling it a battle of turnovers, which it is, and talking about how all the points came off of turnovers, which they did.  The Packers have intercepted twice and got a FG each time.  The Dolphins forced a fumble and got a touchdown off of it, so the score is Dolphins 7, Packers 6.  The announcer says: "It's a battle of turnovers that the Dolphins are losing, that's why they're losing the game."  Last time I checked 7 came after 6, but I guess I'm a little backwards in my counting :)

 

Go Packers!!

Score!

When you a rent a car, click around on the website of the place you are renting from.  I just did that and managed to reduce the price of the rental cars we are getting for our wedding weekend and honeymoon by $90 overall.  That is a huge hunk of change and it was all hidden in plain view.  In one of the cases I had to call to get the discount (couldn't do it online) but one 5 minute phone call is worth that amount of money.  Those rental car companies are tricky.

The Arizona Cardinals are the poorest coached team in football.

If you could overhear the coaches calling the plays from the sidelines, I bet you'd hear something like "Hey, do the run play." Seriously, how many times did James run between the tackles on 1st and/or 2nd down for 1 yard. Until the last desperation drive, I'm thinking around EVERY time. They couldn't have ever gotten more than 2 yards off that play. Most coaches, I would think, would learn something from this. "Maybe we should stop running the ball right at Urlacker." If they had done any homework and watched any tape on the Bears, I think this could have been picked up as a smart Offensive adjustment before they took the field. They could have just called me for some much needed insight into the Bears Defense. They're not exactly soft in the middle! James had 36 carries for 55 yards. Let me get the calculator ... yes, that is 1.53 yards per carry. And what is to be learned from this? Apparently, nothing.

It's the Cardinal's last drive, 2nd and 2 on the Bears 30. This will be a 40 yard kick with ample time on the clock for the Bears if they don't get a first down. Hmm, coach, maybe try to get a first down.

James up the middle for nothing. OK, now it is 3rd down. James up the middle for nothing. What the heck? Why? Were they trying to pull some reverse psychology on the Bear's D? "Gee, I bet the Bears don't think we would be dumb enough to try this failed play for the hundredth time. Especially, now that the game is on the line." ERRRR ... Wrong.

It doesn't matter if Rackers missed fieldgoals or that Grossman Laid an Egg or that Lienart looked great or that Urlacher was on fire. I put this Cardinal's loss on the coaching. You simple don't deserve to win with play calling like that.

That's One Way to Motivate Us

Here's a two item summary of our weekend so far: cleaning and wedding preparations. This afternoon, Nick and I decided to take a short break and watch part of the third quarter of the Steelers/Chiefs game on CBS. It was pretty much a blowout, but it's a game that has a lot of fantasy value for both of us (and we both like multiple players on each team). So we're watching it - the Chiefs have a touchdown nullified and are 3rd and 5 at the 5 yard line, then CBS decides to flip over to the Dolphins/Jets game!! ARG!!! It's not like that game is any better - the Jets are up 20-3. Why-oh-why is CBS so evil? At least it got us off our butts and working again!

That was about 15 minutes ago. Since then, Miami has caught up slightly to get the score to 17-20, so maybe it makes sense that CBS switched it, but it was still bad timing. And my Steelers D just performed the fantasy football Holy Grail for me - an interception returned for a TD. Maybe there's hope for my fantasy team after all. :)