Steelers lost to the Browns!!??!!

Just when I thought our season could not get worse, IT DID!!!!!

How do you lose to the 3 WORST TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE IN ONE SEASON!!??!!

I was terribly disappointed watching last night's game, and though I still have a small sliver of hope- it looks like the Steelers playoff hopes are in the gutter.

Unless the Ravens continue to slip and the Steelers have a huge new wind in their last 3 games, it looks like they will not make it past December.

Let's hope for the best (but possibly expect the worse). I love my team but they are starting to annoy me- I will stay loyal.

GO STEELERS!!!!

Christmas at my house

Last week I detailed what we do at my house for Thanksgiving so this week I am going to let you in on what we like to do for Christmas.

My family has always celebrated the holiday more so on Christmas Eve than Christmas Day. We all meet up at my grandma's house for dinner around 5:30 pm. It is a very traditional New Mexican menu: posole, chicos, red chile, tamales, and tortillas usually.

After dinner, we all just like to socialize. Sometimes, we will drive around town to see the lights. Then, around 8 pm, we open gifts.

After opening gifts, there is more family time. Then (on most years) we head to midnight mass. After this we all head home, where we open gifts that were not taken to my grandma's house.

On Christmas Day, my mom usually will cook a ham and/or a turkey and all that goes with it. It is a day of relaxation and family time as well.

Christmas is my favorite holiday not because of the gifts but because it brings my family together.

Thanksgiving Plans

Well since this year's plans for Thanksgiving in my neck of the woods have changed quite drastically over the last two days (looks like it will be in a hospital) I figured I would give a brief detail of what my family 'traditionally' does for Thanksgiving...

My mom has always been one to make a Turkey Day lunch rather than a dinner so we usually eat at around 130-2pm. We follow a relatively traditional menu, with some variation. It usually includes:

Veggie Trays
Weenie Torts (lil smokies wrapped in crescent rolls)
sometimes Salsa

Turkey
Ham
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Dinner Rolls
Cranberry Sauce
Stuffing

Pumpkin Pie
Cherry Pie
Apple Pie

My family is not very religious but we always pause to give thanks for our meal and our company/ family/ etc. on Thanksgiving. It is a great time for family to gather and share good food and comfort.

Steelers vs. Chiefs

Did anyone else watch that terrible game last week in which the Bungals beat the Steelers? I wanted to cry! What is going on with the Black and Yellow!

Yesterday, Big Ben took the blame for the loss, and shifted his attention to this week, saying,

"It's being able to look at it and move on and not dwell on it," Roethlisberger said. "If you dwell on it, I think it can carry over. Just being able to put it behind you, learn from the mistakes and say, 'Listen, don't let this happen again' and hopefully it doesn't."

I really hope Ben is right- the Steelers are one game back from Cincinatti (of all people! I'd rather it be the Ravens!!!) for the division lead. There is still time for the Steelers to get back on top in the AFC North but the task is daunting- the Bengals are 5-0 in division play.

Only time will tell if the Steelers can get out of this funk. 'Til then, go Steelers!!!

(If they lose to the Chiefs I will seriously cry!)

Have you ever had your eyes dilated?

This is a really random post but I went to the optometrist yesterday and had my eyes dilated for the first time. It was a little strange to say the least which is why I am curious if anyone else has had the same experience.

As soon as he put the drops in my eyes totally felt like they were just put into a serious relax mode. I felt like I couldn't really control them but at the same time I knew that I was. And it was really weird looking in the mirror- I looked like a vampire!

So although the feeling itself was sort of cool I got a massive headache too- that part was NOT cool at all. And even though it was cloudy yesterday I had to wear sunglasses all day because it was still to bright for my eyes- talk about really feeling like a vampire!!!

Also, it sort of messed me up as I could not see anything up close for about 6 hours-- I was able to get a doctor's note so that was ok but now I have to make up a quiz in my sociology class :(

Nothing is wrong with my eyes (the good news ha) and it was a new experience albeit a pretty much so inconvenient one.

Yankees Are WS Champs!!!

The Bombers won their 27th World Championship last night and is it overdue! (Sorry but as a Yankees fan I am stoked!!!)

Hideki Matsui played a great game in what was probably his last in pinstripes. It is a shame that he has not garnered more publicity here in the states because he has had a great career.

Andy Petitte and Mariano Rivera also played outstanding games. ARod finally won a championship, and seems to have shook the October slump that has plagued him in past years. He had a great post season.

It is a long time until next season but here's to a repeat performance! Go Yanks!!!

World Series

So if you watched the game last night, you know the Yankees are down 0-1 to the Phillies in the World Series. Needless to say, I am disappointed :(

I have to give serious props to Phillie's pitcher Cliff Lee last night- he was on FIRE. He is definitely a dangerous lefty.

I am hoping that ARod and his teammates can pull some more magic out of the hat here- they were lackluster last night.

It is currently the 3rd inning of Game 2 and the Yanks are down by 1 run. I hope that they can pull it out tonight. Go Yanks!!!

Go Yankees!!!!

The Yankees were in a great battle with the Angels earlier tonight. Unfortunately, the Yanks were unable to pull out the win, losing the game 7-6. However, the Yanks are still up 3 games to 2.

If they win Saturday night, the Yanks will become the ALCS Champions and move on to the World Series. It has been quite a drought for the last few years, and a WS appearance is long overdue.

I have been a Yankees fan since I was a kid, and let me tell you the last few years have been HORRIFIC! And to all the critics- Yes, they have the biggest payroll, and yes, they have some of the best if not most ANNOYING players on any team in the MLB. I know these things but I caught the Yankee bug young from my dad.

One of my favorite memories has to have been watching them play the Rockies a couple years ago (the Rockies are my #2 team). Even though they got SWEPT, it was a great experience. Had they not been in CO I would have never been able to see them.

Maybe someday I will be able to afford a trek to the 'new' Yankees Stadium in NYC but if not that is fine too. Sort of took away from the legend by taking the old stadium out after all.

GO YANKEES!!!!

Fantasy Football

Does anyone else here like to play Fantasy Football? I am currently playing in a league set up through one of the sports card sites I frequent. This is my 3rd year playing in this league, and last year I came in 2nd place.

I have a more or less solid team this year. My starting lineup is:
QB- Roethlisberger
WR- Hines Ward
WR- Mark Clayton
RB- Brandon Jacobs
RB- Ricky Williams
TE- Heath Miller
W/T- Mark Bradley
W/R- Michael Bush
K- Gostkowski
DEF- Ney York
DB- Antrel Rolle
DL- Jared Allen

Most of my players are putting up nice numbers but a few are underachieving in a BIG way. This is causing my points to fluctuate in big ways each week- a really annoying occurrence. I am hoping everyone balances out but for now I am stuck with it!

Anyway, Fantasy sports are actually pretty fun. You end up with your lineups through a draft so it really is luck of the draw. You put time into your draft choices (whether it is an auto or manual draft) but it is fun.

I play in a private league but it is easy to play in a public one- Yahoo runs hundreds of them! If you ever have a chance, check it out- they are pretty cool :)

Heather

A Quick Thought On Disney...

This is completely random but...

Has anyone ever noticed the dark undertones in most Disney movies? I bought Snow White earlier today and it made me think about this.

It is understandable that the Disney movies based on older fairy tales (i.e. Snow White, Cinderella, Jungle Book, Sleeping Beauty, etc.) have dark plots. In most of these stories there is at least one dead parent, an evil step-parent, and sometimes child neglect.

But what about Disney originals? They've got some seriously creepy undertones. Parents are murdered left and right (ex: Bambi, Fox and the Hound- both mothers got shot!). You even see it happen in a couple of them (Hunchback of Notre Dame-I think she falls down a well and Lion King- in a STAMPEDE!).

Death is not the only dark theme in Disney. How about Sid in Toy Story- he not only tortured but MUTILATED his toys. Really, REALLY creepy kid. And what about how they chained up the mother elephant in Dumbo? Really, if that movie doesn't make you at least tear up you have no heart!

My absolute favorite creepy scene comes out of my favorite movie- Fantasia. The movie is an absolutely amazing work of animation- but anyone remember the night scene with the devil and all the dead souls? Enough said!

(Click here for a link courtesy of Youtube)

There are numerous other examples to be sure, but these are the ones that I remember most. I'd love to hear which movie moments come to your minds...

A Week in Italy... But Not Myself!!!

While we've been here hitting the books, my boyfriend Josh has spent the week in Italy with one of his classes. He is a student in the New Mexico Musical Heritage Project directed by Dr. Peter White. The program is designed to teach students about the rich musical history of NewMexico. Josh and his fellow classmates are currently in the process of hand-crafting their very own violins in the program, and have travelled to Italy to present their work at the 2009 Cremona Mondomusica Festival.

The Festival is a one of a kind exhibition that showcases some of the world's greatest amateur and professional intsrument makers. The group's unique presentation about the rich musicial tradition in our state is scheduled for tomorrow at 11:30 am. Since Italy is 8 hours ahead of our time zone, that is at roughly 3:30 am our time. Wish them luck!

The group is set to return at around 6 pm this Saturday at the ABQ Sunport should anyone be interested in greeting them upon their return.

Sports Cards

This week I thought I would talk to you a little bit about sports cards. There is actually a lot more to them then it might seem.

There are many different varieties of sports cards, as well as subsets. These include:

• Rookie Cards (RCs)
• Inserts- #'d parallels, special chase sets, etc.
• Autographs
• Game Used memorabilia cards- jerseys, shorts, shoes, facemasks, footballs, floor, basketballs, etc.
• Autographed Game Used cards
• Patch cards- both Game Used and Manufactured
• Printing Plates- the plates used to create each card; there are four unique to each card: black, cyan, magenta, and yellow. These cards are numbered 1/1 because only one of each color exist for each card.

There are also several sports card manufacturers, including:

• Topps- includes Bowman
• Upper Deck- includes Fleer
• Panini- bought out Donruss and its brands

Brands and sets from all these companies range in price greatly. They all fall under this umbrella:

• High End- products that cost anywhere from $500 to $1000s of dollars; Upper Deck Exquisite is an example
• Mid-High End- products in the middle of this range; a Topps hobby case (12 boxes) might fall here
• Mid End- products within the $250- $500 range with some variation; Upper Deck SP Game Used tends to fall here
• Mid-Low End- products in the middle of this range; Upper Deck Radiance might fall here
• Low End- products under $100 usually; most Topps products fall here

These are by no means all the possible pricing combinations or levels- that list would be far to complicated to compile here. As a general rule, however, the more you pay the better your odds of hitting "the big one-" a Michael Jordan or Lebron James autograph, or a Mickey Mantle cut signature card- become.

American Saturday Night

Hello again! Last night I went to see Brad Paisley on his "American Saturday Night Tour" at Journal Pavilion. As always, Mr. Paisley absolutely ROCKED!!!

Things looked iffy with the rain yesterday but it cleared up prior to showtime. We planned on going rain or shine- what's a little water after all ;) .

The opening act was Jimmy Wayne. He has a great voice but his songs are whiny, and he had some interesting dance moves. He kept running and leaping, and rolling around on the stage. Very odd in my opinion.

Next up was Dierks Bentley. I love his music! (I am biased but I thought he performed well) He played some of my favorite songs so it was cool.

Brad Paisley came on and played for TWO hours- it was a great show. He can play his guitar like no one else. I suggest youtubing him for examples. He played all his hits, and ended the show with a Paisley/ Bentley/ Wayne rendition of "Alcohol." It was really good!

This is the second time I have seen Brad Paisley, and I would recommend the show to anyone. He is fun, a great performer, and leaves you feeling that you got your money's worth.

Intro to Stitch

In my first post, I mentioned that I had a little dog. I feel like now is a good time ot introduce you to him.

Well, for starters his name is Stitch. He is a Miniature Pinscher/ Dachsund mix. He is black and tan, weighs about 12 pounds, and we figure that he is about 1.5-2 years old.

My boyfriend Josh and I rescued Stitch from the Espanola Valley Humane Society in late May. We'd been looking for a little dog without much luck for some time, and since we are from Espanola I figured that I'd give their website a try. We saw his picture and fell in love with him. It felt really awesome to be able to give him a loving home.

Stitch's namesake is actually Stitch from "Lilo and Stitch." As you can see from his mugshot (ha ha), he has some MONSTER sized ears. This was where the idea for the name came from. It was later on that we saw just how fitting it was- he is every bit as crazy and destructive as the little blue alien in that movie!

Aside from being a baby monster, Stitch is a great little guy. He came to us potty trained and well-mannered; it really surprises me that someone could lose him and not even bother to look for him (the shelter acquired him as a stray pick-up). He is a complete goofball and is highly entertaining; however, all he really wants is love. He has shown us so much of the same in return (and he is a great heater at night ;) !)

So that is the story of Stitch. I hope you enjoyed getting to know him!

Heather

My hobbies

I want to let you all know a little bit more about myself, so I decided that this week I'd fill you in a little on my hobbies.

I have been an avid reader since I was little, and I think that is part of what drew me to pursue an English degree. My most recent read (non-school related) was "The Time Traveler's Wife." I thought it was a really excellent read- but it definitely kept the tissue nearby!

My other huge hobby is sports card collecting. I know, a little out there for a girl- but I have been collecting since I was around 10. My two main sports are basketball and football. I started collecting Danny Granger when he started playing at UNM, and since then my collection has just grown and grown. I currently have somewhere around 150 cards in my Danny Granger PC (personal collection- meaning I do not trade or sell them). I also collect Bull's cards.

My football team is and always has been the Pittsburgh Steelers (no bandwagon jumping here!) My PC for this team is much smaller but more costly. The highlight of my collection right now is a Hines Ward auto /86 (they are tough to come by and I spent 3 years trying to find one!) I also have a Ben Roethlisberger auto /35 coming in soon- maybe I will post some pics.

Anyway, that about sums me up as far as hobbies go. See y'all later! :)

Hello!

Hi everyone! My name is Heather, and I am a junior here at UNM. I am excited to be sharing a blog with you, although I am unsure exactly what it may be about at the moment!

I suppose for starters I will tell you a little bit about myself. I am an English major, with a concentration on Professional & Technical Writing. I am thinking about going into Criminology as a minor. I don't really know what I want to do after I graduate.

I am from Espanola, NM (it is about 30 miles north of Santa Fe). I have lived in Albuquerque permanently since my freshman year, and plan to stay here following graduation. I currently live with my boyfriend, my sister, and two dogs- Stitch and Cookie. Maybe I can post a pic or two of them later on.

Other than that, I like school, like reading, and just like to chill out. My hobbies include collecting sports cards, mainly basketball and football. I am a huge Steelers fan.

I look forward to getting to know you this semester!

Heather