Fantasy Football

All is right again with the world. College football season has returned, and in the Alderman house we couldn’t be happier. College football here is not simply watched, but practiced as a religion. We can beach ourselves happily on the couch for endless hours on Saturday afternoons and watch any team at any level, just as long as they’re playing football. The University of Alaska at Juno vs. St. Mary’s Technical College – sure, we’ll watch that.

Of course, the preference is to watch the University of Tennessee (my team) or the University of Louisville (Rob’s team). Although we have a shared love of college football, the ways we love the sport are very different. I inherited my fanaticism from my father, which means I have a love/hate relationship with the Volunteers. I have been known to embarrass sailors with my vocabulary choices during a game, and win or lose I will comment vehemently that the coach should be run out of town for his pitiful game plan. Rob, on the other hand, is generally under the mistaken impression that he actually plays football for the Cards, and as a result has to have his rattled nerves calmed before kickoff. While I simply scream obscenities at the television in an effort to motivate the team to play better, Rob will utilize reverse psychology to promote smarter play. “Well”, he’ll say to nobody in particular when his team is only up by three touchdowns, “there’s no way they can win now. They are definitely going to lose. Yep, they’ve lost this one. Oh well, maybe next week.” Neither of us seems to understand that the team is most likely not telepathic and most likely not receiving any of the messages we are sending them from our living room. This is a pity, considering we are both strategic geniuses with masterful understandings of both offensive and defensive coordination. This is our version of fantasy football. We should be on their payrolls, really.

So football season is back. And after watching the tragedies of hurricane Katrina unfold last week, not a minute too soon. That kind of widespread devastation puts everything into perspective and reminds me that football is just a game. It’s just a game played by a bunch of kids, some of whom now have their parents living with them on campus because their family homes were destroyed. But just as we were starting to feel overwhelmed with helplessness, here came this silly game to provide a much needed escape. Not to mention an opportunity to practice yelling new and colorful insults at Tennessee’s coach and resuscitating my husband when Louisville turned the ball over on Kentucky’s 20 yard line. We just can’t wait till next weekend.

Let's Go For a Ride

On Friday afternoon, Casey & I met my friends David & Patrick for lunch at the Cycler’s Café (http://www.cyclerscafe.com/). If you haven’t been, it’s a very cool café housed inside a very cool bike shop – and I highly recommend the Seneca sandwich. Being around all those bikes and equipment made me very nostalgic for my triathlon days and for going on long rides with these guys. Anyway, I hadn’t seen either of them in awhile so it was really good to catch up with them. David has had a bit of a rough summer, to put it mildly. Earlier in the summer, he went into sudden cardiac arrest while in the hospital undergoing treatment for melanoma cancer, and as a result was fitted with his very own Pacemaker (anyone who knows Dave knows he likes new toys, but this took things to a new level). Most recently, on the way to receive treatment at UVA, his wife Cathy had to pull the car over and Dave ended up being life-flighted to UVA where one of his kidneys was removed, his adrenal gland was repaired, and a blood clot was fished out of his system. Whew. For a guy who has cheated death multiple times this summer, he looked great. Maybe a little thin, but that’s easily fixed. I always feel good after spending any amount of time with David. Even while being so sick, he is incredibly full of life and humor while being completely self-depreciating (he joked that we should hop in the car and go do the Chicago Tri this weekend, but that perhaps flinging himself into Lake Michigan at this point could be a potential loss of one of his 27 lives).

Patrick continues to keep himself busier that just about everyone I know. While busting his butt as a partner in his law firm, he’s up everyday at the crack of dawn to train for Ironman Wisconsin. I believe the race is in two weeks, and this is Patrick’s second brush with chosen insanity (he did Ironman Coeur d’Alene last year). I don’t know what is crazier – Patrick training for and running these races, or me feeling a little jealous while sitting there listening to him talk about them! I’d like to triathlons again someday, although I doubt I’ll ever achieve Patrick’s level of devotion and do an Ironman. However, I think half the fun of running the races was training with these guys, so unless they’re up for it in the future, then maybe I won’t be either. Anyway, I can’t wait for Patrick to get back with a new crop of photos and stories (the story of his luggage being “delayed” last year is priceless).

Best of luck to both of these guys as they round out their busy summers – Patrick with Ironman, David back to UVA for continued treatment. I think about them more than I see them, and hopefully someday soon things will slow down enough for all of us so that we can get together more often. Hell, maybe we’ll even get on our bikes and go for a ride.

I Am The Spatula King; I Can Do Anything

Casey is doing much better and it seems his "gastrointestinal issues" are on their way out. He continues to flirt with the concept of walking by taking little steps here and there, but as soon as he's realized he's done it he sits down. Meanwhile, I'm trying to just enjoy these crawling days. I know that he'll start walking in his own time, and then I wont be able to catch him...

This Would Be Funny If It Wasn't So True

Baby Girl Stann; Part III

Here is a pic of Colleen with her new baby, Elizabeth Marie, and her older two, Abby & Allison. How cute are they?

Well Brewed

I thought I’d offer an explanation of my blog’s title. Recently, I have become aware of the fact that I do not function properly until I’ve had a cup of morning coffee. I don’t know how this started. I suspect the most likely source of my need for am java is the desire to create a new ritual to replace sitting down at my desk in the office and logging on to check email. That was my morning ritual for five years, and perhaps when I quit work to stay home with my baby full-time I subconsciously had a need to develop a substitute routine. Or maybe I just finally joined the 90% of Americans who have an addiction to caffeine. I even have a favorite coffee mug (see photo) that I “borrowed” from a Courtyard by Marriott during one of my business trips. It’s the little things, really.

Anyway, I thought a blog would be a good way to keep in touch with family and friends who live far away, and I figured it would be easy for me to post occasionally, especially after I’ve had my morning coffee.

1001 Poopy Diapers

For the past week, Casey has been experiencing what we affectionately refer to as "loose stools" because diarhea seems so unseemly. As a result, it feels as though we have changed 1001 poopy diapers. The worst part is that there seems to be no cause, no cure, and most importantly, no end in sight. Yet another phase that arrived with no warning. I continue to wonder if all the other parents we know are secretly snickering behind our backs. And if I will do the same when it is my turn...