Girls, Fantasy, and Football

No, I'm not talking about anything dirty. It's not that kind of blog. And I'm not talking about the Independent Women's Football League (yes, there is such a thing.)

I AM talking about the NPR story about my all female fantasy league. We were interviewed during our fantasy football draft a few weeks ago. I'm not quoted in the interview, but I'm one of the girls referred to as "gathered in Arlington."

You may remember that I was the champ last year. But this could very well be my last time to gloat about that. Because despite winning my first week, yet again, my QB is hurt in the first game of the season. Last year the same thing happened to my QB, Tom Brady. This year, it's Tony Romo. Hopefully he'll have a quick recovery and have a solid season.

So starts another year of the ups and downs of coaching an imaginary team!

About Me

I'm caving. There's a "tag" thing going around Facebook to list 25 random things about yourself. So here it is....all you ever wanted to know about me, plus a few things you probably don't care about!


1. I LOVED Mr. Rogers as a child and believe I'm a better neighbor for it!
2. I Google everything.
3. I could be okay with wearing pearls everyday.
4. My favorite food is definitely fresh tomatoes.
5. The smell of dry erase markers makes me think of Kindergarten.
6. I attended an all-women's college for 4 years and survived.
7. I have never traveled outside the US, and really hope to someday.
8. I think I've seen every episode of the Cosby Show.
9. I had no pain after having all 4 wisdom teeth removed and functioned normally the next day.
10. I worked at a peach orchard for 3 summers and used to know the names of about 30 types of peaches.
11. Because I worked at a peach orchard, I refuse to eat store bought peaches. They're just gross.
12. I don't really like those mass holiday text messages.
13. I dream of having my own personal masseuse.
14. I really, really, really want a puppy.
15. I miss the south in a bad way.
16. I'm actually having fun being single.
17. I am a registered lobbyist.
18. I HATE hearing people chew or eat. It drives me nuts for some reason. I used to get up earlier than my sister so I didn't have to listen to her crunch on her cereal in the mornings.
19. I am still friends with my freshman year college roommate and have learned that this is very rare!
20. I won my fantasy football league this past year!
21. The Braves are my favorite team ever.
22. I have one sister, 2 stepsisters, and 3 stepbrothers.
23. You can find me on facebook, twitter, gchat, aim, goodreads, linkedin, and blogger!!!
24. I heart my TiVo.
25. I've (unfortunately) had to wear glasses since 1st grade.

Random Acts of Blogness

I have a backlog of things to blog about so this is another one of those random smorgasbord postings.

1. Fantasy Football- I AM THE CHAMPION! I would love to share with you all the wisdom and knowledge of how I did this. I have learned a lot in the three seasons of play in our girls league called "How to Beat a Guy in 10 Days." But the absolute truth is...all you need is luck! It felt really good to win, after a frustrating season last year.

2. Book Praise for Straight Up and Dirty- I've already told everyone that would listen that his book rocked my newly single world. It was like therapy. I wish I could afford to buy multiple copies and send it to all of my friends. Special thanks to my roomie who let me read it first! I literally didn't want the book to end. It's a true memoir by a author (and blogger) Stephanie Klein. There are some comparison's of Klein to Carrie Bradshaw, but to me, Klein is even more endearing than Bradshaw since she's a real person and all! Klein has captured her dating, break-up, and self-discovery experience in a witty, humorous and truthful way. She says all the things that we all think, but don't know if it's normal to be thinking. And most of us certainly don't know how to express it in the way she's able to. I was laughing, thinking, reflecting, and crying.

I know that books like this are all about what you're going through and how you can relate to it at the time. A few times I had to put the book down because it was like reading some of my own thoughts. I loved it. For me, this book gets an enthusiastic 5 on the Sweet Tea Scale. Just like some perfect homemade sweet tea, this is EXACTLY what I needed!

3. TV- I rented part of the first season of Mad Men over the holiday weekend. Is anyone watching this show? I really enjoyed it and can't wait to see more!

A new show called Wake Up Call by He's Just Not That Into You author and comedian, Greg Behrendt, starts up this Thurs. at 10pm on SoapNet. I read this book a few years ago and found my copy while I was home over Christmas. I've been flipping through and reading it again. At first, I was like- "if only I took this advice the first time I read it!" Then, I started getting angry because it makes me feel like, well...He's Just Not That Into Me. And that kinda stinks. The movie version of the book is coming out in a few weeks and the previews look funny. I really hate that I'm all about these cheesy chick flicks these days...but I can't deny it!

I'm sure that's all the randomness you can handle for now. I hope everyone is having a Happy New Year so far!

Weekend Ratings

I can't believe the weekend is already over! Ugh...another week. I crossed a few things off the list this past weekend:

Ray's Hell Burger- I finally got to try out this much talked about burger joint in Arlington. And it was YUMMY! I'm not a huge burger and fry person...especially out at restaurants (homemade is always better.) I was always that weird kid that preferred salads instead of burgers and chicken fingers. But when I do eat a burger, I expect a lot! The burger I had at Ray's was one of the best I've ever had. In a town of overpriced everything, the meal was surprisingly inexpensive. The burger gets a 5 on the Sweet Tea Scale. The restaurant is on the small side and it has no sign out front, which adds character to the experience. It makes you feel like you found a delicious little secret...until you see how packed it is!


Four Christmases- I was very much looking forward to this movie. I was ready to laugh. The title itself sums up my typical holiday experience...getting shuffled around to cover all the family gatherings on Christmas Eve and Day. That's what happens when your ENTIRE family lives in the same town. We have recently cut the total number of Christmas stops down to 3. Things are further challenging because my feisty little sister decided to make her fashionably late entrance into the world on Christmas Day. So after we do the Christmas thing, then we have her birthday celebration. All of this to say....I can relate to Four Christmases literally.

The movie is enjoyable, though somewhat typical, holiday romantic comedy. I'm trying to put my current bah-humbug attitude about happy endings aside and not take it out on this innocent movie. So, I'm ranking it a 4 on the Sweet Tea Scale.


Rachel Getting Married- It was a rare double movie weekend for me. To balance out the funny and light-hearted Four Christmases, I also saw Rachel Getting Married, starring Anne Hathaway. Ummmmm, I don't know what to say about this one except- Dysfunctional. Hathaway did give a good performance which explains the Oscar buzz, but the story is OUT THERE. It definitely doesn't exactly spread Christmas cheer. I'm glad I saw it, but will give it a 2 on the Sweet Tea Scale.


PS- My fantasy team, Pinkisthenewfootball survived the first week of playoffs!

Giving Thanks

I caught a few minutes of The View yesterday and Whoopi Goldberg went off on a tangent about how we've skipped right over Thanksgiving in anticipation for Christmas. I'll admit that our house is already decorated and I did sneak and listened to some Christmas music this week. But I don't want to be guilty of skiping Thanksgiving...it's a great holiday and I have so many things to be thankful for.

As I reflect on the last year, I've been blessed with many things. First and foremost I am so very grateful for the wonderful family and friends in my life. I cherish them all more than they know. But I'll save that for around the Thanksgiving table.

On a lighter side for the blog, I'm listing a few things that I'm grateful for right now and in the past year.


I'm thankful....

for my new brother-in-law!

that Beyonce decided to write a few songs for me (Single Ladies to name one of them!)

that DC bars and restaurants are smoke-free!

that the election is over! (And my guy won!)

that my car's AC was fixed (thanks mama!) Have you ever had to ride south in a car in 100+ degree heat for 8 hours while sitting on leather seats???? I have. And NEVER wish to again.

the new job that I got this year.

for Gossip Girl and Brothers and Sisters.

that I rescued my pearl earring when I dropped it down the bathroom sink...all by myself! (It was disgusting...ever taken apart the bathroom sink drain before? Grossest. Thing. Ever.)

that the National League won the world series (even if it wasn't my beloved Braves!)

that my fantasy team didn't suck this year even after loosing Tom Brady.

that I have a parking space and can drive to work. I don't miss anything about the cold/hot walk to the metro, fighting the crowd to get a seat, and dealing with rude people in the "germ factory."

that I started this blog!

that you're reading my blog!



I'd love to know what you're thankful for...leave it in the comment section to keep the list going!
I wish each of you the warmest wishes for a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

XOXO


PS- Margaret and Helen's blog is hilarious today.

PPS- Don't miss Oprah's Favorite Things episode tomorrow. It's a little different this year as she's scaling back and sharing "affordable" gifts this time around.

Front Porch Friday

Here are two little cuties that I can't wait to see next week!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite meals. I'm not a big turkey fan, but the fixin's are the best! And I'm going to get plenty of opportunities to enjoy it this year:

1. I had a Thanksgiving lunch with the office this week which was typical "catered" food. The food was not the best- I had corn pudding for the first time. One word- Gross! But I filled up on a coworkers homemade mac and cheese which was delish.

2. We're having our 4th Annual "Practice Thanksgiving" with friends at our house tomorrow night. We're going to have more food than we know what to do with, but it's a fun get-together where we practice preparing our favorite Thanksgiving dishes and share it with each other.

3. On the actual day of Thanks, I'll be back home in SC having lunch with my mom's family and

4. Dinner with my dad's family. By this point I may have to fast for a few days to recover from the overload of food.

PS- I haven't blogged about my fantasy team in a while, but the regular season is coming to an end and I'm going to be in the playoffs! Much improved from last year!

Last Week of Summer!

I've been couped up in a stuffy government conference room for a marathon 8 hour meeting, so this will be short!

Despite loosing Tom Brady last week, it looks like my fantasy team may have some hope after all. It's still really early, but the team pulled out a win thanks to my new QB Aaron Rodgers from Green Bay and a solid performance from the Redskin's Santana Moss. I don't want to toot my own horn since there's a lot of season left, but I moved from 9th to 5th place! Already so much better than last year (knock on wood.)

I can't believe that summer is already over! I've already blogged about how much I heart summer, but I'm actually looking forward to the calm of fall. One good thing about living slightly north is that we actually have 4 distinct seasons. The heat of the deep south sometimes lasts through November! They get the last laugh come March when the flowers are blooming and they're enjoying spring when I have a month left of winter. So this is the only time of year I get to gloat about our nice weather!

I'm off to give the new 90210 another shot...3rd weeks a charm, right?

Enjoy your last week of summertime bliss!

Fantasy Frustration

It's official- I have the worst luck when it comes to sports! It all began 2 weeks ago when I couldn't get the fantasy draft application to work. So my team was choosen by automatic draft. I was lucky enough to get the #1 pick in our draft- the computer choose none other than Tom Brady as my first pick. He was injured in the first quarter of Sunday's game and will be out for the season. My team lost by less than 2 points in the season opener. I have some rebuilding to do...

Game On!

Wow. So much is going on. Work is crazy, and the political world has been turned upside down- I can't get enough! I'm definitely suffering from information overload!

I'm trying to stay true to the intent of this blog and not push any kind of political agenda on you. So instead of talking about the energetic and historical Democratic Convention last week, or the surprising and feisty Republican Convention this week, here I am blogging about fantasy football. (Although, for the record, the Game On phrase definitely applies to the presidential campaign as well!)

Now, I'm definitely not the biggest football fan or expert on earth. And after a certain orange-clad college football team lost miserably last weekend after much UNdeserved hype, I don't even have a decent team to root for! Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, saving me heartache and disappointment?) my college was without a football team...GO KOALAS! And I have been known to give a certain boyfriend much slack for his obsession with "coaching" his "imaginary" teams. So with such little experience, why would I decide to play fantasy football??!!!

Well if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right? My fantasy league, "How to Beat a Guy in 10 Days," is entering it's 3rd season. It was an effort to see what the fantasy football hype was all about, and to have something to talk to the opposite sex about during the months of September-January! As I've come to learn, southern girls know and love their football more than you may think.

My team's name, Pinkisthenewfootball was inspired by a fun blog that I used to read regularly, pinkisthenewblog.com. The first year of fantasy play was a blur. I think I finished in the middle of the pack. Last year started off miserably as I was dead last in our draft. But I fought back hard from last place, and upset a few teams before the end of out season.

This year's draft started out on a better note. I was first in the draft this year and have a good looking team. It should be an interesting year as we try to knock the two-time winning team, QB wears Prada, off her high-horse. (And I mean that in the nicest possible way!)

The season starts tonight, so wish me luck! I have a tough match-up this weekend against New Kid On the Block.