Harry Potter, Super Bowl & Underwear!

Indianapolis Colts you just lost the super bowl? what are you going to do now?...Go to Harry Potter World!

– Super Bowl Party People from last night.

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Now i don't know everything about football. but i know enough.

i play on a co-ed rec team. we've never made it past the first round of playoffs, but with the saints winning last night, i have faith.

i'm sure every blog post today will somehow reference the super bowl. and i wont be any different. a lot of people i spoke to were cheering for the colts to win. i didn't have a preference till i read @MikeAmmo post yesterday on who he's cheering for.

Picking the Colts cause of Payton's commercial exposure is a solid reason, i suppose. but i did have an emotional attachment to this years super bowl. New Orleans really needed a win. having never been to the super bowl and dealing with hurricane Katrina...they were the underdog. and being a browns fan, i'm always drawn to the underdog.

With the start of the super bowl i feared i had chosen the wrong team. but after the saints pulled off that onside kick i knew they had a chance at bringing home a win.

the commercials, meh. the fact that there were a lot of men in underwear got me thinking. i know there was suppose to be a commercial advertising an "e-harmony" for same sex couples and that didn't air. so maybe there was some conspiracy that caused all the other commercials to show men in manties. (men+panties=manties).

but after all was said and done, payton blew it. its always the QBs fault. and i'm proud to post the first issue of Payton on the cover of Shambles Magazine.

 

So, if the saints can make it to, and win, the superbowl. i have faith that the Browns will be there before we know it.

oh, and a guy at the party i was at last night brought up a good point...if Baltimore would've kept the Colts the Browns would've never eventually left.

in bazaar-O world, the Browns would've been at super bowl XLIV. 

What did you all think of Super Bowl XLIV?

Ay Bay Bay!

A Harvard Medical School study has determined that recal thermometers are still the best way to tell a baby's temperature. Plus, it really teaches the baby who's boss. 
– Tina Fey

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I'm not a big fan of kids.
i mean, i'll entertain them for a little and they make me laugh, but they also make me cranky. especially if i don't know the baby. nothing annoys me more than being in a public place with a crying baby.

however, if i'm with you and your baby is crying, i'll probably laugh at you and then go buy an icee and keep myself entertained. i'm the type of person that could be the permanent aunt. i'll spoil them for a day, maybe two, then send them back home all sugared up and with some toys.

I've done my share of babysitting. which is a sure way to make you feel old. like, this past holiday season, i see kids i used to babysit drinking, driving, smoking and making dirty jokes...usually not all at once. OLD.

oh, and i used to babysit my step-sisters (when they were in diapers)...before there was ever a whisper that they would be apart of my future family tree. they're 18 and 19. OLD.

or, i've been at Adcom now for 5 years. i remember when some of my co-workers kids were 2, or not even born. OLD.

but nothing compares to when your friends have kids. and you get to watch them grow-up before your eyes. like my friend Ryan and his daughter Audrey...she's going to be 4. 4-years-old!!! i can't believe it. OLD.

and now, another close friend of mine just had a baby girl. Vacey Jane. Here she is in the blanket i got her.

i can't help but think she's making a poo in this picture

originally i wanted to get her some pink chucks. but i was forced to get something off the registry decided against it. i'll wait till she's 4, walking and causing all sorts of trouble.

yeah, fatty, she's going to be a trouble maker. i'll make sure of that.

So, welcome to the world Vacey. you have two great parents that might just be the coolest parents on the planet.

what are your thoughts on kids? have any? want any?

Casi-NO, more like Casi-YES!

Gambling: The sure way of getting nothing from something.
 – Wilson Mizner 

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So this weekend was there was an impromtu ski weekend in Ellicottville, NY. it came about with me inviting AJP and myself to Jesse's condo for the weekend.

we arrived shortly after 11pm on frida and had a few drinks. with Jesse telling us that we'd be up at 7:30 to hit the slopes at 8:30 for the first run...a little slacking took place but we made it on the lift by 9am. morning skiing is so awesome. it was perfect conditions and then around noon the sun came out and the clouds disappeared!

here is a picture from last year at Holiday Valley

Not to be confused with this picture from this year at Holiday Valley

The skiing was awesome. but most importantly was the company. 

Me, Kramer, Hatchel, AJP, Jesse and Bryan

 

after a full day of skiing and some drinking a nap was in order. it was awesome. i woke up to all the guys yelling at the tv cause of some stupid call during an NFL playoff game. plans were being finalized and jen and i got ready to hit up Kramers outdoor hot tub.

i've only been in an outdoor hot tub once...back in highschool...for new years eve...don't look into it. but this time it was fabulous. we had some Yeungling and Coors, Fitchko and Kramer had their cigars and we all had the clear night ski above us.

after all that awesomeness we still needed to get ready, eat and hit up some local bars. We started at Cadillac Jacks...i was so dehydrated i almost went home and back to bed. but after a few tall glasses of water and everyone making fun of my ID picture i was quickly put in a better mood. Oh, and lets not forget about the Crown Royal bag the bartender gave me. SCORE!

After CJ's we headed over to Mulligans where we dance, requested songs, did shots, played pool and judged people and their outfits. its now 2am and the bars are closing. we need a cab. but not to just drive back to Jesse's, oh no. its now officially time to go to the Casinos. Seneca Casino, on an indian reservation.

Casino? CasiYES! we got a cab to take us there and he promised to pick us up at 5am. 5am! so we get there and AJP and i kinda learn to play craps. we get to throw the dice and lose Kramers money. all the while drinking for free.

that is until 4am comes around. they stop serving at 4 on saturday nights/sunday mornings, and don't start again till noon. So, having drank and slept most of the day, what does one do when there is no more booze? sleep some more. yep.

that's right, i plopped my but right on the ground next to the craps table and closed my eyes. funny how you get yelled at for eating in the casino, but not sleeping...at least not until i woke up and they made me move. so me, jen and captain walked around the casino waiting for 5am to come around and for our cab to show up...well lucky for us he did show up...at 5:30ish. i slept the whole ride back and then went straight to bed thinking how i had a 3 hour drive ahead of me in a few hours.

i woke up surprisingly not hungover and jen and i were on the road by 1pm.

it was an awesome trip and we had a ton of fun. it made us that much more excited for Colorado, which is 6 weeks away!!!!

Jesse, please invite us back.
CLE, i'm really worried about having casino's here, mainly because i'll want to spend all my friends money.

Do you ski? board? how far have you gone east/west?

PS. i didn't not come up with Casi-NO, Casi-YES. so i must not take credit.

Happy Birthday Wishes.

The secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly and lie about your age.– Lucille Ball 

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First off i want to wish Jenn Vojta a Happy Birthday! (Even though it was last week, it is now forever in cyberspace).

Her actual birthday was Wednesday, January 6th. and let me say, i was not a happy camper on Thursday. We started with a happy hour at D'Vine wine, where on Wednesday's they have 1/2 price flights of wine. after about 10 of us got 2 flights each the crowd started thinning. Only 4 remained. Me, Jen Page, Sara and the birthday girl.

What are 4 girls going to do downtown in the middle of the week with tons of wine swirling in their heads? Go to Nauti Mermaid of course!

We got some booze, food and more booze. we played songs on the digital juke-box. and we celebrated. but the night wasn't just about JV's birth. we also go to celebrate Sara's new adventure...she got a new job at Chartreuse. we are all super excited and happy for her, but i can't help but feel selfish and wish she were staying at Adcom. 

We've be pod-mates for so long now, i will be sad and lonely when she's gone. still i wish her nothing but the best! Chartreuse is probably the most perfect fit for her! 

so with being a week behind in my blogging i'll be skipping the crazyness that was saturday, better yet you can read what The Plum wrote about JV's saturday birthday celebration!

i hope you have a great and safe weekend. i'll be skiing my brains out at holiday valley this weekend!

(PS. another special happy birthday to Jenna, my little sis who just turned 19. enjoy it!)

letters for the new year.

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right. 
– Oprah Winfrey 

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Dear 2010: i look forward to being 10 times as awesome as 2009 with 10 time more new friends, hobbies and parties!

Dear Low Fat Cream Cheese: you taste like cardboard, i'm going back to regular. 

Dear Downtown YMCA members: if you're using the treadmill to walk and your NOT using an incline, please get off so i can run my 5k. kthnxbai.

Dear Harry Potter 7: i can't wait to finish you. you complete me. 

Dear World Peace: Be somebody.

Dear New Sewing Machine: i know your still in the box, but i'm going to jo-anne's tonight to get supplies for you.

Dear LeBron James/Cavs: please please please bring a championship to Cleveland. i promise not to go to any more games, as you tend to lose in my presence.

Dear Bank Account: please stay full of monies as i have numerous trips to go on this year.

hope you all had a great, fabulous and safe new years!

Giving Makes Me Smile

I have found that paradox, that if you until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love. 
– Mother Theresa

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The most favorite part of the holidays, for me, is seeing everyone's eyes light up with joy and happyness when they see how awesome my gift giving abilities are.

i swear, my gifts totally rock.

last year my brother was on a Where the Wild Things Are kick, mainly cause the movie previews started coming out...so i made him this...

Yes. It's the bottom of an old skate board that i painted by hand to look like the famous scene in the book.


So this year...instead of being super creative and i decided to do more shopping for people then making...

plus, working at South Park Mall for CLE Clothing Co. got me in the mood to shop. Among other things, but for another time.

Mainly my gifts were t-shirts from CLE, but i did come up with one amazing idea.

Build-A-Bear. For Grannie-Annie.

a quick background. there are four grandkids, me, my brother Mike and my two cousins, Kevin and Kristi. Grannie-Annie calls us the Get-Along-Gang cause we grew up together and actually, for the most part, got along.

and like any grandma, she spoiled us rotten. and she has a million pictures of us. she calls the pictures "her little people". "i miss my little people" she'll say over the phone. past gifts to Grannie-Annie have included: a blanket with all our names embordered on it, a 4-picture locket with all our pictures, picture trees, anything and everything that can hold any sort of picture of us. it makes her melt when she sees all 4 of us together...which, now only happens around the holidays.

because...my kick-ass cousin Kristi is the next Mother Theresa, true story. she would give up her college spring breaks to go down south and build houses, she raised money for habitat for humanity by biking (cycling) across America for 3 months...she is currently living in Mississippi partaking in her first year of Teach-For-America.

but back to my awesome gift giving skills. while walking through the mall to go to the CLE Holiday Shop, i walked by Build-A-Bear. and i knew i would have fun in that store playing dress-up with a stuffed animal. So i decided right then to get the Get-Along-Gang together and make bears for Grannie-Annie. it was really hard trying to schedule time when we could all get together...but the time finally came on Tuesday of Christmas week. Good thing the Mall was open till 11, cause it took us all about 45 minutes to make our bears, dress them and figure out how to get them birth certificates. We decided to make our bears to look like each of us. So then Grannie-Annie could have all her "little people" all the time and not just look at pictures...i mean who wants to cuddle with a picture frame.

we decided the best way to give these mini versions of ourselves to Grannie-Annie as the very last gift of the day.

she opened one bear house at a time and loved every single one to pieces. i'm pretty sure there were a few tears.

Grannie-Annie with her Get-Along-Gang and our respected versions of ourselves as bears.

it was really one of the greatest gifts we could've given her. she just beamed the rest of the day. and after all the commotion said "i can't wait to show my friend Bea what you guys did for me"

tear.

Grannie-Annie, it is our pleasure to make you so happy and proud of all of us. we love you higher than the sky.

so peeps. what did you get, give, enjoy this holiday season?

Popularity Contest

This was for them. I just wanted to let them know how much I appreciate them. It was a moment like this that you want to share with them. I hope the people in Cleveland enjoy this one because they deserve it.

– Phil Dawson

 (pointing to the Dawg Pound after the victory and spent a few moments honoring them)

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In order for the Browns to win, i need to work a full day, wear my Cribbs jersey, drink christmas ale and miller lite and be at blind pig...i think i can handle that.

Last night my awesome friends and i were at blind pig. Alexa was able to grab some miller lite VIP passes from two strangers (thank you) that allowed us to drink miller lite and eat for free...fun times then, rough times now.

i'm not sure if i can talk about the upcoming competition between Alexa and Tripp...who's Tripp? oh, just my friend Hartzel who looks like this guy

Tripp Vanderbilt from Gossip Girl

but the fact that some stranger went up to Alexa last night at Blind Pig and asked if she was the Plum...sorry dude...you are gonna lose.

have a great weekend.