Tonight, I was at Yankee Stadium for the last baseball game that will ever be played here. It was a last minute decision and a very expensive one at that, but I'm glad I did it. I will never forget this day and I will be eternally grateful to my best friend Charlie who woke me up this morning and harrassed me until finally convincing me to go. We spent the entire afternoon at the stadium, exploring every square foot of it that we were permitted access to, and a few places we weren't ;-). We got to walk onto the field and stroll through monument park. We stood where our childhood heroes stood, where our father's heroes stood, and their father's heroes too. We got to see some of the greatest ballplayers of all time; Yogi Berra & Whitey Ford of years long past, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera of more recent times, all in one place. We got to salute those who are no longer with us like Joe D., The Mick, Lou Gerhig, Phil Rizzuto, Thurmon Munson and of course The Babe. Afterwards, 'The Captain' Derek Jeter gave a little speech about what it meant to be a Yankee and play in that legendary Stadium, and honored us all, the fans. Then he led the team around the field so we could all get one last look at them as we were all serenaded by Frank Sinatra singing New York, New York. All the while flashbulbs popped and fans roared. It was a surreal night, it was a great night.
No one wanted to leave when it was over. Not the players and not the fans. We all stuck around, some of us for hours.

Oh yeah, there was also a game played. The Yankees won 7-3, and as he has done hundreds of times before Mariano Rivera closed the show with a 1,2,3 9th inning.

Simply Awesome.

[ add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |   ( 3.5 / 20 )

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Well today was interesting!

We had our first official preseason game today. It was against a team we won't be seeing in the regular season, which is good. It doesn't give a team a chance to get a sneak preview of what we have in store for them!

The team we played was located in Brooklyn (The Bulldogs), which is also good, since I also live in Brooklyn, and their home field was very close by. Only about a 20 minute drive, thru some of the busiest streets in the city. Unfortunately, my boy Charlie had softball in the morning, and the second game of his double header went into extra innings. Since I was driving us to the game, I got stuck waiting for him. Needless to say, we wound up showing up late for the game. It wasn't a huge deal since it was preseason, and we had planned to have the other QB play the first half. But still, I HATE being late for stuff, especially my Football games.

The game itself was pretty sloppy. It was hot out and both teams looked out of sync. In the second half we got an interception and a good return, and one play later I turned it into a 26 yard TD pass on a nice little slant corner route. That gave us a 7-6 lead. Later on, we drove down to around their 20 and kicked a Field Goal, and on the next drive we hit a big play, a 60 yard TD on a straight Go route. The game ended 17-6, and ugly win for sure...but it sure beats a pretty loss any day of the week!

As for my shoulder, it was hurting pretty bad. Much worse than last week. I'd been doing a series of routines in order to strengthen the muscles around the shoulder for the last 2 months, and then stopped the week leading up to last weeks game. I figured the rest would be good, and didn't want to risk it being sore or "tired". It seemed to work out last week, so I did the same thing this week. It didn't work to as I've been hurting all night. Fortunately, I was able to avoid the Vicodin and Percocet which is how I got through my spring league. I put on some Bio Freeze gel, it's like a ben gay or tiger balm, but I believe it was originally created to treat TMJ aka Lockjaw. It worked well enough that I was able to not require pills tonight... at least not yet.

I also decided that maybe I need to go back to my workout, so I did just that. I started it at around 1:30am, which is weird I know. I finished about 45 minutes ago (about 2:15am). That wore me out and required another coat of Bio Freeze, but hopefully it will help prepare me for next week's game, which is also in Brooklyn, against the Blue Devils. They're a good young team that should be a stiffer test than we had today.





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Apparently Shuni has added a cute little script that emails you when you haven't posted to your blog in a while. And then emails you again...and again. So fine! I'm posting something, now leave me alone...PLEASE!

Since I'm here I may as well write something informative and interesting. Let's see, what's new with me?

Oh yeah, I've decided to test out my shoulder again. For those that don't know, I tore it up pretty bad a few months back. I'm pretty sure I needed surgery, but I've been stalling in the hopes that it heals enough that I can go on without being cut open, at least for a while longer. It was so bad for a while that I couldn't sleep at night without the aid of Vicodin or Percocet. Thankfully that ended, for a while at least.

Anyway, I decided to try a workout routine in order to build strength and flexibility in the muscles around the shoulder, figuring it would help. Since I was done playing ball for a while I thought it was a good a time as any as there wouldn't be any undue strain on it.

Well, this past weekend I finally put it to the test. I was asked to play in an All Star game. For those that don't know, I play Semi-Pro football, and have played it since 1994. Since they were playing all star rules (minimal blitzing)I figured it was the safest game I could play with a helmet on.

It was a hot day, high 90s and humid. But that may have helped! I had a great game and every pass that I threw was right on target with the exception of one that I got hit as I was releasing the ball. I threw 3 TDs and we won 35-7, and the game really wasn't even that close.

As good as I felt during the game though, I knew the real test would follow. On the ride home my shoulder hurt a bit, but not enough to require pain meds. After a shower and food, it felt a bit better. And when I went to bed I was fine. The next day my entire body was sore, but that was just regular soreness from playing in the heat and for the first time in months. While not anywhere near 100%, the shoulder did pass it's first test. And since I played so well, a number of teams have contacted me about playing. So another test appears to be on the horizon. Matter of fact, I may be playing a game this coming Sunday. Wish me luck!

Test #2 will probably be more difficult, but I feel up to the challenge.

I'll let you know how it goes.

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Hmph, apparently my Embarrassing Host Pictures series of posts is not garnering the response I had hoped for. Perhaps I overestimated the fun factor. I may have to consider cancelling the series if there isn't any improvement.



[ 1 comment ] ( 7 views )   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |   ( 3.1 / 21 )

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It's been a while since I last posted an embarrassing picture of one of our Hosts. Enjoy!





This one was taken at a bar in Jersey. The place was very dark and the original picture was mostly just a black blur. Thanks and much love to Hoshi for cleaning it up enough to see our buddy about to puke after drinking way too much!

Oh and feel free to take a guess at who it is! Anyone who was there that night should NOT spoil it for everyone else.

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Yes, it's true!

The other night I met up with Esrom and Hoshi and we hung out, drank a little, had a decent tex-mex dinner and most importantly...played Guitar Hero!

And we played...and played...and played. For about 4 hours. It was a lot of fun, especially since I'm only just learning how to play and it was only like my 3rd time. Esrom is pretty good at it, which makes sense since she also plays a REAL guitar quite well.

I think, we are going to have to have it at Shore Leave this year. Yes indeed. I have all 4 of the GH games, and I'm sure we will have others who play it attending, so we should have a few "guitars" for multiplayer battles and cooperative gaming.

I think it's gonna rule!

[ 5 comments ] ( 31 views )   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |   ( 3 / 24 )

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The Return of Embarrassing Host Photos! With a twist!

This is just toooooo funny to pass up. I'm sorry bud, but it's my civic duty to post this.







Write Your Own Caption!

Funniest one wins a prize. Oh...and you have to also know which FSF Host this is.

I am the Judge!

[ add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |   ( 2.9 / 27 )

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A few weeks ago I had to step in and take over the Host Training program due to out Training Director needing a LOA. We were way behind at the time I stepped in and had 4 people in the queue. I decided to enlist some help and found two very qualified people I could work with, but before getting them set up, I decided to get the trainees started so they wouldn't have to wait any longer. Well, things have gone better than I expected and 2 of the 4 have already completed their training and have been hired! It was a pain at first, but once I got the process rolling, it wasn't so bad. Now, I just have to get my two buddies started so we have a full "Training Staff". I think in the long run this will be an improvement for the program, not just from the perspective of having backups in case someone needs time off, but also as a way to keep more Hosts involved in the non simming aspects of the group and as a way to lessen the workload when we do have a number of trainees in the pipeline.

Woohoo!

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Heh...I got a couple of those annoying "You Haven't Used Your Blog In This Many Months" emails. So I guess I better post here before it gets closed down. Damn Shuni and his efficiency!

Anyway, I may as well update you guys on the stuff from my last post back in July. My life is still very hectic, but a few of the issues have been resolved. Yeah I know, I'm a tease for not saying more but

On the FSF Front, I have been able to make up for Shore Leave to an extent. I went out with Lowell, Enki, Ku and Esrom for a night of barhopping. It was a lot of fun and no one lost an eye.

Then a few weeks ago I met up with Enki, Ku and Esrom at a bar Enki was helping DJ at. Again we had fun, even though lowell pussed out on us like a punk. The best part though, was that Enki had a "Falk Moment", winning the night's lampshade award. He got wasted and had to be tended to like a sick baby. I have some pictures that I have to post. Again though...no one lost an eye. Maybe next time!

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It's been a while since I've posted so here is a little update.

It's been a pretty bad last couple of weeks. A few things happened that caused me to miss out on Shore Leave this year, which really sucked because I had been planning it for a year. Unfortunately, real life kicked my ass pretty good on a few fronts and the combination of events was just too much to overcome. I feel bad for the people who went and were expecting me there. I hope I can make it up to them.

Ugh, ever wish you could go back in time and undo something? I sure as hell do.

[ add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |   ( 3.2 / 42 )

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Wow, no comments on Falk's pic?

*taps screen* Is this thing on?

Guess I'll have to make next month's pic more entertaining.

[ 1 comment ] ( 6 views )   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |   ( 3.1 / 37 )

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And here he is just moments later! And no, the picture isn't messed up, that is actually HIM that is all blurry !



Seems Falk had an "Allergic Reaction" to the Rum.

Right...

[ 4 comments ] ( 16 views )   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |   ( 3 / 47 )

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Due to the overwhelming response I've received (all positive...well almost all), I am thinking about doing a monthly thing featuring an embarassing photo of FSF Command, and maybe some Hosts as well (since there are only so many in FSF Command, and many won't send me embarassing pics).

What do you guys think? Post a comment and let me know. I already know what next month's picture will be. *eg*

(HINT: It's the person sprawled out on the floor, in the post below)

[ 4 comments ] ( 15 views )   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |   ( 3.2 / 36 )

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Catchy name for a post eh? I thought so. And so did you since you're here looking. Well I don't want to disappoint you so here!



Yes, that IS Margo's Butt. I should know since I took that picture myself. If you look real close, you might be able to see another FSF Host and Fleet Command member lying on the ground at her feet.

Guess who it is, and I'll reward all of you with another humorous picture!

[ 10 comments ] ( 58 views )   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |   ( 3.2 / 46 )

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Ok, it's been two months of self imposed exile from my blog. I've decided to give it one last chance. Besides, I have some stuff I want to post!

I went to Reno again for the trade show and also got to meet one of the long time Stargazers who also happens to be a great person. So I want to write about that, and post some of the pics we took.

Also, I want to post a few embarrassing shots of a number of individuals. Mostly for comedic value, but also to remind everyone that Shore Leave is coming around again! And I'd love to have an even larger FSF turnout than last year.

Plus, I just want to rant a little

Stay Tuned!

[ 1 comment ] ( 9 views )   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |   ( 3.2 / 49 )

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This is probably going to be my last post to this blog. I am just fed up with losing posts. The latest incident just took place a few minutes ago. I wrote a huge post recapping the super bowl and when I tried to preview, it just disappeared. I'm sorry, I really enjoy posting here and reading what other people write but I won't deal with it anymore. I've spent hours writing posts here and they are gone, most notably my Shore Leave posts.

Maybe one day I will return, when these issues are resolved. Happy blogging everyone.

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Bah, work has been crazy the last couple of weeks, so I haven't really had a chance to stay on top of this Blog thing, which kinda sucks.

Anyway, I wound up going 9-1 for the playoffs this year, with my only loss coming in the NFC Championship game. I figured it would be a close game, I couldn't believe that the Saints would turn the ball over so many times, or that they would put Frank Thomas back on the field to get burned time and time again. Both things happened, and the Bears defense has carried them to the Superbowl!

This matchup is very interesting in it's contrasts. You have one of the top quarterbacks of this generation in Peyton Manning going up against the great Chicago Bears defense. On the other side of the ball, the much maligned Rex Grossman is facing the consistently inconsistent Colts defense which has gotten a huge boost from Safety Bob Sanders, who returned for the playoffs after being out for the last 3 months due to injury.

My gut keeps telling me the Colts are going to win this, and that in large part is because I WANT them to win. I want to see Manning shut everyone up and play great. Plus, watching the Colts offense when its clicking is just so much fun. The Bears on the other hand, are kind of boring on offense. Grossman is NOT accurate, and their gameplan is basically "Run the ball and don't let Rex lose the game for us". They take about 5 or 6 shots downfield with long passes, but besides that it's painful to watch for me. Defensively of course, they are much better. They are aggressive ballhawks who try to force a turnover on every play. Brian Urlacher is one of the best MLBs in the game, and a true leader. The Bears also have an edge in the return game with Devin Hester, a rookie from Miami who scored 6 TDs between Kickoff, Punt and Missed FG returns. He could be an X-Factor. Both teams have good kickers in Vinatieri and Gould, but the Colts get the edge there since Vinatieri has the experience in the clutch.

The old axiom has always been "Defense Wins Championships", and that could definitely be the case. If the Bears D dominates, then I think they will win easily in a blowout. If they can't force turnovers though, then I pick the Colts in a close game. The 7 point spread from Vegas is totally out of control, the ONLY way the Colts cover is if Rex implodes, and I just don't see the Bears coaches allowing that to happen. He will manage the game, like Trent Dilfer and not take chances. Or so the Bears hope. The Bears D is too good to let Manning have a big day, so that will keep the game close. If they get the turnovers though, look out...the Bears will win by 20 or more.

Honestly, I think the first quarter will tell you what kind of game this will be. If the Bears force early turnovers, the route will be on and the Colts will become one dimensional, forcing more interception and sack opportunities for the Bears. If they don't, then I think the game will take on the look of an old style prize fight, with the teams slugging it out to the end. I am HOPING for that type of game, and in the spirit of that hope I pick the Colts in a close game.

I apologize in advance to my good friends in Chicago who will no doubt hate me if this prediction is correct. I like Chicago, I just like the Colts more. And on the plus side...if the Bears come out and crush the Colts, you will be able to throw it in my face!

Colts: 31
Bears: 27

[ 2 comments ] ( 5 views )   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |   ( 2.9 / 67 )

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Wow, it was a close call but I wound up going 4-0 this weekend with my playoff picks! The Bears had me nervous and the Pats had me to the point where I had already accepted their loss, before Brady stepped out of the phone booth and saved the day, with a lot of help from some boneheaded Chargers.

I will give a more detailed game by game analysis later in the week, as well as my picks for the Conference Championship games. Until then, have fun!

[ 1 comment ] ( 4 views )   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |   ( 3 / 74 )

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1) Patriots at Chargers

This is in my opinion the game where the visitor has the best chance to win. The Pats are coming off a sub par season for them, but once again here they are 2 games from another Superbowl. Tom Brady is THE big game QB and I consider him the best in the league. Defensively they are always difficult to beat with their schemes and tough as nails players. The Chargers are the best all around team in the NFL with the best player in Ladanian Tomlinson. They also have one of the best defensive players in Shawn Merriman.

I just can't see a way that a "Rookie" (he's been in the league for 3 years, but this is his first season as a starter) is going to beat a Bill Belicek defense. He will be confused by the looks, coverages and blitzes. He is a kid, so will take chances and make mistakes if those become turnovers San Diego is in big trouble. On top of that the Chargers coach, Marty Schottenheimer, makes Peyton Manning look like a postseason superstar. He always has great regular seasons but always gets too conservative when it counts and appears to play more 'not to lose' then playing to win. The only thing that bothers me is that the Pats don't have mister automatic, Adam Vinatieri kicking those clutch FGs.

I believe in Brady! I think the Pats will rough up Rivers and limit LT. They should win a relatively close game, as long as they don't require a last second FG to win it.


2) Seahawks at Bears

Bears have an awesome defense that has been hurting as of late due to injuries and off the field issues. They have the best special teams and lead the league in TDs scored by defense and special teams. The big question mark is their QB. Rex Grossman can be great, or he can be horrible. If this game depends on him...Chicago has no shot. The Seahawks are decimated in their secondary and should have lost last week, if not for the butterfingers of Tony Romo. But they do have Shawn Alexander, a gret Running Back recovering from a broken foot. He could go off for a big game and carry Seattle, but I don't expect that.

The Bears are just too strong, and the Seahawks too banged up. The only chance Seattle has is to keep it close and wait for Grossman to hand them the game. Otherwise, I see Chicago winning big.



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The playoff matchups are interesting this year, and the games should all be close and fun to watch. Here are my breakdowns and picks.

1) Colts at Ravens

This is a tough one to pick. The Colts are obvious underdogs due to their porous defense, Peyton's history of playoff collapses and being on the road. The Ravens have a great defense and a rejuvenated offense with Steve McNair at QB. The game will come down to the running game. Whichever team can run it effectively will win. I don't expect Manning to have a great game, he is just too nervous during the playoffs and often outthinks himself. The Ravens won't win passing either because the Colts play a cover 2 umbrella coverage that keeps everything in front of them. Running the ball and turnovers will determine this outcome.

I like Manning and hope he can finally stop choking in the playoffs. I pick the Colts in a tight game.

2) Eagles at Saints

The Saints are flying high with Drew Brees at the helm and Reggie Bush providing a spark. The Eagles have Jeff Garcia filling in admirably for Donovan McNabb and the always dangerous Brian Westbrook running and catching the ball. The Eagles will be without Lito Shephard, their pro bowl caliber Cornerback, so I expect them to blitz more in order to protect that side from being exploited. The Saints defense is underrated and pretty good. The home crowd will be going nuts as they see the Saints resurgence as a symbol of hope for hurricane ravaged New Orleans.

I expect the Saints to come out firing and maybe make some early mistakes. But I think they will outclass the Eagles and Jeff "Cindarella" Garcia will turn into a pumpkin.The game will be close only if the Saints have some early game jitters. Otherwise they should roll to a convincing win. At least a two score margin.

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back.

What did you think I was going to say?


I've been dealing with some excruciating pain and stiffness in my lower back this past week. Worst I've had in years. For most of the week it's been so bad that I've limited my movement to a minimum during the day. Thankfully the job I'm on this week hasn't required too much climbing, and what little of it there was, my partner handled.

Yeah, this one was another football related injury. We played this past Sunday morning and I guess I didn't stretch enough, or I just overdid things. It was very cold out and I was already recovering from another injury (strained ribcage), which may have also played a part. Playing both sides of the ball may have also contributed, as I not only played my usual position of QB, but also played CB (cornerback) this week.

During our first defensive series I knew something was wrong. I felt pain on the left side of my lower back from my spine to about halfway around my waist. There are some dense muscles there and I guess that is what I strained. After that series I let the coach know that I was in pain and might have to be pulled out, but that I would try to muddle through. He was obviously concerned.

I continued and played the entire game, though in visible discomfort. It helped that I was constantly playing because it kept the muscles warm. While there was a lot of pain, I didn't notice much of a loss of mobility, so I kept playing. If it's just pain I can play thru it, but if it was going to restrict me from being able to do my job, I would have pulled myself out.

In the end, we won 48-8. We completely dominated them. After the game I went to Charlie's and we sat in the jacuzzi for over an hour. That helped, or so I thought. But once I got home and relaxed all of the muscles tightened up and the real pain began. I could barely move and considered not going into work for the next few days. The thing is, I rarely miss work, it's some sort of obsession I guess, if I can move I can work!

Anyway, as the week went along the pain has subsided gradually. Between some rest and the heating pad I have a little more mobility and a little less pain. I just don't think I will be back to normal by this Sunday (tomorrow), and we have another game. I already informed the coach that I will be there, but unless there is a major improvement, I'll just be a spectator. I just hope that we are beating up on our next opponent, otherwise I will be tempted to play.

Getting old sucks.


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Well tonight was a strange night on the Stargazer...

We had probably our lowest turnout in years, like 9 people. We had a lot of people out sick and at least 3 with computer issues. Funny how that happens a week after a great turnout eh?

Anyway the sim was puttering along nicely when BAM!!!! It became a disturbing image of the horrors of war as one side (the side we were allied with) used a devastating weapon that butchered our enemy within moments. The reaction was what I expected, the Gazer characters were appalled. That's good, since I don't think a Federation Officer would take pleasure in such brutality, even if the victims Romulans that were responsible for a lot of misery and were shooting at us!

I can't wait to see how the characters involved will react on After Dark over the coming week. Should be interesting.

Hmmm, now that I think about it...I do wonder if the choice of plot and some of our twists and turns are in any way related to the current state of affairs regarding the War in Iraq. It's very possible, even though I definitely did not set out to make any kind of statement in that regard. Maybe it's just some kind of subconscious reaction to all of the madness going on in that part of the world over the last few years.

It's something to think about I guess.

[ add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |   ( 3.1 / 69 )

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Ugh, I felt like someone tore out my intestines watching the game end the way it did. The media appointed savior of the Parcells Cowboys, Tony Romo...dropped the ball as he was placing it for the game winning field goal(more like an extra point). Just dropped it! He almost turned the flub into a great game winning play, but he was tackled just short of the first down and touchdown. So, the Cowboys lose a heartbreaker of a game that they should have won, even though they really didn't deserve it. Not that it was all his fault, they couldn't convert on 3rd and inches earlier, they had two fumbles by receivers, one resulting in a safety and subsequent TD. It was right there, and the savior choked.

Let's face it, they aren't a very good team. They just happen to be in a very mediocre Conference. Offensive Line stinks, quarterback is exciting but not too smart with the ball, when he isn't fumbling it (9 fumbles in the last 3 games, to go along with like 5 or 6 interceptions). No running game, and Terrell Owens. The most overrated player in the NFL, league leader in dropped passes, excuses and people thrown under the bus. He's a poison that isn't even in the top 5 at his position. I can't wait till he is gone. Defensively, they aren't much better although they played ok for most of the game last night. The biggest problem is their secondary, especially Roy Williams the Safety. He is a perrenial Pro Bowler, but can't cover for crap. All they did was throw to whomever they saw him lined up against, and they never missed. If TO is the most overrated Offensive player, Williams is the most overrated defensively. Add Mike Vanderjagt to the mix and Jerry Jones hit the trifecta. Great job...

God I long for the days of Jimmy Johnson patrolling those sidelines. Yeah, another of Jones's genius decisions. Idiot.


As they always say; "Maybe next year."



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Last night we held the first Gazer sim of the new year and it pretty much kicked @$$. Lots of action as the climactic battle with Trelvyn's forces has begun.

Attendance was strong and we've picked up two new players who joined the sim last night, rounding out the Medical Department. One is a former Gazer department head who has returned after a couple of years. The other is someone Duke brought by who simmed in FSF a few years ago. Both played well and will be strong additions to the game. The last month or two we've been fortunate and picked up 4 or 5 very good players who are also very dedicated. 2007 looks like it may be one of the best for the sim considering the crew we have right now. I really look forward to seeing what they can do every Wednesday!

I've been thinking about trying some more "spec-ops" type missions this year. Usually I try to limit the amount of battle type sims and concentrate more on character development and problem solving RPs since the crew has always been so strong that it doesn't seem fair to simply hold battle sims every week. But, it's been a while since we've seen a lot of "action" and the Gazers seem to be enjoying the recent challenges, so I'll try to figure out some missions with more opportunity for conflict, without making it a weekly bloodfest. Maybe something where there will be "decision points", pivotal moments where someone has a choice; one leading to conflict another being a peaceful resolution, etc. We've done stuff like that before both here and on the Stennis, with great success. Needless to say, most times whether by accident or design, the choices have led to battle. It's just a variation of what I do now anyway, laying out a framework and reacting to the actions of the players. It's fun, and it shows them that every choice they make will have consequences, sometimes tragic ones.

Can you tell I'm excited about the 2007 Stargazer season?

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Just testing out the time options thingy since mine is off by like 3 hours.

***EDIT*** It's working now!

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Wow, it's been months since I've posted here. Many months, though not nearly as many as it seems since a whole slew of posts were wiped out by a hackers a few months back. Including my major Shore Leave posts where I chonicled the adventures of a group of FSFers in Baltimore where we attended the annual Sci-Fi convention and indulged in all types of craziness. Great posts with lots of accompanying pictures. Ugh, hackers suck.

After the posts were wiped out I basically stopped blogging. But now I will reconsider this decision and maybe even try to replace some of the missing posts, or at least the Shore Leave ones. I can also give a summary of what has gone on in my life since since June, which has been substantial.

Football, Relationships, Travel, Family, Simming, FSF...all kinds of changes in almost every aspect of my life. Most good some bad, and even a little ugly! ;)

Stay Tuned!

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Wow, it's been weeks since I've last posted. This is like the second long gap between posts, so I guess the novelty of the Blog is wearing off for me. I figured that would happen...Get all into it for a few weeks, then it tapers off. Oh well, I'll try to post more consistently, but I can't make any promises.

The last few weeks have been hectic. Work's been a pain in the butt, lots of OT. Which means a good amount of extra $$$$, but less time for other stuff, like rest!

FSF stuff has been hectic too. There was a new sim admission, Deep Space 9. It's a good sim with good Hosts, but there were some issues. The vote was very close, but it was admitted. Now we have a new game! Woohoo! There is also some talk of more games coming into FSF over the next couple of months.

Stargazer has been kicking ass, as usual. After Dark saw a bit of a drop off in posts, but with the holiday and a few people having personal issues, I don't expect it to last long. The Chat sim has been great though, and we've been running almost 2 hours for the last couple of months. We have also picked up a couple more good players, one a Host, another a former Host who is also one of the original Gazers. We've also picked up someone new to the FSF, so we've got a nice mix of additions.

With the new sim DS9 running at the same time as us, and its setting being a Space Station, I'm thinking about a joint sim. I don't know why, but I just like the idea of doing joint sims every once in a while. I mentioned it to the new Host, Icon, and he seemed excited about the idea. We'll probably wait until after this plot, and see where his plot is, before doing it. I'd also still like to have the SFMC: Angels of Death Marines come and visit us. They would fit in nicely with the current plot, and it would be cool. Besides that it should help them get more exposure, and will increase the AD activity short term. I gotta speak to Omni and Margo about that again.

Oh! I am also thinking about starting another game, an Open Sim. Actually, I am more than thinking about it, it's already in the works and will probably be launching on Wednesday June 21, at 8:30pm EST. I guess I have to start advertising it soon, so I'll get right on that.

I also want to incorporate some more training stuff into this sim, so new hosts, and trainees can gain practical experience in things like the attendance and generating Sim Report in the Staff Tools. I've already discussed it with Starla, who loves the idea, and Shuni who says its definitely doable from his end. I can't wait.

What else....eh...I'll end here and if I have anything more, I'll just post it in a new entry. Some time this year...

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Eh, it was nice out today and I haven't really done much around the house due to feeling so crappy the last week, so I figured it was time to do some work outside. I picked up a nice table and chair set for the front porch. Now I can sit out there and hang out, have my coffee and read the paper...and smoke! I don't smoke in the house, and used just stand out back when I needed a nicotine fix.

I have these three HUGE bush type things just past my front porch. They are nice, a medium green and once a year they burst with these little white and yellow flowers. It's really pretty for the two weeks that they are in bloom. The only problem is that this only happens once a year, and it's followed by a growth spurt. The bushes just explode in a huge mass and keep growing. On top of that, last summer it seemed to attract a lot of flies, which gets really annoying if I am sitting out front. So I figured I would grab my shears and cut the bushes back some. Then go looking for something to replace them during the week. Once I picked something I would have dug out the current ones, and dropped in whatever I chose. Sounded like a good plan and it was...until my bud Charlie dropped by.

Charlie is a lot like me, except to the extreme. He is uber-hyper and a bit more agressive. So, he pulls up and sees me working, and of course wants to help out, instead of just standing there. He asks for the shears and dove right in. When he heard my plan he looked at me and grinned. "Why Wait?" He said. In less than 15 minutes those three bushes were not only cut back, but pulled out. It took about another 10 minutes to break them up enough to fit into 5 huge garbage bags. So now I have a 3x6 plot of empty ground there, waiting for whatever I choose to plant. If I would have tried to do that myself, it would have taken somewhere in the neighborhood of two hours just to get the bushes out. Then again, I would have taken my time, and tried to keep things neat. Not Chucky...he waded in like a bull in a china shop. It's nice to have nutty friends sometimes, entertaining too.

With that done, I swept all around the house, then hosed everything down, then put the garbage out. Now everything looks nice and neat and it only took a couple of hours. Of course it's raining again, but if it stops soon, I am gonna go out back and clean up around the old deck. I need to do that so I can start getting ready for my big project for the spring.

I want to put a new deck out in the backyard, and a pool. The deck will encompass the entire yard, and wrap around the pool. It will be LIKE having an inground pool, without the extra expense, and with a more homey feel to it. It'll also be prettier this way. I want to be able to walk right out only the deck from the kitchen. Have a little area for a table and chairs, and the grill. Then, a few steps up, and the pool will be there, surrounded by the deck. The pool is going to take up most of the yard, I'm figuring on getting an oval, maybe something along the lines of 14 x 20. It won't be huge, but it will be plenty enough for me and my little house. It'll be nice to have, and I figure to host a lot of parties there over the summer. I'll let you guys know how things progress with it, and when it's done, I'll post pics.

Anyway...that's been my day so far.

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JOE rocks. He's one of my buds and he puts up with a lot from me. I pick on him a lot, and tease him. All in good fun, and he knows that, but still. Besides that, we vent to each other a lot when other people just piss us off. We also discuss a lot of issues that are important to FSF, sims and even real life. Like that time he was having ED problems...oh forget I said that.

He does a great job running Epsilon, and is always working on websites and guides and rules and anything else. He is crazy like that. He's also extremely anal retentive...NO! I don't mean that way! Get your minds out of the gutter.

He's a real family guy too, loves his wife and kids and is always talking about them. Though I do worry about his Dew addiction...I think it contributes to that problem I didn't mention earlier.

I don't think anyone in FSF could really say a bad word about Joe. He's pretty cool.


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Well, I am finally feeling a bit better. The Doctor thinks I had some kind of infection. Either sinus or respiratory. He gave me some Zithro and sent me on my way. Going back to work tomorrow, so my little vacation is almost over. Woohoo for work!

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I was right...

I'm home sick today, but it could have been worse. Usually I continue to go to work until I just about collapse. This time, I took some preventive measures and self medicated yesterday and took today off. Spent most of the day in bed...well in couch really. And I have a doctor's appointment in about 90 minutes. I figure I should be up and around in another couple of days. Woohoo!

What this means is that I will have more time to do stuff here on my computer. I'm gonna work on a few little projects like some FSF Housecleaning, and some work on getting our Open Sims Program running again. So...this week won't be a total loss.

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Blah...

I'm here at work taking a little break, having just completed my first job of the day. It's a crappy day with lots of rain. To make matters worse I think I am coming down with something. I haven't really felt 'right' since about Friday. Mostly just a feeling of being run down, so I took it easy for most of the weekend and got a lot of rest. I was feeling better until last night, when my throat started to hurt. Today it feels worse and on top of that my head feels 'swimmy'. Like I am not fully awake and alert. Usually this is a precursor to being sick. I rarely take time off of work, and muddle through days like this. Usually I feel better after a few days, but every once in a while it just gets worse until I an knocked on my @$$ for a week. This feels like one of those times. It's been about 2 years since I have really been sick, so I am due.

If I don't feel better in the morning I think I am gonna take a few days off to get better.

Ugh, I hate being sick.

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I just want to take a minute to wish all of the Moms out there a Happy Mother's Day.

You ladies all rock!

To everyone else:

Make sure to tell your mom how much she means to you, and how much you love and appreciate her!

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Let's see, I believe we left off with the Knights at a very respectable 4-2, including a great win over the FDNY, and a sloppy mudbowl loss to the Ravens. Our last two games were against powerhouse teams in the Mariners and Bandits.

Brooklyn Mariners

This game was one that I honestly did not expect to win. My goal was for us to just be within striking distance in the 4th quarter. The Mariners are far and away the greatest franchise in the hsitory of Semi-Pro ball, and the top team in the tri-state area. They are awesome. When we broke down tape of their previous games, I tried to find some weakness, something that would at least give our offense the illusion of a fighting chance against these guys, and I came up with nothing. They are like the Borg on Defense! LOL. No really though, they are awesome and it was looking to be a very long night for us.

The game itself turned out to be a real slugfest. Both defenses were playing great, and neither offense could get comfortable. They scored once on a quick slant that our Corner jumped on, and missed the tackle. The Receiver made the catch and walked the last 30 yards into the endzone untouched. Their other score came on a trick play on 4th and goal from about out 20 yard line. They pulled a flea-flicker and their QB just tossed it up for grabs. Our corner had position, and was waiting for the ball to come down like an outfielder (BIG MISTAKE!). The Mariner receiver came back, hit our guy in the back, then grabbed the ball for a real cheap TD. Of course, no flag from the ref for Offensive Pass Interference...but that is what happens when you play the Mariners.

Now, here we are down 14-0 at the half against the best team around. Perfect time for us to pack it in. But our guys played tough, and did not allow them another real scoring opportunity the rest of the game. As a matter of fact, the defense picked off 2 passes and returned them both for touchdowns....only to have them BOTH called back for illegal blocks. On Offense we ran a WR screen and it worked perfectly with my buddy "Speedy" taking it 60 yards for the score. But wait a second...is that another yellow flag!? Yes it was...a THIRD touchdown was called back by the refs for some kind of illegal block.

Our sideline was going crazy, our coaches were going crazy, hundreds of fans were going crazy, even a large number of Mariner fans were yelling about us getting ripped off. It was disgusting, it really way. The next day, when we reviewed the tape we saw one play that was questionable, and in that one it appeared that the Mariner player turned his back into our guy in an effort to get the call. The other two plays, we could find nothing that was illegal on our side. Pathetic.

Regardless, we had to finish up the game, and we did. We lost by 14-0 but we felt we won the game. We dominated them physically, and even they admitted that we played a much better game. But that is what happens when you are a GREAT team, you find ways to win the tough games. Even if it sometimes is the result of poor or biased officiating.


Bronx Bandits

This was another game against a top area team. The Bandits have won, or played for their league championship ion each of the last 5 years. While they do not have the history of the Mariners, they are working hard to get to that level. I would rank them as the second or third best team in the area.

This game was tough mostly due to many of our guys not being there. We were missing 3 of our starting 5 offensive linemen, and a number of starters on defense, including our heart and soul MLB Malcolm who was out with a knee injury.

This game we did better offensively, but had some key mental mistakes in the red zone. At one point our QB (the other one, not me!) had an easy first down and possibly a TD, but instead chose to throw into double coverage, resulting in an interception in the back of the end zone. I don't know what he was thinking, but it was the kind of mistake that would most definitely come back to haunt us. We did score two TDs, but we missed both conversions. One was a perfect pass to our Tight End, and he just vapor locked, and dropped it. That single play wound up being the difference in the game as we lost 14-12.

Defensively we were great as usual, and gave up only two big plays. Both were trick plays by the Bandits number one player. He ran a Wide Receiver end around (reverse) and took them to the house both times.

Once again, we had a defensive score wiped away by a phantom penalty. Another interception returned for a TD, and yet another yellow flag that we could find no cause for when we checked the tape. I am not one to whine, but it's kind of ridiculous for one team to have 5 touchdowns taken away over a course of 3 games. On the flip side, no TDs were taken away from any team we played against in the 8 games this season. It sucks.

Anyway, we lost a real close one to end our season at 4-4. While we all felt we deserved better, we must also take some responsiblity for the losses. The games we lost were were not prepared for, we did not practice enough. The last 4 weeks we never had enough guys to have a full practice, and it showed. Our lack of cohesion and rhythm on Offense was a direct result of not having enough practice time. If you look at the games where we worked hard during the week, you see a much different result. Maybe next year the guys will take that to heart and make it their business to show up to every practice.

But only if they want to win.

Even with the BS from the refs, and my personal issues with some questionable decisions by the coaching staff, I have to say that I had a great time. I got to play ball with friends I haven't seen in years, and I was able to prove to myself that I could still perform at a high level. On top of that I got a victory over the FDNY team that has always been one of the best. I was also approached by the coaches of 4 teams that wanted me to come play for them during the regular season. It was gratifying to say the least. I haven't made a decision yet, but I am seriously considering two of the teams. I am planning to take a couple of weeks off to recuperate and reflect. Then if I feel strong enough to go through a full season, I will contact the teams I am most interested in. If not, then I will just wait until next February and play with the Knights again. I of course, will let you guys know what I decide.

Time will tell....



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Wow...it's been about two weeks since I last posted here, about that but I've been really busy. I haven't been online much at all as of late, mostly thanks to work and my other activities going on. I guess I'll try to catch up over the next few days, this post was just to let everyone know that I am still alive.



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Hmph, I am having some issues with the blog preferences. If I want to add an entry I have to scroll down for about a mile past the list of every post I have ever made...it's annoying. I tried changing it in my Prefs, but no change. I wonder if its a bug, or something that can't be changed...or maybe just maybe it's something that Shunio can fix.

I have to go ask him.


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Wow! Last night was a blast! We had a nice turnout of about 15 and simmed for over an hour and a half. The sim rocked. everyone was working as part of their team on different tasks that were all intregral to our pending rescue operation. The RPing was great and flowed quite naturally. Our two newest Gazers have fit in seemlessly and appear to be excellent additions to our cast. We ended the sim with our Rescue Team poised to depart for their mission. After Dark promises to be exciting this week!

After the sim a bunch of us(who shall remain nameless in order to protect their reputations!) hung out in the Gazer room and just acted silly for the most part. We discussed the upcoming Shore Leave convention, and plans for attendance and what kind of things we would be doing there. We then proceeded to spend the next few hours laughing our @$$es off at each other and making fun of ourselves, each other and anything in general. It was total fun and all around silliness. Mostly R-rated type humor that could never be done in a public forum, of course!

I think we hung around until about 3am before heading off exhausted and with our sides hurting from all of the laughter. Twas a fun night indeed.

I can't wait until next Wednesday!

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Tonight is Gazer night, which is always a blast. We are going to send a Search and Rescue team to an outpost in an attempt to find and retrieve a group of scientists that have gone missing. The outpost was attacked by an unknown race that kill their victims, disembowel them, then use the corpses to incubate their young. It is going to be an action packed couple of weeks, for sure.

I have also set the stage for a possible joint sim with one of our newest games; SFMC. I think it will make for a great new dynamic that is enjoyed by both crews and will help promote the new "Marine" sim. Maybe it will add a new option for other games, where they can 'call the Marines' for special missions. Something that will add a new twist and excitement to the game while giving the Marine sim challenging missions in strange settings with new people on a regular basis. I know if it works well, I will not hesitate to do it more often, and use the marines for a few missions a year, if they agree.

I'll let you all know how it goes.



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Well, all of the things I was worried about and more came to fruition on Saturday. Torrential rain, gusting wind and cold temperatures made this an ugly ugly game. Neither team could do anything under these conditions. We were also extremely undermanned. We were missing at least 9 or 10 starters and another few key players. We had a between 25 and 30 players at the game, while the Ravens came down with about twice as many. On top of that our guys seemed to not really want to even be out there while the Ravens were hyped about playing and came out with great intensity. On a more personal note, I was disappointed because I only played a few minutes...more on that later.

Offensively we never got anything going. Missing our starting fullback, tailback, left guard and slot receiver were major reasons. We couldn't really move the ball on the ground, which is necessary in bad weather. On top of that, the Ravens played very solid defense and forced a number of fumbles and bad decisions by the other QB.

Defensively we were actually ok, despite missing our 3 best players on that side, plus losing our strong safety after only one play. Still, they played well and only gave up one score on a busted play that caught us in an all out blitz, which went for a 40 yard TD. The Ravens never completed a pass, and except for one or two plays, they never mounted a threat.

Still, it was enough to beat us 12-0. Their other score coming on a fumble returned for TD late in the game.

I spent almost the entire game on the sidelines freezing my cojones off, while trying to support my team in other ways. When I did finally get in the game I thought I did a good job. Driving the team down the field and inside the Ravens 15 yard line. We could have scored on my last play; I audibled out of the play called in the huddle because they were showing blitz, I took one step and slung(I can't really call what I did "throwing" under those conditions) the ball out to the left where the receiver had run a quick hook. The corner was locked up in man coverage and fell down on the cut. What could have been an easy TD went for nothing though. The receiver couldn't hold on to the ball which is understandable. For some reason the coach yanked me after the play and put in the 3rd stringer. I think he wanted him in there because he was more of a running threat. Unfortunately, it didn't work out and we turned the ball over on downs. I figured I would be back in on the next drive, but the coach decided to give the kid the rest of the game. It didn't turn out too well though, as we fumbled the ball on our last 3 posessions without ever mounting a serious scoring opportunity.

I understand not getting the start. Our #1 guy had returned from his trip and he had been THE GUY since they started practicing(a couple months). I joined the team only 3 weeks ago, and filled in well while he was away. It was the right decision, and one I would probably make if I were the Coach. What I didn't get was the decision to pull me so soon, especially since I had led the only substantial drive. I'm not saying it was all me, but I always believe in going with what works. Maybe it was just a spark or a change of pace...I dunno. But I think I deserved the chance to make something happen, more importantly, my guys deserved the chance.

Still, I am never going to make waves or bitch and moan or cause a distraction. I hate losing and I really believe we could have won. I'm just venting.

Now that I'm done with that, we have to look forward. This week we are playing the Greatest semipro team in the history of the sport. The Brooklyn Mariners are coming off another championship season and look to have improved since last year. It will be a tall order for us to regroup and be able to run with them for 4 quarters. I think we have the talent to do it, but it's going to take a huge effort on everyone's part. That effort starts tonight at practice.




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I'm sitting here, having just finished up the newest edition of my little wrist coach cheat sheet. It's basically a list of all of our passing plays out of trips and quads, and the routes for each receiver on each play. Since I've only had about 3 practices, I feel more comfortable using my wrist coach. I know most of the plays, but there are a couple of new ones that we put in this week. Better safe than sorry!

Anyway, in about 4 hours we are going to be playing the Long Island Ravens. They are a young team in just their third year, but they are very tough. They play a very agressive style of defense. A lot of blitzing and line stunts. This should be a very tough, close game. I don't know much about their offense, except that they have a couple of decent backs, and a very elusive running QB. The 2 things that worry me most though are that we; 1) are going to be missing a few of our best defenseive players, and 2) it's going to be a horrible night, weatherwise. It's been windy and rainy all day, and it's supposed to get much worse tonight. They are calling for heavy rain, thunderstorms and wind through the night and into tomorrow. That is really going to slow our offense down, and make it a miserable night all around. I have always thought that poor weather was a great equalizer, and I feel this is really going to work in the Raven's favor. Our passing game is going to be severely curtailed, which will allow them to put 8 or even 9 men in the box to stop the run. Hopefully our big men up front will be able to carry the load and give our backs the room they need to carry us to victory.

This is going to be an ugly game, probably won by whomever makes the fewest mistakes, and who can capitalize on those mistakes.


Go Knights!


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Yeah I know it's a little late, but it's been a very hectic few days. Sunday I did the family thing for Easter. Drove all the way out to Tom's River, New Jersey. It took a little over 2 hours to get there. Dinner was pretty good, but the nap I took after eating was better! It was nice seeing the family, but I really don't think it was worth the hassle of the drive. It took me well over 3 HOURS to get home!

In case I haven't mentioned it:

I HATE TRAFFIC!!!!


Got home pretty late and didn't get to sleep until after 2am. That made for a VERY happy Jay at work the next day [/sarcasm]

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Well, the game was a lot of fun and I was very satisfied with my performance, especially in my accuracy and decision making. I was a little disappointed in the playcalling and the intensity from the Offensive Line though. It seemed like both the linemen and the coach took the Wolfpack very lightly and treated this game more like a scrimmage. Fortunately, the guys responded when I started to get on them. When we were running and executing our base offense we very methodically broke the 'Pack down. In the end, we had a very workmanlike 21-0 victory.

Woohoo!

Our defense was very good, and the Wolfpack offense was terrible. They never threatened to score. They wound up with 3 or 4 First Downs, and NEVER crossed midfield. It seemed that they were playing a prevent offense, trying to kill the clock all game. It really looked like they were content to get shutout, but didn't want to get slaughtered.

We could have scored 2 more TDs, but once again we had a fumble inside their 5 yard line which killed one nice drive. Late in the game we drove in close, but with under 2 minutes to go in a game we had well in hand, I was not about to run it up and embarrass them. So instead I took a knee at the 3 yard line and let time expire. It was the right thing to do, and I think more teams should do that in similar situations.

After the game we hung out and had beer and pizza while discussing the game and the upcoming season. I have already been asked to come down to a couple of teams for the "real" season. When we finish up with the Knights I will look at my options and decide. For now though, I'm focussed on this team and winning our next game.

Go Knights!

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Tonight we play the Wolfpack!

Last year I played with the Wolfpack. What happened is a VERY long story (and you all know Josephus HATES when I do that!) and this isn't really the appropriate time or place to get into it. Maybe I will later on though, if people really want to know.

Suffice it to say, I am going to be playing against my old team, and against a number of close friends, including Charlie who is like a brother to me.

Kickoff is at 7:30, and it promises to be an intense game. I'll let you all know how it turns out tomorrow!

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Last night was my best friend, Charlie's birthday. A bunch of us took him out for a nice steak dinner in manhattan. We went to Ruth's Chris Steak House in midtown. It is a very nice(and expensive!) place, but the food is great. We both had the Filet Mignon topped with 6 jumbo shrimp, and it was awesome. I have to say though, that the portions seemed a bit small, and I didn't stuff myself. Still, the quality of food was excellent, and so was the ambience. The service was a little slow too, but once I said something to the waiter, it picked up. To top off the evening, I had them bring out a cake with candles, and we serenaded my boy. He hated it! It was great! He knew I was going to do that, and even went so far as to threaten the waiter beforehand, but to no avail. After eating, we went out for our ritual coffee, and discussed tonight's game. For the first time in the over 15 years we've been playing together, we will be on opposite sides. It sucks in a way, but unfortunately that is what certain circumstances dictate. Still, it should be fun.

Happy Birthday Chuck!

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The Gazer rocked tonight! We had about 18 people, including two new members, one of whom was a new After Dark member who decided to come play on the chat sim. We had a blast, and of course went well into overtime. I think we went a little over an hour and a half again. We coulda kept going, but I was getting tired, and I want to save SOMETHING for the Boards!

We learned more about these "overseers" and how they were controlling some of the people that were not killed. We also had to take out the outposts shield generators and rescue our people. After some fancy flying, and shooting, we succeeded for the most part.

We did lose 9 Officers, and beamed their bodies up into stasis. Chances are that they are now "incubators" and have those alien thingies inside of them. The next week or two should be fun, as we figure out what to do with them, and if they start "hatching".

Oh, Traeva returned. She was gone for a few weeks due to RL stuff. Glad to have her back, now maybe we can work on a resolution to our In Character issues. It's something that has been hanging over the sim for a couple of months, and really should be handled. That should be another interesting arc.

Can't wait!

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Ahhh, Home!

Today was a pretty easy day at work for the most part. I got all the tough stuff done early and was able to cruise through the afternoon. I was even able to visit my boy Oggi at his job and we had lunch. After work I met up with my best friend, Charlie. We did our daily coffee break. We go to a certain Dunkin Donuts, get our coffees and drink it out front while BSing about whatever is important on that day. Usually work stuff, or Football stuff. Oh...we also check out all the hotties that are all over the place. That is why we choose THAT Dunkin Donuts...

It's weird this week. Charlie is like a brother to me, and Oggi while not that close, is a good friend of mine. We played together for a few years (Charlie and I have played football together since about 1993, Oggi since 2002)and it was probably the thing that bonded us together. But this week...for the first time in our lives, we are playing against each other. Ugh...I feel myself on the verge of a really long post, and I don't want to bore Josephus, he says my posts are too long for him to read. So witht aht in mind, I will explain more about the football thing and my buds in one of my next posts. For now, I will get back to today.

After coffee we drove around and took a look at a couple of cranes. We are going to need one for a really big job out in New Jersey this summer, and possibly another one out in Pennsylvania. It's a big step for the company and us.If it goes well, I may be leaving Verizon soon!

After that I dropped him off and headed home. Renewed my Registration ONLINE (woohoo! for technology!) and caught up on my emails. We have a few FSF issues to deal with, but nothing too serious. And of course...the Blogs! I love reading these things, you learn so much about people from them.

Anyway, now I have to feed the pups, and myself. Then bug Wolf for help with my Buffalo Wing sauce! I also have to prep for the Gazer sim tonight. We have a cool thing going on with these creatures that are killing people in order to incubate their young...something like Alien. Also, My XO and I are in a bit of a disagreement on how to handle the situation, which is making for some fun and intense RPing. Should be fun!



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Phew! What a weekend. After the game I hung out with the guys and we partied for a few hours. Then I headed home to sleep at almost 4am. 2 hours later I was up and on my way to work! It poured all day, and I was dog tired, and felt like I was run over by a truck, so I didn't exert myself too much. Just when I was beginning to feel a bit better I received an invitation to spend the night in Atlantic City, expenses paid. Woohoo!

I drove on down alone, and about 2 hours and 10 minutes later I was pulling into the Caesers parking lot. I got to my room dumped my stuff, then met up with my buds. We also had tickets to see Howie Mandel, so we checked it out. The opening act was pretty funny, though I forget the guy's name. John "Something", he was funny. Howie came out with the same silly dayglo sneakers he used to wear 20 years ago, and an outfit right out of the 80's...including those funky pants with all the zippers! He was funny, but most of his act was the same as it was ten years ago. Some new stuff, but not a lot. Still...I had a good time.

After the show I had to eat, so we went up to the VIP Lounge (my friends go all the time and get awesome comp stuff) for some food and coffee. When we got there I saw the Mayweather/Judah fight was on the big screen. SCORE! We sat right in front of it as I ate a nice dinner and loaded up on caffeine.

After the fight(Mayweather won convincingly, though there was a melee that almost got him disqualified), we went down and gambled until about 3am. I was down a couple hundred for most of the night, but then had a hot streak during the last 40 minutes or so and ended the night (morning!) about $50 up. I slept until about 9am, which was nice. Then we met up, had a huge breakfast, and hit the tables again. I wasn't feeling too great, and wanted to get home, so at around 2pm, I said my thanks yous, and good byes. Traffic back really sucked once I hit Stank(Staten) Island, so even though I took a shorter route in miles(about 18 miles shorter), it took me about 30-40 minutes longer to get home! Oh, did I ever tell you....

I HATE TRAFFIC!

I got home, and relaxed for the rest of the night. All in all, it was a pretty good weekend. Won a tough game against a great opponent, celebrated with my boys, spent a night in AC first class, and even got to relax for a few hours! Not bad, not bad at all.





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The game was pretty much what I expected. Close, and VERY hardhitting. My entire body feels like one huge bruise! About the only thing I didn't expect was the way we dominated most of the game on both sides of the ball. Even though the score doesn't indicate it, I feel we were by far the better team that night, and should have won by at least 2 or 3 touchdowns.

Our defense shut them down for the whole game. In the first half they couldn't move the ball much at all. They only got a couple of first downs, and never really threatened to score. They only got 2 points and that was by returning a blocked extra point all the way. In the second half they moved the ball a little better, and drove inside our ten yard line once, but got stopped at the 4. They did score a touchdown, but once again, that was due to horrible execution on the part of our special teams. Our punter MISSED THE BALL when he tried to kick it and they recovered it on our 2 yard line, then powered it in on their next play.

Our offense thoroughly dominated them in the first half and was a big reason that they couldn't do much themselves. We had the ball for over 20 minutes (out of 30) and drove up and down the field all half, both on the ground and through the air. The only problem was that we couldn't put the exclamation point at the end of the sentence. We were inside their 10 three times and inside their 20 two other times, but only scored one touchdown! First time, our tailback fumbled at the 2. Second time we had a bad snap and lost about ten yards. The third time I ran a bootleg and tossed a nice pass into the corner after sucking the DB in, for the score. We also had a receiver wide open in the end zone not turn around in time and almost get hit in the head with the ball.

We went into the half with an 8-2 lead, that should have been much more. But when you only have a couple of practices together, that's the kind of thing that happens. Also, we have to give the FDNY team some credit. They are a great team with a lot of pride, and every time we had them backed up, they stood tall, fought hard, and made us earn every yard.

In the second half their defense made a great adjustment. They switched to Cover 2, and ran blitzes, delay blitzes and stunts on every single play. We moved the ball, but not nearly as well as in the first half. The blitzes also allowed them to be able to pound the QB (me!) every time we passed the ball. We never had a great scoring opportunity in the second half. We had one chance when we got inside their 25 with under 4 minutes left, but once again they stiffened and we also had a breakdown on what could have been the winning play. The receiver was supposed to run a post-corner, but he didn't make his second cut sharp enough and wound up running towards the back line, while the ball sailed into the corner(where he should have been) and actually hit the pylon. So it was off to Overtime!

We were playing college rules so instead of sudden death, overtime was done in the "shootout" format, which is much more exciting (in my opinion). Each team gets the ball on the opponent's 25 yard. They either score or they don't. Then the other team has the same chance. This goes on until a round ends with a winner.

They won the toss and decide to go on defense first. Since they had a good kicker, it was a smart decision. If we didn't score, all they would have to so is pound it a few times, then attempt the game winning field goal.

We opened up running and got the first down, but it was negated by a penalty. On 3rd and 9 we ran a draw for 3 yards and then on 4th down I hit our WR on a hook for the first down. We ran the ball a couple more times, but the D was tough. Once again we were faced with a big 4th down. We ran the Post-Corner again, but this time on the right side. The blitz was picked up, and I tossed the ball high into the corner. I though I may have overthrown it, but our receiver concentrated and made the catch while keeping both feet in bounds. TOUCHDOWN! We went for 2, and ran the same play we scored on earlier(waggle), this time though I kept it and scampered into the endzone to give us an 8 point lead. Now it was up to the defense.

Defense was tight, but the FD was able to get to our 4. We blew up their first two plays for no gain. They tried to go wide with a toss, but we were aggressive and nailed them for a 4 yard loss. One play and 8 yards left...They attempted a pass but we got pressure and flushed the QB. Just as he was being dragged down from behind he tossed up a prayer. The ball floated up and into the endzone...only to drop harmlessy into the grass.

Final Score:
Bay Knights 16
FDNY 8

We win!

The whole team streamed onto the field in celebration. We hung out and enjoyed the victory, which was the biggest for the Knights in almost ten years. This was one of the toughest games I've played in years and I was beat...and beaten up! But at that moment I was feeling no pain. Of course right now, at work...I am feeling a lot of pain, but that's ok, we won.


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Tonight at 7pm EST, we are playing the FDNY(NY Fire Dept.) team, most of whom also happen to play for the Brooklyn Mariners (one of the best teams in the nation every year). It's going to be real tough, hardhitting game. Throwback football! While I'm confident, I do worry about the weather. We have a decent running game, but this team is way to good to beat while being one dimension on offense. We have some excellent receivers, so we can do some real damage thru the air...as long as conditions aren't too severe. It's only a drizzle now, so if that continues or stops (I wish!) we should be ok. If on the other hand, it should get worse, we'll be playing in muck and heavy rain. Not much passing to be done under those conditions, and that will spell trouble for the smaller team that only has had 2 or 3 weeks of practice(That's us!).

Well, it's time for me to go home. I'll check back in later or tomorrow and let you know how the game turned out. Wish us luck!

Go Knights!



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Ugh, what a crappy day. Besides the weather, which was cold and rainy, work sucked. I was stuck working in a cramped space with little light. I work for Verizon as a splicer. The job I am on now is a tedious task we call a "trim out". This is necessary for high speed data lines (DSL, T1s, T3s, etc.). Basically what I have to do is go into existing splices and trim out the "extra" wire. Billions of years ago, when these cables were first put in, the company had the foresight(shocking!) to splice in stubs (extra cables containing thousands of phone wires) that wouls just sit there in case the need ever arose for additional lines. This was a pretty good idea, especially when the industry boomed as everyone bought more lines for businesses and internet access. Unfortunately, the downside was realized with the emergence of high speed data lines. These lines requires not only clean copper, but also work best when there are no "bridges"(additional wire spliced on). The further a signal travels, the more of a signal loss there is. So...to make the lines perform better, we need to go and trim out this extra wire in selected areas. That is what I am doing.

I spent most of the day in a pretty small manhole that was stuffed with way too many cables that left little room to move, much less work comfortably. On top of that there was water coming in at a pretty fast rate from somewhere, so we also needed to have this big pump down there, running constantly. It sucked, I had to keep shifting positions in order to not cramp up and to stop my legs from falling asleep. Not the best way to spend the day, especially considering that I have a big game tonight.


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Phew! Just finished up the Gazer sim tonight, it was a blast. It's been 2 weeks since I was there last, which is something of note. It's very rare for me to ever miss a single Gazer sim, much less two in a row. I don't think I have missed 2 consecutive sims in at least 3 years, and that was only because of a family tragedy. Starla stepped up wonderfully though, and carried on even through some Real Life difficulties of her own. Mark stepped up and helped out the first week, and Dave did the same last week. We are fortunate to have so many dedicated and able players on this game.

It took a few minutes for me to get back into the swing, as the plot had moved along considerably over the last 2 weeks, but once I settled in we were cruising. There was an interesting confrontation on the Bridge with one of the new Ensigns who has some sort of Schizoprenic type condition. It ended well, with the kid taking phaser blasts from 3 Security officers and my Operations Manager. He is in a coma now, and may not survive. Life sucks sometimes, even when its just make believe life.

In other breaking news we have discovered what killed some of our ASecs, and why. We hav also found their "base camp". They are some type of parasitic life form, similar to Trill in a way as they need to be implanted inside a host, but only for gestation. So I think it's more along the lines of the Alien creatures. Starla sent coords for an "Air Strike" type bombardment from the Gazer, but she was overruled by the Captain, then beamed up to the ship for a "conference". That should make for some very interesting posts on After Dark

Ok, time to make the donuts...I mean post the sim log!

See ya tomorrow!

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The Honorable Josephus gave me an idea when he started his little "Mean Friends" list. Except I would not only have a similar list on the side over there =======================>

I would also have a weekly feature. Maybe something along the lines of "Rat Bastards Of The Week". Could have different categories, one for real life, and also one for online. I could keep a history of that list on the side over there ========================>
and each one would link to the post explaining why they won.

What do you guys think?

Post comments and let me know!

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I'm going back into previous posts and inserting links to sites that are related to some of the organizations I have mentioned. For those of you who want, feel free to browse back through those posts and see if any of the links interest you.

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I have gotten to the bottom of the "Quote" thingy. As a public service to those of you who were also unaware(please don't tell me I was the only one that didn't know) of this option, or how to use it, I have included the instructions.

NOTE: I have changed the [] to (). Soooo, when you try it, make sure you use the [] brackets. Or just use the "Insert Speacial" area!

FSF Truce: How do you do that quote thing!!!!
FSF Titan: (blockquote) (/blockquote)

Awesome!!!


Now, for those silly smiley thingies....

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Well I just got home from work, and of course the first thing I do is? That's right, come check the blogs. Dammit, this thing is becoming addictive, quickly. I am hoping that this wears off in a few weeks like my last addiction, Nation States did. Time will tell.

So I get home and get to the blogs. I see that Josephus has been busy at work, as usual. I also noticed that he has this cool "Quote" thingy graphic. I don't know how to do that yet, so of course I posted a comment asking him about it. I also don't have those silly emoticons! Granted, they are kinda crappy, but I should have the option of using those crappy things too, if I want to, right? Guess I will have to bug The Shuni, again. I've gotten pretty good at that over the years. I am always bothering him for new options, tools and features in the AMS or Forums, and now I have already begun doing the same thing here. Someone has to keep him on his toes!

Truthfully though, Shunio is great with that type of stuff. I'm amazed when I think back to the Pre-AMS days and compare it to now. We can do so much more, with much less effort now. I can't imagine not having the AMS, and it's only going to get better, especially with Scott, Tommy and Joe helping out. I can't wait to see what new stuff they come up with. I've already seen something Scott-o is working on, and it's pretty sweet. I think the masses will be happy when its rolled out.

Ok, enough from me for now. I have to get on AOL and start readings emails and receiving IMs from people who just "HAVE to speak to Jay, right away!". I also have to get some things ready for the Gazer sim tonight...Oh, I also have to bug Joe and Shunio about those graphic thingies.

PS. If any of you can help me out with the "Quote" and "Smiley" thingies, post a comment. Thanks!

Later!

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USS Stargazer
The Early Days

The USS Stargazer is truly an awesome game. We launched on March 21, 2000 in a crappy little Bravenet chat room and have been simming ever since. We've gone through a lot of changes over the years, but the core of the Gazer has been pretty stable. I've been there since day one, as have Duke, Zeven, Spy and Wolfie. Starla came on in July of 2000 right before we moved to an AIM/AOL chat room, and Mark joined soon after. Tra joined about 3 years ago, Kitty, Tara and Kyle soon after. Most players that join and are serious usually wind up sticking around for years. I think that says a lot about the game and the people on it. It really is more like an extended family than any other game I have been around. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

When I first decided to start the game, we had a solid group of players that were pretty tight (myself, Duke, Wolf, Zeven, Spy, Kane and 2 or 3 other people who only stuck around a short while). Duke, to me was an obvious choice for XO(and he retained that position for over 5 years), and he helped me decide on the name. I had narrowed it down to Stargazer(I loved the name plus it was also the name of the very first advanced sim I was on, back in 1991. Ironic since that Stargazer is now part of FSF too!), Excelsior(a name and class that I was always very fond of) and Excalibur(another awesome name and one not widely used in the franchise outside of the "Calhoun" novels). I was torn between Excal and Gazer at the end, so I polled Duke, Zev, Spy and Wolf. It was unanimous and we were going to be the Stargazer.

The first few sims went well and we picked up a couple more players. The second and third months though were a different story. We always had enough to sim, but we were only getting about 6 people each week. I started to get discouraged, thinking maybe this was not going to work out after all. I shared these concerns with Duke and even discussed shutting the game down altogether. I have to give Duke all of the credit here, he really convinced me that we had a real good product and a strong enough senior staff to weather this rough time and do well. With support like that, there was no way I could consider quitting. So I really applied myself to recruiting and coming up with interesting and sometimes complex stories for us to play. The impact was almost immediate. We started attracting new players and the regulars started attending every week again. I also decided that we needed to get off of Bravenet and started checking out alternatives. Eventually we found these new AIM rooms that had been a recent addition to AIM. It was the perfect medium for us since we had both AOLers and non-AOLers. We also changed the sim night to Wednesday. It was soon after the day change that a very sweet and interesting young lady happened into our room in mid-sim. She said she had never simmed before but loved Trek, and would like to check out this simming thing. She came back the next week to observe, and the following Wednesday Ensign Starla joined the Stargazer as our new Helmsman.


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Here I am at work sitting in my truck and listening to Howard Stern on Sirius Satellite Radio while drinking my second 16 ounce 7-11 coffee of the morning. I have a little down time while I wait for my partner to return with some items we need to complete the job we're on. So, this seems like a pretty opportune time to post. Once again I have to plug my awesome new Palm Treo 700 Smartphone. This thing rocks, though it's a bit pricey, and so are the accessories. Still, it's worth the expense if you use it, and are into gadgets like I am.

Today is going to be a little tough since I am tired and sore. Last night I had football practice until past 11pm. I still had to get home, shower and eat, then wind down, which I did be watching the episode of The Sopranos that I missed this past Sunday. I wound up not getting to sleep until well after 2am, so today won't be a banner day at work.

Practice went well, it was only my second practice and I am already pretty comfortable with most of the offense. It's pretty basic stuff for the most part. The holes and numbering assignments are standard, and almost the same as what I have run for most of the last 25+ years. Some of the pass routes are quite different, more like hybrids of the standards, and most are double moves(slant-up, hook-out, V-in, etc.). So I made a wrist-coach sheet and translated the plays according to the lingo I am most familiar with. This way when the plays are sent in, I can glance at my little cheat sheet and know what everyone is doing with a lot less effort. I'll let you know how it worked out, since we are playing the FDNY team this Friday.

The Bay Knights is almost like an all-star team. Guys from teams all over the City come down to play about 6-8 games against some really good teams. We play the NYPD (one of the best in the country), FDNY (ditto), The Brooklyn Mariners (probably the greatest semi-pro franchise of all time. Semi-pro's version of the Yankees, and a perennial National Champioship contender.), the Bronx Bandits (a strong team in recent years that has become a top NY franchise. FSF Perez played for them when they first started out almost 10 years ago.), the Long Island Ravens (a young team in only it's 3rd year, but with a super aggressive defense), the Empire State Wolfpack (a team that isn't very good, but has a group of guys that play with tons of heart. They never quit, and appear to have improved a lot since last season) and a few other teams that I forget. We play these games in the spring before our regular season teams begin, and the proceeds all go to charity. Mostly to the Kings Bay Boys Club, but we also hold some benefit games for other groups, like the families of 9/11 victims(a natural one considering some of the teams we play and where we all live). It's usually a lot of fun playing with guys we have played with and/or against over the years. It's also a good way to hook up with a team for the regular season if you aren't already committed to a team for the year. All of the top area teams scout the games and there is always a lot of recruiting going on. I'm in that boat this year as I am unsure exactly where I am going to play this season, or if I am even going to play a full season once the Knights wrap up. We'll see how I feel as we near the end of our schedule I guess.

Ack! My partner is here with the stuff we need so it's off to work I go! I'll check back in later and post a little something about the greatest sim on the net and the awesome people that make it so great...the USS Stargazer!

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Well I got home from work a little while ago and the first thing I find myself doing is playing with my new toy here. I haven't even checked my email yet! That is almost always the first thing I do when I get home, even though I am usually up to date due to my sweet new Treo. The Palm Treo 700 is like a mini computer/cell phone in one. It kicks ass!

Anyway, the first thing I did was come here and look for any new comments, and then I started looking at some of the other blogs out there. I noticed Josephus(Titan) has another blog, and this one is not just a redirect to the Dark Frontier site. So of course I had to edit my link for him, and change the "Joe is Lazy" title. Hmph. Ahh nevermind that last bit...I just checked with Shunio and it is some sort of glitch that carried over from the /sims directory. Oh well, if you're reading this Joe, sorry dude.

Back to my story, I was browsing some of the other blogs and noticed some people had seperate "blocks" or boxes with other links in them, categorized and such. So I of course went bugging people to find out how to do that and tada! Thanks to Shunio I now have a couple of Blocks for different kinds of links, and plan to add another one of non simming related favorites soon. Shuni also added a page that will keep an up to date list of all of the FSF Blogs, which is nice. I also played with the suddenly grand selection of themes that we have. Last night there were only 3, but Shuni has been busting his butt using up all of the crayons and has made a bunch more. I chose this one, "Red Earth". It's kinda cool, neat and has a nice contrast. I will probably change it though, maybe every couple of days just to sample some of the other nice ones.

Ok, I think that is about it for this post on playing with my blog settings. Now I shall go check my email and see what crisis need to be dealt with in FSF.

w00t!


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Well, I just got back from Reno, Nevada. It was a work related trip and I sure worked what little butt I have off. My Aunt and Uncle started their own company,The Agora Group a couple of years ago that organizes and runs Trade Shows. Their largest Trade Show was this past weekend in Reno, and they asked me to help out. So I did! While it was fun, and demanding, it was also surreal in a way. I swear, it felt like I was in an episode of "The Apprentice". The entire event, from set-up thru the show, and finally to break-down, was a blur. A blur with small clips thrown in, and each one played just like parts of that show. The only thing missing was Trump and his horrible hair.

The show went off great, without any major hitches. Everyone made lots of money...well everyone except that one moron from Farley & Sathers (Candy Company) who lost all of his COMPLETED order forms. His company spent a lot of money to have and then stock and staff a booth, and because of this guy's stupidity, they have absolutely nothing to show for it. I feel bad for the guy in truth, but it was his fault. Either through laziness or just plain stupidity. I wonder if he still has his job today. If he worked for me, I woulda had to do the "You're Fired!" thing (yes another reference to Trump and his show! I should get some compensation for these plugs!).

I made some new friends, two of the girls they hired to do the registration stuff were close family friends of my Uncle (he is married to my Mother's sister). Ntina (pronounced "Deena") and Sofia. They were about my age and were a lot of fun. We hit it off right away, and since we were the only ones in our age group, we pretty much stuck together during down time and after hours. We had dinner together and hit the tables both Friday and Saturday nights, and had an awesome time. We definitely were the most fun table in the entire casino. It was constant laughter and I have no idea how I was able to concentrate enough to win a few hundred bucks through it all. I think I wound up winning close to $400 between Blackjack and 3 Card poker. The girls didn't fare as well at the tables, but Ntina did hit a PENNY machine for almost $250...that's right, a PENNY slot machine! Sick huh? Most of the dealers also appreciated us. Besides the tips we gave, we were just fun. So I hope they enjoyed it, I sure did.

The show ended on Saturday night and afterwards we all went out for dinner, then my two new friends and I hit the tables. Along the way we saw my Aunt playing the dollar slots and just as we got to her she hit for 500 bucks! Sweet.

I had a 6am flight, and also had to deal with the daylight savings nonsense, so I decided that sleeping was not the way to go. Instead I just gambled until about 4am, showered and went to the airport. The flight back was actually decent, my connection was in Dallas, Ft. Worth, which was a nice airport. I landed at a little past 5pm NY time. My bags never showed up at the baggage claim! Fortunately(for the JFK Staff, since I was about to blow a gasket at them), my bag was at the baggage services room. Somehow my bags must have gone back in time and gotten an earlier flight, because they arrived in NY before I did. After going around the carousel for a while someone brought it there to wait for my arrival. Strange, but screw it...I got my stuff.

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Ok...this is not only my first post here, but my first post to any blog of any kind. Probably a good thing too, considering some of the things I have read on other's blogs.

Anyway, I plan to give this a shot for a couple of weeks and see if I like it. I hope you all enjoy reading the crap I post here. If you do, feel free to post a comment. If you don't ... go screw yourself, but feel free to post a comment then as well!

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FSF Trinity
Sunday, April 29, 2007, 01:55 AM
I love the the idea, as long as...

Jay
Sunday, April 15, 2007, 12:03 AM
Would you feel better if I put one up...

FSF Falk
Saturday, April 14, 2007, 04:38 PM
You put a picture of my g-friends butt...

Nevaeh Spencer
Thursday, April 12, 2007, 07:22 PM
Raises hand... I Know,I Know

Jay
Thursday, April 12, 2007, 07:10 PM
Maybe if I got a picture as good as...

FSF Margo
Thursday, April 12, 2007, 06:40 PM
Hey, what happened to talking about...

FSF Josh
Thursday, April 12, 2007, 04:34 PM
Oh, that's easy. :) It's...

AdmShuni
Thursday, April 12, 2007, 12:45 PM
Welcome back to blogging! Just...

Jay
Thursday, April 12, 2007, 01:59 AM
You don't guess, you were right...

FSF Bri
Thursday, April 12, 2007, 01:56 AM
Yeah... I already told you who the host...

Jay
Thursday, April 12, 2007, 01:53 AM
Give everyone else a chance first!

FSF Trinity
Thursday, April 12, 2007, 01:51 AM
I KNOW, I KNOW!! Do I get a...

Jay
Monday, February 5, 2007, 10:22 AM
That would be my guess. ;-)
AdmShuni
Monday, February 5, 2007, 08:32 AM
Colts won! And who rated this entry a...

FSF Josh
Monday, January 22, 2007, 11:19 AM
Bears are going to the Super Bowl!

Jay
Tuesday, January 9, 2007, 09:24 PM
Romo wasn't a rookie, he's...

Dave
Tuesday, January 9, 2007, 11:34 AM
Serves you right for entering the...

Jay
Sunday, January 7, 2007, 04:59 PM
Yeah losing all of those posts,...

Joe
Saturday, January 6, 2007, 03:28 PM
Yeah... the hacker is what really...

Jay
Friday, June 9, 2006, 01:56 AM
I do too. Hopefully we can hook up soon!

Phoenix
Monday, May 22, 2006, 12:34 PM
Hope the Yankees game was good. Wish I...

FSF Josh
Friday, May 19, 2006, 01:43 PM
I have a complaint about Joe. FSF Storm
Thursday, May 18, 2006, 03:28 PM
Amen, Brother Jay!!

AdmShuni
Monday, May 1, 2006, 01:54 PM
It's in the physical template, and...

Jay
Monday, May 1, 2006, 11:03 AM
Awesome. Makes things much quicker. AdmShuni
Saturday, April 29, 2006, 09:58 AM
All fixed, just for you.

Anonymous
Friday, April 28, 2006, 06:03 AM
T'was great fun indeed! I for one...

Storm
Monday, April 17, 2006, 09:30 AM
WOOHOO, Go Jay!!!! :-P

Margo
Sunday, April 16, 2006, 11:15 PM
Congrats Jay!!!

Jay
Sunday, April 16, 2006, 09:47 PM
Thanks guys!

AdmShuni
Sunday, April 16, 2006, 09:06 AM
Ditto!

Margo
Saturday, April 15, 2006, 08:59 PM
Good luck Jay! Kick butt!

Storm
Sunday, April 9, 2006, 01:52 AM
Way to go, Jay!

FSF Margo
Saturday, April 8, 2006, 08:42 PM
Congrats Jay!

Jay
Wednesday, April 5, 2006, 06:56 PM
FSF Storm: That sounds like a definate...

Storm
Wednesday, April 5, 2006, 06:47 PM
That sounds like a definate plan to me,...

Jay
Wednesday, April 5, 2006, 05:47 PM
Phew! :-)

Jay
Wednesday, April 5, 2006, 05:46 PM
Thanks Shuni, and thanks Scott too! Joe...

Joe
Wednesday, April 5, 2006, 05:42 PM
You weren't. I had to ask Luke,...

AdmShuni
Wednesday, April 5, 2006, 05:22 PM
I installed the graphic quote...

Jay
Tuesday, April 4, 2006, 01:42 AM
Margo

Monday, April 3,...

Jay
Tuesday, April 4, 2006, 01:39 AM
That is also very true Mark.

Okuda
Tuesday, April 4, 2006, 01:02 AM
Nah it wasn't the twisters his...

Jay
Monday, April 3, 2006, 10:25 PM
Thanks!

-Jay

Margo
Monday, April 3, 2006, 10:25 PM
YAY for cash! Boo for missing luggage....

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