Fantasy Football Begins!

One of the reasons I started this blog is because everyone (and I do mean EVERYONE) I know is way, way tired of hearing about my fanstasy football teams.

And not just the teams. My draft drama, player ups and downs, lineup woes, bye-week bitches, and the list goes on and on (and on and on and...).

I love football and I love fantasy football. I don't play live fantasy (refer back to how EVERYONE I know is tired of my fantasy football). It's not like those hilarious nfl.com commercials (I'll take Housemazilli!) (You'll take who we give you!). I played one season in a public league on-line and have been lucky to be invited to play in private on-line leagues with a very fun group of people for the past two seasons.

Now, I've never met these folks and most probably never will, but we do have fun during the season. Jibes and jokes pass back and forth on the sites and it's all in good fun. No one takes it seriously (at least I hope not!) and it doesn't get out of hand.

This blog will be my place to whine and cheer and anything else I need to do to get the fanstasy football out of my system before I talk to actual live people.

I'm in 3 leagues on nfl.com so far and my join another at ESPN. It doesn't take a lot of time but I live and die on the waiver wire.

The drafts are in August. I've never participated in a 'live' draft (where you pick your own players one at a time in turn) but will try to do it this season.

So check back. This will be a fun (at least for me) place to talk about my teams without watching my friends eyes glaze over...

It's just not FAIR!

I know, I know! I've told my kids a hundred times (each) that life isn't fair blah blah blah...but geez!

The RA always gets it's own way. ALWAYS. And there is no 'mom' to mediate the issue. I have lots of people on my side, from my wonderful husband to my oh-so-patient-with-this-patient rheumatologist, but that doesn't matter. RA -100 / Beth - 0!

That's not to say I don't push it and gain some yards. I do. Ya gotta live, right? But sometimes, without warning or even any real provocation, the RA comes pushing back with a vengeance and not only takes back all my hard won semblance of normalcy but sacks me like a bad quarterback with no front line! (I am jonesing for football, can you tell?)

I am taking up golf (my rheumatologist doesn't know this yet, so don't tell him before I see him, ok?). Lots of business done on the course, etc. etc. So I join a women's networking/golf organization and a few of my clients registered us as a foursome for an event on the 21st. I can't wait. I just got a set of clubs yesterday and planned to hit the driving range this afternoon and play a few holes over the weekend.

The RA has other ideas. I am exhausted. My wrists, hands, knees and feet hurt terribly. I feel like a truck hit me. I want to go home and nap for a long, long time. AND I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO DESERVE THIS!!! Nothing! Just went to work and came home.

Had a CMAA dinner meeting last night but left early and was home and in bed long before I normally would be. And why did I go to bed early? So I wouldn't be overtired and would feel good to hit the darn driving range today!

IT'S NOT FAIR

Michael Jackson

As the whole world (the news media says the whole world, and they can't say it on tv if it's not true, right?) is watching the spectacle of the Michael Jackson memorial unfold, I have several different, and sometimes conflicting, thoughts...

The statement that he provided the sound track to my generation is pretty accurate. His was the first poster I put on my bedroom wall as an elementary school girl with a big crush. When the Thriller video was first aired my oldest friend, Leslie, and I put our baby girls in little car seat carriers, made munchies and sat enthralled. Absolutely amazing.

I always felt kind of sorry for him because he was such a freak show on feet. I mean, he was pretty much forced to be the family breadwinner from the age of 5 and deprived of any normal childhood. His accusations of physical and mental abuse by his father reinforce my sorrow because, regardless of anything else, he was just a kid.

I'm not sure if his marriage to Lisa Marie was a stunt or he was truly looking for love.

The accusations against him for molestation make my blood run cold. I believe them. And that makes it all that much more confusing. I respect his talent, feel sorry that his life was such a mess, but hate him with every fiber of my being for hurting a child.

How's that for conflicted?

It's one of THOSE Days

I found this as a link in Lene Andersen's wonderful blog "The Seated View".


No explanation necessary...

My Babies

My grandkids are the reason I exist, seriously. I am so lucky that all four of them live relatively (within an hour of my house) close. Many weekends I get to see all four of them, and it's just the very best! They wear me out but I wouldn't have it any other way!

(Quick overview - Jay and Avaree are my son Jimmy and his wife Tara's kids, Jace and Connor are my daughter Sabrina and her husband Mike's boys. My daughter Kirstin and son Steven haven't met their 2 baby-per-kid minumum yet).

The picture is all 4 of my babies! From the left, Connor is a year old, Avaree is 10 mos (look at the size difference between Connor and Avaree! He is a gentle giant and Avaree is just a dink!) Jace is 2 and Jay is 2-1/2. See how much God loves me?

Jace is just the most gentle child I have ever seen. He can fuss with the best of them but is so, so sweet. He is definitely the sweetest of all my grandkids and has Auntie Kirstin all wrapped up. They are buddies!

Whenever he is around my in-laws he just goes up to these old people and climbs into their laps and tells stories to them. I mean, my father in law is 86 and has missing fingers and other just life stuff. My mother in law is 84 and has Parkinsons and her head is tilted. This has to be scary as heck for any kid, but not Jace. He is just the best. Patient, kind and loving. Such a joy! Unless you're trying to get him to eat, then it gets dicey. He is a really picky eater. Sabrina handles it well though and he really does get green veggies, he just doesn't know it.

Jay and Jace are very best friends and whenever they are together they just run and giggle, it's the cutest thing. Connor wants to be grown up so bad! He will crawl after the two older boys giggling his little diaper off and trying so hard to catch up. Jay will always stop and turn around and say "c'mon Connor!" without realizing his little cousin can't get up and run yet.

It won't be long now, though, and it's a good thing that Jace is so nice to his little brother, because Connor is a beast and will be bigger than him pretty quick! Connor is a sweetie, though, and the happiest baby ever. EVER. He had tubes put in his ears on a Thursday afternoon and then on Saturday just hanging out with the bigger boys and trying to eat the dog's biscuits. Sabrina told me that his procedure was delayed for two hours and he didn't get to eat from midnight Wednesday to 2:30 pm Thursday and he never fussed. Now this boy is the opposite of Jace when it comes to food. Connor will eat anything, anywhere at anytime. He prefers everything and constantly!

Avaree is most definitely a princess and very much her big brother's opposite. She is sweet and cute and cuddly and has Papa wrapped around her tiny little finger ALREADY. My husband Jim has always been tight with the boys and wrestles and runs around with them, but once Avaree started showing her personality he was a goner. Definitely a diva in the making! The funny thing is that when Jay was little and he got ME all wrapped up (the first time he smiled at me I promised him his first car) Jim made fun of me. Uh huh. Avaree has no idea she is so tiny and it's just the cutest thing when she gets up and starts cruising around pushing her little doll carriage. It is hilarious.

Jay is, well, Jay. He is my monkey butt and my boy. Basically he is hell on wheels and just has a great time in life. He is going to be an athlete, he just can't wait (mom and dad are both athletes). He loves balls and is learning to play catch, instead of just throw and retrieve. He got his first baseball glove and is quite proud of it. When he sees older boys playing basketball or soccer he just goes up and joins the game. No fear. AT ALL. Kinda scary, really. Jimmy has to watch the Cars movie with Jay everyday and the Jay sings the songs in the movie. It is just too cool. Jay was cuddly for about 5 minutes once.

For anyone but me. He will always cuddle with me and sing songs and kind of instictively knows when he has to be gentle with me. One day a week or so ago I was home in bed with a flare and Jimmy came over to work with Jim and brought the kids with him for Kirstin to watch. My bedroom door was closed but he busts in and climbs into bed with me (taking his shoes off first because he knows better) and cuddles up to me, kisses my hand and says "ok G-ma? Jay kiss you better." No one had told him I was sick. He is used to climbing into bed with us in the morning and watching Mickey Mouse when they lived with us, so it's not like if G-ma is in bed she must be sick. It's just amazing to me.

He is very two, though, and has moments of being a total jerk. But no one is allowed to say anything about him around me! He is NOT a butthead! He is perfect, and he knows his G-Ma loves him more than anything! But I also don't take any crap from him, and he knows that, too.

I am really objective about all 4 of my kids, and am proud of the people that they are, but I know what their flaws and challenges are. But there is no objectivity about my babies. They are all perfect and can do no wrong. And that drives my kids nuts. So my mission is accomplished and my life is complete!