Minnesota vs New Orleans

We are in the midst of a hard fought game between the Vikings and the Saints. 3:00 minutes left in the 2nd quarter and it is 14-14. Brett taking a lot of hits, but is hanging in there so far.

Birthday weekend went well. Chinese dinner delivered to our door, phone calls and cards from family and friends, numerous birthday wishes on Facebook. All in all, a good weekend so far. Of course, the perfect weekend would have Minnesota winning tonight.

Spent several hours on Warrior Forum learning much about niche blogging, article marketing, SEO, and much more. So much to learn - not sure why I didn't go out to that particular forum before. They certainly have the information I need to make more money online than I am currently making.

I feel like 2010 is going to be a good year. I just need to keep plugging away at my websites and not giving up when times are tough. Being a caregiver and also having such a almost straight-up learning curve can be a bit daunting at time.

I have long been a positive, day-at-a- time, look-ahead kind of person, and that's the way I feel about this year. We don't know what is going to happen with Dad, now at 87, but I also have much to look forward to that is positive.

I love the blogs and websites I write for, and I am enjoying learning how to set up websites. Although I have a lot to learn, I know that keeping my focus on the prize will get me a long way.

I titled this post with the names of the two football teams who are playing tonight. Unfortunately, one team will lose and not move forwad. The other will continue to keep their eyes on the prize and continue to move forward. Much preparation for the Super Bowl. Both these teams are tough and this should be a good game.

In life, we quite often take a lot of hits as do the football players. But, we have to get up and keep moving forward toward the goal. That is the only way we will make it to our goal.

How is your game? What are you looking forward to this year? Do you have a game plan? Are you keeping your eyes on the prize? Are you on your way to the goal?

Football Season in Full Swing

With football season well underway, and my football chick shirt available every Sunday (all day) and for Monday Night Football, I found this year my loyalties changed. For many years I have strongly supported certain teams. Not just because they were winning, but because I liked certain players or the coach, lived in the area during that season and supported the local team (Lions, Redskins, Cowboys, Cardinals - I've moved around a bit).

But this year, back in Michigan but not fully loving the Lions just yet, my heart moved towards Minneapolis. For one thing, it's not that far away from Michigan. But really, for some reason, I have taken a liking to Brett Favre for some reason. Not sure why, but there it is.

The other team I am keen on is the Arizona Cardinals. Prior to returning to Michigan in 2006, I lived in Arizona. Although I live in this sometimes freezing cold Northern state, my heart is still in the Southwest. I am so excited that Arizona is playing as well as they are. The win last Sunday was a highlight of this season.

I love fall! Not only for the beautiful fall colors as the leaves change and the great holidays that are associated with this time of year, but for the football games and camaraderie that comes with watching games with or at the same time as other family members no matter where we live. Numerous phone calls are sometimes exchanged when games and rivalries are getting hot.

Football season still has a couple of months to go, and of course the Super Bowl is the culmination of the season, but the week to week frenzy is a joy and continues on for a while longer. I am definitely looking forward to this next Sunday and will avidly follow my favorite teams.

How about you? Who is your favorite team or player? If you don't like football, what are you doing instead?

Fall Is On It's Way

It's that time of year again. This is Labor Day Weekend, every one's last chance to spend quality time at their cabin up north, and hours trying to navigate through the traffic compliments of their fellow travelers.

How do I really know that fall is on it's way? Here are the signs:

1. The temperatures in mid-Michigan are beginning to hang in the 70's nearly every day.
2. The Lions and Tigers are overlapping.
3. Michigan State football fills the pages of the Lansing State Journal, with extra sections detailing who the players are and how MSU will go about earning a winning season.
4. Local high school football also fills the pages of the State Journal and local papers.
5. Not to mention all the sports news on the various local TV stations.
6. Coaches Mark Dantanio and Rich Rodriguez (MSU and U of M, respectively) fill the airwaves and print.
7. Rich Rodriguez is again in some kind of trouble, somewhere.
8. The neighborhood has emptied out now that the kids are back in school.
9. The big orange school bus goes rumbling by, much to fast for our small side street.
10. The local athletic students, male and female, run in packs or alone up and down our streets.
11. Farmers Markets are closing down.
12. Ads for holiday goods are increasing.
13. Organizations are starting their monthly meetings once again.
14. Local Swiss steak dinners, spaghetti dinners, chicken dinners, and pancake breakfasts are once again in action.
15. Politicians are robocalling.
16. Fall is in the air. In some areas the leaves are beginning to change, already!
17. Ox-roasts and beer fests are on the agenda for September and October.
18. Summer music festivals are events of the past.
19. Networks are not only announcing their fall schedule, but viewers are inundated with promos.
20. David is coming from SE Texas to visit his Grandma this month.

All in all, it should be an interesting Fall. As the leaves change and the temperature drops, the air is filled with the promise of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The stores begin to fill up with shoppers, and the world seems to pick up its pace once again.

I hope all of you have a great Fall and your favorite sports team wins! Let the tailgating begin!

Punxsutawney Phil Sees Shadow - Six More Weeks of Winter

According to Punxsutawney Phil, who saw his shadow this morning, we will experience six more weeks of winter. Phil was joined by thousands of fans in the early morning of Monday, February 2nd. Legend has it that if he did not see his shadow, spring would arrive early. Therefore, winter will not end as soon as we would have liked.

He was greeted by his fans at his home in Gobbler's Knob, northeast of Pittsburgh. For a look at his official website and to see numerous photos of his fans who gathered this morning, click on the title of this post or on this link.

No doubt Phil was also celebrating the last minute Super Bowl win by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

As an Arizona Cardinals fan, I would say neither Pittsburgh event was good news.

From Detroit to Pittsburgh with Love

Yahoo! Sports has an interesting and inspiring story about Sean McHugh, reserve fullback for the Super Bowl heading Steelers. Sean was cut by the Detroit Lions for not being good enough for the team, then three days later he was picked up by the Steelers.

Now he is headed to the Super Bowl and a chance to be a part of history.

The article is a testament to working hard and not giving up. As a lover of quotes, I found two in this article that pertain to life in general. They are:

"For people who work hard, things all seem to work out" Dan Campbell

"A door closed, and a world opened." Sean McHugh

I think those two quotes could provide encouragement to a lot of people during these tough times. Just because someone lost their job, doesn't mean it's the end of the road. For those who work hard, something will come up that could turn out better than where they were at in the first place.

Click on this link to read the inspirational article ==> Steelers McHugh Catches Break.

Have you caught a break in life that you are willing to share? We could all use an inspirational lift today. Thanks for sharing.

Cardinals and Steelers

After a long afternoon and evening watching two very good football games, we now know the Arizona Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to meet head-on February 1st in Tampa.

It's a good thing the Super Bowl is two weeks away, because these two teams will need the rest. Both games were bruisers, and the Super Bowl will more than likely reflect the physical ability of the two teams.

May the best team win!

Good News in the Midst of the Auto Bailout Collapse

When I picked up the Lansing (MI) State Journal this morning, I expected to see headlines about the Big Three bailout collapse spread all over the front page. To my pleasant surprise, above the fold on the front page of every section was positive and encouraging news for the mid-Michigan area.

As most everyone knows, Michigan has struggled for the last few years with a high unemployment rate, a fallen (Detroit) mayor, home foreclosures among the highest in the nation, and businesses failing at a rapid rate.

Today, the Lansing area came up a winner in several categories:

The front page headline read: $550M WINNER. MSU Lands Nuclear Research Facility. The U.S. Department of Energy announced it had awarded Michigan State University a $550 million nuclear physics research project called the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams. Hope rises!

Local & State section: 3 area schools take silver. East Lansing, Okemos, and Williamston rank in the top 2.9% of nation's high schools, designated by U.S. News and World Report.

The coolest thing about that news is that I graduated from Williamston High School - that is my hometown school. How cool is that?

Sports news: Could have been just a tad better, but MSU's Javon Ringer placed second in the race to become the nation's best running back Thursday night. After a late-season surge, Shonn Greene from Iowa ended up number one.

Still, great news for MSU sports and for 2nd season head football coach, Mark Dantonio. The story just below Javon's is of the January 1st Capitol One Bowl in Orlando against Georgia. It was cool to see a picture of Dantonio and Georgia coach Mark Richt shaking hands during Thursday's press conference promoting the bowl game.

So, in the midst of extremely disappointing news, good news rose to the top for the Lansing area.

Good News for Michigan Football Fans

Gerald Ford on the field at University of Michigan 1933. Photo: Gerald R. Ford Library. Public Domain.

Michigan State Spartans are riding high after a thrilling 21-7 win over Purdue yesterday. It was the Spartans final home game, and buzz has it, at 9-2 they are on their way to a bowl game. On November 22, they face Penn State.

In more good news for Michigan, the blue-and-maize team won a 29-6 victory over Minnesota. First year Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said, "It's nice to see a bunch of guys with smiles on their faces." Michigan is 3 - 7 in the win loss column, but any victory can spark incentive to keep moving forward.

Unlike the hapless Big 3 in Detroit, our main football rivals had a successful week.