Playoff Time....

I have to hurry and get a post up about sports before most of you (if you don't already) think I have gone the way of Lance Bass. (not that there's anything wrong with it).



October has arrived and that only means one thing: Baseball Playoffs. In the 80s and 90s, I loved the playoffs; however, in the 21st century, they have become a lifeline for me. Why do you ask? What has changed?

Answer: The Angels are now contenders. They are now fixtures in October. They are now the favorites almost every year to not only make the playoffs but to win The World Series. Like most of you, I bleed "red" but in October, my days literally hang on every Angel win and loss. This year, they are playing one of my most hated teams (Boston Red Sox) which makes it even more intense and more exciting. I will be hanging on every pitch, cheering on every hit, crying on every out, and screaming in either ecstasy or pain on every win or loss.

After 162 games and the grueling summer days, October has finally arrived! Think about the time of year, you wait for the most. Is it Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years, Easter, or Valentine's Day?

For me, it's none of those. For me, it's October. For me, it's the playoffs. For me, it's baseball.

Prediction: Angels beat the Cubs in 7 games.

Rally monkey is in force as the Halos come back against the Cubs bullpen.



A sea of red is parted when Frankie Rodriguez jogs in from the bullpen and closes out the Cubbies (sending thousands long lasting Cubs fans to the nearest bridge)



As the Angels win their 2nd World Series in 6 years!!!!

D.W.T.S.

I couldn't type out the whole thing because then some of you would be instantly turned off. Now at least you are reading to find out (if you don't know already) what D.W.T.S. could possibly mean.

This actually might be a new low for me. I've blogged about The Bachelor. I blogged about Beverly Hills 90210. I've even blogged about the limberness of my wife. However, I have yet to blog about a show where celebrities attempt to dance with so-called professional dancers. But since Chaddyshack and Jumping Turtle have separately and collectively asked me (more than once) to blog about "Dancing with the Stars," I figured, why hold off any longer. Their wish is my command!

Yes, I admit it. I watched the show on Monday and Tuesday night. Yes, I will also admit that I enjoyed a few of the dancers. I mean, seriously, what is not to like? First of all, when I heard that Misty May was going to be a participant, I knew I would be watching. Then to my surprise and glee, the show not only included her but: Kim Kardashian and the mom of all moms, Brooke Burke.

On the surface, this show seems lame. Watching celebrities dance who are then criticized by 3 judges who are trying to be funny (although I must admit "Bruno" is pretty funny most of the time). I have never watched the show until this season and although I am not sold on the premise or the drama, I am sold on the following: (in no particular order....)


Misty May (I admit that she is buffer that most men but her athleticism combined with occasional grace makes her attractive to me....maybe I have a slight tendency....not that there's anything wrong with that).




Kym Johnson (see below....can you believe the girls wear outfits like this on network TV???)



Edyta Sliwinska (Yowzer!)


Kim Kardashian (I decided not to post a picture of her "better" side. I'm not that much of a pig!)


Brooke Burke (Mom of 4. Are you kidding me?!?!)



Julianne Hough (not into blonds that much but gotta admit....not too shabby!)


Cloris Leachman (Why does she always play the drunk? Spanglish and now D.W.T.S. At age 82 though.....aw yea!!!!)






And the hottest chick of them all. The reason I keep coming back and will refuse to watch if she ever gets eliminated. (She probably won't because she is clearly the best dancer and the best looking in those skimpy outfits......)

If you haven't seen Dancing with the Stars yet, don't worry. This hottie will be around a long time!!! (scroll down to find the answer....)














Lance Bass



"Not that there's anything wrong with it."

Pride vs. Pocketbook

As I watched one of the greatest sporting events in the history of sports (The Ryder Cup) this weekend, I was struck with this thought, "Is pride more important to the 'natural man' than his pocketbook?"

Meaning, when one is placed in a competitive environment, will he/she give more of a effort if only his/her "pride" is on the line or will that person be more competitive if "to the victor go the spoils?"

Most would naturally answer, "money" is the biggest determining factor. The majority might say, "The more money on the line, the more competitive I become." However, 24 golfers this weekend would beg to differ. The Ryder Cup consists of the 12 best U.S. players and the 12 best European players and for one weekend they go toe to toe and come Sunday night, one of them is declared the winner.

Question: What do they earn for giving up their weekend and demonstrating their skills to the world?

Answer: Pride. For the next 2 years, they get to look at the losing team and say, "We were better than you that weekend."

Now these are arguably the best golfers in the world. These are players who are used to earning millions for beating their opponents. These are players who get paid millions for just showing up at certain events and displaying their skills. However, when interviewed after his dramatic win over Sergio Garcia on Sunday, Anthony Kim declared, "This win means more to me than 10 million dollars!"

Preview

Do you believe that? Kim earned ZERO dollars this weekend. He has won a few times this year on the PGA Tour. He has won countless other junior tournaments while playing for La Quinta High School and yet, the PRIDE he felt that moment, playing for his country, was more staggering and more glorifying than even "10 million dollars" would've been.

As a viewer, I was captivated. I pumped my fist in the air along with Hunter Mahan when he made an inexplicable 40 foot putt.



I jumped up and down like Boo Weekley when he also drained a putt that helped the U.S. beat Europe.



And I even felt a little sympathy for Sergio Garcia when he missed a 2 foot putt that Anthony Kim refused to concede to him.



I guess you could say, I had an "A-HA" moment this weekend. I always thought that money was the biggest motivating factor in most athletes including myself; however, this weekend made those thoughts quickly dissipate.

I think Boo Weekley said it best when asked what he thought after it was all over, "It's been amazing, it really has. I can't put it into words or anything. I have to sit down and think about it. I'm still shaking and nervous. Your arm hairs stand up and you get chills when the crowd start hollering your name and USA. The adrenaline, it's just unreal."

When "Pride" is factored in, most athletes and non-athletes alike put on their best attire, prepare themselves accordingly, and are much more pumped when their name is called for being the BEST in their given craft at that moment in time.

Top 10 Things I Love About Fall....

I figured since I've done my top 10 for both Spring and Summer, might as well continue the tradition. (It is at this point that Loubige starts to get a little nervous. What could possibly be #1. Not another embarrassing picture of her?......Oh she's so tempted right now to scroll down but she won't because she doesn't want to ruin the surprise!).

Once again (with apologies to David Letterman), here is Dro's top 10 reasons he loves the Fall:


#10 School is back in session

(Strange reason to love the Fall, I know, but there's something about going to work every day knowing that some kid is going to do something to make you laugh, cry, and/or yell obscenities).




#9 I love the Fall colors here in Laguna Beach

(I know the picture below is LB at night but there is no color change in Laguna Beach when Fall rolls around so I found a really cool picture instead).




#8 Kids don't say, "I'm bored" that much anymore.

(Sometimes in the summer, it feels like I have four "shadows" as I walk around the house).





#7 Fantasy Football

(I'm not into fantasy football as much as fantasy baseball but I still enjoy the camaraderie that comes with being in a league with your friends. I still can't believe DeSean Jackson cost me 6 pts. when he inexplicably dropped the ball as he headed into the endzone!)



#6 I actually get paid!

(Teachers only get paid on a 10 month scale so it's always good to get a paycheck and not live on Mr. Visa and his 19% interest rate).



#5 Back to School Night

(I get to experience this as both a parent and a teacher. Oh the joys! A 44 once of Mountain Dew usually helps!)





#4 The NFL

(Nothing like the rule at my house, "No TV on Sundays.....except sports.")




#3 College Football

(With DVR, one can get the chores done, play with the kids, actually listen to the wife, AND watch college football. NICE!)




#2 MLB Playoffs

(Although it saddens me that baseball is coming to an end. I still get to enjoy October and what is now an annual thing: The Angels in the playoffs.....and this year an added bonus....the Yankees are not).





And my #1 reason for loving the Fall Season...............


Wife is more limber!

My 100th post.....

Back in January (9 months ago), I started "blogging." When I first started, it was meant to be a "sports blog" where I talked mostly sports and gave my take about a certain player, team, or game. After boring even myself, I decided to branch out and talk about other things that revolved around my world....afterall, I did come up with an original title for my blog:

"Life According to Dro."

(I know.....throughout your blog surfing that you've never come across the title "Life According to "fill in the blank").

So, since it was "life" according to me, then I figured why not talk about other things besides sports. To spice up my blog, I have considered many things:

1. Pictures of my kids

2. Their birthdays (I would list their birthdays here but my wife would tell me to immediately erase that information because "there might be some stalker out there.")

3. Their growth spurts (Jamie is no longer the shortest in her class. Corrie is. Curran is average. And Luke has my curse....."short legs")

4. Their choice of clothes (Luckily they aren't into the brand names just yet....except for Corrie who wants anything that is popular (ie expensive))

5. Their likes (Jamie loves to read. Corrie loves to shop. Curran loves to play. Luke loves to be stubborn)

6. Their dislikes (Jamie hates things messy. Corrie hates to entertain herself. Curran hates to do homework. Luke hates to not get his way)

7. Their funnies (Jamie belches. Corrie is sarcastic. Curran scares his siblings. Luke is extreme)

8. And I even thought about going for the "bouncing fetus" while my readers listened to the heartbeat while they read my blog.

But alas, those ideas went by the wayside. It's hard enough to be a male in the blogging world but if I started adding all those other things then I could probably never show my face in public again. (note: not that there's anything wrong with those things but being a "male that blogs" I just didn't think they were appropriate for me).

So what did this blog eventually become? I'm really not sure. I'm a big Seinfeld fan so I guess it's a blog "about nothing."

How much longer will I go on? I think my wife (who is my biggest critic) will tell me when it's time to call it quits. I'm guessing sooner rather than later. Until then....

Go Misty May!

Mountain Dew, Ice Cream, and 90210

Question: What do these three things have in common?

Answer: They are my guilty pleasures.

(I seriously debated writing those last two words....they sound so sultry when they roll off one's tongue).

Anyway, I think--I hope, that most people in life have their own form of "guilty pleasures." You know those things that you do on a consistent basis that you know you probably shouldn't but you have a hard time divulging your secret in public in fear of ridicule and scorn. However, you really wish you could get over that guilty feeling because "who really cares, anyway?"

Well, I am here to help. Consider this your forum for breaking out. Consider this the day that you let the world know (well, okay 10-15 people) that you even though you are a manly man, "You love Project Runway and you're sick of feeling guilty about it!"

I'll go first.

#1 I drink at least one Mountain Dew a day. Have to have it. Yes, I will get a headache if I don't. Yes, I know it has caffeine. Yes, I know I am addicted. Yes, I know what it will supposedly do to my sperm count. Yes, I have read the Word of Wisdom. Yes, I justify my actions. Yes, I still hold a temple recommend. Yes, I feel guilty sometimes. (ie I had a shopping cart full of Dew, Diet Pepsi, etc. last night at the store and a ward member said Hi, looked down, furrowed his brow, and asked, "You like soda, huh?" I stammered, ho-hummed, and tried to justify my actions...which have led me to this post). I love my mountain dew and damn the consequences!


#2 I like ice cream. I like it a lot. I once threw up about a year ago because I ate too much in one sitting. (dulce de leche...yum). I pack the ice cream in a huge cup and then pour milk in on top and watch the milk work its way down around the ice cream until I have a very thick milkshake. In high school, I would eat 2 of these a day and gained no weight. Now, if I eat 2 a week, my love handles start to become "more lovely" so I have to limit myself but not much. Even though it is one of the most fattening things one can eat and even though it is unhealthy, I will continue to eat my ice cream because it just tastes too good to stop.





#3 Beverly Hills 90210. I watched this show every week 15 years ago. In its heydey, 90210 was one of the best shows on television. I couldn't wait to see if Dylan would kick his drug habit, or if Brandon would hook up with the token ugly chick Andrea Zuckerman, or if David would finally get what he had so patiently been waiting for, or if Kelly would ever hook up again with Steve (poor Steve), or if Brenda would ever get out of Kelly's shadow. Such drama. Such fun.



And guess what? It's back. That's right there's a new 90210 on TV. Kelly is now a counselor at West Beverly High and has a four year old kid with one of her blasts from the past. (Could it be Brandon.....or Dylan....or maybe even Steve?) Her sister (remember the baby) is now a student at the high school. Just like when the Walshs moved from Minnesota in the original, there is a new family in Beverly Hills but this time they are from Kansas. Yes they have two kids that attend the high school, one who is a girl and one who is a boy but NO, they are not twins this time. Instead, the girl is white and the boy is (gasp!) black and their dad is actually the Principal! I know this is some serious drama. Brenda has even made an appearance. And yes, you will be glad to hear that The Peach Pit is still around and Nat is still cooking his famous burgers. (I love the difference in these two pictures. Look how far the media and our society has come in its morals. Classic! Somebody please bring back those whitewashed jeans!!!!)



I watched it when I was in my 20s and I'm watching it again in my 30s. No, you can't make me feel guilty about it anymore. As I drink my mountain dew, followed by my nightly milkshake, you will find me on Tuesday nights huddled up with my blanket watching the new Beverly Hills 90210.

Anyone else reading this blog want to "come out of the closet" and publicly announce your guilty pleasures????

(No Chad, this is not the forum for that kind of public acknowledgement. Perhaps Bags would be someone you would need to talk to.)

Sarah Palin

Like I have said in an earlier post, I am usually not the one to speak out when politics are involved. I have actually found much humor in those who get so fired up about politics and religion for that matter. There's a reason why there is a separation between church and state.....Most people would probably explode if these two hot topics ever merged together....although it appears with Prop 8 that the merge has begun.

Anyway, for some reason, I am intrigued and somewhat excited about this presidential race. I've never sat down and watched a Republican or Democratic convention until Sarah Palin spoke the other day. In the past, I figured, "Why bother? Same old song and dance. Democrats will roll out John F. Kennedy and accuse the Republicans of having too much money. Republicans will talk about not raising taxes (even though they do every time) and then accuse the Democrats of media spin."

It got old and I didn't want to waste my time; however, maybe it's my age, maturity level, or my desire to have something to talk about other than sports but whatever the reason, I am drawn to this race and have been following it pretty closely. So when McCain chose Palin as his running mate, I was stoked. I was stoked because he went against the grain and against the "good ole boy network." I was stoked because he is truly a 'Maverick' and wants to prove it by choosing someone who doesn't have a perfect family life but someone who could be great for the country. And I was stoked because it gave McCain a chance to actually win.

Well, 2 days ago after watching Sarah Palin speak, I knew that McCain had (for sure) made the right choice. She was funny. She was direct. And she attacked but in a way only a woman can. You see, when Clinton or a 'good ole boy' makes attacking comments, they come across as defensive or vain but when a woman does it, one gets the feeling that she is aggressive, strong, and willing to fight.

If you were in the middle and watched Palin's speech, I don't know how you couldn't be impressed. True, she didn't hit upon many issues but she hit the hot buttons that needed to be hit. She defended her family. She attacked Obama and the media. And she showed class while doing it. That's tough to do and no one else that McCain could've picked would've had the same reaction that Palin got after her speech. Republicans had to be impressed and Democrats had to be scared.

It's going to be a close race. Obama is probably still the lead dog but he's got a hard-charging woman right behind him because as the phrase goes, "Hell hath no fury than a woman scorned!" Just ask Hilary.

1st Day of School

I'm wondering who it affects the most when the first day of school rolls around? Moms, kids, or teachers.

For moms, their schedule takes a drastic turn....almost 180 degrees. No longer are the kids (and moms) sleeping in. No longer are the days filled with activities or lounging. No longer does the beach call your name. No longer can you wear PJs until noon. Instead, it's up at 6:30 or so and then waking the kids around the same time. It's making breakfast and sack lunches. It's doing homework, signing papers, and becoming "James" the chauffeur. True, moms now have 8 am-2 pm alone at home (unless there are little ones still) but even those hours seem to fly by trying to keep the house tidy and the schedules tight. Do you moms ever feel like doing what this "Mom Barbie" is doing just to cope with your schedules when school begins?




But what about kids? They go from TV, video games, sleep, play, beach, friends, late nights, late mornings, and sleep-overs to: In bed by 9, up by 6, no TV/video games during the week, no beach, no sleep-overs, and homework on a nightly basis. Stress hits them squarely in the face when for 3 months, they felt no stress at all. Are kids affected when school begins....Definitely!



And last but not least teachers. We always forget about them. I would say that the majority of people think that teachers actually look forward to the first day of school. They are always so cheerful on that first day and wanting to give a first impression; however, now that I am behind the curtain, I can tell you that this is simply not true. Teachers loathe the first day of school. We cannot stand it. Sure, we are somewhat excited for the new school year and the challenges that are sure to come our way BUT that first day is awful, simply awful. We have no set curriculum for the first day. We wing it. We are left to entertain the students for an hour at a time with really nothing to talk about. You can only ask "How was your summer?" for so long.



Some teachers play getting to know you games even though they know that the kids hate them. Why? Because it fills time. I refuse to play those games. Instead I just start talking about whatever. Sometimes the kids will laugh but most of the time they look at me like I'm on drugs. I actually asked my 6th period yesterday who they thought was hotter, "Misty May or Kerri Walsh?" That's how desperate I had become. They now think I'm a 36 year old pervert.



So there you have it. I'm not sure who has it worse? Moms, kids, or teachers. All I know is that everyone is just as miserable as everyone else so we deal with it thinking we are the only ones who feel this way.

Of course, I could be talking about a lot of things with that last comment. (Gospel Doctrine, Relief Society, First day of school.....) They all go hand in hand.