skwillson's Xanga

WHY I PREFER TO WATCH THE CHARGERS ON TV

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:12:16 GMT

So we had tickets to the Chargers/Jets game on 9/22, a Monday night game. I really enjoy watching the Charger games on Sunday afternoons with my family, relaxing in the living room & cheering on our team. But my cousins were coming from Idaho & they're big Charger fans, so we decided to go with them. First, tickets are expensive. We wanted a good view, so we went looking on eBay for tickets. Ended up buying some really good seats right in the front two rows of the view section (we sat right behind each other). This was before Favre was traded to the Jets, and we paid over $100 a ticket. After he was traded, we could have sold them for 3 times what we paid for them. But we didn't.

Next issue: how to get to the game on time. The game was starting at 5:30, so I just took the whole day off. JD couldn't get it off, but he was able to leave at 4:00. The plan was to meet up with him at Qualcomm. Well, after my cousins & I drove to the Old Town trolley station & were unable to find an open spot anywhere, we ended up meeting JD at Hazard Center. We figured they'd still have parking there, right? Nope. So we parked in the boonies and walked to the trolley stop at Hazard. We weren't the only ones there. One of the girls waiting mentioned that 3 full trolleys had already gone by. I didn't realize what she meant by "full" until I saw the next one stop. "Full" meant full - packed very closely together, breathing in each other's faces, some faces almost pressed against the window. We waited through 3 of those. A few people squeezed onto each one. A couple guys at the stop told us they took the trolley to the games all the time & that usually every other trolley was empty so that people could be picked up from other stations (the line starts at Old Town). We figured out that wasn't happening because it was a Monday, not a Sunday. They had to get all the commuters home from work, and that was top priority. I determined I was getting onto the next one, and I took JD with me. My cousins said they would squeeze onto the next one & meet us in the seats.

The ride was not fun, but it wasn't horrible. I couldn't move and it was hot. At every stop, a few more people squeezed in, and it would take forever to get moving again. We were late to the game and missed most of the first quarter. My cousins got to their seats about 2 minutes after us and told us the next trolley had been empty. Seriously? Oh, well. The game was good, and it's fun to be around a bunch of people cheering for the team, trading high-fives and all. But there are always idiots who have to ruin the fun family atmosphere.

There were a bunch of Jets fans at the game. Good for them. I cheer for my team, and you cheer for yours. But later in the game, after all the beer has kicked in, people start acting stupid. They taunt the other team's fans, start talking smack, get in their face. There are an equal amount of idiots cheering for each team out there, I'm sure. They cuss at each other; sometimes they fight. It makes me sick. I wanted to throw my overpriced hot dog and water at them. It really took away from my enjoyment of the game, especially since there were a couple of young kids right next to us.

We beat the Jets pretty soundly, so that was cool. Now to get home. We knew the trolley system would have a bunch of empty trolleys sitting there waiting to take people home, so we figured we'd just get on & ride it back to our cars. Ha! Yes, there were several empty trolleys, but I think the entire 59,000+ attendance rode the trolley. It took us over an hour to get on one. Somebody in line was saying that there are usually a bunch of buses on Sundays but that they don't run for the evening games. The cars in the parking lot were all gone before we actually got on a trolley!

So . . . the moral of the story is to drive your own car & get there early. Park in a place where it's easy to get out. Or maybe ride the trolley from Old Town if it's a Sunday. And get there early, too, so you know there'll be parking. Or better yet, stay home & watch the game in air-conditioned comfort, with the snacks you want, hanging with the people you want!!

Visitor from TX, etc.

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 02:53:57 GMT

My brother Roger is here! Flew in today from TX for a week, so I'm looking forward to catching up with him. We all had an early dinner together & then he and all the other men in my family left for the Padre game (my mom & I begged off so we could get things done at home).

Went to a movie premiere of Igor this morning with my husband and two nephews. In case anyone's interested, the movie was really fun. I only got the tix so we could take the boys, but we all enjoyed it. I never really enjoy the waiting in line beforehand, though. But I guess it was worth saving $40 or so.

Charger game tomorrow, y'all. Hope I don't sleep through this one. I don't know what happened to me last week.

SUMMER ACTIVITIES

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 03:54:14 GMT

There has been so much going on that I haven't even had time to blog. Seriously. Every time I thought about it, I started off by reading & leaving comments on others' blogs, and then there was no time. So now I'm blogging first, commenting later.

Not that I've been doing anything really exciting. Just fun stuff w/friends & family. Paddle boating in Coronado with my Little Sister, going to the premiere of Traitor (which was very good, by the way), dancing & hanging out at Downtown Cafe in El Cajon while our friend's band Good Mojo played, betting on the horses with money provided by my company at Dunham's Day at the Races (in our own room overlooking the track), using free movie passes before they expired to go see Longshots (very cute), hanging out at the beach with my folks one night to hear Surf City All-Stars and Rockola, and going with a group last night to see a sneak preview of the movie Fireproof. GO SEE THIS MOVIE when it opens on Sept. 26. There were 8 of us who saw it last night, and it was funny, sad and powerful (and very well-made). And if you're having any struggles in your marriage, then it's that much more important that you see it. Check out the trailers and such at www.fireproofthemovie.com.

Can I just say that I am excited about a fresh start with our high school & junior high groups at church? Not that things were bad, mind you. But it's exciting when you have new teachers and helpers and fresh ideas. I'm looking forward to constantly improving and growing.

Now . . . time to clean out my closet. Yikes!

THE OLYMPICS

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:03:35 GMT

Any free time I've had recently has been spent in front of the TV watching Olympics events. Love the volleyball, swimming, gymnastics, etc. How awesome was it when the men won the 4x100 freestyle relay when France was favored (and talking smack)? JD & I were up past our bedtime (it was almost 11:30), and it looked like we were going to take 2nd place. I couldn't believe Lezak pulled it off in those last few meters - WOW! I really didn't think he had time, and I kept telling JD that. Then I was saying "well, maybe . . ." Then I was yelling & cheering, and our windows were wide open, and I started to worry that I was waking up the neighbors. Aw, who cares? They really should be up watching this!

Have enjoyed watching beach and court volleyball, too. Not to the final games on that yet, but it's still a joy to watch.

Was getting annoyed at the judging last night during the all-around for women's gymnastics. It seemed (and the commentators agreed with me) that our girls were being scored lower than they should be and that some others were being scored higher than they should be. I was going to be pretty ticked if that cost them a medal. But all was well in the end, despite the judging irregularities, and Lukin & Johnson went 1-2 in the all-around. Well deserved, ladies. It was so good that I stayed up until 1 a.m. even though I had to work today. Hope I can stay awake at choir practice tonight!

SYTYCD and Movies

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 04:24:55 GMT

First, can I just say that we're in the process of evicting tenants in Vegas AND Arizona? Ugh. Doesn't anyone pay their rent anymore?

We finally got around to seeing some movies this last weekend. Took my Little Sis to see Wall-E (her choice out of 3 movies I offered), and we both really enjoyed it. It's not one of those movies I would rave about and tell everyone to go see, but it was entertaining, cute & funny. Went with my hubby and some friends on Sunday afternoon to see The Dark Knight. I loved it, but Heath Ledger was soooo creepy as The Joker. It's scary that there are people in this world who like to hurt people just because. It's not just a character in a movie.

Went to the premiere of Swing Vote on Tuesday night with my parents and JD. It's always a good sign when we ALL enjoy a movie. Kevin Costner plays a total loser in this movie, and I can picture alot of this happening in real life. Other than the presidential election coming down to one person's vote, that is. But it was very good, funny, and thought-provoking. And I love Kelsey Grammer, who plays the president.

I just finished watching So You Think You Can Dance. We're down to the top 6 now, and how can I possibly vote? They are all SO GOOD!! I love every one of them & can't even tell you who my favorites are. I could honestly say that I would be fine with any of them winning. Every other year, I've had a favorite or two, but there's so much more outstanding talent this year. Every dance was great tonight, and a couple of them were just fantastic. Samba, hip-hop, paso doble, Viennese waltz, jazz, contemporary . . . how can you not be watching this show?!? If you haven't watched it at all before now, watch the results show Thurs. night at 9 p.m. and watch the finale next Wed. night. Don't miss it!

BUSY WEEKEND

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:53:48 GMT

It was a VERY busy weekend. Other than church and a nice lunch afterwards with friends & family, I worked. Nothing else, just worked. And sometimes it seems like I'm not even making a dent in the paperwork on my desk. Ugh!

I was hoping we'd have time for a movie, but such was not the case. There are several we want to see, I think, so maybe we can do that over the next couple days. After I run the 6 errands that are on my list for tonight. Seriously. I think it's time for my side job to go. The errands have nothing to do with that, but Kippy's (my side job) did take up a couple hours this weekend.

Do you ever feel like that? You have 3 big piles of paperwork in front of you & you don't know where to start? And there always seems to be another event coming up that you need to participate in? I just don't think it's supposed to be this way. I'm having to say "no" much more often.

By the way, I did find out last night that my cousin in Idaho is not doing well at all. She's pretty much given up her child to her mom, she's been staying with various friends & doesn't have a home, and she's drinking & doing drugs with a group of very dysfunctional friends. Apparently this is the second suicide in their group, so they have some kind of sick bond. She's pushing her family and Jesus away. I'm just sick about it, but all I can do is PRAY.

TEST RESULTS

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:04:37 GMT

So I got my test results, and now I feel like I'm about 60. All the cardiac stuff came back fine, but one of the blood tests showed high cholesterol. My doc says I have to make some changes & test better in 6 months, or she's going to recommend medication. No, thanks!! This should be the motivator I need to exercise and watch what I eat. The side benefit should be weight loss, which would be a grand bonus. Still, it made me feel kinda old. The high cholesterol has nothing to do with the "attacks", though, and my husband still says it's stress. So I'm going to make some changes with my responsibilities and priorities, too. Yikes.

I'm sooooo glad JD & I went to The Truth Project training and got our own set of DVDs. When we went, we had no idea the church was going to run them. But since they're doing it on Wednesday night, and I don't get off work in time to be there, I can watch them at home. I think our long-term plan is to run a Bible study with them, anyway. They are AWESOME, and I think I have a little crush on Del Tackett.

TOO MUCH GOING ON

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 23:31:06 GMT

There’s been so much going on that I haven’t had time to blog. It’s been easier just to read all your blogs & comment than to blog myself. But here goes . . .

JD got home from work one Wednesday & kept hearing a strange crackling sound. It turned out to be one of our dual pane sliding glass doors, and since he was getting ready to leave for church, he called me at work to tell me to stay away from it so that I didn’t get cut or anything. Well, I got home and was busy working away in the office when it collapsed. I thought the WHOLE door was collapsing, and I was sitting there wondering how we were going to board it up that night and how soon we could get it fixed/replaced. Turns out it was only one pane of the two, so we still have a door. We just had these put in about 5 years ago, and they’re supposed to have a 50-year warranty. I’m still trying to find a representative of the company in this area, though.

Because of the “attacks” I’ve been having, my doctor recommended some tests and blood work. So I went to the hospital one Saturday morning to have some blood taken. The guy inserted the tube in my hand (first time for that) and took some blood, and then I proceeded to faint as soon as he was done. When I woke up, I saw 5 sets of feet in front of me. Suffice it to say, I gave them a little excitement that morning. I’m sure it happens from time to time.

Had my first “attack” at work last week. It was not pleasant, and I think it might have freaked my co-workers out a little. It is definitely time to make some life changes. It was bad enough when they happened at home, but then in public and now at work! It made me a little nervous about going to the fair the next day and having something happen there. All was well, though. We went to the fair twice this year, on the days BB King and Boston were in concert. And we are now almost completely done with our Christmas shopping. I just love wandering through all the buildings and seeing all the new gadgets for sale. Fun stuff.

I LOVE the choreography of Napoleon & Tabitha! They’re new to So You Think You Can Dance this year, and they are a VERY welcome addition. Their hip-hop choreography often tells a story, and their pieces have been the highlights of the show so far. You should definitely check out the piece they did to Bleeding Love at http://youtube.com/watch?v=yi4d1QyxczY. Or the one they did to No Air at http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZPxcI-b4Cv8. Or both, because they both rock! My favorite couples this year are Chelsie & Mark, Katee & Joshua, and Kherington & Twitch. Is anyone out in Xangaland watching this? If so, tell me who you like this year. The show has been better than ever.

Haven’t heard much about my cousin in Idaho. I know she’s out of the facility and has spent some time with her mom. I know that she has left her baby with her mom and is living somewhere else. She seems to be doing OK psychologically, but I don’t know why she doesn’t have her baby with her. Please continue to pray for her to reach out to Jesus, the only One who can really help her through all of this.

OK, back to work. Break is over! :o)

A HEAVY HEART

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:21:52 GMT

Before I get into why my heart is heavy, let me just tell you that JD & I went to see Get Smart and we LOVED it! I don't often laugh out loud at movies, but I did several times in this one. It made me happy.

The day after we went to the movie, I got bad news. I won't share all the details, but here are the basics. My cousin's ex-boyfriend and father of her child shot & killed himself in front of her. She's just over 20, I believe, and is really struggling right now. She has done some things in the last couple days that has caused her family to have her under suicide watch (in some kind of facility). I'm just sick about it. If you would, please pray for her - that God would get hold of her and help her through this time. That she would turn to him to deal with all she's struggling with. Nothing else will help. Thanks.

LIFE HAS BEEN INTERESTING

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:46:38 GMT

So here's what's been going on with us . . .

Went to the Brad Paisley concert last Friday night, and it was AWESOME! Jewel, Julianne Hough & Chuck Wicks were performing, too, but we were there mostly to see Brad. I could go on & on about the amazing visuals and Brad's great sense of humor shown throughout the concert, but I won't. Just trust me - it was great.
Went straight from the concert to our all-nighter with the jr. highers. I hope the kids had a really good time, but it was TIRING. It was a good thing I had Monday off work, because it took me awhile to get my sleep schedule back on track.
Our new tenant in Arizona, 29 years old, just had a stroke! Can you believe it? From what I hear, he's going to be in some kind of rehab for a month or so, but hopefully he's going to be OK. Now I don't believe in curses, but this property has had more than its fair share of problems in finding a good tenant. Our first tenants destroyed the place, and we had to evict them for non-payment of rent and pay about $3200 to get it fixed up. Our second tenants split up just a few months after moving in, and we had to evict the one who stayed due to non-payment of rent. This guy moved in at the beginning of this month, and now he's had a stroke. Yikes!
Got a call from our property mgr. in Vegas earlier this week because the water heater in the condo right above ours busted. It leaked water down through the walls & into our living room and storage closet. The owner of the unit above ours is paying for everything & working with our property manager, and we currently have our baseboards off and carpet lifted with dryers going.
Went to start my car yesterday morning to head to work and . . . nothing. Well, clicking, but nothing else. My parents came to my rescue and lent me a car so I could get to work (instead of the class I was supposed to go to, because they had people on standby and I couldn't be more than 15 min. late). I left my car and keys for my husband so he could check it out when he got home. Turns out it was a dead battery and my car is all good now. This is the 2nd time my parents have had to lend me a car. I'm soooo glad they live close by AND work together. Last time (about a month ago), my car started but kept stalling and lurching as I was heading towards the freeway. I decided it really wasn't safe to get on the freeway with it doing that, so I took it back home. That time it was a fuel filter. Let's hope I'm done with repairs for a little bit.
My taxes are FINALLY done! And we're getting money back - yeah!! I mailed the returns yesterday, and it felt like a load being lifted off my shoulders. Ah.
I am LOVING So You Think You Can Dance - as usual. Here is one way you can tell how much I like a TV show. I had to go to a business dinner last night, so I set up the VCR (yes, I still have a VCR - shut up) to tape the results show. I like the results shows just as much as the competition nights because that's when they have special guests and do group dance numbers. And they rock. So our bedroom TV freaked out last night, and the tape had a bunch of squiggly lines and static. I could barely hear or see what was going on, so I gave up. And Fox doesn't have episodes of SYTYCD on their site - boo. So back to how you can tell I really like a show . . . I was upset. Pissed off at my TV. And the weird electrical issues in our house that cause one thing you turn on to affect another. And now I'm begging my friend to burn a CD off her DVR so that I can see last night's show.

There's more, but you're bored by now and my lunch is almost over. Have a good weekend, everybody!