New Year's Eve 2009

At the cabin this year. Grandpa cleared off the pond and built a bonfire in the fire pit today. Tomorrow we plan on ice skating and towing Julia in the sled on the pond. Both parents got ice skates for Christmas. I brought up my hockey skates, sticks, and some pucks. If all goes well I might even think about buying one of those portable hockey goals.

Momma Momma Momma

Snow Boots

Santa's Little Helper

It's nice to have a little elf on Christmas morning to hand out presents

Looks Good Dadda

Christmas vacation: great for finishing up those projects that have been dragging on for over 2 months.

As you can probably tell, I finished five (one not pictured) window sills this weekend in or next to the dining room. Only 12 more to go! I'm officially halfway done. Before you tune out, this weekend's home project resulted in one of my favorite experiences with Julia so far.

Since I've been home a lot recently, Julia has been my shadow. She is the most adorable 2 year old I've ever seen (both her personality and her cuteness). I'm not the only one who thinks that by the way. We've been blessed. In addition to her desire to be around me, she always wants to hang out when I'm doing projects anyway. She likes to see what I'm doing. Yesterday while I painted she red books on the dining room table or just watched me from the step ladder made seat.

After a few minutes of watching me her little personality started to shine through. There was about a 5 minute spell where after every brush stroke Julia would say:

"Oh, looks good Dadda!"

After a handful of those praises she switched to:

"Good job Dadda!"

And then a few:

"Love you Dadda!"

Of course, after the I love you's I got a hug and a kiss. She went on for awhile more mostly telling me how good my hard work looked (looks good Dadda). I loved it. There's nothing better then to hear your daughter tell you how much she loves you, encourage you, and tell you that you're doing a good job even if she is only 2 years old. Actually, it probably means more since she's so young and sweet. She really is an amazingly happy (but intelligent) and loving little girl. I have so much fun being around her now. The only problem is that I just want to hug her all the time but it doesn't work that way. Julia also really likes to play with me too.

I think these windows look good. Maybe you do too. Even if you told me otherwise I wouldn't listen. Julia said they look good and that's about all that matters to me.

Domo Arigato Chichi

Merry Christmas!

It's A Bit Of A Dilemma

Yes, yes it is Alex. Over the past few months I've been going back and forth over whether or not to continue my cell phone service. In the end I decided it's something that we could live without but that it's also something we enjoy using. So, given our current situation, I've decided to "enjoy life" a little bit and keep my nerd hip accessory.

That's not my dilemma. My dilemma is the iPhone. After 2 years the battery is going out. Due to the way it's designed the battery doesn't get replaced, the entire phone does. I'm pretty sure this is a convenient way to get a new iPhone as other friends have gone this route. However, there are some really slick gadgets out there and I'm wondering if I should ditch the iPhone for something else. I don't want to get a new iPhone that is a lot like what I already have nor do I want to get the same new old phone I already have. That is, if they even still support the original iPhone (they are phasing it out other ways).

So here's what I'm looking to find: a phone that has a camera, email, text messaging, and web surfing similar to the iPhone (i.e. it looks like it does on a computer). In addition, integration with iTunes would be great but not a requirement since I already have a spare iPod. I don't use many apps and the ones I do use could easily be replaced with shortcuts. One unit that impressed me was the Palm Pixi on Sprint. It makes the iPhone look like a brick even though it has an actual keyboard on it. I think this has everything I'm looking for but without the trendiness and features I won't use on an iPhone. I played with a Pixi at work (a guy just got one) and it was pretty sweet.

My contract has expired but Stacey's doesn't until August (or some time months away). So, we'd have to pay a couple hundred to switch to Sprint. Then again, Sprint is way too expensive. Looking at ATT's other phones nothing really appeals to me though. Maybe if I see one in person it will change my mind. I guess if worse comes to worse I'll just have to suck it up/settle with a newer iPhone. Ho-hum.

(I realize that this post is trivial considering the time of year...and uber-consumer young American yuppie. All I can say to that is WHAT-EVER.)

Story Time

Yes, this was Julia's idea.

I Now Pronounce You

Man and Nintendo. Sorry ladies, this stud is taken!

Christmas Bonus

I finally got rid of that old stereo I bought in college (Michelle, it was the Aiwa tape deck that you have/had too!). I've been looking for a couple of weeks for something that was powerful enough to fill the main level with sound but that wasn't too large.

A surround sound system would have been powerful enough but it would have been too large for our living room (not too mention we never watch movies there). Most small stereos (like the one I replaced) seem to be the right size but didn't sound good enough for me.

I decided for Christmas to give myself the Bose Companion 3 Multimedia System. These speakers are actually supposed to be used as computer speakers. So, the size was right (2 small speakers and 1 Acoustimass hideaway). And, as anyone who as heard a Bose product knows, the sound quality and volume is more then good. I also like that the volume control is separate and has an additional input. We can easily plug in our iPod to it and a way we go. Or, if I feel the need to watch a DVD or television with the audio through the Bose system I can easily plug it into that jack as well. I sometimes listen to music through DirecTVs XM music channels.

I also picked up another Apple Airport Express and connected the Bose system to my wireless network. Anytime I feel the need to stream music to this system via Airtunes from my laptop I can fire it up. This comes in handy if Julia is feeling extra grabby that day or even if we want to have music on throughout the house (dinner parties, Christmastime, or just rockin' out while cleaning or something).

I'm very happy with the system. I've always admired the sound quality and punch of Bose. These little guys are quite impressive and yet take up less space then what I had before. And, as a side note, about the same price as a really cheap surround sound system anyway. You can't go wrong with Bose.

Continued Success

Tottenham's great season continues. Although we dropped 3 points last weekend by losing to lowly Wolves, we've bounced back with 2 straight impressive victories. As it stands right now, we can rightfully claim 5th place outright - only 2 points out of the coveted 4th spot.

The English Premier league really heats up over the Christmas season. If we can keep our focus we have some very winnable games left until the calendar changes to 2010. With all of the other big teams losing left and right, I really think Spurs have a good chance to make 4th place this season. We're 1 game short of halfway through the season, so it's a bit too soon to speculate. One game at a time eh?

Christmas Chapel

Today's Christmas Chapel was outstanding. In short, it was all about music. We started chapel by singing Christmas carols with the house band. At first we sang lots of songs about Frosty, Santa, and Rudolph. I was a bit surprised how many songs about Santa we sang at chapel - for some reason it didn't jive with what I expected considering the source and venue (it was chapel, after all). Of course, we then moved on to what I would call more appropriate chapel songs like Silent Night before scripture reading.

After we had flexed the golden pipes we welcomed the Briar Rose String Quartet to the stage. Their music was outstanding. My favorite instrument is clearly the violin (any variety). From what we were told this is a local group but one that is composed of musicians with national and international experience. That is to say, these 4 were very good. In fact, their performance was flawless. They played about 5 different Christmas carols. Their rendition of O Holy Night made me want to learn to how to play the violin.

The chapel was anchored by a guest appearance by Barlow Girl. If you haven't heard of them, they are a 3 sister Contemporary Christian rock band. They also sang some Christmas carols and 2 songs of their own. It was a pleasure to watch them perform. They are definitely talents in their own right too. Normally when artists are asked to come to chapel they don't really put on a show. The idea is that they come to lead worship. So, is was interesting to see Barlow Girl doing a set that wasn't necessarily a concert. I've included some pictures of them below.

As our CEO Jim Daly said it correctly, "wow, there was a lot of talent on the stage here this afternoon". Sometimes chapel can drag on but not this one. It was a great show.

Nine Lives

Due to everything going on during this time of year, I’ve been a bit remiss in not posting that on Thursday our Kitty went to “cat heaven” . She had been fighting kidney problems since we had returned from Hawaii. Although I do know the best veterinarian in town, we decided that this time was the last time we would admit her to the hospital. We had found ourselves in an inevitable cycle of treatment and then weight loss, toxicity (and thus vomiting), and all around poor health due to her failing kidney function. On Thursday we came to the end of the road called “good quality of life” as most pet owners do.

Kitty had been a member of my family since 2002. So, for Stacey, she has been in the picture since we started dating and have been married. Kitty’s story starts in Spokane, WA. A co-worker of mine (Sarah) at Fairchild AFB has rescued her from the pound in 2001. In 2002, she had to PCS and was engaged to a person who was allergic to cats. She asked me if I would be willing to take her cat. I really wasn’t that interested at first but agreed to at least meet her cat. After all, I wasn’t a cat person and as a single guy the thought of owning a cat didn’t seem very heterosexual (maybe that’s just me). My perception of this specific cat changed as soon as we walked through Sarah’s apartment door. Kitty was very excited to see Sarah, and jumped up on the back of the couch to greet her. As Sarah went over greet her, Kitty reared up on her hind legs and nuzzled her face against Sarah’s. To me, that was enough to prove that Kitty was an exceptionally good-natured cat.

When I took her home to my apartment in 2002 she stayed under the bed for about 3 days straight (she was a pretty timid cat). Eventually she came around and then followed me everywhere. Some of my first memories of her were in the bathroom sink. She liked to hop in the sink and lick the underside of the faucet. She also liked to sit in my lap while I was watching television and slept against me every night on the bed. For a single guy that lived alone in an apartment, Kitty was a great little companion even if she was a cat. She was an extremely social cat and behaved in many senses like a dog. Stacey eventually came into the picture and consistent with her temperament (Kitty), she quickly became fond of Stacey. I think during the time we lived in Hawaii Kitty adopted Stacey as her favorite of the two of us. Even during the time she stayed with my parents when I was in Texas, she warmed up to my Dad. The point is, she was a “lover” and that’s something that can make a cat a really good pet. If my Dad thought she was an “awesome cat”, she probably was. He’s seen a few pass through the exam room the past 30 years.

We moved, bought a house and Stacey became pregnant with Julia all about the same time. This was also when Kitty started having problems with her kidneys. Later, we picked up Quincey which added to our family as well. Unfortunately, due to our changing situation but more due to her failing health, Kitty slowly faded more and more into the background of our everyday life. A few years ago, she would have invited herself into the center of our home life. The past year or two, we didn’t see much of her unless we cracked open a can of tuna fish. For Stacey and me this was an obvious departure from her normal behavior proving that she just didn’t feel well anymore.

Julia hasn’t asked too many questions about Kitty since Thursday. She knows Kitty isn’t around anymore, but I don’t know if she understands fully. We’ve told her that she was “sick”, “has gone bye-bye”, “won’t be right back”, etc. He accepts our answer at the time with as much thought as it probably takes her to ask the question (little, I’m saying). She asks every now and then in passing but I don’t think it’s a major issue for her at this point. It was probably good timing as far as Julia is concerned (age and she’s going to be getting a brother or sister in 6 months). When I put Kitty in the pet carrier Thursday morning, Julia did catch on that Kitty didn't like the idea. She went over to the cage and patted the top of it and said "don't worry Kitty". It was adorable to see Julia try and comfort her.

At any rate, it has been a little different coming home and not being greeted at the door. At night when heading upstairs, I still think I see her in the shadows – she was dark colored and I had to watch where I stepped at night so I wouldn’t step on her. It is funny how habits form and how I expect to see her (and sometimes think I see her) just because I have over the past 7 years or so. At the end of the day she was just an animal (i.e. replaceable, etc)…but one that’s been part of our life for years. What I find interesting is not that I miss her much – more that without her around things are different. The routine and what I’ve known for the last 7 years is no longer. I’m not saying it’s good or bad, just different. My mind expects to see something and it doesn’t anymore. It’s a weird feeling even if I’m not that emotional about it. I come around the corner expecting to see something or someone and they/it aren’t there. It’s a surreal sort of feeling.

Short Order Cook

Eggs and coffee please!

Jungle Desk

Julia tears into her new desk...and then climbs it. I guess since we didn't put the toys together ahead of time (rookie mistake), there's not much else she could do with it at first except use it as a jungle gym.

New Bike (aka Strider)

Have you guys seen these "bikes"? They're supposed to help toddlers learn the basics of riding a bike without having to worry about pedaling. When we were in Crested Butte this summer we saw a little boy riding down the street on one.

This video was taken only a minute or two after she opened the gift from my parents. That is, this was her first attempt at learning to ride it. This summer we'll take it outside where she'll really be able to learn how cruise around on it. She's enjoyed cruising around our basement the past few days.

My favorite part is the second clip about a minute into the video. She's very proud and wants to make sure Umpa (i.e. Grandpa) sees what a good job she's doing.

Happy Birthday Song

Here's a video of us singing Happy Birthday to Julia. Check out the smirk at the camera a few seconds in and how excited she gets when Stacey removes Max and Ruby from the cake. Who blows out their own birthday candle(s) at age 2? That seems WAY too advanced.

Happy 2nd Birthday Jules!

We celebrated Julia's second birthday on Sunday with both sets of parents. Julia was super-cute and had so much fun opening her presents. The big gifts were a new kitchen set, a new drawing table, a shiny new bike, a cute Starbucksesque shirt, and an outfit. It was a lot of fun to watch her having fun. She's so cute, funny and smart it's ridiculous. I can't believe it's already been two years!

Music by Bing Crosby (You Are My Sunshine)

...And The USA Plays...

England, Algeria, and Slovenia! I'm so excited that we drew England. It will be a lot of fun to see the USA play all of the English players that I watch play on a weekly basis. Not only that, but it's going to be the first game of the group and on a Saturday (June 12th). Could this be a repeat of the famous 1950 win over England (otherwise known as the Miracle on Grass)?

As far as the rest of the group goes I couldn't be happier. I think it's naive at this point to take anyone for granted, but the other two teams are hardly powerhouses in the football world and just barely qualified. Relative to who else we could have drawn from their respective pots, these two countries would surely be considered in the easier half. Sure, they beat some other good teams to get here, but that's true of anyone in the World Cup (except maybe the Asian teams!). Everyone at next summer's tournament had to beat someone else to get this far...hence the word "qualification". So, even though it won't be easy I think we'll have enough to advance out of this group. Then again, you never know what team is going to show up and so I also wouldn't be surprised if we're "put in our footballing place" like we were 4 years ago.

The New Official-Unofficial Draw

The pots for the World Cup draw on Friday were announced today! In the end, there weren’t any big surprises. In fact, the only difference from my previous post that I made predicting the pots is that Netherlands are a seeded team and France is not. Otherwise, it was exactly the same as I expected (not taking into account the specific pot number from 2-4 because it’s irrelevant).

So since this afternoon was a slow one at work I made my official unofficial mock draw. What I didn’t know last time (in addition to the official final pots) is that FIFA won’t allow the African and South American teams in Pot 1 to draw another team from their region. That changes things a bit and ensures each group will have as much regional variety as possible.

Official Pots

Pot 1: South Africa, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain, England, Netherlands, Argentina
Pot 2: South Korea, Japan, Australia, North Korea, Mexico, USA, Honduras, New Zealand
Pot 3: Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Ghana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Algeria
Pot 4: Portugal, France, Switzerland, Slovenia, Greece, Denmark, Serbia, Slovakia

My Mock Draw

Group A: (Cumulative World Ranking = 136)
South Africa (they are automatically assigned the first spot as hosts)
Mexico
Chile
Switzerland

Group B: (Cumulative World Ranking = 90)
England
South Korea
Nigeria
France

Group C: (Cumulative World Ranking = 108)
Netherlands
New Zealand
Ivory Coast
Greece

Group D: (Cumulative World Ranking = 139)
Spain
North Korea
Algeria
Denmark

Group E: (Cumulative World Ranking = 71)
Argentina
Australia
Ghana
Portugal

Group F: (Cumulative World Ranking = 84)
Brazil
Honduras
Cameroon
Slovenia

Group G: (Cumulative World Ranking = 100)
Italy
Japan
Uruguay
Slovakia

Group H: (Cumulative World Ranking = 70)
Germany
USA
Paraguay
Serbia
(this could be the group of death - yikes!)
(what's even more weird is that the first time I also drew USA, Paraguay, and Serbia together - and in group H - what are the chances of that???)

Round of 16, based on my mock draw

Chile A1
France B2

Mexico A2
England B1

Netherlands C1
Denmark D2

Ivory Coast C2
Spain D1

Argentina E1
Cameroon F2

Portugal E2
Brazil F1

Italy G1
Paraguay H2 (just edging the USA by a point)

Japan G2
Germany H1

Quarterfinals

Chile
England

Netherlands
Spain

Argentina
Brazil

Italy
Germany

…and I’ll stop there since picking the winners after this stage is even more pointless then this entire mock draw post! Anyone else care to make a mock draw (cough, Matt, cough)?

I Finally Finished Some

It's been a long process, but I finally finished about 25% of the windows in the house this weekend. I learned a few things from this first batch of windows which will hopefully save me some time and effort in the coming weeks.

In the end I had to do some extra caulking and painting but it made all the difference. One thing I have learned is no matter how well you do everything else, the finishing touches are what decide whether a project looks bad, acceptable, or great. Since we've put so much effort into the details on the other things we've done I couldn't let this project near the very end of my list of things to do slide. I had to re-motivate myself a few times to approach the finishing and painting with the same level of detail as past projects.

Of course, now that it's over I'm glad I put the effort forth. I guess I just embraced the old saying, "if something's worth doing it's worth doing well". It would have been pointless to put forth the effort up to this point and then cut corners in the most important and last step. As always, I'm happy with the results. As I just mentioned, I don't think I'll ever do something like this and not be happy with the result though...because I'll just keeping messing with it until I am. While I agree that no one else will ever notice or care - that is, I'll be the only one who knows about X, I just can't accept other people's evaluations as my own or good enough for me. This just proves that I'm an internally motivated person and that I do things like this because I enjoy them and not for other people. In the realm of personality traits, that's probably and strength and a weakness.

Extreme Waterfowlers

I saw this window decal on my way to work this morning. "Un-stereotypically", it was on the rear window of a Subaru Outback. Anyway, I'm sharing this with you because it made me laugh out loud this morning.

I'd like to apologize for the sarcastic nature this post is now going to take. OK, now that I've apologized...what exactly makes an "xtreme" waterfowler? Do you have to wear totally righteous and gnarly camouflage? Do these guys do back flips or something on water skis while shooting at their targets? Maybe someone scares the fowl up and then they launch their dirt bikes off of ramps and try to do a back flip while actually catching the bird with their bare hands? No, I got it. They use "xtreme" weapons like bazookas and Gatling guns to explode their prey into pre-cooked McNuggets. Do their retrievers have spiked hair and tattoos and have names like Green Day, Korn, Silverchair, and Foo Fighter (obviously my knowledge of music is limited)?

Anyway, I think you get my point. Somehow I just can't reconcile what the word "xtreme" implies or how it's used elsewhere and hunting - let alone hunting waterfowl. All I could figure was that this was the result of combining someone related to Jeff Foxworthy, a few cans of beer, and a NASCAR race (if you get my point). So this afternoon I Googled this logo and found their site. If finding out these guys are located 1 hour west of Omaha, Nebraska wasn't enough (I'm assuming they're located in Wahoo, Nebraska - seriously, look it up on a map)...the errors in the text on the front page of their site confirms my suspicions (not that I'm perfect).

It's time to do the Dew baby and get amped - it's Waterfowlin' time! YEEEHAWWWWW!

Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur

I know they have a game in hand, but this is just too sweet to not post. I'm going to head to McD's cause "I'm lovin' it"! (roll eyes now).

Story Time Video

Spa Day

We spent Thanksgiving with my parents on Thursday. My Mom was planning on watching Julia all day Friday so that Stacey and I could celebrate her birthday properly. As we were driving over to their house Thursday night we realized that it wouldn't make much sense to drive back across town 12 hours after Thanksgiving evening ended just to drop Julia off.

Luckily we had all of the needed supplies and were able to leave Julia at my parent's house overnight. She slept/did great. We picked her up almost 24 hours after leaving her there.

My Mom sent me this picture (hopefully she won't kill me for uploading it). Apparently Julia wanted to have her hair done just like Grandma. Thanks again for watching her Mom. It was a very nice day.

Dadda Pick Up?

This morning Julia wanted to play in a box but also wanted to sit on the counter and watch me get ready for work. I caved.

The Sunglasses Make a Comeback

Julia also brushed her own teeth. Unfortunately, it was her teeth in a picture that sits on the end table.

Bedtime Stories

Spurs on Cloud Nine

For those who haven’t heard, I had the joy yesterday of watching Tottenham completely thrash Wigan in the English Premier League 9-1.

At halftime Spurs were leading 1-0 and had completely controlled the match (we could have been up 3-0). The second half saw 9 goals in the span of 45 minutes! Jermain Defoe scored a hat trick in 7 minutes and ended the game with 5 goals, something only two other players in the Premier League have ever done. It was also the second fastest hat trick in Premier League history. Although Aaron Lennon only scored 1 goal, he was the terrorizing force on many plays. Wigan’s defense was atrocious. Watching the game I felt that every time we got the ball we were going to score…really, even the times we didn’t score in the second half it was really close to going in. If it weren’t for Wigan’s keeper making some great saves, we could have reached double digits. Wigan’s only goal shouldn’t have been allowed (it was controlled in the box by a hand, similar to the France Ireland match a few days ago). It actually reminded me of a few high school games I played in, most notably one game against Mitchell where we thrashed them by a similar score line. This just doesn’t happen in a top flight professional league.

According to ESPN, this is the second biggest blowout in Premier League history. The first biggest blowout was Manchester United’s drubbing of Ipswich 9-0 in 1995. Unfortunately for Wigan, the whipping boy in the top 3 biggest margins of victory in Premier League history before yesterday have all been relegated that year. The commentators said a few times that this is the kind of result that many teams never recover from (which is supported by the previous few sentences). It was so bad that today Wigan announced that it will be offering a full refund to all of the Wigan fans that attended the match. That’s how bad it was.

What was also so exciting about the 9 goals was that each were fantastic strikes. It’s not like these were garbage goals. Even the goal that was scored an own goal was really scored off of a fantastic free kick by David Bentley that just happened to hit the cross bar and bounce in off the back of the keeper. Each shot was perfectly executed even if the defending was poor.

Another great part about this weekend/result is that all of the teams in the table around Spurs failed to win. Even Arsenal lost 0-1 to a strike from Bent, a Spurs player last season. This put us back up into fourth spot in the table – something Spurs fans have dreamed about achieving in recent years since it’s the last Champions League qualifying spot.

Finally, this game was also a great result in terms of personnel. We started the season on a tear and then Defoe and Lennon were suspended or injured. Not surprisingly, this was the first game back with both of them. Also, Redknapp finally saw what the rest of the fans have been calling for and put Robbie Keane on the bench and in his place a proper left-midfielder.

Taking all of these things into consideration, this was a massive weekend for Spurs in so many ways. It was a joy to watch. I’m definitely going to be saving this game for a long time on my computer…or at least the highlights.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scoreline:
From the time we scored our first goal to our last goal in the second half (51-90 minutes), we averaged a goal every 4.875 minutes. However, they all came within two distinct time frames. During the first spell (51-69 minutes), we averaged a goal every 3.6 minutes. During the second spell (87-90+ minutes), we averaged a goal almost every 2 minutes!

Tottenham Hotspur 9
Crouch 9, Defoe 51, Defoe 54, Defoe 58, Lennon 64, Defoe 69, Defoe 87, Kirkland (og) 88, Kranjcar 90

Wigan Athletic 1
Scharner 57

Latest FIFA Rankings

FIFA just released their latest rankings today, two days after qualification ended. Since the discussion points about my last post really center around what pot the USA will be placed in (and maybe that the Netherlands might get a seeded spot), I figure I should give you some more information. The rankings don't mean a whole lot in determining who is the best team, but I do think that they are used to determine seeding. Plus, these rankings are produced by the same organization (FIFA) that will be determining where the USA gets placed.

Latest Rankings
South America - Chile 17, Uruguay 19, Paraguay 30
North America - USA 14, Mexico 15, Honduras 38

Average Ranking of the 3 Teams
South America - 22.00
North America - 22.33

It's pretty close when you look at the rankings. It could go either way. However, I'd still give South America the advantage due to the fact that their region is much harder (they will probably have 2 seeded teams) as well as the fact Uruguay just beat Costa Rica (another North American team) in Wednesday's playoffs. When you look at the lowest ranked teams in each region, Paraguay is actually much better then Honduras in my opinion. Paraguay were on the top of the South American qualifying group for much of the time. Although the USA did great at this summer's Confederations Cup, we had a terrible showing at the World Cup in 2006...so those are probably a wash if not a demerit (using past World Cup performances).

I hope we will be placed in the 3rd pot with the African teams, but it probably won't happen. Then again, FIFA always deliver some surprise in the draw format. Plus, I don't have all of the information that they will have. It will be a close decision, but I think South America will probably get the nod...that is, unless FIFA place more emphasis on other/the factors that will favor the USA.

Let The World Cup 2010 Countdown Begin!

Here's an article I wrote up today and taped outside my cubicle at work now that all of the teams have qualified... The draw happens in 2 weeks!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010 Group Draw
December 4, 2009, 10 AM Mountain

The actual draw method is still to be determined *(see below). If the draw follows 2006 method, most likely it will look something like this:

Pot 1 – Seeded Pot – Seeds based on world ranking in previous 3 years and performance in 2 previous World Cups

Pot 2 – Remaining 8 non-seeded European teams ensuring no 1 group contains more then 2 teams from Europe

Pots 3 and 4 - divide the remaining qualifiers from the CONCACAF (North America), CONMEBOL (South America), Africa, Asia, and Oceania regions

* Note the three CONEMBOL (South America) or CONCACAF (North America) teams could be in either pot, depending on how FIFA decide to organize the draw. Most likely, they will organize it according to the strength of teams in that region (with 3 being stronger then 4). Since the 5 Asia and Oceania teams are clearly the weakest, they will probably be assigned to Pot 4. Unfortunately, that means the determination for the other 3 teams in Pot 4 will be made between the 3 unseeded teams in CONEMBOL (South America) and 3 teams in CONCACAF (North America). Most likely, the 3 teams in CONEMBOL (South America) will be seeded in Pot 3 and the 3 in CONCACAF (North America) will be seeded in worst Pot, Pot 4.

Pot 1: South Africa, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain, England, France, Argentina

Pot 2: Portugal, Netherlands, Switzerland, Slovenia, Greece, Denmark, Serbia, Slovakia

Pot 3: Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Ghana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Algeria

Pot 4: South Korea, Japan, Australia, North Korea, Mexico, USA, Honduras, New Zealand

Aaron’s Mock Draw

Group A – South Africa, Greece, Chile, Japan
Group B – Germany, Slovakia, Ghana, Honduras
Group C – Spain, Netherlands, Uruguay, New Zealand
Group D – Brazil, Slovenia, Nigeria, Mexico
Group E – Argentina, Portugal, Cameroon, North Korea
Group F – England, Denmark, Algeria, Australia
Group G – Italy, Switzerland, Ivory Coast, South Korea
Group H – France, Serbia, Paraguay, USA

Norah Jones - The Fall

I just happened to check iTunes today...the day it was released. I'm not a big music buff, but I have enjoyed her first 3 albums. I kept 33 songs from her first 3 albums...so do the math.

I decided to download her 4th album tonight (listening to it now) even though I didn't know much about it. I did hear that it's a different style from the past 3 albums - something that always worries me.

I'm sure that I'll find a few tracks that I really like. For me, her songs usually grow on me...something that I think is an indicator of good music. That is, it's not an instant pop bubble gum song that's catchy at first but quickly loses its appeal (much like those bubble gum balls you get from the machine).

At the very least, it's music I can listen to while at work or after a long day. I don't need my music to add stress to my life! Noise - it's ALL noise! Hey you punk kids, GET OFF MY LAWN.

Moab - More Pictures

All of the guys exchanged pictures at church on Sunday. It was good to finally see some pictures with me in them. Typically, I'm the one who is taking the pictures which usually means I'm not in them. Here are some of my favorites: