Introducing Your 2013-14 Minnesota Frozen Boogers! (And the crowd goes wild)

Don't let the beard fool you.  I'm a child.

Speaking of such, my childhood friend, Rob, who you all met during our Las Vegas Birthday Bash Weekend back in May 2011 (has it really been that long?!), invited me to join the Fantasy Football league he participates with a group of his friends in Connecticut.  He played last year and had a lot of fun with it, and thought I would like to join.  They were going to have a live draft on Sunday, August 25th.

Baseball has always been my game, and I had participated in fantasy leagues through Yahoo for a number of years, but nothing in the last six years or so.  I tried fantasy football once when G-Bug was still an infant.  Considering I didn't have a low level distraction (this blog being more intense and harder to stay current) and missed the chance to meet up with Rob when I was back east on vacation, I agreed to be a part of this league.  I had a couple days to get up to speed before the draft.

My first foray into fantasy sports was when I worked for a small marketing firm filled with recent college grads; very similar to my Winners Advertising job, the company name was Innova Marketing.  I was 29 years old and definitely of the "old guard."  I was invited to participate with several co-workers in a live draft for baseball using just National League players.  Every "team" had a pretend budget of $250 or so and as each player was announced, interested fantasy owners would put in bids.  The player would go to the highest bidder.  What could happen is an owner could "buy" a franchise player, like Mark McGuire in his heyday, for $60-$70 and then have to settle for lesser known players later on, getting them for $1-$2.  The process took several hours, usually delayed by bidding wars.

One such jackal would up his bid by $1 right at "going once, going twice . . ." intentionally getting owners to pony up a couple extra dollars to drain his budget for later rounds.  I thought I was annoyed with him then, but his offense was quickly forgotten when he gave me my walking papers at work right before the start of the baseball season.  I had to manage my team via email with former co-workers.  My team came in dead last.

This draft would be much easier.  There were 12 owners taking 16 rounds to draft a quarterback, two running backs, two wide receivers, a tight end, a kicker, a flex player, a team defense, and seven bench players.  There would be no bidding.  Every owner had a position number for the draft and the order would reverse itself each round.  The owner who picked first in the first round, would pick last in the second, first again in the third, etc. until all teams had sixteen players.  Rob would have me on the phone during the draft and let me know who was left and when it was my turn to pick.  My position number was six.

I don't follow football too closely and have rudimentary knowledge of the top names in the game.  I can probably name five players on the Vikings today.  I reviewed the Fantasy Draft lists on ESPN and checked out some videos.  One such video suggested getting running backs in your first two rounds due to the paucity of quality players at this position. Rather than print lists for each position, I went the route of printing the list ranking the top 300 players in all positions.  I saw the top 10 kickers were grouped together starting at position 150, so I knew I should chose one in later rounds.

I marked each group of 12 players going through the first 192.  Adrian Peterson - MN -RB1 was the number one overall pick and Adrian Foster - HOU - RB2 was second.  I figured they would be the first to go, so I didn't concentrate on them, but I also knew I would get at least one player in each group as owners made their selections.  I chose four players in each group of 12 and ranked them based on who I really wanted.  I had to be prepared should my first and second choices already be picked.  I felt I had a pretty good game plan as I went into the draft.

As it turns out, you can only plan so much.  Once the draft starts, you're in scramble mode. I was right that the first five owners selected players within the top 12.  In this group were 10 running backs (supporting the recommendation I heard in the video), 1 wide receiver (Calvin Johnson - DET - WR1), and 1 quarterback (Aaron Rodgers - GB -QB1).  I had missed the first few picks, so I went with my third choice of the round, Doug Martin - TB - RB5).  He was already picked.  Oh shit! I could already feel myself start to panic and went with my first choice for the first round, Marshawn Lynch - SEA - RB3 (3 overall).  He was still available.  Whew!

As the other owners picked and Rob told me who was gone, I heard many players I had selected for my subsequent rounds.  Peyton Manning, Dez Bryant, Andre Johnson, and that classic of football names, Frank Gore.  I also heard top names in other categories getting picked as well.  Drew Brees, Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall, Tom Brady, Jimmy Graham.

My second round pick was number 13 in the top 300:  AJ Green - CIN - WR2.

I listened as more players I wanted were getting snapped up by other owners.  Wes Welker, Robert Griffen III, Reggie Bush, Eric Decker.

Hearing how quickly quarterbacks were being picked and my top three picks were already gone, I went with a pick that I wasn't considering, but knew he was pretty high on the list.  I needed a top field general, even if it wasn't one of my top choices.  Matt Ryan - ATL - QB6 (43)

More players I wanted were being picked.  As I crossed off names from the list of 300, I was scanning to see the top players remaining in each position.  I had an RB, WR, and QB. I needed a TE.  I selected Tony Gonzalez - ATL - TE3 (57).

The rounds were starting to slow down as I pictured my fellow owners doing the same thing I was; crossing off names and seeing who was left.  I was still relying on some name recognition as I scanned my list and found players I wanted, but were soon picked. Marques Colston, Jason Witten, Ahmad Bradshaw, Sebastian Janikowski.  Janikowski?! This last one was a kicker and number 9 at his position, 158 overall.  Like breaking hearts for the first time in the card game, this gave others permission to start considering kickers for picks, although we were still in relative early rounds.  Similarly, once someone had picked a defense, that position started to come into play in the selections.

I held out a couple rounds before going for a kicker and defense.  I wanted to get more players who I felt would offer more in terms of points.  I picked up Shane Vereen - NE - RB32 (80) and Sidney Rice - SEA - WR33 (81).  As we got to the later rounds and owners were looking for "bench" players, the names were coming from all over the top 300 list.  I filled roster spots where I felt I needed help and knew by Round 14 who my 16th and final pick would be.  This would be a rookie wide receiver on the Vikings who I had read about when doing some research on the team.  He was number 70 for his position, 214 overall and I knew I could wait to pick him.  When it was my turn, I announced my final pick: Cordarrelle Patterson - MN - WR70.

I couldn't hear everything that was happening on site and had to rely on Rob to relay information to me.  Once I made this pick, however, I heard a loud grown of despair. Apparently another owner was going to use his last pick on Patterson as well, but I beat him to the punch.  I almost feel obligated to put him in my Flex position for Week 1.

Here is my full roster:
Quarterbacks
Matt Ryan - HOU - QB6/43
Ben Roethlisberger - PIT - QB14/97

Running Backs
Marshawn Lynch - SEA - RB3/3
Eddie Lacy - GB - RB19/37
Shane Vereen - NE - RB32/80
Shonn Green - TEN - RB48/129

Wide Receivers
A.J. Green - CIN - WR2/13
Sidney Rice - SEA - WR33/81
Chris Givens - STL - WR41/105
Santana Moss - WAS - WR58/175
Cordarrelle Patterson - MN - WR70/214

Tight Ends
Tony Gonzalez - ATL - TE3/57
Brandon Pettigrew - DET - TE14/140
Coby Fleener - IND - TE17/183

Kicker
Blair Walsh - MN - K2/151

Defense
Denver Broncos D/ST - DEF7/143 

365 in 365: Images 154 through 160

I was having trouble coming up with ideas for photos everyday for my 365 in 365 project, as all the placeholders can attest, but figured a good way to keep me focused was to come up with "theme weeks."  If I was truly stuck on where to take photos, I could use a theme week idea to find opportunities.  I could take pictures of all the places I've lived in Minnesota, or places seen in television and movies, or converted firehouses.  I just needed to have 5-7 places to complete the theme.

This week of pictures centers around the Irvine Park area of St. Paul.  This is a small neighborhood with some Victorian houses surrounding a central square, tucked into an enclave not far from the Science Museum.  The area sits on a bluff overlooking some railroad tracks between Shepard Road and 7th Avenue.  It's a tranquil area a block away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

No. 154:  06-03-2013

The fountain originally installed in 1881 for $900 was scrapped, but
when the area was redone after 1970, a new one was put in place.

No. 155:  06-04-2013

The gazebo that holds 10 people and can be rented for weddings
and other special occasions

No. 156:  06-05-2013

The most dominant house on the block, the Murray-Lanpher House

No. 157:  06-06-2013

The Forepaughs House, now a high-end restaurant

No. 158:  06-07-2013

If the pick-up wasn't there, you could expect to see a horse drawn
cart to roll down the street.

No. 159:  06-08-2013

Trees in the front of this house blocked my shot, so I took a picture
from the street by the alley. 

No.160:  06-09-2013

Damn trees again!  This is a picture of Alexander Ramsey House.
Ramsey was the first governor of the Minnesota Territory and the
second governor of the state of Minnesota

Cape Cod Vacation: The Next Day(s)

I apologize for not keeping up with my stories from the Cape, as I was rudely interrupted by a business trip to Houston and Dallas.  I was able to get some pictures from my travels there, so be sure to keep your eyes open for those weeks of photos some time in November.  When we last left our heroes, one of them was wearing a dead horseshoe crab as a helmet.

The picture above is the cottage we stayed, taken from the backyard.  One item I forgot to mention was the presence of numerous signs which caused dread and trepidation to all who read them:

No, not the one above.  This one:

We already had a bad experience with aged, Cape Cod cottage plumbing during our last vacation, and much like Chief Brody in Jaws 2, we didn't intend to go through that hell again.

We started the day at nearby Skaket Beach, eagerly anticipating the arrival of my sister. She was in the middle of completing her work for her Master's degree and couldn't take a lot of time for vacation, but she wanted to see us and figured the weekend would be the best time.  She planned to stay overnight until Monday and then head back home to Hartford.

Skaket Beach is your basic bayside beach.  Although having regular tides, there isn't the kind of waves you would see on the Atlantic side.  In fact, they're more like ripples than waves.  The water is warmer and the sand is pretty smooth once you get past the crushed shells and rocks at the breakwater.  Our time was spent playing with a football and squirt guns during high tide and hunting hermit crabs and snails at low tide.  Once word got around that my sister arrived, we packed up our things and headed home.

Back at the cottage, we created a family ping pong competition, starting with pool play. The players were the Wifey, G-Bug, my sister & brother, and me.  Everyone had to play each other once to determine seeding for the tournament.  It quickly became obvious that the Wifey and my brother were the two odds-on favorites to win the tournament.  I held my own against both, going deep into games, past 21 points, eventually to lose by two. We never got to tournament play to determine the true winner.

That night was deemed by the Wifey as our night to prepare the family dinner. In truth, my contribution was minimal, although I did cut the garlic bread (not as easy as it sounds) and did the heavy lifting of getting the massive salmon off the grill and onto the table. There was a big communal salad and other sides as well. The Wifey got huge compliments for putting the dinner together, but was something I had gotten used to.  My wife is a master at putting together a delicious salad.  If you haven't had one, you're missing out!  I completed my duties by clearing the table and rinsing the dishes.

After dinner, my sister suggested we change the format of pong to include beer. We had participation from unlikely sources, including my mom and my oldest nephew.  His and G-Bug's cups were filled with soda, but caffeine is like alcohol to youngsters, so the result was the same.  In a surprising twist, my mom beat my sister at beer pong.  I found I didn't have patience for the game, as it took too long to score any points, and take a drink.  I preferred to watch the last game of the series between the Red Sox and Yankees, an 11-inning affair won by a Napoli walk-off home run.

The next morning was a throwback to our childhood.  I woke up in the late morning to find my brother and sister playing cribbage, a game our father taught us as kids.  Once they finished their game, I was dealt into the next two.  It was a barn burner for a while until I started to suck wind with a constant series of 4 point hands and cribs.  My brother and sister would bang out a dozen points or more in some hands, leaving me hoping for the skunk line.  My sister was more successful at playing cribbage than pong (ping or beer), squeaking out a victory in both games, by 1 point, then by 3 over my brother.  I was an "also ran," getting skunked in the second game.

I'm About A Year Away From Yelling At Kids To Get Off My Lawn

During the week, my body had already said "screw this shit" by forming a stress knot in between my shoulder blades on Tuesday night and suffering from a debilitating migraine on Wednesday. Thursday was the culmination of a series of frustrations that finally reached a boiling point.

After a Happy Hour with some co-workers, I took a scenic route home through Minneapolis.  I found myself at my usual haunt, following the west river road past the Mill City ruins.  I got behind a car with North Dakota plates and had to grit my teeth as he took a deliberate pace along the road, as in deliberately trying to piss me off.  As he slowed to watch people taking Senior or engagement photos, I finally let him have it with my horn. He was unmoved.  He continued his snail's progress, not gaining any ground on another slow mover ahead of him.  Seeing as sound didn't reach him, I decided to see how close I could get to his back bumper before he was encouraged to speed up.  He would accept no encouragement.

For those who don't know, the roads on either side of the river are basically two lane residential streets with walking/biking path on one side and a sidewalk on the other. There are sections with hills and switchbacks and the speed limit is 25mph.  There are areas for passing, but most of the time there is a double yellow line in the middle of the road.

Having had enough, I gunned my engine, hit my turn signal, raced past both the North Dakota yahoo and the slug ahead of him, making sure my one finger salute was at full staff as I quickly ducked back into the lane in front of an oncoming car.  As I looked in my rearview, I could see a line of cars forming behind my nemesis.  I remained unsatisfied.

Less than a mile from where I passed the slowpokes, there is a parking lot for riverboat cruises.  Feeling unfulfilled with the finger flicking, I needed to see what these idiots looked like.  I parked my car and, knowing I had time, ambled up the embankment to the walking/biking path.  I only took a couple of steps before seeing another car whip around the lead moron like I did.  I was glad to see I wasn't the only one.  Sure enough, this was an old couple driving a Mercedes station wagon with the windows down.  I shouted something about being a nuisance and then saw the same North Dakota driver following behind.  His window was also open.  "That fucking goes for you, too!"  The look on his face told me he must have thought I was released from a halfway house and now I was shouting at random passersby.  There are a few people like that, but another couple miles down the road.

Minneapolis' Center of Sorrow

Last week was a difficult one for the Stone Arch Bridge area of Minneapolis, where a tragedy and a mishap had thrown a pall over an otherwise idyllic location.  Any peruser of my picture posts will know I like to frequent this area for photos.  The recent events brought me back to the area and as I looked around, I realized there has been "negative energy" in every direction.  Let's review.

1.) We'll start with the the most recent and surreal mishap.

On Thursday, August 15, a PedalPub turned over making a "high speed" turn between 1st Street and 5th Avenue.  Remarkably, there were no fatalities, but two people were taken by stretcher to the Hennepin County Medical Center for their injuries.  Reactions have been mixed. 

2.) The turned over PedalPub was a crushed beer can throw away from the scene of a true tragedy.

Darron Luhrsen, 26, drove his Pontiac Sunfire through a fence just a few yards north of the Upper St. Anthony Lock & Dam and the Stone Arch Bridge on Monday, August 12. Authorities are still investigating, but driving a Pontiac Sunfire could have been a contributing factor.

3.) The Stone Arch Bridge isn't just a witness to tragedy, but has also been a participant, as evidenced by this Romeo and Juliet couple on May 14, 2013.  An 18-year-old boy and his 16-year-old girlfriend from western Wisconsin went missing and then days later jumped from the bridge.

4.) Within four days of this joint suicide, a special education teacher in Roseville, jumped from the Hennepin Avenue Bridge after being released from his arrest for DUI.

5.) Captain Greybeard's family hasn't been immune to the negative vibes emanating from the Stone Arch Bridge region.  A few years ago, my father-in-law (FIL) and his wife visited us for a long weekend.  One of the MANY activities that weekend was a Segway tour around the Mill City ruins.  We started on the east side of the river, crossed the Stone Arch Bridge, and traveled around the ruins and up the west River Road.

All was well for the first half of the tour.  We got a little bit of the area's flour mill history and successfully negotiated around the walkers, runners, bikers, and steep grades by the river side.  We took a break at the Mill City ruins, where we had a snack of a cookie and drink (non-alcoholic).  We re-mounted and headed north on the River Road.  I was toward the back of the group when I heard my FIL's wife say in playful warning, "it looks like you're getting a little close there."  I didn't think much of the comment until I saw an older man get pitched headlong onto the grass next to the sidewalk.  My first thought was a shocked "oh geez," until I realized it was my FIL, and then it was a horrified "OH JEEZ!"  Apparently my wife and he had traded paint and both had fallen from their mounts.  Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt, outside of their prides, and a large, purple bruise my FIL told us about later.

365 in 365: Images 147 through 153

Doubling up the picture posts this afternoon.  Most of these pictures are a hodgepodge of scenes around Minneapolis.  However, one picture was taken from the top of the Witch's Hat Water Tower.  Like a dialed down Brigadoon, once a year, visitors are allowed to climb to the top of the tower to survey the landscape during an ice cream social.  I've known about the event for a few years now, but have missed it because I either forgot or was severely hungover from a Vegas trip.  This year, I put the event on my iPhone calendar and made it in spite of the rainy weather.

No. 147:  05-27-2013

The Wifey's grandparent's tree has brown leaves in the Spring.

No. 148:  05-28-2013

One more snow pile in Minneapolis a few days before June.

No. 149:  05-29-2013

A monument on Hennepin Ave. to Thomas Lowry of which a tunnel
nearby gets its name.

No. 150:  05-30-2013 (placeholder)

I can't believe I didn't make plans to take a "milestone" picture for
the 150th picture; instead, have to use a placeholder.

No. 151:  05-31-2013

A view of Minneapolis from the Witch's Hat Water Tower.
You can see the U of M hospital dominating the right of the picture
and the soon to be defunct Metrodome in the center.

No. 152:  06-01-2013

A scene from the Mill City Market, which runs from late May
to early October.

No. 153:  06-02-2013 (placeholder)

At the Mill City Museum, there are a series of posts with
railroad signals.

365 in 365: Images 140 through 146

I didn't want to overload my readership with multiple postings of weekly pictures.  Yes, I'm WAY behind in posting pictures, but I wanted to break up the monotony with posts about other topics - any topic.  I have one posting under my belt about my Cape Cod vacation, and there are several others to write, but I have to get some of these weekly picture posts done.  This week's pictures can be titled "Springtime in Minneapolis."

No. 140:  05-20-2013

Some cherry blossom trees on Lake of the Isles

No. 141:  05-21-2013 (placeholder)

A rainy, foggy day in Minneapolis.  Yes, this is a part of Spring.

No. 142:  05-22-2013

The top of the Hennepin Ave. Bridge from the River Road.

No. 143:  05-23-2013

A celebrity sighting in Minnesota!

No. 144:  05-24-2013 (placeholder)

The Lake Calhoun Armada

No. 145:  05-25-2013 (placeholder)

Went to Marinette, WI to visit the Wifey's family for Memorial Day
weekend.  This is a scene from a nature walk we took, NOT
downtown Marinette.

No. 146:  05-26-2013

The sign pretty much captions itself.

Cape Cod Vacation: The Beginning

It's been about four years since the last time my Minnesota family and I traveled to the Cape for vacation, which is just enough time to develop a need to go again.  Personally, I like to go in early July to hopefully attend the Boston Harborfest, but G-Bug's birthday is on the second and her mother likes to celebrate with her.  This year, we also had to time the vacation just right to fit in between the various volleyball camps G-Bug was participating, so late July was the best time to go.  Mom was able to find a suitable cottage for 6 adults, a teenager, and 2 boys under 10 years old in Orleans.  The deposits and airfare were paid well in advance and it was just a matter of waiting for the week to arrive.

Unfortunately, I fell victim to one of the classic blunders.  The most famous of which is never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well known is this:  never take a summer vacation when you work in the HVAC industry.  I requested the time off back in May which my boss approved with no issues.  The spring had been very mild for Minnesota and for many parts of the country, so we hadn't seen a lot of urgent issues arise for replacement air conditioning parts.  Murphy's law being what it is, the week leading up to my vacation was replete with urgent, hot, desperate issues with extreme heat in the Southwest and Northeast.  None of these areas are in my territory, but the Midwest finally got hot as well.  I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to "just monitor" my work emails while on vacation, but would have to take an active role in delegating them to someone still in the office.  It looked like I would need this vacation more than ever.

The Wifey, G-Bug and I took separate planes to Boston.  I redeemed Delta miles to get a $5 ticket The Wifey used, while G-Bug and I booked the cheapest flight available with Sun Country Airlines.  We arrived within an hour of each other, The Wifey first, so she was able to grab a beer or two with my brother while they waited.  My brother typically doesn't need to have alcohol to be a schmuck, but once he has some, he can take it up a notch, as evidenced by this text exchange.

Me:  Waiting for our luggage at baggage claim #3.  Hasn't even started spinning yet.

Bro: Damn it my car is being towed!  You're on your own. 

Me:  I hope you're joking. 

Bro: Your blue shirt looks dumb, asshole. 

Bro: Yeah, keep chuckling, bitch. 

Me:  Show your bald head so I can slap it.  Or I'll have G-Bug kick your ass. 

Bro: Where's Waldo? 

Bro: You have no idea. 

Bro: By the way, what's with the sex jazz in here? 

Bro: You dumbasses! 

Bro: Looking the wrong way and shit! 

Bro: Should I fart?

Turns out my brother and The Wifey were hiding behind a pillar across from the baggage carousal.  I sent G-Bug to find them and when she had bird-dogged them, they walked over to where I was standing.  Once in range, I delivered on my promise to slap my brother on his bald head.

The walk from the terminal to where my brother parked his car seemed like a watered down version of the Bataan Death March; unpleasant, but survivable. We've had hot and humid days in Minnesota, but just not to a degree like THIS. Back at my brother's house, we chitchatted with his wife and kids.  His two boys are 9 (nearly) and 5, but were gracious enough to allow me to change the TV from cartoons to the Red Sox game.  It was the first game after the All-Star break and they were playing the hated Yankees, although the rivalry has lost its intensity. We ordered a couple pizzas and drank some beers as we watched the Red Sox squeak out a 4-2 win.  We started with a Samuel Adams summer ale, but then my brother introduced me to an interesting beer I hadn't had before.  It's called Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale and it was very strong with an alcohol content over 8% and matched the cask flavors of the bourbon aging process.  I really enjoyed it and hope I can find it in Minnesota.

The next morning we prepped for our trip to the Cape.  My brother's youngest had a swimming lesson in the morning and his wife had a tennis lesson.  We couldn't pick up the keys to the cottage until after 3p, but we had to be there before 5p, so we had a small window of opportunity.  Previous Cape vacations were spent in Eastham, Wellfleet, and Truro, which are part of the Outer (or Lower) Cape.  Orleans is included in this region, but it's the most southern, so it is considered "up Cape."  

At any rate, it wouldn't take us long to get to Orleans as it would the other places, so we weren't rushed as we packed up our cars.  As we did so, my brother treated us to something that has become a taste of New England for me - a dozen Dunkin Donuts.  

I realize DD can be found all over the US, but we don't have any in Minnesota.  I didn't think there were any in the Midwest until I saw one in Chicago.  I washed two donuts down with an iced coffee and the stress of the work week started to dissolve.  I couldn't wait to get on the road, mostly because I wanted to get the car's A/C going.  We were on our way in short order.

365 in 365: Images 133 through 139

This series of pictures shows what a lovely place Minnesota can be once the snow stops and the weather starts to warm.  The Red Sox came into town at the end of the week.  I was able to catch the middle game in the three game set.  Nothing like a baseball game to get you into the summer spirit.

No. 133:  05-13-2013

Without leaves on the trees, canoes racked and stacked by the lake
are the first sign of Spring

No. 134:  05-14-2013

Once the weather hits 60 degrees, the clothes start to come off.  
Spontaneous volleyball on Lake Calhoun

No. 135:  05-15-2013

Lake of the Isles without ice on it

No. 136:  05-16-2013 (placeholder)

On the left you can see the buildings of St. Paul.  As you follow
the tree line, you can see the buildings of Minneapolis

No. 137:  05-17-2013 (placeholder)

From the SRO area behind right field at Target Field

No. 138:  05-18-2013

If I had a baseball, I could have hit Daniel Nava; if I also had the
aim and arm strength.  Ironically, he hit a home run about 10 feet
from where I was standing.

No. 139:  05-19-2013 (placeholder)

A panoramic view of Target Field