At It Again

On Thursday evening Thanksgiving the Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ers 19-3. It was exactly the same score that they beat Arizona last Sunday. Again the defense played great and the offense could only score one touchdown.

What made this game better was the offensive line did a much better job against the 49ers. Though Russell Wilson had to run around a few times he did not get sacked as many times as he did against the Cardinal. He was more effective against the 49ers when he was running he was able to find open receivers; however, the results were the same again.

The first half especially the 49ers played pretty good defense as well. It did look like the first team to score would win the game which happens to be the Seahawks. The 49ers did not score until late in the game. The Seahawks were able to stop the 49ers both in rushing and passing. The 49ers had to punt many times in the game. They did look like they would have a break when John Ryan had trouble handling a punt but was able to get it off. On the same play though the 49ers fumbled the ball and the Seahawks were able to recover the ball.

The Seahawks next game is on December 7 and they will be playing the Eagles in Philadelphia. This will be another very tough game. The Eagles also won on Thursday against the Cowboys in Dallas. The Eagles are a very good offensive team so the Seahawks will need to play another great defensive game.

The loss to the Seahawks   brought a lot of turmoil to the 49ers. In fact the team owner and CEO wrote on twitter after the game apologizing to the faithful fans on how the team played. As things look right now Coach Jim Harbaugh may not be returning next season. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next couple weeks. The 49ers will be coming to Seattle on December 14 to play the Seahawks. There could be changes to that team when they meet.

This time of the year gets exciting in the NFL with teams playing within their division. Things can still be played out to see who wins all the divisions. The NFC South is the most interesting since Atlanta Falcons is leading the division 4-7. Other words the winner of that division will likely go into the playoffs with a losing record; also, the winner of each division play at least one game at home in the playoffs.

In College Football this is the last weekend of the regular season for most of the teams. Many of the leagues have a final championship game; for example in the Pac-12 Oregon Ducks and the Arizona Wildcats will play in their championship game. The Ducks must beat the Oregon State Beavers tonight and the Wildcats to move onto the NCAA Championship series.

Continue your wonderful holiday season and enjoy your favorite NFL and College football teams. 

Black Friday?

In the United States the day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. Many large retailers have opened up early on this day because it is the beginning of Christmas and Holiday shopping. Looking into the history of Black Friday I found that the city of Philadelphia in 1975 started calling it that because of the traffic jams in the city. Now we can see television ads telling us about the sales coming out.

I personally have not gone out shopping on Black Friday. One thing I do not want to get up so early, and I am not interested in getting large items that have the best sales. Black Friday is the largest selling day of the year. Now many retailers are opening on Thanksgiving evening if not earlier. Some of their employees are complaining because used to be able to be home with their families on Thanksgiving. The main importance to work on Thanksgiving is that you are getting paid time and a half or double time for the hours you are working. I used to work on Thanksgiving so no big deal to me; however, I was able to get home in time for dinner.

I understand other countries have adopted Black Friday as well. Of course, if you do not want to leave home you can order on-line as well. Personally I try not to order anything on line. If I did I would use either a gift card or a pre-paid card so no one could hack into my debit or credit card. I generally only buy things that I can afford now. These days when it comes to Christmas presents I usually buy gift cards because I do not really know what relatives need or want.

Another change I see is how large items like automobiles that used be slow sales during the holiday season also are discounting for Black Friday. Most sales for Black Friday go through at least the weekend. This coming Monday the on-line sales have what they call Cyber Monday. So if you are looking for deals on large items as well this is the good time of the year to do so. Personally I would only do so for something I really need and not for something that I would consider a want.

I recommend staying away from Black Friday. I believe good deals if not even better ones will be available closer to Christmas. I would only do Black Friday if it were items that I would need to ship, and see if free shipping is available.

Have a great weekend. If you do go out shopping good luck, and do not go crazy either. 

More Football

First of all Happy Thanksgiving to you all; I am sure some of you will be watching football today along with spending time with your family and friends. I hope that you all have a great day and I am thankful for you all.

There are three NFL football games going on today; they start with the Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions followed by the Philadelphia Eagles against the Dallas Cowboys and finished with the Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers. I may watch part of the first two games and likely watch the full game of Seahawks and 49ers.

Usually the Detroit Lions do not do very well on Thanksgiving; however, I expect today will be different. The Lions in general are having a good season and the Bears are not; however, any time a rivalry teams play anything goes. I expect the Lions to win since they are at home. The Bears are having a very poor season.

The game between the Eagles and Cowboys I expect it to be close just in the same way in the Seahawks and 49ers. Both of the games are important to each team to win; the Eagles and Cowboys in search to win their division and the Seahawks and 49ers to make the playoffs. Of course, I am rooting for the Seahawks in that match up. I believe if they win they can be still favorites to go back to the Super Bowl.

I was going to mention the Los Angeles Lakers in this writing. They are starting the NBA season in a poor position. They are last in their division. I do not watch much of the NBA these days so it is surprising how far they have fall. It is sort of like the Yankees in baseball. Since I do not watch the NBA I still looked at the Lakers roster. I am not familiar with anyone on the team except Kolby Bryant.  I would not be surprised if this is his last season. Right now the only team worse than the Lakers is the Philadelphia 76ers who have not won a game yet. Both of those teams should have high draft picks so they may be able to rebuild fast. Unless you are a Lakers fan I am sure you are not crying over their situation.

College Basketball the University of Kentucky men’s team is at the top. Most experts expect them to win the NCAA tournament in March. It would be exciting to see anyone knock them off.

Again have a great and thankful day.

Happy Thanksgiving

I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving; even those of you who live outside of United States. Thanksgiving began when the Pilgrims came to America. They celebrated with the natives who lived nearby.

Thanksgiving though observed for all these years it actually did not become an official holiday until Abraham Lincoln became president. It is observed the last Thursday of every November.

I believe it is important that we are thankful for our lives along with our family and friends. Most people spend Thanksgiving with their family or friends depending on their location. Some travel a long distance to be with their families. It is nice to know my Brother Jack’s family will all be together for Thanksgiving; brings back a lot of very good memories.

Another great gesture is some people every year will go out and feed the hungry and those who are alone. The traditional dinner of Thanksgiving include turkey, mash potatoes, and gravy along with stuffing. Some people may substitute ham or beef for turkey. Of course, there are those who may go totally away from the traditional dinner and have something totally different. Some families have setup their own traditions.

I believe it is important that we are thankful everyday of our lives for what we have; however, I like the fact we have a day each year to set aside and be thankful.

Besides the dinner and gathering of family and friends there is football and basketball games on television. Many people use that as a tradition to spend time together as well. Others may spend time playing a board game or go outside and play around.

I know that there are those who are not so thankful this time of the year as well. Circumstances have occurred that they do not like. I know in Ferguson, Missouri and other cities around the country feel that justice has not been served. I feel bad that a young man Michael Brown lost his life, and his family and friends feel the shooting was not justified. I do not know all the details but the grand jury found the police officer justified in his actions. Whether true or false it is important for the family and friends to forgive and honor the life of Michael Brown. I believe it is important that we think before doing any actions. It is important to have true judgment. It is sad to know that people are still judged by the color of their skin. We are loved, and we must find a way to get along. I know I do not want to be judged by the way I look; however, some people especially young people need to think of what they are wearing. It is easy to be stereotyped though most do not want to be. I know personally I feel judged sometimes by just being ignored. I would like everyone to like me but I know that it is impossible.

I am very thankful for my life though if I had to write it myself I would have it different in some ways. I am blessed to live in a wonderful place with a wonderful family. Growing up things were not always good but I always knew I had family beside me. I know that not everyone is so lucky.

Besides being thankful, love each other and be grateful. If you are in a tough situation I pray that things will get better for you. Again Happy Thanksgiving!

The Good Times

This Thursday here in the USA will be Thanksgiving. It really begins the holiday season though channels like Hallmark have already start showing Christmas shows. As far as I am concerned to early. I really do not get into the Christmas spirit until December comes around. If you are one that has started already good for you but I enjoy waiting a little longer.

Anyway Thanksgiving not only allows me to be thankful for my life, family, and friends it lets me think about the good times in the past. Not only for those at  Thanksgiving and Christmas but other times of the year.

I remember when I was young we would have two areas to eat Thanksgiving dinner. The adults would eat at the main table and us the children would eat in a room we would often play games like Scrabble. In fact we would play Scrabble with Mrs. Gale who was the mother of my dad’s business partner. She was very good at Scrabble, however, at our ages who knew if we really knew right. Anyway she would beat us very soundly. There were times we would challenge the word, and we would look it up in the dictionary. She was always right so after a while we felt it was not worth challenging though we still wondered about those words. I am not sure if we have ever seen those words again.

Most Thanksgivings our cousins from Seattle would come. They were the ones my brothers and I sat with at table for dinner. It was especially special when we got older and were able to go to the big table. Later on when my sister got married our brother-in-law’s family would come for Thanksgiving. We would go to their place for Christmas in Lakewood, Washington which was about a half an hour at that time. Now you can go in about twenty minutes.

Though they are really good memories the sad part is that most of them are gone now. I do see my cousins now and then. In fact, one of them Bronwen recently moved to Lakewood with her husband Hank. The sad part their dog died a few weeks ago. I was given a picture of him for my birthday so I will keep it being very special dog.

I can say with the good times it is hard to think that most of the friends and family that came are no longer here, and I miss them very much. My sister and brother live on the east coast so to see them this time of the year is hard. I have visited both of them in years past though during the holiday season. Actually I will be seeing both of them in 2015.

The great thing about the internet and the social media we can save pictures and videos so much better. We can even take the old ones and save them on our computers. The small children when they get older we can show them so much easier.

Until next time remember the good times of the past and make new ones as well. 

Being Alive!

With Thanksgiving coming next Thursday here in the United States we should be thankful for our lives. We do know that every day is not an easy day. We must choose how we live today. Something’s happen outside of our own control.

In a couple days it will be a month since the shooting of students at Marysville-Pilchuck High School in Marysville, Washington. The shooter decided to choose darkness over light not only for him but for some classmates. His choice will affect the school and the community for many years to come. We have all heard about others who have chosen to do similar things in their communities. Not only will the young people who could have done wonderful things be missed so will the person who did the act.

We all know others that are no longer with us we consider very special to us. I know several who died of illness who continued to live with strong faith until that day they no longer became part of our lives. They decided to live in light instead of darkness.

When I was growing up I felt a lot of darkness, however, I decided to live in as much light as I could. There does seem to be more darkness now than there was then. I hear so much about the pain of those who decided to choose the darkness over the light. Each day we need to decide whether we walk in the darkness or the light. I am thankful that I choose the light though I feel the darkness around me as well. I am thankful that most of us choose to decide the light to live the best we can.

I still think of those who are no longer with us whether by choice or circumstances. Though darkness may come through our lives even on a daily basis we have a purpose to be here. This would be true if not only for our family or friends. Enjoy the best of times as well those times that are not so true. Today I will decide to make today a wonderful day regardless what may happen. I will enjoy each person I have contact with today. 

Looking at Sports From Outside

I think I will write about sports from outside as a fan. I hope each of you will enjoy my prospective as a fan. Some fans are more into the sport they enjoy than others do. I believe I am more knowledgeable than the average fan but I do know that there are others who may even know more than I do.

 I enjoy reading some about the sports that I enjoy. Usually what I do is skipping through the sport stories like I do about the news. I will read more about the story if I want to know more about it. I can say the knowledge I have about sports I do not always have to read about it. Of course, it depends how much of the event I actually watched.

I know some fans enjoy watching the pregame shows on television but I usually do not watch because I figure I know a lot of what they are talking about. I am not trying to say I am expert but I feel like enjoying other things in life.

I enjoy listening to sports radio sometimes as well. I mainly want to know what is going on as far as sports news. In other words who may be injured and can’t play in the game or who may get traded. Also, I really the entertainment value as well. What I dislike about sports radio is when they continue to talk about the same thing over and over again. Another thing I enjoy is when they interview players. I enjoy learning about players such as whether they have a sense of humor or not.

Today I heard a national reporter discussing Billy Butler being signed by the Oakland A’s. Being a fan of the Seattle Mariners I can say not another player that goes to a team in the same division instead of the Mariners. The Mariners have been interested in Billy Butler for a couple years, and why did they not sign him. The national reporter mentioned that the Mariners are like the Kansas City Royals where they can use speed instead of a slow player. I believe the Mariners do need speed as well as power at first base and in the outfield. What I believe the Mariners need most are players that hit a lot of doubles. Though the Mariners moved in the fences at Safeco Field it is still not a home run park for right handed hitters. If you are a left handed hitter you are likely going hit more home runs. Hitting home runs into right field bleachers is more common at Safeco field.

What I really liked about Robinson Cano last season was that he was willing to go with the pitches he was given. Some players try to do more than they are capable of doing. Last season was his first for the Mariners so he was likely learning what would be successful at Safeco Field for him.

Next time I will write how I thought the Seahawks did against the Arizona Cardinals as well as the University of Washington against Oregon State University. Also, whatever else is happening in the world of sports?  

Wonderful November

This month started out like most November’s being wet, however, the last ten days has been wonderful with sun. The weather is expected to start raining tomorrow and we expect a wet Thanksgiving here in the northwest.

These ten days the only reason to know it is November is being cold and the wind. What I like is the heavy wind actually only last the first couple days of this nice weather. Some people lost their electricity during the period. I was lucky that where I live the power lines are underground so losing electricity will be harder to do. I heard farther north near Seattle some people not only lost electricity they had trees land on their houses. In fact one gentleman had a tree land in his room where he was on his computer. Obviously that has to be quite an experience. I am sure it will take some time for him to get the room back in order.

I thought it being quite unusual to have wind and sun coming together at the same time. I do not remember it ever happening before here in the northwest. Of course, I could be wrong since my memory is not always correct. Since I try to walk every day I had to dress for the occasion. The wind blows harder in downtown Gig Harbor than it does where I live. So I have to adjust when I walk around the harbor. I walk in different areas as often as I can so I can keep the walking more interesting instead of being bored. I see that some people walk the same places all the time. I really enjoy walking different places to enjoy the scenery besides being routine.

The nice thing about living around here is that the rain normally is not hard, and usually there are times during the day when it does not rain so can get in the walking. The next week it is supposed to rain a lot but I do expect the times when there will be a break. I hope that the wind does not blow hard but I would not be surprised if it does.

What I like nice though there are places to go when it is raining, and spend the time indoors. If you are into arts and crafts there are many places in the area to check them out. Also, in Gig Harbor there is the history museum. If I finish those places I can always go to the Pt. Defiance Zoo in Tacoma. There are plenty of coffee shops to visit as well, and see people you know. I am not a big coffee drinker so I drink more lattes and tea. When it comes to shopping I am not big on it other than seeing people. Whatever I enjoy doing people have to be involved.

I look forward the remaining time of the sun, and I hope it does come out  some during the remaining of November. 

Unbelievable

I guess you can say anything can happen in college football. The University of Washington Huskies played in Tucson, Arizona against University of Arizona. What made unbelievable the Huskies dominated the Wildcats in every part of the game and still found a way to lose by one point. Until the very end they looked like they would win; however, with about 90 seconds remaining and having the ball the offense fumbled the ball near the 50 yard line. The Wildcats after getting a couple first downs kicked a field goal to win. Actually in the first half the Huskies tried a field goal that ended up hitting the goal post. If they would have made that field goal they would still have won. They had a couple other opportunities to score and fumbled as well. In one case Cyler Miles the Husky quarterback went back to pass and the ball went out of his hand. They could have scored a touchdown or at least a field goal. The Huskies defense generally was good all game long. They did not deserve the loss. I asked friends this morning at coffee shop what they thought of the game. Got the response I thought was not to talk about it.

Friday night the Huskies basketball team had their opening game of the season against South Carolina State. I do not know much about them except they do not shoot very well. The announcers said that they were the worst shooting team in college basketball last season so the Huskies won by more than twenty points. I thought the Huskies played OK for being the first game of the season. They are primarily dominated by guards. They do have three big men which includes Sawn Kemp Jr. the son of the former Seattle Supersonics player. He is not like his dad, however, he look like he may have a very good season. The other two looked OK but I will leave judgment for another time. Right now the Huskies do look like they may be in the middle of the Pac 12 like the sport writers who follow the league predicted.

The Seattle Seahawks ended up losing to the Kansas City Chiefs 24-20. They were in the game the whole way, however, they can only afford maybe one more loss in the remaining six games to make the playoffs. The main reason they lost was the Chiefs running game which the Seahawks could not stop most of the game. The Seahawks running game was really good as well except the last two times they had the ball in the game which the Chiefs were able to stop them. It was obvious losing Brandon Mebane was a big loss for this game at least. They will need to do a better job in run defense. I am sure the Arizona Cardinals will start out the game to run on them as well. Really to win the game the Seahawks will need to pass the ball better than they did again the Chiefs.

It was disappointing that Felix Hernandez did not win the Cy Young award for the Seattle Mariners. He had such a great season except a few starts. Last week was the General Managers meeting in Phoenix, Arizona; however, they did not come away with any trades or free agent signings. Hopefully they were able to get some feelers during the meetings. In December the Winter Meetings happen as well where they can continue to talk with other teams and free agents. Of course, they can make trades now as well. Everyone knows they must get a couple outfielders if possible. If not an outfielder they need a first baseman –dh. What is important is to get two players that bat right handed with power. More about this in coming weeks. 

When

I believe when the second most common question next to why. Of course it may depend on the situation for either when or why. In some cases they would go together.

I believe the main situation they go together has to do with marriage. I have been waiting a long time so why I am not married yet, and when will it happen.  I have likely said why over and over again for many years, and I have said when on many occasions as well. I have had people ask me why I am not married. This comes with another question which is if I knew who I am marrying it would be much easier. I think who is as difficult an answer for marriage as in the baseball skit by Abbott and Costello “Who on first?” Of course, if I knew who then in baseball terms she would not be on first, and we would be sliding home safe. The next time someone ask me why I am not married I will ask them who do you think I should marry? Maybe they will give me an answer I would like.

When you are young choosing the person to marry yourself sounds like the right thing. Now at my age arranged marriage by your parents sounds pretty good. Of course, you may think it is wrong but since choosing the person myself hasn't worked maybe the arranged marriage would have been the way to go. You may think that they may not choose the right person. This is a very good possibility; however, they may be able to choose her better than me. Also, the best thing is that I am married not single. You may ask what if your marriage turns out to be bad. My answer would be it could turn out that way if I chose as well. Neither has happened so far which means I have to keep looking and choose for myself.

I am sure there are other situations where both when and why go together. If you are in poor health you likely ask why it has happened to me, and when will it be over. Also, I think why comes along a lot when we are depressed. In fact likely it is the question why we are depressed.

I say all this usually this time of the year. The holiday season can bring up the questions over and over again. For me the only thing I can do is think positive, and hope for the very best. When you’re single it is easy to be depressed this time of the year because everything about the holiday season is about family. If you are married, and have children you may not understand. I do have family with my mother, brother, and sister. The thing is that my brother and sister are away off. Even if they were not it is not still the same. I believe there is nothing like marriage and children. It is the top of my list. If I did not care so much it would be much easier not to be alone.

So what I do to make sure my life does not go insane (just kidding) is to enjoy other families and children. I make the best of a situation I would rather not be in. Of course, if or when I do get married I believe she will be the best of my world. She will be treated like a queen. If she has children then they will be treated like princes and princesses. If you are single like me all I can really say is to make the best out of a tough situation. If you are looking for answers for when and why or other questions I hope you find them. If you need help please find a friend  that you trust, and they may have the wisdom to get the answer. 

Being Alone

On Wednesday when I was out for my daily walk I started to thinking about being alone. Of course, I was a lone at the time. I did not have a walking partner to talk to, however, I did see other people during the walk.

The thing about being alone is that we can feel bad or sad, or we may have a good time. What I am saying here is that there are times when it is good to be alone. It is important when we have been busy, and we need to get off by ourselves to relax, and have very good thoughts. Feeling bad or sad is when we feel alone for a period of time. Maybe we do not have friends that we can talk too. I have gone through this many a time. The answer to this dilemma is to stop thinking about ourselves in a negative way, and start thinking about the blessings we do have. I am not saying this because it is easy I can say by life long experience it is not easy. I believe we have some darkness in our lives that lead to some level of depression, and we must allow those times to pass by.

When I was a kid I had some friends but I was bullied at times as well. During those times I did feel a bit of being alone. In fact, I would cry myself to sleep. Though the times did not feel good I now look back, and I feel the time gave me strength to live by. I believe there are some adults who are either spoiled or immature because they did not go through the experience. I am a strong person now because of my child experiences though I do still go through times of loneliness.

I believe that there are times of loneliness when you are not alone. What I mean is that there are those that experience loneliness while being in a group of others. I experience that sometimes when I am in a large group. I do not feel that way as much when I am with mainly friends. Also, I do not feel that way when I am in a small group.

Other ways you may feel alone has to do with your heart. Maybe your spouse or partner does not feel the same way about you anymore or you do not feel the same for them. The thing about love is that there is more to it than a feeling. Being in love is a choice. It is possible though you and your partner no longer in love but you still consider each other as close friends. It is then that you choose to stick together as partners. You know that if you decided to split up with your partner you will feel alone. Other words your life could be better despite the lack of love. You enjoy the time spent together.

Another heartache or loneliness could be that you love someone and you know that they do not love you in return. This could be other way as well where they love you though you do not love them. In either case you may need to choose to be friends.

I hope that this helps you, and you will feel better in those times of loneliness. Have yourself a wonderful weekend.

1st Addition Thursday

Last year it was almost like a sure thing that the Seattle Seahawks were going to go to the Super Bowl. I was pretty sure they would win the Super Bowl; however, it was easier than I could imagine. Also, the parade in Seattle was so amazing as well. The Seahawks may win more Super Bowls there will never be one like the first.

This year most experts do not think they will repeat the Super Bowl because so very few teams do. So far it has not been the same kind of season; however, I would not be surprised if they did go back to the Super Bowl. Right now it does look difficult because their record is 6-3, and the Arizona Cardinals are in first place of the NFC West Division. They have the hardest remaining seven games in the regular season including two with the Cardinals, and two with the San Francisco 49ers.

What has made the season hard so far is that they have gone through a lot of injuries which they did not have last season. The injuries have mainly been on the defensive. Brandon Mebane the number one defensive lineman was injured in the game last week again the New York Giants, and now he is lost for the season. Over the course of the season they have lost several defensive backs along with some key linebackers. Other than Mebane a lot of the injured defensive players should be returning real soon which will help the remaining of the season. On the positive side it has allowed inexperienced players to receive some experience. Not really sure whether it will help this season but it will for future seasons.

On the offensive side of the ball the Seahawks have had injuries primarily to the Tight End losing Zach Miller for the season, and Luke Willson his back up for several games. In fact, against the Giants Luke Willson was injured in the game and not really sure whether he will play this coming Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Seahawks have had to bring in other tight ends to fill their spots.  

Another area the Seahawks have had troubles with this season is at wide receiver. A lot of so called experts think the Seahawks are not very good at the wide receiver position; however, they are better than most think. The trouble has been outside of Doug Baldwin and Jerome Kearse they lack the experience; however, the rookies and the other receivers are getting the experience necessary especially after trading troublesome Percy Harvin to the New York Jets after the fifth game. Just like the replacement players on the defensive the wide receivers will be much better next season.

Last week against the Giants the Seahawks ran for over 350 yards in the game primarily by running back Marshawn Lynch, and quarterback Russell Wilson. The injuries to the defense the Seahawks will need to continue to be successful at running the ball the remaining of the season. If they do not it will be a problem the rest of the way. The best thing though their history they continue to get better the second half of the season. What makes the Seahawks very special is that they stamp their will on the other team. They wear down the other team in the second half.

Next Tuesday I will write what I see happened in the game in Kansas City. The weather is expected to be in the low 20s. Also, I will write some about the off-season of the Seattle Mariners, and possibly about basketball. 

The Best

First of all I want to thank the veterans for the work and honor they have done for our country. If it were not for them we would not have the freedom we have today. I believe our country need to help each veteran that needs help. Those that are disabled or out of work need to be taken care of. I see commercials or whatever you want to call them for us to donate. I think it is a worthy cause; however, they should be taken care of by the government, and not have to depend on donations.  I can say all of you are the best, and thank you so much for your duty.

This week a local half-an-hour daily television show called Evening Magazine is giving out their awards for the best of Western Washington. The awards are being given out all week. On Monday three places in Gig Harbor got awards for the best outdoor restaurant, children store, and barber shop. Gig Harbor did not get the best place to live but had to be among the top. The crews from the show were in Gig Harbor last week. When I was watching on Monday I saw my house that I grew up on television. It was really great and the best. The best awards are voted on by the viewers of the show. Those who win often are surprised, however, they are honored as well.

I want to remind you that you are among the best. When others make you feel differently from the best remind yourself that they are wrong. It is not that you are better than anyone else but you live to being the best. In fact when you are looked down or made fun of it allows you to be humbled. There are times we can think of ourselves better than others as well as less than so being humbled puts us back in the right place.

Being among the best allows us to be thankful for what we have.  Sometimes we may feel we are entitled for more than we already have. We are blessed to have family and friends.

I hope that you are having the best week. Every day needs to be lived at the best. It does not mean that everything will go right but we will live the best we can. Until next time be the best. 

1st Addition Sports Tuesday

Here is my first addition concerning my blog going into the second year just writing about sports. I am not sure how I got interested in sports but I have for most of my life. I am not sure even when I first started. It has always been that way. It is somewhat amazing because my dad was not interested in sports except sailing. He did do a lot of sailing over the years including many races. He started sailing at a very young age.

What I hope is that I will write my blog about sports in a different way than most. I know that there are a lot of sport blogs out on the internet. I know that many of them written by sport columnists, and newspapers. Also, each sport team has their own blogs as well. If other cities like Seattle there are other people who write blogs as well. I hope you are able to enjoy mine as well as many others.

When I was in elementary I had a problem reading so my parents got me a subscription to Sports Illustrated. They knew I was interested in sports and for me to read better this was a good idea.

I played some baseball, basketball, and tennis. There was not really any organized football except the Punt, Pass, and Kick contest every year so at the neighborhood park we played sandlot football. Most of the guys playing the football were the same ones that I played on my Little League baseball team. Of course, like so many other boys I purchased baseball cards. I traded some of the cards with my friends. It was important to trade duplicates to get cards that I did not have.

Back in those days there were about half the professional teams than there are now. I would watch the baseball game of the week on Saturdays. I would listen to minor league baseball games throughout the week on the radio since we did not have a major league team at the time. Most of my classmates thought I was the expert on baseball since I could name all the players on the major league ball clubs. Of course, it is a lot harder to do since there are many more teams, and players move more often as well.

Mostly I will write about baseball and football. I will throw in some basketball here and there as well. Since we no longer have a NBA team in Seattle I will write on the national level. Baseball and football will mostly be about the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Mariners though I will write on national things as well depending what is going on.

Besides the teams themselves I will like to write about individual players as well. Anyway I will write next on sports this coming Thursday. Continue seeing my regular blog the rest of my time. Have yourself a great day.

1st Anniversary

This week is the first anniversary writing this blog. I want to thank you all for reading my blog whether you have once or many times. I know that all of you have busy lives, and to take the time to read I really appreciate it.

I hope that my encouragement has changed your life for the better. I believe that we all need encouragement sometimes. We all go through things that if we know someone cares it make those things much better. This is true even if it is someone we read from their blog.

I look forward to the second year hoping that all our lives become richer. It may be where we become closer to old friends or family, or we meet some new friends. We never know someday we may meet someone that will change our lives. If possible today is that day.

So far November here in western Washington has been quite rainy. If you happen to see the Seattle Seahawks and New York Giants football game yesterday (Sunday) you would have seen a lot of rain. This morning though the sun has come out to see us. Though November is always a rainy month it is nice to see the sun peak its head out even for a few minutes.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday season this year, and look forward to 2015. In my family my sister Barb and youngest son Connor plan to come out this way in February. It is possible my mother and I will be seeing them in Victoria, British Columbia. It has been a while since I spent some time in Victoria. My nephew Ian will be graduating from Harvard in May and he already has a position set up at Microsoft where he did an internship this last summer. Earlier the same week his older brother Robby will be graduating from Yale Law School. Look forward to see where he lands after that. The youngest of my brother Jack’s family Danny will finish his freshmen year at Harvard when Ian graduates. Leslie who is the oldest in his family and my only niece is continuing on getting her Doctor Degree in English Literature at University of Minnesota. Also, she teaches classes there as well. Her husband Daniel will be finishing his schooling at Lutheran Divinity School which is very close to University of Minnesota. He will than become a Lutheran minister.

Since I did mention my mother she is now ninety-four years of age. She is amazing to be able to still move along at her age. Sometimes she does walk slowly but what do we expect at that age. Her mind is pretty sharp most of the time as well. I am sure if you met her you would not believe she was ninety-four.

I still plan to write the blog the same manner, and hopefully even better writing as the experience keeps coming along three times a week on different things. However, I plan to write twice a week on my opinions of sports. They would likely take place on Tuesday and Thursday. I will have to see though.

I pray that you all have a great holiday season, and into 2015. Please let your family and friends know about my blog. I look forward to seeing you again on the internet. 

The 12th Man

The term the 12^th man has been used by football teams regarding their fans. It has been used for quite some time, however, the Seattle Seahawks have made the term quite popular since the team has become really good in the last three years. 

The Seahawks made it important in 1984 by retiring the number so there are no players on Seahawks using the number. Right now the team is winning at a high level, and actually last year winning the Super Bowl for the first time. Also, Century Link Field the home for the Seahawks has the best home field advantage, and the fans are known for being very loud so much that often the opponent will get be charged a penalty for taking too long to run a play.

Another thing fans can purchase a number 12 jersey saying fan on it. Also, they have a 12^th man flag that is always being raised before any home game as well being seen on the space needle. Most of the time a former Seahawk player will raise the flag, however, a known celebrity sometimes will.  I see people that have a 12^th man flag hanging outside their home or on their car as well.

Last year during the Super Bowl season Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll decided to start what is called Blue Friday. What that means that every 12^th man who has a Seahawk jersey wears it to work. One thing for sure I see many Seahawk jerseys on Friday as well as on Sunday. You see a lot of men, women, and children wearing Seahawk jerseys.  Some I see them wearing them I would never expect to be Seahawk fans without the jersey.

The Seahawk jersey not only has become big in Washington state but around the whole northwest. If you see someone wearing a Seahawk jersey say 12^th man.

It is so amazing no matter where you go, or what sport you are talking about there are crazy fans who love their teams.

Regarding Change

Since the beginning of the year I have written about making change in our lives instead of doing a new year’s resolution. When it comes to personal change it can become a lifelong deal.  I know this year for me like so many others changes have become very important. I first found out my heart was skipping, and then I found that at least ten years ago I had heart attack. On September 23 I had a procedure to find out the status of my heart. It turned out things are OK, and I did not have to go through surgery. I do have to do changes when it comes to how to live regarding exercise and diet. Like any kind of change it will take time, and it is not an overnight success.

This week the American voters decided to go another direction, and made republicans the majority in both senate and congress. Like I have said change can take some time, and we are not sure whether it will work or not; however, we need to see what happens. If not like in our personal changes we need to do so until we get it right. Though our government is not perfect by any means it is still the best in the world. I hope that we are able to correct it in the areas the government need change.

In the state of Washington we had two initiatives in regards to gun control. One of them passed while the other did not. It would have been very difficult situation if both had passed. The one that passed the selling point was to get rid of the loop holes in regards to gun registration. I am not sure whether the initiative will work; however, I believe something had to be done. I know friends that are pro guns thought the initiative was stupid. Like I have said before we need to see if this will work, or we may have to try something else. Personally I am not as concerned about rifles as I am with handguns. I believe most people that have rifles use them for hunting while handguns can be used to hurt people though I know a lot of people use them for target practice. It is important that both rifles and handguns are stored away in a good spot when they are not being used. I am mainly concerned with children using them against other children. I do not really know the answer; however, something really needs to be done.

I hope that any changes we try either personally or as a society will work. I hope that everyone will have safe, and a healthy weekend.  

Rainy Day in November

This year like so many other November’s the rain has started out with a bang. Also, we have had some wind as well though I expect a lot more wind to come our way.

What really surprises me is the weather bureau has said that we have a lot of rain above normal for the year. Since November and December are both very rainy months means that we will end 2014 being one of the rainiest years on record.

Since I do a lot of walking it has not felt like we have had a lot of rain but I guess when it has rained it has a lot harder than normal. Most of the time in the northwest the rain is more like a drizzle. So far walking has been harder because of both rain and wind. I have to find alternative way of walking like possibly indoors. There are times during the day sometimes when it is not raining for a short period so I can walk then but I have to keep watching. Also, what makes it difficult to walk as well is getting dark earlier in the evening. With the time change it starts getting dark around 5 pm. In the morning it starts to get light around 7 am so it is the best time to go if not raining.

With the rain it means that there are a lot more car accidents. I get amazed by drivers because you would think people would know how to drive in the rain since we have so much of it, however, they really do not. In most cases they still drive very fast, and they do not anticipate they may have to stop. The last several days I have seen pictures on line showing very bad accidents. I am really amazed that the people in the accidents have survived when looking how terrible the cars look. In many cases they have flipped over especially trucks. Someone I know told me that a normal drive about forty-five minutes for him took over four hours because of multiple accidents. Many of the highways are hard to get off exists, and those that you can are plugged up so no one can really save any time. The great travel this time of the year. Yeah!

I expect more heavy winds coming through in November. So far I have not lost electricity like some households; however, I would not be surprised if it happens sometime in November. I do not expect any snow though it would be a nice surprise. Of course, drivers here do not drive in it very well either.

Wherever you are stay safe, and have a wonderful November. 

Being Thankful

Since Thanksgiving in the United States falls on the fourth Thursday of November I would consider November the month of being thankful.

Thanksgiving was made an official national holiday way back by President Abraham Lincoln, however, it took place originally starting more than two hundred years earlier supposedly by the pilgrims.

I know that Christians have been praying since the time of Jesus Christ for being thankful. Also, I know that other religions have done so as well. Many people pray thanksgiving everyday at each meal or at least at dinner time. This month being November I think we need to be more thankful than we usually are. We need to be thankful for our family and friends. They are the most important people in our daily lives. We should be thankful for each person we meet even though we may not know them. Also, we need to remember those who we knew that are no longer with us especially those who have died in the last year. We pray for communities like Marysville, Washington who lost children in the shooting at Marysville-Pilchuck High School. In fact, the high school students are returning today November 03, 2014. Also, for those lost their lives in the mudslide at Oso, Washington on March 22, 2014. Of course, we have had other tragedies in the last year as well we need to remember.

Being thankful on a regular basis but especially this month will help each of us be encouraged. Sometimes it is easy go along each day without a thought about what may happen. Each day has its own problems, and we should be thankful at the end of the day that we made it. Each morning we should pray that the day will be kind to us, and we will make it. What we make of each day is not just for our well being but will be a wonderful day for those we have contact with.

I pray for each one of you that your day will work out the way you want it. For those in your family or friends that maybe ill will make it through as well. It is important to be happy and thankful each day of our lives. God bless you!