A Love/Hate Relationship

So, whats a betting Bulldawg to do when faced with choosing a team for the Championship game? Put her chips in the safe pile and win a modest profit with the majority on Ohio State? Or stick to her gut's quiet reminder that any under-appreciated team in the SEC (the best conference in the nation, mind you) stands a great chance at taking home glory?

How 'bout if that SEC team just happens to be a sworn nemesis?

At the start of the game, Id planned to put my loyalty with my money and root for the Buckeyes, hoping to see a couple beers worth of satisfaction in cash. This bowl season is the first that I'd participated in a pool and, shockingly enough, had a chance of profiting if all went as expected by the "experts." [pah]

However, that all changed within the first 30 seconds of the game and Ohio State's blink-and-you-missed-it touchdown. It suddenly wasn't about money anymore; I found myself getting quite offended at the idea of Florida getting embarassed out there. I mean, NO ONE is allowed to run over "MY SEC" like that! And there it was, out nowhere: my unexpected alliance with Florida.

I realize now that what I thought was a lifetime grudge against all things chomping and swamping related is nothing more than intense sibling rivalry. Here we are, growing up together, comparing our success and defeat to each other, poking each other across the border (a line drawn much like in the backseat of the road-tripping station wagon), and ruffing each other up in our own backyard. Ok, I'll go ahead and admit that we've been Florida's personal whipping boy -- the younger, misunderstood brother -- for the better half of the decade; I guess thats what makes my sudden alliance such a bitter pill to swallow.

Whatever. There I was on Monday night, watching in envy as our counterpart answered that first Ohio State touchdown with an all-out, all-game beatdown. From somewhere deep in me came a swell of pride. It was for them, for us, and for the SEC as a whole (ok, so yea, they're tromping all over the field happens to make us look better). We may beat each other up all season, and the best teams may take shocking losses from the worst, but by no means does that equate to a weak conference. Out here on southern football fields, there's more than just a game being played. National rankings come second-thought to the bragging rights at home, the pride over your neighbors and the people you grew up wrestling over the last bowl of Cap'n Crunch with. At a time like this, those feelings of hate, those years of fighting are all bygones. When the #1 bully is looking to manhandle, as expected, one of your own flesh and blood, you stand defensive and united behind your better-seasoned half -- no matter what dirty names they called you at last night's dinner table.

Granted, there's not much I could do to support from the booth and through the big screen at Twisted Taco, but the point is this: watching #1 and #2 go head to head made me realize how great it is to be part of the SEC. I'll still always hate the Gators and will probably forget said alliance no sooner than I finish writing this blog. BUT, take heed, I will remain proud of them for hushing the nay-sayers, the critics that thought a one-loss team couldn't stand a chance, and the rest of the country who doesn't understand our amazing conference FULL of bitter rivalries. So take notice, ESPN: we are the best conference out there and its not because our best teams go undefeated every season.

The Gators not only stood a chance -- they took that chance, smashed its odds, and handed over in return a no-mercy blood-bath to the Buckeyes. Go Gators! And Long Live SEC Football, yo.

Rando-lution

On a similar note to my first blog, I figure I could share with myself and that one other viewer out there (Hi, Mom) my New Year's Resolutions for 2007. I figure that even though I fail miserably by the time February 1st rolls up, I will never tire of making lists of self-promises. So here we go, into 2007:

- I resolve to spend more time preparing for old age and less time as a typical 20-something. Id like, for once, to be the first one to bed and first to rise. I'd like to take ballroom dancing. Start painting. Play golf. Write letters. Read hardback books. Watch movies without color. Go on nature walks. Talk to my family more.
I think my liver will thank me. Give her some time off of purifying the system of Redbull and Pinot, rinsing, then repeating.

- I resolve to spend more time reliving my young age and just a third of my time as a typical 20something. I'll be the last to bed, first to rise. I'll make up my own style of dance. Start finger-painting. Play t-ball. Write love notes. Read pop-up books. Watch movies with talking animals. Go on adventure walks in make-believe places. Talk to people that aren't really there. I'll stay out in the yard till its too dark to see my hand in front of my face. At this point, my liver will start to miss her old companion, alcohol. But only a little bit.

- I resolve to learn how to use the words "Thanks, but no thanks" whenever and for whatever reason I choose to. Also, to learn how to use the words "righteous rockstar" interchangeably with my first name. This might come a little easier to myself and to others than the first one.

- I resolve to hold on to all forms of my identity, money, and credit cards by inventing the first-ever extendable/retractable leash for personal items. It will function much like the keychain that security personnel might attach to their belt - it will be quick, organized way to eliminate my ability to lose things and a very profitable resolution once I patent my idea.

- I resolve to embrace the good changes as adventure and the bad changes as adventure.

- I resolve to not break my phones.

- I resolve to answer said phone more and screen calls less.

- I resolve to take more pictures. But first I must master the above-mentioned art of not losing/breaking things (including cameras) and then I will take that well-kept camera everywhere and have better documentation of this fabulous thing called life.

- I resolve to spend less time self-editing in hopes of pleasing others and more time letting my inner monologue indulge in its dream of becoming a public speaker.

- I resolve to spend less time on the computer worlds of Facebook and Myspace, living quite scarily close to the Second Life way-of-life. This leaves more time for living, well, ...life.

- I resolve to buy less but eat more of the fruits and veggies that I always have great intention of using, but inevitably leave it orphaned and decaying in the back of my overstuffed fridge.

- I resolve to spend less time making resolutions and promises and more time getting out there and just being.

Two Weeks of Un-Productivity and Merriment (aka Winter Break)

I dedicate this first blog, as well as these past two Holiday weeks, to myself.

Yes. I am that vain. But its also just been that time of year -- time for joy, cheer, and a little self-indulgence. And as for the purpose of blogging really, I can't see it being of any entertainment to anyone but myself. And thats okay. I can live with that --- as I have with many non-electronic journals of my past. Whats better than sharing with myself? Having record of my non-purposeful, non-sensical, and often rambling thoughts?

Sharing with others, you say? Psshhh. Ok, fine, Ill give you that. So here I am to share my little world with others. Its like taking the lock off my Hello Kitty Diary. Except this time around, Ill have more to share with you poor bored souls than "One day I will marry Jonathan Taylor Thomas." Hopefully.

I start back to class tomorrow, continuing on to my third quarter at The Creative Circus. Im nervous. After all this time spent attempting to morph my ass and the couch into one being, watching endless reruns of America's Next Top Model, and eating ice cream sandwiches for breakfast, Im pretty sure all that was creatively gained last quarter, has been effectively drowned in a deep pool of New Year's champagne and cheesecake sludge. But its go time now and I cross my fingers and inner creative fibers that it will be a successful one.

Oh, the holidays. Every single year, I vow it will be different -- I WILL persevere over the gluttonous svengali grip it has on me. I WILL refuse that third piece of pumpkin pie. I tried mentally seperating myself from the need for merriment and even naming this break "The 2 week period of Real Productivity." During which, I planned to start a diet, join a gym, actually GO to said gym, clean house, read books, write in my dusty journal, etc. I so far succeeded in joining said gym, appearing a few times to skip around on a treadmill for a few ticks on the clock, and of course making my infamous post-it checklists of chores to complete. I did get some of them done. But mostly, my Scrooge mentality of productivity broke under the spells of the Holiday peer pressure; I managed to drink considerable amounts of wine, play with friends, hang with my newly-Americanized brother (who's back fresh from his 7 month Latin lifestyle), surf the net, eat too much dessert, and finally get my hair cut, among other things. 7 out of 43 ain't bad, right?

While I realize this is all sounding pathetic, I don't really mind. Its been relaxing to say in the least...Ive had time to sit back and take a look at where things are headed... given, it was all in very slow motion. Feeling unproductive is not something I'd like getting used to...but every now and then, I guess its ok to own up to it.

Happy 2007, self. ... and to all one of you readers out there, hope this new year brings as much promise as I wish for.