#206 - thanks

it's almost the end of thanksgiving day. i am feeling a lot of thankfulness and this will be a rambling rant. i am thankful for being alive. there is fresh air (though a bit humid) and i have a roof over my head. i have been eating non-stop for days and don't think i will stop anytime soon. my family and friends are always here for me when i come home and its like i never left. tomorrow i am going surfing (hopefully) while other people run around like chickens without heads, trying to find deals on stuff at stores. all i want to do is sit on my board out in the ocean and be one with it. catching waves is great and an amazing thing on its own but just being out there is so perfect. when i am out there, that is all there is. there is nothing else. i am thankful for being able to have that peace once a year. i could have it more by coming more often, moving here, or even surfing in oregon but maybe having it just once a year makes it that much more special. i am thankful for the oregon state football season and having the civil war be so incredibly EPIC this year! i have a chance to go to the rose bowl. although i'm not living what others may see as a successful life, i am amazingly happy. i have a great relationship with a wonderful person who i am missing a lot right now. although i don't really have a job, i never go hungry. i am in great health. i have a pass to the gym which i want to use more often. back in portland life goes on but i will jump back into that life soon. i will have a fun visitor and it's gonna be great! the only thing i need/want right now is a full time job but if i had that i wouldn't be here, wouldn't be able to spend as much time with friends and won't be able to go to rose bowl. the right job will pop up at the right time and i will welcome it with open arms. i am ready to work! but i am enjoying right now. i am thankful for the ability to appreciate the moment.

#205 - thanksgiving trip

i'm not sure when the last time was that i was home for thanksgiving. maybe 2003 after i graduated from college? it's been awhile. in less than 24 hours i will be on a plane to hawaii, my boarding pass is printed and i am (not) packed. with the new baggage policy i will be just bringing a carryon. i don't need much anyway, swimsuit, some t-shirts and shorts, and slippers. what else would i need? i am gonna try to workout everyday since a lot of people will be busy during the day with things like work. other than that i have a few plans.

tuesday
arrive around noon
lunch with mom

wednesday
beach?
dinner with friends

thursday
thanksgiving!
brunch with family

friday
surfing?
mom's b-day dinner @ ige's

saturday
sister time?
UH football tailgate and game - go warriors!

sunday
golfing maybe?
tennis at night?

monday
beach?

tuesday
golfing with dad?
flight to maui

so i am trying to get in a lot of sun while i am there, store up some vitamin D. haven't been in strong sun in awhile. i have my oregon tan right now. all my plans with ?s are up in the air but strong possibilities. i haven't been working too hard on making plans because i know they will come together without me. things always workout in the end. i am looking forward to lots of things like seeing friends/family, surfing, golfing and eating. some foods on my list are big city diner, mililani golf course, loco mocos and ramen. also tokyo tei in maui! i am getting hungry just thinking about all this. so because of all this eating i need to be hitting the gym or beach everyday. if not, the plane won't be able to take off because of too much weight. hahaha

i always fill up my time in hawaii with lots of things so it goes by really fast. in no time i will be back here so i want to just make the best of it. i have been posting a lot about oregon state football but it is real now. we are playing the civil war on december 3 at autzen stadium. it's the biggest one of them all, and i am not just saying that. whoever wins goes to the rose bowl! the granddaddy of them all! it has been quite the season and we are just getting better. we have a little over a week to prepare and it is on!! i am so excited but unfortunately i'll be away from the state of oregon. not to worry though, i am bringing a lot of OSU paraphanelia and t-shirts. i will be representing and watching it wherever i can. hopefully with oregon state fans present.

see you all soon.

#204 - more football

okay there are only a couple weeks left in this season. this weekend will be big! oregon state has to take care of things at washington state, the worst team in the pac-10. we are favored by more than 30 points so it would be nice if we can demolish them like that. a bigger game going on would be oregon traveling to arizona. arizona just lost to california, so they dropped in the standings.

this is what the top of the pac-10 looks like:
oregon 6-1, 8-2 (will play 12/3)
stanford 6-2, 7-3 (OSU beat stanford)
oregon state 5-2, 7-3
arizona 4-2, 6-3 (arizona beat OSU)
USC 4-3, 7-3 (USC beat OSU)
california 4-3, 7-3 (OSU beat cal)

this week oregon plays @arizona, california @stanford (stanford losing would be interesting), oregon state @ WSU, and USC has a bye. oregon state got the key help/upsets last weekend that i predicted. this weekend, oregon should beat arizona, which will lead up to a crazy civil war where we would be #1 and #2 and play for the rose bowl. should the ducks lose to arizona, USC has a chance to beat them on 12/5. either way, we need to win the civil war! but we also can't look past WSU as an upset would be very embarrassing there.

GO BEAVERS!!

i want to go to pasadena for new years. please!

#203 - pac 10 football

this is always the most exciting month in football, november. october is a baseball month and while important in the football world, doesn't seem as huge. the beavers are sitting in a tie for second in the pac-10 with 2 losses. there are no undefeated teams in this conference, no real dominance and different players stepping up in each game. here is a look at the top half of the pac-10:

oregon (5-1,7-2) lost to stanford and boise state. they should beat arizona state easily but have arizona as an away game on 11/21. and of course end the season with the civil war, which of course the beavers will win. they could end up pac-10 champs or end with 3 conference losses. 6-3 or 7-2.

arizona (4-1,6-2) lost to washington and iowa. they have a tough four weeks ahead of them, with games @california, oregon, @arizona state and @USC. cal will have something to prove, having just lost at home to the beavers. arizona state should be a W. it is difficult to go into trojan stadium and get a win. 6-3 or 5-4.

USC (4-2,7-2) lost to washington and oregon. USC is usually the team to beat but with two losses they are not in total control of their bowl destiny. they have perhaps two challenging games - stanford and arizona but an easy one against UCLA, all three at home. they will most likely close out the season with all wins, 7-2.

stanford (5-2,6-3) lost to oregon state, arizona and wake forest. they have a strong running game but two tough games ahead with a road game @USC and home against cal. while cal has a few losses they are a tough team. their last game is a non-conference one against notre dame which should not matter. i see them ending up at 6-3.

oregon state (4-2,6-3) lost to USC, arizona and cincinatti. as is traditional, the beavers will close out the season with solid wins. UW at home, washington state away and the ducks at autzen. we are just beginning to peak and will trample the ducks as appropriate with the rodgers brothers leading the way. 7-2.

we will be pac-10 champs and play in the rose bowl if:
#1. we win the rest of our games. (UW, WSU, oregon)
#2. arizona loses two of their four games. (cal, oregon, arizona state, USC)
#3. USC loses one of their three games. (stanford, UCLA, arizona)

i think there is a good chance of that happening, especially with the way this season has been. our best chances are oregon and USC beating arizona and stanford beating USC. otherwise, cal and stanford will have to step it up. maybe cal will be angry next weekend after the beavs killed them and tear a new one into arizona. all i know is the next few saturdays should be fun and i will be cheering for many teams in addition to the beavers!

#195 - fall!!!

it's been a month and a half since my last post. wow. i'm in the middle of a ruthless job search. i am kicking ass and taking names. actually, no, it is not very successful yet. but it will be. it has to! this isn't about my lack of a RN job.

it is about FALL! oh yeah. we had a little rain this morning. football season just started.. the oregon ducks went down last night to boise state! i could not be more tickled. the real football team in this state (OSU BEAVERS) will start its season this saturday against portland state. i hope its a good game, i plan to watch it at 24 hour fitness. i wonder how much cardio i can do while watching. i plan to bring lots of snacks for halftime. it could be pretty fun, better than going to a bar anyway.

i don't have any plans yet to see any of the games but i do hope i can. its always nice to go back to corvallis and pretend i'm a student again. that was the life! hit all the old haunts.

i have applied to numerous RN jobs and they all want experienced nurses. bollocks, i say! so for now i am still working as a CNA. i even worked a little catering gig with my friend. was pretty fun, a nice outdoor summer wedding with great food! it would be fun to do another but that's totally not what i went to school for. go figure.

but anyway i am glad it's finally fall and football is here again. it's like i'm whole. :)

#161 - christmas!

i know it's not really about the presents but christmas kind of tends to focus around presents. you wake up and all you can think is, "i wonder if i got any good presents?!" unfortunately with the new airline baggage restrictions, i can't really enjoy any big presents cause i'd have to lug them back with me and pay for them. i did not really get anything to write about. i don't actually expect good presents, never have and never will. i already got something i really wanted anyway, and that was a gym membership. i think at this point in your life, as adults, you already buy the things you need and want. or at least i do. i did get $25 to the mall so i'll have to use that before i leave. hopefully there will be some awesome sales!

we had a christmas party at night, which is more of what the day means. you hang out with family, eat a lot, and play games. we played bingo. i won $4! haha it was fun but i passed out before 10. i've been sleeping weird lately. i sleep by my grandpa who needs help to the bathroom so i have been sleeping lightly at night so that i can hear him. so i wake up to take him to the toilet and it takes awhile to get back to sleep. i then wake up early because everyone else does. there are ten people in this house that was probably built for 5. it's a small house.

we've been playing lots of games - scrabble, dominoes, and cards. i love scrabble, it's fun! i'm a nerd. i've been playing wii. my favorite games i lego star wars and i'm working on it right now, started last year and am just continuing it till i can finish, hopefully. i'm almost halfway i think. my sister got an "outdoor adventure" wii game that we played, it has a running pad like on the old nintendo. my cousin's fiancee has an iphone and had a ton of old nintendo games on it! i played some duck hunt!! gotta love the classics.

we went to lahaina today, which wasn't too exciting. we ate at cheeseburger in paradise MMMM and walked around art shops. it's hard to do stuff with ten people. everyone has to agree and people walk at different paces. while i don't want to abandon my family, it would be good to go do my own thing at some point. i've got a few more days here then it's back to my regular life/schedule. it will be a welcome change but i'm gonna enjoy the fam and islands for the rest of the time i'm here.

oh, the hawaii bowl did not turn out well for us. i went to the game, cheered as hard as i could, and still yet - notre dame 49, hawaii 21. boo!! i guess you can't win em all. but...i have a chance for redemption. sun bowl on the 31st, oregon state vs pitt. our top two players, the rodgers brothers, are out with injuries. althought that's no excuse for potential poor play, it sucks cause they are fun to watch. i am just gonna cheer and hope our team steps up. pitt is a pretty good, competitive, talented team. we definitely have to show up and play way better than in the civil war. that was embarassing. GO BEAVERS!

#160 - vacation thoughts

i'm here still, lots of sun. portland is still snowing i think. it's crazy! i've been pretty busy, seeing friends and doing things. today i'm going to the hawaii bowl to watch hawaii beat notre dame! it's always fun to beat them, even if they aren't necessarily good this year. oregon state beat them 41-9 in the fiesta bowl some years ago, that was AWESOME! right after my dad and i are taking a flight to maui to join the rest of the fam. yesterday i went golfing and the day before i went surfing. i've been to a few potluck dinner parties and hung out with pretty much all my friends here. it's been good.

the only thing is i'm missing lots of snow! i've never been in a real winter. portland usually has an inch a year, maybe. it's not a big deal and it's gone in a day or two. now this is real snow! it's still there after a week and it's gettin bigger! i want a white xmas. too bad it's not snowing here, that would be cool.


i've eaten a lot here too and haven't been to the gym as much as i planned. i've had loco mocos, manapuas, pork hash, cake noodle (mmm), and lots of dessert. i think i went to the gym twice. ooops. i did surf and golf though, if that counts as exercise. oh and tennis once! ha! i'm headed to maui where i don't have any friends, only family, so definitely more gym time. i'll need "brandi time" and i'm sure to be eating a lot more ono stuff so i'll need the gym. i've got a lot of projects that my grammy has for me. paint the front door and build a mailbox are two of the big ones. i always try to do some projects when i'm there cause its fun and makes my grandparents happy. plus, i like painting. it's fun and messy!

i am glad i still have another week of vacation cause i need it. once i get back it'll be non-stop for a few months at least. work, school, clinicals, dodgeball, etc. somewhere in there i try to squeeze in sleep but i'm figuring out that i like to take a 2-3 hour nap during the day. i'm not sure how i'll be able to incorporate that into my daily schedule but when i get back but i want to try. good luck with that eh? i better finish packing and do some chores my mom gave me before i head off to the golf course for lunch...adobo fried rice! oh yeah!

GO WARRIORS!

#154 - civil war!

well here it is folks, the week we've all been waiting for. the battle for the state of oregon...civil war!! this is a tradition over a hundred years. oregon state versus oregon in what is the most important game of the year. you can be 0-10 but if you win the civil war then it is not all lost. whoever wins the civil war gets bragging rights and pride all year. the last two years the Beavs have been successful and before that it was back and forth, with the home team winning.
2006 - Reser Stadium

2007 - Autzen Stadium

2008 - back at Reser!
what's at stake this year is the rose bowl, yes the rose bowl. Beavers win and we go to the rose bowl on new years! since we beat USC this year we are actually at the top of the pac-10. we've gone through quite an exciting season, ups and downs. we had losses to stanford, utah and penn state. when we get to the rose bowl we will face penn state again and redeem ourselves. it won't be at their stadium and we have found our mojo on the field. when we played them at the beginning of the season we didn't quite have it together.

OREGON, YOU ARE GOING DOWN!!!

GO BEAVERS!!!

#141 - giant killers III

i blogged a couple weeks ago about football season since we had just beaten hawaii. i wrote about the upcoming game against #1 USC and what we needed to do to beat them...well, we did it! oregon state 27, usc 21! it was our house and we defended it, we played with respect for USC and what they can do and just played beaver football. it was 21-0, oregon state at the half and i knew this usc team deserved to be #1 for a reason. they dominated the 3rd quarter and came back to within a touchdown, were going for another when greg laybourn intercepted mark sanchez's pass and ran it to the USC 2 yard line. the superstar of the night, jacquizz rodgers (a true freshman!), ran it in easily to put us up 27-14. of course they wouldn't stop and had a nice quick drive to pull within 6 with 1:19 to go. onside kick failed and it was history!

i wasn't there. (tear!) i didn't even watch it. i was in a meeting and had my friend texting me with updates. i was so nervous and clammy my whole meeting! when it was finally done i ran to a restaurant with a tv and stood outside cheering. it was crazy and i will definitely get a hold of a replay sometime. this team will be known as giant killers III. the original team was a dee andros team in 1967 who beat #1 USC 3-0. OJ simpson was on that USC team, it was historical. since then we have not beaten a #1 ranked team but we did beat them two years ago (i was there!) when they were ranked #3. although they weren't #1, many still consider it a giant victory. many thought that this year's USC team was the best and that sanchez would win the heisman. i am not sure if i doubt that now, if i say they aren't then maybe it's not a big a win as it seems. i want them to win out, i want them to play for the national championship (pretty slim chance i think) and i want to say that we were the only ones that could beat them this year. sure there are better teams than the beavs but we have a lot of heart. we've got an awesome quarterback with amazing energy. you can just feel it the way that he leads his team. he's a real leader.

sometimes i think i can believe in them hard enough so they will win. i think that maybe my cheering and believing actually makes a difference. who knows?! while i respect every opponent that dares to come into reser stadium, we will put up a fight. we will play our hearts out. we will prove that we belong here. and we will show you that just because you live in LA doesn't mean you're awesome. corvallis may be a sleepy little town, but it's a college town and it's all about the BEAVERS!!!

#136 - football season

ahhhh, fall. changing colors, (supposedly) cooler weather, and football! well i went to my first (and probably only) football game of the season. it's the third week already and this was the first game i've seen all season. what's that about?! well i've been on the road, went to canada where they don't pay much attention to football and just hanging with the parents. so the purpose of their trip was to see me, but they planned it around this football game. hawaii @ oregon state.

the last time the two teams played, OSU went to aloha stadium and won 35-32 at the end of what was an amazing season. we beat USC that year and won the civil war with UO. our last game was at hawaii against colt brennan and company. it was such a good game that was close all the way, with the Beavs coming out on top. that's what i was hoping for yesterday but it just wasn't meant to be. the warriors lost many key players to the NFL or graduation, including colt and his receivers. so hawaii scored first, a touchdown and i thought it'd be a great game. unfortunately there were a slew of hawaii injuries and the oregon state defense came alive. here are 10 mins of osu highlights.

so my parents were a little disappointed cause they came all the way to see this game, especially since the warriors didn't even play well. we went to eat chinese food after the game and al afalava and family were there eating too. he's from kahuku and had a big family come over for the game. in one of the newspapers he was quoted as saying if osu loses he can't go home, so now he's free to go and have bragging rights i guess. he's our hard hitting safety and a really nice guy despite his intense play on the field.

one of his hits last year at the civil war:


well next up is #1 USC on the 25th. they just spanked formerly #5 (overrated) ohio state 35-3. it wasn't even close. i am shaking in my little beaver boots. now i am in no way a fair weather fan but i seriously doubt my teams abilities in what might be the best USC team in the pete carroll era. they are deep, fast and good. this is a great football team that will be in the national championship game this year. no doubt. the last time the trojans came into Reser stadium they were ranked #3 and we won, 33-31


we've got some play makers and a decent quarterback-leader in moevao, speedy quizz rodgers and his brother james. sammie straughter is due for a breakout performance as well. the defense needs to step it up. while they did well against the warriors, the line is gonna really need to get some pressure on the QB sanchez and stop the run of the many many talented backs that USC has. we're gonna have to force many turnovers like last time and just play really well. we gotta bring the A game!

GO BEAVERS!

#102 - corvallis

corvallis is the home of oregon state university, the best educational institution in the state of oregon. most people who live in this modest city of 50,000 people are either affiliated with the university or hewlett-packard. it's a very quiet place and there really isn't much to do if you don't look hard enough. i spent four awesome years there as an undergrad student and have been back quite a few times afterwards. yesterday i went down for a memorial service to my uncle. i went to hawaii in february to attend his actual funeral and inurnment at the national cemetary. since he was a professor at the college and resident of corvallis for almost 30 years he made quite a few great friends. they decided to have a memorial in my uncle's honor. it was a great service with lots of fun stories about him and then got together for food afterwards.

i've been back to c-town quite a few times since i graduated and it certain is changed. the old favorites are still there, like american dream pizza (now with two locations) and the beanery. then there are a slew of new stores and pseudo-strip malls. it is kind of strange. the campus is still beautiful, like the first time i visited in '98. it only took one visit to corvallis for me to fall in love. it sounds weird but i loved everything about it. going from my small-ish hometown to corvallis was a pretty easy transition despite the cold weather and rain. i spent the first couple years in the dorms on campus and eventually moved off campus to various apartments, duplexes and houses the next couple years. i rode my bike everywhere and it was just a nice place to live. yesterday i felt the same way, it really is a nice college town and i actually wouldn't mind living there again. sometimes the city gets too crazy, and portland isn't even a crazy city.

you can be sure that i return to corvallis every year, mostly to make a pilgrimage to reser stadium, home of the BEAVERS! i'm not sure if season tickets are happening this year for me but you can be sure i'll be wearing orange and black, sitting in the rain and cheering for my team till the bitter end. i took my parents to the ucla game last season (we got demolished) and they were troopers, sitting in the exposed section of the new addition to the stadium. it was so cold and rainy but they kept cheering with me, even though the team played HORRIBLE. my dad signed up for a credit card so we could get a free blanket! this season the university of hawaii WARRIORS are coming on september 13. in recent history each team has won once. the first time was the oahu bowl (1999), the first winning season for the beavers in almost 30 years. hawaii won by 6. it was my freshman year and i sat there in my orange, next to my whole family clad in green. it was great! in 2006 the beavers took another trip to hawaii, but this time they were ready. it was an exciting game, even more so because i tailgated with high school friends and they were all rooting for the warriors.

it would have been interesting to play the warriors last year when they went undefeated and went to the sugar bowl. i am a huge fan of the warriors as long as they are not playing the beavs. this season the beavers are younger, especially on defense. hawaii lost their star QB colt brennan, foursome of awesome receivers and the coach. all i know is it will be an exciting game and lots of hawaii people will be there (i hope!). my parents are planning on going and i will definitely be there.

everytime i go back to corvallis i don't stay very long. i hope i'll get to hang out a little this season. hit a couple of the old favorite bars and eat at el sol de mexico, home of the macho burrito. or maybe the all you can eat indian buffet for $6 or suds & suds (laundromat/bar) where i went "around the world" by drinking all their beers, got a shirt and my name on a plaque. mostly i want to ride my bike around on a nice spring day, pretending i just got out of class with nothing to do but enjoy life and play a little ultimate frisbee. back when life was simpler.

#100 - random reflections

a hundred is a time for reflection. i started this baby in october, mostly cause i was bored or needed distraction. it has been a place to post pictures and videos i like, a place to share my thoughts, think out loud and just express myself. it's been about 7 months of blogging and i've been enjoying life for the most part. i posted a reflection on last year then one on 2008 and what i expected and looked forward to this year. reflections and expectations.

lately i've been very socially active through pseudo physical activity. yes, i'm talking about dodgeball. i've been playing since fall in the recess time league, 48 teams, hundreds of new friends, fun times for all. my friend and i made a goal of meeting one new person a week and with dedication to our cause have gone above and beyond! i would say i am not a really outgoing person. yes, i like to have a good time. yes, i enjoy people. but i don't just go up to random people and talk to them. in dodgeball it's pretty easy cause you've got at least a few things you could say. how was your game? what team you play on? how long you been playing? etc. an hour later you are best friends. we've been closing the bar for the past two seasons and it really is great. the same people end up at the bar late at night every week. one such friend came to me asking if i wanted to try another league. so he made this team, the mother chukars. we joined the underdog league, an 11 team new-ish league. while the level of competition is not quite the same, it is new and fun. of course we're still closing down the bar but i've met a handful of great friends through this league. it's like we've been friends forever!there really is nothing i look forward to more than dodgeball. sometimes i think this is silly and when i say it out loud it sounds silly. that's life and that's me, i'm silly. maybe it's the lack of sleep lately, or perhaps lack of good nutrition. i've been lacking motivation to even go to the gym. i used to go to the gym everyday and workout for an hour easily. now i can't even go for 45 minutes without being bored, but i can play dodgeball for 3 hours. i am really obsessed.

that's what it takes to become good. obsession and dedication. i was watching the nfl draft yesterday. to make it to the league you need to commit your life to it because it's gonna make you millions of dollars. eat right and train with the best. teams try to pick up the players they think have potential to be great players at that high level. they measure their 40 times, vertical leap, bench press and other drills. they do physical and mental exams on everyone. they watch film, interview coaches, trainers and other people in the know. they do all this but still, it's not guaranteed. the biggest example of a draft flop is probably ryan leaf (older brother of duck brady leaf) who was selected in the first round of the draft and later went on to suck. he was a great college quarterback at washington state but just didn't have what it takes to succeed at the next level. no one knows. that's why there are also those players who get selected low and become hall of famers, like tom brady who was a 6th round pick or joe montana (3rd).

#85 - jason elam

i just read that jason elam is going to play for the atlanta falcons. for those who don't know, jason elam is my favorite football player. he played for the UH then-rainbow warriors from 88-92 and helped lead them to a win over illnois in the holiday bowl. although he was "only a kicker" he was a big part of the team and put up many points. he was drafted by the denver broncos in the 3rd round of the draft, which is pretty high for a kicker. he spent 15 seasons there! i thought he was going to retire there but atlanta just signed him, he went to high school in georgia so this move is bringing him home i guess. he single handedly made me a denver broncos fan. i've been a fan since they signed the best kicker EVER. (two super bowls, three pro bowls)

although kickers usually put up a lot of points, they aren't really well known. they are relied on at the end of games to tie up or win a game at the last second with a field goal. i don't have a soft spot for kickers usually but this is one special guy.

my grandpa was in the hospital (dying pretty much) while jason was at UH. his lawyer happened to have a nephew on the football team. my grandpa was a huge rainbows fan and went to all the games, sat in the endzone seats and just loved it. so his lawyer asked him who his favorite player was. he said jason elam!! so one day, jason elam and the lawyer's nephew came into the hospital to visit him. he had this sweet, soft georgia accent and was one of the nicest people. they brought a football and hat signed by the players and was one of the grandest gestures. for a dying man to meet his favorite football player, it's a great memory. i was only 10 or so but i remember to this day the smile on his face. he did not know this fan and had no obligation whatsoever. he was a busy college student with i'm sure lots on his mind but took the time out to visit my grandpa and made his day.

so that's why jason is my favorite football player. i've followed his career with enthusiasm and although he's leaving my team, i'll still root for him. he is a great player and person.

#63 - super bowl

usually i am not too much into the super bowl. this year was no exception. it started ever since i was at a small super bowl party and my friend (host)'s parents to call and say they were getting a divorce. that ended the party pretty quickly. it's never been my thing. i would be all over it if the BRONCOS were playing but that hasn't happened in awhile. i didn't know what to expect for this 42nd super bowl. the undefeated new england patriots and the new york giants. i was at the gym working out and saw it playing on one of the tvs. it was the end of the 3rd quarter, 7-3 patriots. i was curious to see what was going on since it would be cool if the pats had a perfect season. but of course, it was not to be. i didn't know who would win until this play. by this time the pats were up 14-10 with a little over a minute left in the game. eli manning and the giants were on the move but at a 3rd and 5. one of the most incredible plays ever, from that i knew they wanted to win more. and they did.

first of all, eli isn't really a scrambler but he got out of that sure sack. then he just throws it up there and tyree goes up and grabs it, kind of sticks it to his helmet and has to fight the whole way down. he definitely has control of the ball and you can see how he struggles to keep it in his possession and off the ground. simply amazing. so that was the play of the game.

i always thought "why is eli manning so coveted?". if anyone remembers the debacle that was the 2004 nfl draft, where he was drafted first (out of ole miss) by the san diego chargers. he didn't want to go there and basically held out till the ny giants could work out a trade for phillip rivers and 3 other future picks. so of course i thought what a big-headed jock, to refuse to go to a team because they suck. but hey, that's professional sports!

#39 - sugar bowl

i am going to new orleans for new years!!! since hawaii got into the BCS sugar bowl, my parents and i are going up for the game! hawaii will be playing the georgia bulldogs at the louisiana superdome! i've never gone to new orleans or louisiana so it should be a great experience! i wonder if i can convince my parents to take me to emeril lagasse's restaurant. he used to be my favorite cook to watch on tv and his food always looks great! creole/cajun style...mmmm. yummy! of course it always has to come down to food.

i wonder what we'll be doing new years eve. somehow spending it with my parents in nawlins doesn't sound like the most exciting thing but i am sure it will be fun. i wish i could bring some friends to party with me and unfortunately my sister won't be able to make it =( so parents it is. well our current plan is to fly into memphis the 29th or so then drive down to n.o., watch the game (new years day) and then drive back to memphis, visit elvis then fly back on the 3rd i think. i'll actually have to leave hawaii early which really makes me sad...but this is a once in a lifetime chance, probably.

i love traveling to watch football games! i've gone to a bunch with oregon state as a student trainer - UW, cal, USC, insight bowl in arizona. went a bunch to see games as a fan - UW, stanford, fresno state, hawaii. even saw a UO-UW game in seattle. i haven't ever traveled to watch hawaii play though, should be awesome!! tickets are going like hotcakes. there's gonna be a whole bunch of hawaiians in louisiana - watch out! i'm so excited!

i don't know anything about georgia. well i know about georgia the state, i've been there. atlanta was pretty cool, i went for a 4-H thing and met lots of fun people. they have the world of COCA-COLA! that was awesome. but the football team i don't know anything about, i'll have to do some research. this is knowshon moreno, the SEC freshman of the year, tailback for georgia. he rushed for more than 1000 yards this season so sounds like a pretty good back. we'll see.

#38 - bowl games

congrats are in order.

i read that washington losing to hawaii this weekend was the reason that arizona state didn't make a B-S game, which in turn put them into the holiday bowl and oregon state in the *gasp* emerald bowl in san francisco. the beavers deserved the pac-10 #3 spot which was the sun bowl but since we got there last year we were bumped down and the -ucks got into the sun. imagine that, losing your last three games and being invited to the sun bowl?! although i am not pleased with that decision and it's slap in the face to my beloved beavers, it is okay. why? because the university of hawaii rainbow warriors are playing in the BCS sugar bowl in new orleans!! i am pumped up and will be watching with my family in hawaii.

warriors performing the ha'a, the hawaiian version of the maori haka chant/dance:


although the warriors had the easiest schedule in the country (119/119!) it is difficult to go undefeated in the regular season no matter who you play. UH is 12-0, WAC champions and playing in the sugar bowl. there could not be anything better! colt brennan is a superstar and loves hawaii. he loves the people and that is why he came back for his senior season. he may not have been a top pick last year but he would've gone and done well in the NFL. he has all the tools. but he stayed and lead the team to the best season EVER!



he is an outstanding quarterback and was nearly perfect against UW - 42/50 passing for 442 yards and five TDs which puts him at 38 for the season. that is playing partial games due to warriors being up by so many TDs and also being hurt for parts of the season. what a magical season for the bows. yes, i am still calling them rainbows even though officially they are the "warriors". i am in denial. there was nothing wrong with rainbows.

why change from this:

to this?:


yes maybe more masculine but lame. just like oregon state changed from cute adorable benny:

to angry rabid beaver.

#35 - football!!

first things first, congrats to my home team, the hawaii (rainbow) warriors!!! they are now 11-0, the only undefeated team in college football. they are ranked #10 and #11 depending on the poll. the only reason they aren't higher is that they play in the WAC, a non-BSC conference that is supposedly weak. the only team they played that was ranked was boise state, ranked #19, and they beat them 39-27. their quarterback, colt brennan, is a total stud. he's passed for a whole bunch of records, including all-time TD pass leader. read more on warriors. next up: university of washington. it's the last game of the season before a bowl game. if UH wins they seal up a spot in a BCS bowl! go bows!!



next up: civil war 2007 - oregon state beavers @ oregon ducks.
the home team has won every year since 1997 but that is all about to change.
location - autzen stadium, eugene:


the oregon ducks had been in the national title hunt up to the arizona game two weeks ago. what happened? their star quarterback and heisman hopeful, dennis dixon, was injured again. he had been playing with a partially torn ACL when it finally gave out.



so on to backup brady leaf (younger brother of former WSU star turned #2 draft pick (behind peyton manning)/laughing stock ryan leaf). although bl is a pretty decent quarterback he couldn't get the job done against arizona. they lost 34-24. yesterday the ducks played ucla, who has been sucking. they lost to ND for crying out loud. anyways brady leaf gets hurt in the first quarter, didn't have any offense and scored a big fat 0. now they are tied in the pac-10 with OSU. the winner of CW will be in 3rd place unless ucla beats usc (highly unlikely). so a lot is on the line.

bad news - yvenson bernard underwent minor arthroscopic surgery on his knee a week ago. our big time player who's involved in almost every offensive play may not be 100%. it was good we had a bye but we'll see how healthy he is is. we need him to really be effective but we've got two backups who can move the chains. not as well but they can. our defensive rocks. hopefully the O won't be putting them in bad situations but i'm looking for the D to have some big plays and put some points up on the board.



with sean canfield (our first string QB) out with a shoulder injury and questionable to play in CW, all eyes are on lyle moevao who isn't the best thrower but got the job done last week @WSU, 52-17. here is a clip of him against UW the week before. he totally lays out a defensive end on a reverse play! oh yeah baby that's what i'm talking bout!



CIVIL WAR 2007 - DECEMBER 1ST 1:30PM ON ESPN2!

#24 - beavers football

so we didn't beat USC. is that a surprise? not to anyone, including me. why?

• sean canfield can't scramble


• sean canfield can't throw the ball away


• yvenson bernard is hurt - he is the utility guy, running and receiving everything, he is usually involved in every play


• the o-line has some injuries


• the play calling sucks.


• the receivers are young, pretty good but young


• no sammie stroughter - out whole season with bruised kidney


• no kickoff or punt return threat

notice nothing about defense. our defense rocks. they are the only reason why the score was 24-3 and not 50-3 or worse. from the line to linebackers it is solid up and down. the corners and safeties are not too bad but make some mistakes and aren't that big/tall to challenge some receivers. but they mostly get the job done. next two weeks should be good - UW and WSU, both at the bottom of the pac-10. canfield better improve this week. then december 1...civil war baby!

usc was not all that great and definitely aren't a top of the pac-10 team. uo is playing like crazy right now, asu hung with them but clearly weren't as good. cal is decent and ucla didn't deserve to beat us. i see the ducks coming into the civil war at 10-1, and osu at 7-4. yv will be healthy by then and canfield at the top of his game. the defense will be even better and the receivers will be stepping up. the streak for home team dominance i think is at 8 years or something. this year we will rise up and break it! dixon is mobile, poised, experienced, focused and smart. canfield will be eventually but not for a season or two. in order for us to win we need to establish the run, deep threats and consistency on special teams. defense will definitely be there. UW will be good practice for defending a mobile quarterback, although locker is only a freshman he is pretty good.

GO BEAVERS!

#15 - OSU football vids

oregon state vs. #2 cal (october 13) - OSU 31-cal 28

goal line stand:

last play:

some of the most amazing football i've seen. defense rules!! i get teary just thinking of it.

speaking of kick ass oregon state football, brings back memories from last year. OSU 33-USC 31

one more...civil war 2006, OSU 30-UO 28

can't forget hawaii, OSU 35-UH 32

and of course the gutsy call at the sun bowl vs. missouri to go for 2, OSU 39-mizz 38

#11 - my osu beavers beat #2 cal bears!

it was one of the best games i've seen in awhile, when it came down to the end it was oregon state 31, cal 28. the way that it happened is sad for CAL QB, kevin riley from beaverton (that's what he gets for not going to OSU). on what should not have been their last play, with probably 12 seconds or so, he made a freshman mistake of scrambling instead of throwing away the ball, which would've given them another play or two. he played a heck of a game but that one mistake cost them.

the beavs led by 10 with about 6 minutes to go when cal put together a nice drive and scored a TD with about 2:30 left, which included a 64 yd pass to lavelle hawkins, who just really killed us. then we got the ball back after an unsuccessful onside kick. we couldn't get a first down but ran the clock down to 1:19, at which time cal proceeded to march all the way down to osu's 12. 1st and 10 with 12 seconds and he ran. but you can't beat our defense, we are too fast, strong and good. we fly around!

kevin riley

but enough about them and how they messed up, this game was about the beavers. we won it in a great fashion. we didn't lay down at halftime. it felt like 2006 vs USC all over again. coming into the game as 14 point underdogs to the #2 team in the nation you have nothing to lose. we finally put it all together. although we were getting killed by justin forsett and hawkins we never let the game get out of hand like in previous games. and of course, MY DEFENSE!!! there is just nothing as exciting as the OSU defense.

here are a few highlights:
* offense, defense and special teams all showed up to play
* the best goal line stand I've ever seen (cal was 1st and goal at the 2 and tried to get in four times. we stopped each and every attempt)
* gerard lawson who fumbled 3 times in a row against ucla redeemed himself with great positive run backs, even one that went for 39 yards
* alexis serna with a 52 yd field goal
* alexis serna punting pretty well
* OSU swarm defense baby! hard tackles, an interception and multiple sacks. these boys are good
* sean canfield for stepping it up and playing like a champion
* yvenson bernard for being the go-to guy and that flying TD
* OSU o-line for giving bernard huge holes





GO BEAVERS!!