weight loss, baseball and football

The weigh-in for the "biggest loser" at work was last Tuesday, August 7.  I lost a total of 28 pounds.  My goal was 27 or 10% and I was able to meet that.  Despite the big loss, I did not win the contest.  A co-worker of mine lost 27 pounds but started at 181.  He lost 15% in about 9 weeks!! That is a crazy amount.  I told him he looked sick and to use the winnings to buy a lot of food.  I took that week off from my strict diet and working out to rest.  I started back this week doing Crossfit.  I do really like the workouts but I don't think I can afford the $150/month fee.  I have payed for this month so I'm going to finish it out, but not sure yet for the following months. 

Football is just around the corner.  Fall practice has started and it is only about 2 weeks til kickoff.  Already the media is going crazy printing stories that are half true and full of misquotes and falsities.  It amazes me that "journalists" can write this stuff just to make headlines and get hits on their blogs.  It is sickening and has the potential to ruin lives and careers.  It really puts a damper on the season and college football in general. 

In baseball, the Braves are currently 4.5 games back in the East and are 3 games up in the wild card.  They have the 2nd best record in the NL since the All-Star break and have the best ERA.  They are playing their best ball right now and hopefully can keep it up through the rest of the season.

I have a 5k fun run coming up on August 25 at Veteran's Park supporting Kenya relief.  It is a great charity to support and you can learn more and donate at www.kenyarelief.org.  Please come out and join me and Erika in raising money for this village.  Also, you can make fun of me and how slow I can jog/walk a 5k. 

The Biggest Loser

I believe it was in an earlier post that I had mentioned I was about to partake in my own version of The Biggest Loser at work.  It has been six weeks and I have lost around 18-20 pounds (depending on when I weigh).  I have been exercising about 5-6 times a week including running and lifting and have been trying to eat a really good high protein, low carb diet.  I have started to see results already and it gives me additional motivation moving forward.  We have about 3 weeks left until the final weigh-in and even if I don't win, I really like the way I look and feel.  I'm going to continue to do this after the contest and train to run a triathlon sprint ( a mini-triathlon) for next summer.  Yes, it will take me that long to train, what, with 3 kids and a full-time job.  They are opening a CrossFit in Gardendale in August and I would really like to join.  I like the way the workouts are formatted in a circuit-type regimen and I feel it will best suit meeting my goals.

The Braves are continuing on their quest of making the playoffs and are chasing the Nationals, of all teams, in the NL East.  They play 4 games against them this weekend and played a heck of a game last night.  Down 9-0, the Braves scored 4 in the 6th, 4 in the 8th and 2 in the ninth to take a 10-9 lead.  Kimbrell came on to pitch the bot of the 9th and gave up a homerun that tied the game.  It was only his 2nd blown save all year and first time he's given up a run in a long time.  The Braves then scored on a bloop single in the top of the 11th and won.  It was a great season changer and momentum builder.  They are only 2.5 games out of first and if they can sweep, the Braves will be in first.  It's a tall order because the Nats are good, but it can be done.

Auburn starts fall practice August 1 and the first game is Sept 1.  A couple of recruiting notes:  big time LB recruit Reuben Foster switched his verbal from bama to AU last week.  This could be a huge get for auburn if Fosters ends up signing in Feb.  On some sites, he is the #1 LB recruit in the nation and #2 overall.  A big-time RB from Memphis also verbally committed this past week.  He is a tall back and can catch really well out of the backfield.  Auburn is hosting a number of big recruits this weekend and hopefully can grab some more commitments.  I believe the numbers say AU can sign 21 this year and they have 17 so if all commits sign, AU needs 4 more.  It is really shaping up to be a great class.

After the weigh-in I will post and tell you who won and what percentage he/she lost.  Hopefully, it will be me :)

Update

Been a while since I last posted and alot has gone on:

Addi has been competing in pageants and having a great time along with doing rather well.  She has done one dance recital and is going to do another one next Saturday.  She also just finished up her first year of softball.  I don't think that I will have to worry about her wanting to that again.  We are now going to probably concentrate on dance and might try another sport if she wants. 

Colt is going to take swimming lessons in a couple weeks and is already doing well without them.  This will help out tremendously in trying to keep an eye on Weston at the pool and beach.  He is completely potty-trained and is doing really well with that - even at night!

Weston is as rowdy as ever and so much fun!  He loves to play and fight and wrestle and hit and bite and kick.  He plays really well with his older siblings and wants to be a part of everything they are doing.

Erika's store is doing really well.  The summer months are typically the slowest and are a source of anxiety.  Just the unknown of how much dance wear people are going to need is stressful.  Many dance studios now offer summer classes so hopefully this will keep the customers coming. 

At work, a group of us are doing a version of the "Biggest Loser" where, over two months, we try and lose as much weight as possible and measure % body weight lost.  We are putting in a few dollars to make it a little more motivating.  It starts June 5 and goes to around August 7.  Dieting stinks, but doing it for a possible cash prize will make it worth it.

The Braves have had an up and down season so far.  They started off losing 4 in a row and then winning most of their games over the next month.  Here lately they have been terrible in all aspects, but especially pitching.  Before last night, they had lost 8 in a row and had gone from being 2 up in the division to being 4 down.  A bunch of the young pitchers have really struggled and Chipper, McCann and Freeman being hurt does not help at all.  Hopefully they can right the ship and not miss out on the postseason again.

We are going to the beach as a family at the end of June and it can't get here fast enough.  I'm trying to talk Erika into getting a lake place but she is balking at the idea.  I mean, other than not being able to afford it and me having to keep up the place, what's the problem?  Anyway, til next time

Finally, a post

I finally have a minute to sit and type out a post.  It seems to have been forever since I last posted and since Erika uses the computer for her business, I don't ever have time to post. 

First thing, Addi was in a pageant a few weeks ago.  This pageant was actually four in one (which means anyone has the chance to win 4 different crowns) and was held in Cullman.  Addi won supreme in two of them (which means she was the overall winner of multiple age groups) and won princess in the other two (which means she won just her age group).  She had a great time and came home with alot of prizes and some money too!  As long as she has fun doing it, we will continue to let her, but as soon as she doesn't want to, we will stop.  I desperately don't want this to become an episode on Toddlers and Tiaras.

Erika's business is really taking off.  She has gotten into renting and selling pageant dresses and little did I know, but it is very popular!  The dance-wear is doing really well, too, and I think the more the word gets out about her store, the more business she will do. 

College football season has officially ended with signing day this past Wednesday.  Auburn had a really good class this year, although not as good as the last two.  Auburn fans have been spoiled the last two years with top 5 recruiting classes so the thinking is that it would continue.  It really is amazing the ability bama has at getting a top 1-3 class year in and year out, especially with Saban's reputation for greyshirting players.  Even though a highly ranked class does not necessarily translate to a championship team, it does not hurt.  Bama has kindof bucked that trend winning two of the last three MNC's.  Auburn filled their needs with another great class of OL's and big additions at WR and defense.  Auburn is slowly filling their numbers and I believe will be competitive sooner rather than later. 

One note on greyshirting:  Saban is a master at manipulating the recruiting numbers to make sure he gets the best players on scholarship.  Take the sad stories of Justin Taylor and Darius Philon.  Both had been bama commits early in the process and then, with about two weeks to go until signing day, were told that they were going to have to walk on to the team, pay their way the first year and then they could sign/get a scholarship the next year (greyshirting).  First off, that sucks.  You promised him a spot and wanted him but then a better player comes along so you have to find room so you drop the other player.  Secondly, you expect players to remain committed to you (yet you continue to recruit players that have verbally committed elsewhere), but if you decide to "greyshirt" a player, that's ok.  Sorry bud, no it's not.  It's hypocritical and scummy.  But, I guess if college football is a business, then that's what you have to do.  If you are more concerned with winning football games and making your team the best no matter who you run over in the process, then congratulations sir, you have done a great job.  Yes, you are the best coach in America, but it's hard for me to respect you when you do kids that way.  Don't blame it on the 25 restriction because everyone has to follow this rule.  I know every team probably does this in some form, but bama is the one I see and read about the most because I live in Birmingham. 

Anyway, off my soapbox.  Baseball is starting soon and the Braves will have a new look and as soon as I get an idea about how the team is shaping up, I'll post a baseball preview. 

Hope y'all have a great weekend.

Catching up

It is my first post in over a month and much has happened. To start with the oldest, bama and lsu were selected to play in the national champ game. If you want to see my view of this click here: http://drivelforyou.blogspot.com/2011/11/bama-review-and-playoff-plea.html. 

Mike Dyer has been dismissed from the team for unspecified reasons.  Most people seem to think it was due to smoking pot, but I have heard grumblings all year about his attitude.  It was also said that Dyer was with the infamous 4 that got arrested before the season started earlier in the night.  He was, I heard, trying to talk them out of it, but that shows you the type of company he keeps.  Thugs come to mind.  He got mad at the way Chizik handled the situation (aka suspending the players); he thought they players didn't get a chance to tell their side of the story.  Um... maybe it's just me, but if you hold up someone at gunpoint, you have no side.  Anyway, he has a list of things he has to accomplish before he can be let back on the team and one of them (again, something I heard), was to complete 12 hours of credit this summer.  That is not impossible to do, but for a football player that is not known to be a great student it can be really tough.  Some seem to think Dyer will not be back next year, possibly transferring to a lower tier school.  That would be a really big shame, but no one player is bigger than the team so if he can't or won't do it, see ya!  Auburn has two 5-star running backs eligible next year and a four-star coming along with Tre Mason and possibly O Mac so that is one position where AU is ok.  I really do hope Dyer is back, but won't cry if he's not. 

Speaking of RB's coming in next year, a 5-star recruit TJ Yeldon from Daphne (a known bama stronghold) that has been committed to AU for 6 months, all of a sudden decommitted and committed to bama on the night before the dead period began.  It seems really really fishy and with all the crap that went on last year with Calloway and Cyrus K. it's hard not to think something is up.  I won't really comment on it, but I think that they way it went down was really shady. 

In the midst of all this, AU lost both coordinators.  Ted Roof "left" and took a DC job with O'Leary (his mentor) at UCF.  Malzahn decided that he probably should have taken a job last year when he was extremely popular and took the head coaching job at Arkansas St.  He is from Arkansas and going home was too much of a pull.  Alot of chatter about a sinking ship and such about AU, but that is not the case.  AU has incredible talent coming back next year and will have a great recruiting class as well.  Whoever inherits the coordinating jobs will get a wealth of talent and a year experience.  AU only loses 15 seniors and only 7 of those are scholarship.  7 scholarship players!  What a change from last year when AU lost 36 players plus 4 more after the arrests.  Chizik will be coaching the defense for the bowl game, and hopefully in the next few days, AU will hire some good coaches to fill the slots and finish the recruiting period really strong. 

Enough of football.  Today, my two boys had surgery.  Colt had his tonsils and adenoids removed and West had his tonsils and adenoids removed along with ear tubes placed.  They both did really well.  Colt and I are at home and he has already eaten really well and wanted to go play.  West had to spend the night, and on last check, he had eaten all his food and was working on a parfait and laughing like crazy.  So very thankful they are doing so well and hopefully will continue to do so.

Hopefully, I will have a Chick-fil-a/Virginia preview (dont hold your breath) and an update about the boys soon.  I am off work until next tuesday so I am going to enjoy the time off. 

Bama review and a playoff plea

The game was never in doubt; not even before kickoff did I think that AU could ultimately win the game. I knew that it could happen, I mean, AU would have to play a complete game and bama would have to play really poorly, but I knew that the better team would probably win. Having said that, it still doesn't lessen the feeling that losing causes.

Auburn had their chances to draw close even in the third quarter. Auburn took the opening kick in the 2nd half to the house to make it a 10 point game and then had the ball at midfield looking to make it a one score game. That is when the wheels fell off and has as a rule for all the losses this year. Auburn was facing a 4th and short and went for it and ran Dyer-cat. I don't know what Malzahn sees in that play, but it never and I mean never works. So, obviously, AU didn't get it and bama goes down and promptly scores essentially putting the game out of reach.

I sincerely hope that AU uses the bowl practices to groom Frazier to play next year. If Trotter or Moseley starts next year, I might have to boycott the football team. Trotter cannot throw and has no confidence and Moseley is the biggest baby I have ever seen. If there is any pressure at all he either folds like a deck of cards or throws an off balance throw that is no where near an AU receiver. He did that on the pick six yesterday. He was feeling a little pressure to his left, but the guard came over and rode him out of the play, but instead of stepping up in the pocket and making a throw, Moseley winced and threw an off-balance throw that sailed over Blake's head.

AU has been absolutely pathetic at QB this year and I'm hoping that either Frazier or Pike can come in and play much better. It really can't get much worse. I thought AU played well, but gave bama way too much, especially Richardson. He had a good game, but so has every other running back against AU. I mean, a freshman RB from Samford had over 100 yards. AU played weak on the ends and at corner and never challenged anyone. Au played scared and it showed up ugly in the 4th quarter.

Now, about bama. They may be one of the best two teams in the nation, but I firmly believe that if you cannot win your own division much less your conference, you should not play for the national title. The BCS is way too flawed and I really hope that a playoff will be looked at more seriously because of this. bama had their chance and lost. At home. So, they basically get rewarded for losing to LSU. They get to sit at home while LSU plays an extra game against a very improved and motivated UGA team. Doesn't seem right does it? People will say that a playoff will ruin the regular season making the games less meaningful. That is absolute crap. Don't tell me that there will less intensity when AU plays LSU or UGA or bama or when bama plays UT or LSU or AU. Also, you are playing for a chance at home field and everyone knows that home field in college football is huge. You lose, you may still make the playoff, but you will have to travel the first round. Also, there is no guarantee that you make the playoff if you lose even just one game. Look at Stanford. They were 4th and got beat and dropped to 9th. If that was the last game of the year, they would miss the playoffs after being in a position to host their first round game just the previous week. Also, every other division/sports use a playoff. Settle it on the field, not with some pencil-necked sports writer with an agenda and a vote. If you aren't a media darling like bama or Oklahoma or OSU then you have not shot unless you go undefeated. So far, only LSU has been able to do that this year.

Why is it fair or right to say bama is the best if they beat LSU in the natty after LSU already beat them on bama's home field earlier? Shouldn't they have a rubber match? So LSU has to beat bama twice to be champs, but bama only has to win once after they already lost to them? Just plain dumb. Please, please get a playoff. That is the only way we will know who deserves to be the champs. I know, just because you win one game doesn't mean you are the overall best, because anyone can win on any given day. But leaving it up to voters who are as biased and uninformed as me and you just can't be the best way.

Samford Preview

Auburn's Homecoming game today is Samford University out of Birmingham, AL. It also marks a homecoming for the current Samford head coach and former Auburn player and Heisman winner Pat Sullivan. Sullivan played for the Tigers from 68-71 and won the Heisman Trophy his senior year. He will be honored during the game today along with many of his teammates from the '71 team.

AU comes limping into this game after a shellacking at the hands of the Bulldogs. Auburn is looking for answers from both sides of the ball especially offensively. Defensively, everyone knew that AU would struggle this year, but offensively AU shouldn't be having this many problems. The line isn't blocking, the QB isn't looking to any other receivers besides Lutz and Blake and I believe Malazahn is being hamstrung. You say he isn't? Compare this year to '09 when the QB's were similar and the players were similar and AU put up big numbers and Chris "I can't run a lick" Todd broke records. I think Chizik is making Malzahn slow down the offense to help the defense. Add that to the fact that AU doesn't have a QB worth a poop right now and that equals a pretty pathetic offense.

On another note, rumors are swirling again that Malzahn is on top of the list for the head coaching job at UNC. Chizik says he hasn't been contacted but I think it's just a matter of time. Malzahn will be looking to leave for a good head coaching gig and to run his offense freely. UNC's AD was at Tulsa when Malzahn was there so I think it's probably a done deal. Chizik says he has a plan for when Malzahn does leave and I have no doubt he will hire someone that will do a great job. I think we will probably get a preview of our new Off Coord. today. His name is Rhett Lashlee and he is O coord at Samford. He was a GA under Malzahn last year and runs an offense very similar to Malzahn's. Of course Chris Morris from Clemson would be a great addition if he wanted to leave. Whatever happens, the new O coord will be loaded with talent and should do really well.

On to the game today: AU will roll but it may be closer than you think. I'm just not convinced this AU team can put anyone away early, even the FCS Samford team. Samford is very similar to AU in that they are very young and have played that way. AU will win and hopefully give some guys some rest to get ready for bama.