November 24

So last week the Ravens snuck into Pittsburgh and snuck out with a win.  The offense was terrible.  If it wasn't for Jacoby Jones we would have lost.  Joe flacco struggled in the face of the good Pittsburgh defensive pressure.  It was like he regressed to a few years ago where he panics in the pocket.  Now the real issue is the play calling once again.  I am sure i have commented on this before but why would we run pass plays for 8 yards on a third down and we need 10?  This is an old question that i will never understand.  If you say the receivers or tightends aren't open deeper, why wouldn't the sort route at least get to the sticks as there isn't much point in a completion 2-3 yards short.  The good news is the defense is actually improving. They're showing  quarterback pressure and the secondary made some big plays.  This weekend we have to go to San Diego and face the no quite together chargers.  I think we can win if the offense decides to play.  

This was thanksgiving week and I enjoyed celebrating with the family.  I also smoked a turkey which took longer than expected but turned out very good.  I also played paintball.  It was cold and actually there was a few flurries.  The cold didn't bother me too much and I actually wasn't too sore after running around out there.  It's probably going to be a few months before we play again but it was fun. Last weekend I put the boat away.  A Sad day of the year:


Did a ghost tour in Ellicot City after a good dinner at my sisters house (the sign is perfect for a horror movie):



Here's the thanksgiving night fire:

@ the ravens game

Finally 2012 was the year I got back to a Raven's game.  It had been about 3 years or more since I had been to a game.  Now I love the Ravens but the hassle and cost of going to a game was a problem. I enjoy the games at home but I had the itch to go every year.  I splurged by getting club level tickets.  Our company Christmas party was at M&T on the club level and at that point I decided when I go I was going club level.  It was nice.  About the game well we stopped by my cousins' tailgate and had a good time.  But now to the game.  I have to say I knew we would probably win, but I didn't expect what happened.  See the picture below where I tried to take a picture of the final score.  For the ravens to score 55 points in one game was a record and not something I had ever thought possible.  The struggles of the offense this year were well noted but the orgasm of scoring that occurred Sunday was ridiculous.  I enjoyed every minute of it in fact we scored so much it got tiring having to get up and cheer so often.  I remember the highlight of the ravens game was the defense would make a big 3rd down stop and that's what you got to cheer for, not Sunday.  No Sunday I felt like I was watching the Rams back during the greatest show on turf days.  Now I will say the defense gave up twenty, but I think they played well and going forward Suggs is getting back up to speed and the other linebackers and the secondary are stepping up.  On another note I took the boat boat out for the last fishing trip of the year as I had already pretty much winterized it the weekend before. It's time to put it up but it's sad as another season gone too quickly.  

Last SOBO game of the season

So the last game was yesterday.  We had an OK season for never playing together before.  As long as it was fun which all but one game was ( we lost that one 64-0).  Anyway I had fun, great exercise and I actually contributed.  The last game I had an interception and 2 touchdowns and better than that I felt great throughout the entire game.  Now I have to figure out what motivation and I going to have for training in the winter (basketball or lifting).  The team was talking about the spring season which I am leaning toward playing.

Movie coming out

RZA has written and directed a movie (martial arts of course) and improbably Russel Crowe is in it.

The Man with Iron Fists



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1258972/

Hurricane and halloween

So fall brings another hurricane. Should I pull the boat or keep it in? That's always the question.  These storms are bitter sweet in my mind in that I got my current boat in 2003 right before Isabella which was supposedly a 100 year storm.  The boat survived that, so everything since has been shrugged off.  It's still a concern but we'll see.  Here's what I did, just doubled up the bow and stern lines, added 2 more spring lines one additional to keep it off the pier and one to keep it from pushing out into the creek.  The picture below is the second thing I did which was adding chafe protection (split vinyl tubing zipped tied in place). Last picture is the pumpkin I carved.  I hadn't done it since I was a kid but it was fun and came out much better than I thought it would.  

October snake (I thought it was too cold?)

There was a nice size snake next to the pond behind my house.  You can't tell in this picture but this guy was 2" in diameter (I didn't get too close).  

Mid October thoughts

Bad news for the Ravens after their win against Dallas. Ray Lewis tears his tricep.  I saw a play where he was out there but didnt use his one arm = bad sign.  His injury last season or the season before that was similar. Then Ladarius Webb tears his acl.  That will have a impact.  Webb held together the defense from last year and was doing ok this season.  His absence in the secondary is going to hurt.  Now the ravens built a nice 5 and 1 record so they may limp into the playoffs once again but it's going to go to the last week of the season.  Just heard this might mean Suggs might be coming back way too soon. 

Staycation ended up not doing much, but I did get my cars annual service done and I am having a electrician come out and replace a wire that has damaged insulation.  Both of these things would have been difficult to get done if I had worked this week.  I did go fishing and had lots of action for about 2 hours then it went dead.  Oh well it was better than being at work.




Some fog hugging the eastern shore