End of February post

Not too much going on in the last few weeks.  I've been sticking to my workout and diet plan pretty well.  I am hovering around 213 pounds. So with this means lots of gym time and of course you notice things at the gym.  Ok I've gone to the Towson location a bunch and there are a lot more older people at that location than Canton. My question is why do older men like to hang out naked in the locker room?  On more than one occasion I have observed dudes carry on long conversations and just taking their time getting changed stark naked. This seems to be part of their routine.  I chalked it up to an older man thing, innocent until one day this old man was talking to a little boy who was with his dad.  The dad was changing and this naked man was talking to the boy about his belly button.  I just left not leave the boy in danger, his dad was there, but I don't think I would be real comfortable with a naked man talking to my son about his body parts. I'm sorry but it ain't right. Next issue is a bit less inappropriate, but inappropriate none the less.  So I head into the gym around 6:30 (Fort Avenue), there is the older man reading the newspaper up by the desk.  Ok no big deal its not normal for people to hang out much at all, most people in and out.  I get changed and do my hour routine. I come back into the locker room and who waltzes in? Yep, newspaper guy.  So I start getting changed, this guy finds an outlet and starts to shave his beard.  not at a sink, but like 5 feet from me at some lockers. He doesn't just shave but then proceeds to groom himself like picking nose hairs and the like. Im thinking how is he going to get the hair up off the bench? I mean the next people to change there are going to have old white stubble all over their clothes.  Then I was thinking is this guy well? Think about it he read the paper for an hour or so then decides to shave, I don't think he was even thinking about working out.  This isn't a rental living area it is a gym primarily for working out.  This was weird, the next weirdest thing I had seen at that gym was the guy who would ask if you were done with a piece of equipment then try and strike up a conversation.  Most people either wait patiently or find some other thing to do.  if they do ask its like you almost done yes/no ok I'll wait. No this guy is like: you done no oh well I need to use it, you know its real busy in here, I like to do that exercise, etc. He got me once and I figured it was a one-time thing. I was wrong, every time I see him he's do it. Guess what he's an older gentleman. I would think that these guys would take clue from the majority of the clientele, come in, work out, go home. That makes it easier on everybody.

The Baltimore Allstars showed up again and Ski trip '13

It all came together one more time and this one was for Ray. This picture says it all:

Closing thoughts on the season:

Flacco's going to get his money, just don't break the team, because without talent in the other 10 on the field, specifically the O-line most importantly, Joe wont be successful.

Lastly, thanks Ray, the Ravens will not be the same without you.

The weekend following the Baltimore All-star's victory was the 3rd annual Ski trip.  For the second season we went to West Virginia's Canaan Valley, although only 2 couples participated. Getting there in the winter is interesting, we were ok but our guests came later and ran into some weather. Last year the same thing happened to some folks.  I think in the future daytime arrival is critical.  Weather from there on was beautiful and made hitting the slopes a pleasure.  We snowboared at Timberline Saturday (where we stayed) and then the Canaan Valley ski area on Sunday.  I had a new used board to get used to.  It did it's job after a few incidents, but all in all it was an upgrade from the tired ex-rental board I had been riding.  My brother in-law likes to push the limits so the first day it we did a double black diamond (see picture below).  That went ok for me meaning I got down on the board not my face. As the afternoon crowds hit lift lines became nuts.  The second day, I followed him off a trail into a few feet of powder on the steepest slope I had been on.  Let's just say I'm glad powder is soft.  We ran all the trails that place had (with no lift lines) and had another great day on the slopes with no permanent injuries.

Timberline morning

 Me

Experts Only (but nobody asked for my card)

 Canaan Valley Ski Area 

wife and the dogs

The Baltimore All-Stars in the Super Bowl

So about the Giant's game I asked who was I watching on the screen.  My sister replied it wasnt the Ravens but the Baltimore All-stars.  I think she was right.  This is a diferent team. After their performance in the playoffs I am convinced the team has changed.  The inconsistent play is gone and it was replaced with well All-Star play. As I said after they beat Denver who had a dynamic offense and a top 3 defense we could beat anyone. The bowl will be a game, but I have to go with the BAS.  I see it as hinging on Kaepernick. Lets face it he is a threat, but I feel he is a rookie not even a full season under his belt. I see the Raven's oh disculpa me the BAS will rattle him and cause him to make mistakes. On that happens and the BAS take advantage of those mistakes we will roll. The only thing we need is a stout defense and the errors will come. Now before I even say it Joe and the O must be effective. Im not expecting 35 points but controlling the clock and moving it for some long drives. If the put up 27 we should be good. 2 superbowls in 12 years it seems like a long time ago, but lots of other teams don't have the success of the BAS. I will take it. Ok I booked our winter getaway. Its looking like it wont be as well attended this year due to a baby and relationship issues, but I'm going and going to have fun. The good news is it's at the same place, but not on the impossible ice mountain of last year. The only way I would have done that again is in a rented tracked artic crawler. Shit was steep. Here's the spot:

Snowboarding and Ravens going to the Dance

Im not ready to believe the so aptly named Baltimore All-Stars won Sunday.  I'm going to wait a full week before I talk about the superbowl bound Baltimore All-Stars.  

Went snowboarding last Thursday 1/17 For the first time this season.  It was mud sliding and not too many people there.  It was pretty fun, like having the whole place rented out.  Yeah  only 30-40% of the trails were open.  I will bring the part shared owned contour HD camera and put up some video next time out.  

Ravens going to the AFC Championship and Guns

Wow the Ravens made to the AFC championship again.  Well Tom will be there waiting for them.  Please don't beat yourselves this year.  I have to say the game last week was epic.  I don't really know what to say about how the offense and defense stepped up. Once we got the ball at the end of regulation I don't know why but I knew we would win.   everything went right.  Will I say Joe is amazing? No, but he has a hell of a arm and has been good if not great the last two games.  if we could beat Denver, who i would say was the best team in football, why not win it all? I don't know how I will feel Sunday but all I remember is how I felt last year after the kick missed.  It hurt a lot.

On a more serious note. NY just passed a ban on assault weapons and made large clips illegal.  I was surprised this wasn't just the Brady AW ban redone but actually went a bit further.  This is the knee jerk reaction that I think isn't really going to prevent anything from happening.  it is a feel good move that sates the public outcry for something to be done about the massacres.  Unless the US pulls an Australia type ban on private weapons these gestures aren't going to help.  The fact is the US isn't going to go that far and in fact these state by state bans don't go far enough to be effective.  You think Texas is going to have a state law restricting firearms?  Not a chance.  The federal bans didn't curb violence. Brady didn't work.  By the way who shot Brady?  Oh it was a mentally ill person who I believe is still committed.  Unless you ban private firearms ownership the people committing these crimes have to be stopped before they find a tool to carry out their plans.  This goes back to my previous post regarding mental health facilities and changing the way the violently mentally ill are allowed to live free. Again I hope this isn't due to the cost. I think it is easier to say ban guns versus the uncomfortable difficult problem of protecting society from and treating properly those who are a threat to the public. Most would say lock them up in jail as many are today, but are you going to lock up a young man who comes from a family of means? No because his parents would never let them go to jail. Adam Lanza's mother didn't work so she could home school him due to his difficulties. Do you think she would have let him be put away in jail if say he made threats of violence and committed a minor crime? No she would have the best lawyers money could buy fight to keep him free. What if there was a place where he could be treated safely that wasn't jail? That brings up images of a sunny bright hospital with smiling patients in robes doing art therapy. Thats probably nothing like the truth of what a sanitarium would look like, so maybe that isn't a reasonable outcome either. All I know is these killers had access to weapons and were in a mental state to use them on innocents and no law passed or even being purposed addresses either side of that situation.

Random notes

The Ravens beat the Colts.  It looked like they knew what they were doing. Can they keep it up next week versus Peyton?  I don't think so unless they can ride the emotional wave of Ray Lewis.

The National Title game is tonight the Crimson Tide versus the Fighting Irish.  I hope it's a good game. The SEC hasn't looked great in the other bowl games this year, so an Alabama win isnt a guarantee, but I like the Tide by 10.  Bring on the college football playoffs.

I made more whole wheat chocolate chip cookies because I didn't get enough at Christmas.  Oh by the way I was 35# off my highest weight we'll see how that goes.  On the same note I haven't been at the gym at the same rate as 2012 due to sickness at first; now working too hard and the fact that the gyms are packed. I'm going to stop slacking this week.

First week of the new year

and I found myself back at work, sick but back at work.  I spent it working on the same project i did in 2011 and in a cold hangar in Delaware. This got me sicker. This project will never die.  Anyway the Ravens find themselves back in the playoffs facing the Colts.  I think they will win.  Ray Lewis announced his retirement but he will play this game probably be his last in Baltimore.  I didn't realize he played at Memorial Stadium and probably saw him back then.  He was the best linebacker, but simply it was time.  On another Raven someone asked will Joe Flacco be a Raven next year.  I have never heard someone (media) question whether he would be back.  I assumed it was a forgone conclusion.  we will see and good luck this week to them.