Monthly Archives: December 2010

Fantasy vs. Nightmare

Posted in Miscellaneous by

I am fiercely competitive. I was always this way but never realized how bad it was until I started dating CJ. He likes to do all kinds of sports/activities and he introduced me to them as well.  Many of our dates were spent playing volleyball, frisbee, darts, mini golf, video games, racquetball, and tennis. Turns out, I don’t like to lose. And wouldn’t you know it, CJ always won. I’m not exaggerating either. He ALWAYS won! He would even play me left-handed sometimes and still win!

This did not go over well. We finally agreed to stop keeping score because it was causing too much strife.

I figured, ok, he’s superior with the physical stuff but surely I could beat him when it comes to intellect (just call me Vizzini). Ah, no. Turns out he’s better at that too (or at least equal). Inconceivable! He won many, but not all, of our trivia games or other such mental jousts. Dammit!

At least I can say I’m the one with the looks. Oh wait, he went to modeling school. Dammit!

Ok, well, um, I’m younger. Ha, there, I win!

See, what I mean? Competitive. This, among other reasons, is why I am the real life equivalent to Monica from “Friends” (the part of this episode where Monica and Mike are playing table tennis is pretty true to life with how I am).

Anywho, it’s no secret that I enjoy watching and following the NFL. I’m a big Steelers fan and enjoy Sunday football days and Monday football nights. This year I decided to participate in a Fantasy Football league. I had done one a few years ago and did poorly because I was relatively new to the whole thing and didn’t know the players. Now I do. And I am doing awesome! My fantasy team has been in first place pretty much the entire time! (neener-neener-neener!)

Until this week.

Unfortunately, I made the mistake of benching Adrian Peterson. I know, I know. Why bench the #1 fantasy draft pick? Well, hHe’s been doing poorly the last couple weeks and he didn’t practice all week due to an injury. Figured IF he played it would be limited so I benched him. And wouldn’t you know it, he played and played awesome. Like, really awesome. 

Inconceivable!

I actually had nightmares over this. Literally. I tossed and turned all night dreaming of how I lost the FFL because of that one mistake. And then the world ended.

Ok, not really but that’s how much this bothered me! I shouldn’t have doubted my number 1 guy! And now I’ve fallen to (gasp!) second place.

I sure hope Isabella doesn’t get my competitive streak, or at least not as much of it. Sometimes it’s beneficial because it pushes me to try harder and play better. But more often than not, it gets me in trouble or at least very frustrated. I really have to work on it.

Now, who wants to race me up and down the halls of The Mall? I bet I would totally win! Ready, set, go!

TTM has a new look!

Posted in Blog Stuff by

Team Trader Mom got a make-over! Did ya notice? If you didn’t then it’s either:

  1. your first visit to this blog or,
  2. you’re a man and have no observational skills or,
  3. you’re color blind and design-challenged or,
  4. you just don’t care.

Regardless, I really like the new look. It’s more “me”. The other look was a little too frilly, swirly, girly and “touchy-feely” for my taste. I’m not a girly girl. Don’t get me wrong, I like pretty things, just not TOO pretty if you know what I mean. There are no doilies or pink or flowery stuff in my house. In fact, only this year did I buy my first pink item of clothing. I also have never cried at a movie, book, TV show or commercial. In fact, my mom calls me “hard-hearted Hannah from the south of Savannah”. 

Anyway, the new look is colorful but in a more modern way and it’s more streamlined and clean. AND, the font is Arial, instead of that ghastly Times New Roman. I H.A.T.E. any type of serif font. Don’t even get me started…

Hope you like the new look! 🙂

I have a fan!

Posted in Blog Stuff by

I actually have someone who wants to be a regular follower of the blog (and no it’s not someone in my family)! So, to accommodate, I added a feature that allows people to subscribeand get updates in their email inbox whenever a new post is made.

We’re heading in to the big leagues people!

Annexed: Ho-hum, Holly and Hotties

Posted in Annexed by

Today’s episode is the token sad one. With the holiday season in full swing, I was reminded just how empty it is here at The Mall. Go to any other mall around town and you’ll walk in to a place that looked like Santa and his reindeer threw up all over it. There is stuff hanging from the ceilings, decor lining the walkways and most likely a section cordoned off for The Big Guy himself.

Not here. There is nothing. Not a wreath or string of lights or anything. I guess I shouldn’t expect that there would be. In fact I’m not even sure the management company of this mall does anything at all! But walking in on Monday to find nothing changed – and the dark, drab  hallways still dark and drab – was actually kind of sad.

I took a walk on Tuesday. Needed to get out of my chair and move around a bit so I figured, hey, why not mall walk! Usually my British friend goes with me but she was at the other office. So it was just me. Thought about talking to myself as I walked – I would have fit right in!  It was so quiet that I could hear every distinct tip tap of my heels on the floor and then hear the echo of each one.

Here’s a couple of shots of the long empty hallways. Notice there is absolutely no activity.

Lower level

 

Upper level

I, however, decorated my cube. Someone’s gotta bring some holiday spirit to this place!! Some of the little holly bits fell off while I was putting it up and the Brit used those to decorate her cube.

Garland running along the top of my cube

 Vs.

Holiday holly on the Brit's cube

Other tidbits:

As I was walking in to work this morning, I saw a guy putting money into one of the dusty candy machines here. I thought, “No, he’s not…is he?” Sure enough, he took the handful of old stale stuff that came out and popped it all in his mouth. GAK! I think I threw up in my mouth a little when I saw it. He was a security guard so I wondered if perhaps it was some kind of training regimen he was putting himself through (like in the military when they purposely gas the soldiers so that they know what it feels like). Regardless, it was nasty.

The Brit, Bob, and I had lunch today at John’s. It’s becoming a Friday tradition. I had spanakopita and fries. John’s fries are awesome! Anyway, we talked about all kinds of things and had a rather lovely time. The conversation ranged from 80’s music videos to age differences in our relationships to gross bathrooms to the military to splitting pants. I believe the word “poo house” was used at one point. We laughed a lot and it was great.

Special guest this week: the Air Force! At today’s lunch, there was a table of Air Force personnel sitting next to us. Offut Air Force Base is not too far from here and I guess they wanted to see what all the fuss over John’s was about. It was one woman and 4 men. And let me tell you, all the guys were hot and the chick looked like Julia Stiles. Not bad to look at over the lunch hour! Hey – I may be married but I’m not dead! 😉

Until next week, consider yourself ANNEXED!

‘Tis the season

Posted in Holidays and Seasons by

I heard 2 stories today (thanks Rhonda!) that were good reminders as to what this season, and what every season, should be about. Christmas is not about all the gifts or cookies or lights or movies. It’s about helping each other and demonstrating love, in whatever way we can.

Here are the 2 stories:

“I just got this message from my friend who is a receptionist at Westroads Hyundai and this just happened as she sat there and watched. A lady in the waiting room was talking to the Service Rep about her car needing brakes badly and said it would have to wait because she was broke. Another gentleman overheard the conversation and pulled the Service Rep aside. He told him to put the brakes on and put it on his bill and to not tell her who paid for it. He said tell her God was looking out for her. True story…just happened.”

And the second one:

“My friend is in Italy and had her purse stolen on Tuesday. So she’s at the Consulate getting a new passport and she’s 1 euro short of the cost and doesn’t know what to do, after standing in line etc. The lady behind her gives her the money.  My friend says give me your address so I can pay you back and she said nah just pay it forward!”

Amen to that and here’s to paying it forward!