Fortunate one...

I am fortunate to have 3M in charge of the "media" decisions of the house. [I guess the term fortunate would be relative. For example, at 10pm on Monday nights when he won't turn over the remote to watch my one guilty pleasure, the one show I long to watch...then it's more of a curse...]

...anyways, if it weren't for him - I would have settled for the Comcast package rather than taking the Verizon Fios one when we moved in [In typical fashion, it's bit of a maverick idea, in the Red Bank area, at least].

I would have missed one of the most important NFL games of the season should we have gone with Comcast. The Jets are traveling up to New England to battle it out for first place in a key AFC East match-up. It's sad so many fans will have no choice but to miss the game.

So - what the heck, NFL network? Stop being such a monopoly. No one really likes that game anyways. It takes too damn long to finish and someone always cheats. Tons of people in the dirty Jerz are upset that they will be missing out on the game. Heck, even US senators are on board with giving the fans more access to their favorite teams!

Will there be any drama tonight, I wonder? Stay tuned: sports, it's the greatest reality show on tv. [Uh, maybe tied for the greatest with the Hills.]

Boomerayy...

Ok, maybe that's not the best play on words, but I've had a tough week and don't feel like being creative much right now.

But who knew that two of my loves [football and RR] would collide! During some downtime at work on Sunday, I opened the November issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. There is a "how-to" column where a professional weighs in on their area of expertise. Who was it this month? BOOMER ESAISON on how to throw a perfect spiral! Not that I'm a huge fan of his [I don't quite 'get' him...he's a little egotistical and a little strange, like how he gushes over O.A.R..] but I was just ecstatic that two worlds played so nicely with one another!

A house divided...

We made it through a rough heartbreaking baseball season. Fast forward to football season (nine weeks in now). I've learned very quickly that Sunday mornings are to be spent relaxed and relatively quiet. Don't disrupt 3M's thought process. Don't ask too many questions about anything. Just enjoy the company because in a few hours all hell will break loose. Expletives will fly and objects may be slammed and/or thrown. I've actually suggested that 3M visit the Smash Shack to let out his frustrations...sometimes he underestimates his strength as he slams down the butter knife onto my favorite purple plate. :(

You see, 3M is an avid Bills fan. Don't ask him how or why a native New Jersey-ian developed a passion for B-Lo, but he does. I think he enjoys the drama.

Today was a crucial game. AFC east rivals, my Jets versus his Bills. It was a sloppy game with turnovers and missed field goals; however, Brett and the boys pulled out a much-needed win. I don't think I'll gloat [too much].

Labor Day weekend...(cont.)

In regards to the Labor Day post below, I found these tips on how to dress for game day on myscoop.us [or you can just click here]. I love this list. It's so amusing to me. Although I must admit I am a little less Southern belle and a little more down-n-dirty...and I know the difference between a nickel and dime formation is not five cents.

Without further delay, here are some tips to help make the average fan look truly "fan"tastic in the stands:

• Hair:
• Your hair can cause you to feel about 10 degrees hotter than you actually are.The humidity itself is enough to suffocate you during early football season not to mention the traumatic effects that it has on our hair! Often times you may ask yourself why you styled, straightened or even dried your hair.Please refrain yourself from pulling a “Brittney” and shaving your head as there are alternatives to this madness. Pony tails have come a long way and they aren’t just for keeping you cool and your hair out of your face during a workout. Most styles prove to be fairly easy to re-create without the need of a personal glam squad or even a gimmicky tool such as the “Topsy Tail” that many of us invested in during our youth. Here are a few personal favorites that should be easy to recreate:
• Side braid with pony
• Princess Laia braids
• Low sleek side bun
• Low sleek pony
• Part hair down middle and either twist or braid two strands and secure
• One last thing to be noted is to avoid using an abundance of hair products unless you want your hair to be the venus fly trap for gnats and other pesky insects that are drawn to your hair.

• Attire:
  
• One of the difficult things about the beginning of football season is dressing for the stifling heat. In the beginning it is so extremely hot that the temp is flirting with the triple digits yet all the clothing in our favorite stores are comprised of wool and other thick materials that we will later be thankful for, but not early football season. At this point in our summer wardrobe we are tired of everything that our closet has to offer so we feel that we have nothing to wear thus putting us in a fashion rut. Learn from my mistake and whatever you do refrain as long as possible from wearing your brand new wool dress unless you want to be wiping away a “sweat stash” all day!
• The best things to wear for the scorching heat and humidity are clothes that breathe such as light and airy fabrics. These will keep you much cooler and will not stick to your body as other thicker materials have a tendency to do. Jersey dresses and sun dresses are always a great choice. Opt for lighter colors if possible.
• Make-Up:
• To avoid looking like your face is sliding off go minimal on the makeup! Forgo using heavy matted powders that offer full coverage for a softer look. Your face will be perspiring and caked on powder does not fix this problem it only makes it worse as your face feels suffocated as well. A great alternative for matted powders is a tinted moisturizer. If you already have oily skin and you can’t stand the thought of going all day without powder to touch up your T-zone then switch to a lightweight translucent powder. Also, Too Faced Re-Fresh Blotting Papers from Sephora do the trick as well!
• Leave your lipstick at home. This is going to be a personal toughie for me as I do not go to the mailbox without my bright red lips. Think about it, lipstick, alcohol and scorching temps do not mix. You do not want your picture floating around the internet of you looking like the Joker with smeared lipstick all over your face! A great alternative is a soft lip gloss with a hint of color or even a tinted lip balm. Once the cool weather rolls in you can break the lipstick back out!
• Accessories:
  
• My new favorite accessory for keeping cool during football season is not an accessory to be worn better yet it is to be held. Handheld fans are making a comeback and what better timing? If you are thinking battery powered handheld fans you are thinking wrong- think Scarlett O”Hara minus the lace or Cleopatra. Handheld fans are a great and stylish way to cool off.
• As always hats are a great accessory to hide a bad hair day or hair that does not cooperate with the heat and humidity. The irony of a hat is that they are so easy yet at the same time hats give the appearance that you actually put forth some effort. Grab the big hat that you bought for the Kentucky Derby party. Yes, the one that you thought you would never be able to wear again. Guaranteed you will get more compliments while wearing the hat than not. Even if you don’t start out the day wearing your big hat or fedora take them and leave them in the car just in case you decide that you need them.
• Necklaces, bracelets, earrings- these are totally up to your discretion but do keep in mind that you mind end up with some funky tan lines especially with your necklaces.
• Shoes:
  
• Never one to pass on the opportunity to wear heels it must be noted that heels are a work out, especially when it comes to trekking all over campus tail gate hopping to meet friends. When I say work out I mean a calf burning, sweat induced work out. In order to avoid walking around barefoot like Brittney at a gas station bathroom I always throw a pair of flip flops in my purse to slip on once I decide that I can’t stand the pain any longer.
• Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate:
• No matter what you are drinking whether it be beer or your favorite game day concoction be sure to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water! Another great way to stay refreshed is to keep a bottle of Evian misting spray in your purse. These great little bottles provide a refreshing spritz of water to your face that can rejuvenate even the warmest of fans.

Ocho cinco...seriously...

Chad Johnson has taken a few preliminary steps to legally change his last name to "Ocho Cinco." This move would allow him to have "Johnson" replaced on the back of his jersey with this numerical nickname. I have to give him credit. He is the king of publicity.

Actually, pointing out a few recent events in football, it would be quite a battle for supremacy of that throne. Between the get-up antics of Sheriff Gonnagetcha (or Dolla Bill, or Dr. Don't Know) of the Washington Redskins' Clinton Portis and the sit-up king of the world Terrell Owens, this could be a fight for the ages.

Surely these acts are carefully calculated, creating quite a circus show for those in the media audience hovering around professional sport, but it then, consequently, brings up the everlasting question in my profession - is any publicity good publicity

D means drunk and disgusting

Because of the lewd behavior of unruly Jets fan at Gate D, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority publicly issued some new rules for Meadowlands football-goers. Those include parking lots only open five hours prior to kick-off, rather than seven and view-blocking banners so that the masses can't partake in the public display of exhibitionism from floors above.

What puzzles me (and no it is not the two hour reduction in pregame partying, c'mon - you're telling me people can't get loaded in five hours?!), is the fact that none of the tenants took this opportunity to condone these new rules. It would have been a great forum for them to reach out to express and emphasize the importance their fans' safety. It would have been a great publicity platform. But then again, what more publicity do you need as a sports team in the metropolitan area...

On a completely separate note, as I began to enter this post, I heard a soft knock on my door. It was my neighbor asking me to come outside. Our backyard is basically a free-for-all parking lot. Our landlord rents out the empty spaces to local workers, as parking can be scarce on the streets. Cars are parked within either three inches of one-another, making you suck in the gut and shimmy into the seat or right behind you, forcing a 17-point turn in order to exit the space without any bumps. Anyway the point of the story is my neighbor called me out to take a look at this one car, which left a small crack in each of its four windows. The crack was just enough for a curious squirrel to sneak in. Ha! Poor lil guy...

And this is what you would get by combining the Gate D antics with the lil guy in the car.

A few "housekeeping" items...

Doesn't it drive you batty when someone either puts "housekeeping items" in the subject or the body of an email? Like, c'mon. Really? Housekeeping? At work? Ok, who left the mugs seeping in the communal sink again? But no, that's not what it means...at all.

Before I start getting slack about putting a Jets shot of Chad Pennington in my header, I'm gonna lay it out there. I like him. He's a great guy...and had a rough go of it in New York, but do you know what? He made it and he did it with dignity. And, he already got scooped up by another team! So much for that noodle arm, eh? Too bad his signing comes from within the AFC East, but you know I'll be rooting for him to throw 17-for-23 for 280 yards, 3 TD and 0 INT when the Dolphins lose to the Jets 24-21 in the regular season.

How stylin' was Team USA walking into the Ceremony? An eight-piece-suit by Ralph Lauren was nothing short of impressive. The RL beret is like the ROOTS beret from 2006 (with sales, marketing, etc.). Think Kanye West had any influence in that decision for sponsorship? As we all know, Ralph Lauren was borin' before he wore 'im.