Let the Playoffs Begin!

For those of you who don’t know, I love football. I love watching it. I love playing it. I’ve recently come to love managing a fake team as an excuse to watch even more football. And yes, I am one of those delusional Redskins fans who believe every year they will go all the way. I can’t help it. It’s in my blood. I grew up cheering for the burgundy and gold all my life. I grieved for Sean Taylor like he was my own. To this day I favor his jersey above all. He was a beast. So, when my friend Pera approached me about entering a Fantasy Football league back in August – I couldn’t resist. Heaven knows I tried because fifty bucks is a lot of money for a hoarder like me, but in the end football won. From that moment on I was hooked. The thrill of the draft. The glory of the winner’s circle. The opportunity to talk some smack and throw down the gauntlet. It was awesome. Not only did Jordy Nelson and I become BFFs – I also won! Beginner’s luck? We’ll see.

This past week my friend Michael challenged me to a Battle of the Potomac. He lives in Baltimore, MD and I live in Fairfax, VA. Clearly I’m already the winner, but I’ll go with it. We’re going to join the NFL fantasy playoff challenge and see which team wins. The way it’s played it this: each round of the playoffs you select a Quarterback, 2 Wide Receivers, 2 Running Backs, a Kicker and a Defense to compete. At the end of each round you get points per player performance. It’s great because each week you can substitute in new players for ones that got eliminated the last round. The downside is that there are fewer players to choose from than the regular season so you could have similar teams. Then again, the Grand Prize is a trip to the Superbowl which would be pretty stellar. I’ve always wanted to go to the Superbowl.

Thus, I’ve discovered the first downside of my trip to New Zealand. I know, impossible right? Alas – it’s true. The ultimate American pastime, Superbowl Sunday, will occur as I soar over the Pacific on February 5th. I was in shock. I’m going to miss Superbowl Sunday? It’s one of the best days of the year! Luckily I soon realized that NZ is 16+ hours ahead of the motherland so technically I’ll be a day ahead. So while I’m flying in on February 5th it will only be the 4th in America. Unfortunately I might be in comatose – Jet lag and all. So the question becomes – where can a simple sleep deprived American gal watch Superbowl XLVI in the heart of New Zealand? Simple answer: on the telly. Thank you ESPN (and time zones) for providing all the stranded and or traveling Americans across 223 countries the joy of football glory.

Wild Card Round Team:

QB – Drew Brees – New Orleans Saints

RB – Darren Sproles – New Orleans Saints (original ConVickts member)

RB – Willis McGahee – Denver Broncos

WR – Calvin Johnson – Detroit Lions (original ConVickts member)

WR – Victor Kruz – New York Giants

TE – Jimmy Graham – New Orleans Saints (original ConVickts member)

K – John Kasey – New Orleans Saints

D – Pittsburgh Steelers (original ConVickts member)

My strategy was pretty simple. Maybe it’ll bite me in the end, but I figured that if my original team won me the regular season championship than they’re a good bet. I’m a pretty loyal person. Next week I’ll snatch up Jordy Nelson, David Akers and Ray Rice. Than my roster will be complete. Game on.

[top photos curtousy of www.thehog.net and www.reginajeffers.wordpress.com]

Prelude to Freedom

The dawn of a new year can be a disconcerting thing. It’s a time of evaluation and renewal. It’s a time of revelation and change. It brings the spirit of hope and determination, yet in the back of the mind lurks an element of fear – the fear of change or worse, of failure. I’m not one for New Years resolutions. The expectation is too high.

Eh, maybe I’m just lazy.

I do, however, harbor hopes and dreams for my life and one of them is about to come true. In my heart of hearts I’m an adventurer – a world traveler. I long to seek the beauty of worlds unseen and to touch the dawn of creation. Translation – I want to quit my job and travel abroad.  In my soul I long to be free, but freedom always comes at a price. As I grew up it was one we could never afford.

I was seventeen when death first touched my family. It was Grandma Kate, my dad’s mother. We didn’t get to see her often since she lived in Florida, but I remember that she was a brilliant painter. When they were younger she had my dad and his brothers dress up in ladies clothing so she could paint them for advertisements. There are many things I know of her, but so little I’ve experienced myself. It’s strange grieving for someone you love, but feel no connection too. My memories of her are few and far between yet she is the source of some of the greatest moments in my life. When she passed, Grandma Kate left my family some money. It was enough to settle some debts, buy a newer van and explore. We embarked on an incredible journey that spanned 23 states, too many national parks and a lifetime of memories. That month, the summer before my final year of high school, sparked a fire in my soul. It sparked a need to explore and the yearning to be free.

I haven’t had that opportunity since.

Unfortunately I don’t like to spend money. I hoard what little I have in case something goes wrong. It usually does in the form of Ketchup, my trusty steed. Needless to say I have financial issues and only deign to spend money on fondue night with my BFF Cait or Chipotle Friday with my co-workers friends. It’s kind of a problem. My desire to travel doesn’t justify the cost it takes to get there. It’s a constant struggle between my heart and my mind. In the end, it’s always rationality that wins. Not this time. For the first time in my life I followed my heart and took the plunge. On December 27th, 2011 I bought my very first international plane ticket. On December 30th, 2011 I received my very first US Passport. On February 3rd, 2012 I will embark on my very first adventure abroad. I will leave the land of the free for the home of the Kiwi’s – aka New Zealand. It’s going to be epic.