Well, my football picks were half-right. Super Bowl XLI will be the Colts vs. DA Bearsss. Chicago rocked most of the regular season, finishing #1 and with home field advantage throughout the playoffs. They are most likely going to be the underdogs in the Super Bowl, so I'm going to pull for them. Gotta love them underdogs :) Now, if they play like they did today, it should be a good game, and possibly a close one. (Grossman, keep your shit together, mmmmmkay?)
Jeez, what am I gonna do all day on Sundays until next fall?? I won't know how to act not riding the sofa for six or eight hours ;) I'm not really *that* bad--I'm like that commercial: "I only watch football on Saturday and Sunday. And Monday. Aaaand sometimes Thursday."
GOOOOOO, BEARSSS!!!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Football!!
Tomorrow is a Big Football Day. The remaining four teams are playing for a spot in Super Bowl XLI in Miami on February 4. It's down to the New Orleans Saints vs. the Chicago Bears (DA Bearsss) for the NFC Championship and the New England Patriots vs. the Indianapolis Colts for the AFC title.
My prediction for the Super Bowl: Chicago vs. New England. I'm not sure who would win this game. I'm tempted to pick Chicago, but it's totally dependent on if their quarterback, Rex Grossman, shows up to play. He does either really well or he treats the fans to a giant suckfest; no middle ground. However, New England is scary-good in post-season. It's hard to bet against them.
Anyway, unless it's a super-exciting, nail-biting game, which I doubt (it seldom is), I'm fairly ambivalent about the Super Bowl this year. None of the teams are my favorite, I don't detest any of them (I'm not a big fan of the Colts, but I couldn't care less if they win the Super Bowl), so I have no big stake in this game. I'm just watching it because it'll be the last chance to watch an NFL game until next September (sniff).
Then again, what the hell do I know?? Two months ago, I picked San Diego to go all the way, just to have the Pats spank them in the second half of the game last Sunday. That, and the fact that I am a diehard Cowboys fan, pretty much sinks my credibility.
GOOOO BEARSSS!! (Um, and Pats)
My prediction for the Super Bowl: Chicago vs. New England. I'm not sure who would win this game. I'm tempted to pick Chicago, but it's totally dependent on if their quarterback, Rex Grossman, shows up to play. He does either really well or he treats the fans to a giant suckfest; no middle ground. However, New England is scary-good in post-season. It's hard to bet against them.
Anyway, unless it's a super-exciting, nail-biting game, which I doubt (it seldom is), I'm fairly ambivalent about the Super Bowl this year. None of the teams are my favorite, I don't detest any of them (I'm not a big fan of the Colts, but I couldn't care less if they win the Super Bowl), so I have no big stake in this game. I'm just watching it because it'll be the last chance to watch an NFL game until next September (sniff).
Then again, what the hell do I know?? Two months ago, I picked San Diego to go all the way, just to have the Pats spank them in the second half of the game last Sunday. That, and the fact that I am a diehard Cowboys fan, pretty much sinks my credibility.
GOOOO BEARSSS!! (Um, and Pats)
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Nail in the coffin...
Registered for marathon #10:
This message is generated as confirmation of your recent registration on Active.com. You have been successfully registered for the following:
Registration: Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
Purchase Date: 01/17/07
Category: Marathon
Event Date: 05/05/07 - 05/06/07
Name: Shawn Newton
I also registered for the Gasparilla Distance Classic 15K, which is next month.
My name is Shawn, and I am a raceaholic
This message is generated as confirmation of your recent registration on Active.com. You have been successfully registered for the following:
Registration: Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon
Purchase Date: 01/17/07
Category: Marathon
Event Date: 05/05/07 - 05/06/07
Name: Shawn Newton
I also registered for the Gasparilla Distance Classic 15K, which is next month.
My name is Shawn, and I am a raceaholic
Sunday, January 14, 2007
101 Others
Okay, after stealing this from Ellie, who stole it from someone who stole it from someone who probably stole it from someone else, I ran a check of my first and last names. There are 101 people in the U.S. with my first and last name combo. And, according to this site, 89.3% of people named Shawn in the U.S. are male. I wonder how many Shawn Newtons are female? And I bet there aren't ANY other Shawn Christine Newtons. Maybe I'll check my original last name, Gross, and see how many of those there are.
I used to hate my name when I was a kid, especially in junior high. I even went by my middle name for a school year, in fifth grade (actually, I had everyone call me Christy. I am sooooo not a Christy...) But I grew to like it as I got older. It's fairly uncommon for a girl, and I think it suits me. When I was in high school, there were five Jennifers and four Amys in my biology class alone, and I knew at LEAST six Heathers. Thanks for not being afraid to buck the trend, Mom!
Interesting stuff. Thanks, Ellie :)
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
How 'Bout Them Gators??
Woooo Hoooo!! Florida 41, Ohio State 14. Yeah, baby!!
Oh, how I hate
O-hi-o State...
Shawn, who bleeds Michigan Maize and Blue
And I have friends who went to Florida, so I'm kind of a Gator by association :)
Oh, how I hate
O-hi-o State...
Shawn, who bleeds Michigan Maize and Blue
And I have friends who went to Florida, so I'm kind of a Gator by association :)
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Starting to feel better
I've been sick with a freakin' cold for the past three days, and I haven't gotten to run AT ALL since the new year began. Ordinarily, I wouldn't worry about it, but I have another marathon coming up in mid-February, and I missed a whole week of running. Plus, it's Mercedes in Birmingham, Alabama, which has a 6-hour time limit. Guess I'll just do what I can and try to stay ahead of the Balloon Lady (last official finisher of the race.)
I'm actually starting to feel better. I'm back to just a sore throat and nasal congestion, which is where I was on Wednedsay. Occasionally I have this awful cough that sounds like I'm trying to hack up a lung, but not nearly as often as in the past two days. And I've got a headache, but I think it's a hangover from the NyQuil shots :P
Oh well. Ever onward.
I'm actually starting to feel better. I'm back to just a sore throat and nasal congestion, which is where I was on Wednedsay. Occasionally I have this awful cough that sounds like I'm trying to hack up a lung, but not nearly as often as in the past two days. And I've got a headache, but I think it's a hangover from the NyQuil shots :P
Oh well. Ever onward.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
2007 Goals
Another year, another list of goals. Or, more accurately, pretty much the SAME list of goals, just reworded a bit for 2007 :) Here we go:
1. Lose 30 lbs. This should be my LAST 30. After that, I will have to see how I feel and look, and how well I maintain, and possibly reassess from there. But I really think 30 should suffice. I will never be a size 2, nor do I want to be. I am not built that way. I want to be healthy and fit, not a stick woman.
2. Train for and run the three winter/spring marathons I have planned (Mercedes, ING Georgia, Flying Pig) and finish each within the course time limits. I will probably also run a fall marathon. Which one is yet to be determined, but I'm hoping Marines are involved :)
3. The ever-popular start a weight training and yoga/stretching routine. Unlike in previous years, I actually have a plan and a schedule.
4. Get at least six hours of sleep each night. This is going to be a bit easier because I told my boss at the Hellhole to cut me back to one weeknight shift and my Saturday night shift.
5. Get to 180 words per minute speed in school. I am currently at 120 wpm, which means I need to pass 120, 140, and 160. In twelve months. God help me. Seriously, I can do this by utilizing my time in class more wisely (unlike right now, as I'm sending an e-mail about my 2007 goals ;) ) and practicing at least an extra hour at home each day, probably reinforcing my theory.
6. Pay down my 'big' credit card balance by at least half by December 31, 2007. It's not a huge amount, but since I cut down on hours, I'm getting a bit less cash. And I don't want to dip into the money I've been saving for the past year and a half specifically for the races I knew I wanted to run. Perhaps that's irresponsible, but I figure, you need to get SOME pleasure out of life, right? :)
7. Read at least 12 books for pleasure. I love to read. Putting this on my goal list just gives me an excuse to not feel guilty about spending time with my nose in a book :)
Happy New Year to all, and I wish you all only the best for 2007!
Love ya!
1. Lose 30 lbs. This should be my LAST 30. After that, I will have to see how I feel and look, and how well I maintain, and possibly reassess from there. But I really think 30 should suffice. I will never be a size 2, nor do I want to be. I am not built that way. I want to be healthy and fit, not a stick woman.
2. Train for and run the three winter/spring marathons I have planned (Mercedes, ING Georgia, Flying Pig) and finish each within the course time limits. I will probably also run a fall marathon. Which one is yet to be determined, but I'm hoping Marines are involved :)
3. The ever-popular start a weight training and yoga/stretching routine. Unlike in previous years, I actually have a plan and a schedule.
4. Get at least six hours of sleep each night. This is going to be a bit easier because I told my boss at the Hellhole to cut me back to one weeknight shift and my Saturday night shift.
5. Get to 180 words per minute speed in school. I am currently at 120 wpm, which means I need to pass 120, 140, and 160. In twelve months. God help me. Seriously, I can do this by utilizing my time in class more wisely (unlike right now, as I'm sending an e-mail about my 2007 goals ;) ) and practicing at least an extra hour at home each day, probably reinforcing my theory.
6. Pay down my 'big' credit card balance by at least half by December 31, 2007. It's not a huge amount, but since I cut down on hours, I'm getting a bit less cash. And I don't want to dip into the money I've been saving for the past year and a half specifically for the races I knew I wanted to run. Perhaps that's irresponsible, but I figure, you need to get SOME pleasure out of life, right? :)
7. Read at least 12 books for pleasure. I love to read. Putting this on my goal list just gives me an excuse to not feel guilty about spending time with my nose in a book :)
Happy New Year to all, and I wish you all only the best for 2007!
Love ya!
2006 Recap
Okay, these goal recaps are usually a list of all my failures of the past year, and I'm left wondering why I put myself through the humiliation of posting to a large group of people all the things I've screwed up or was too lazy to do over the past year. Let's review, shall we?
1. Lose 30 lbs. I've had this on my list of goals for probably the last four years. I have failed every year. If you want to be a stickler, I have failed again. HOWEVER--I have lost 23 lbs this past year, and it's stayed off, which has never happened before. Since I lost 23 of the 30 lbs I wanted to lose in 2006, I am considering this 77% successful.
2. Run the Baltimore or NYC marathon. Pass. Ran Bawlmer on October 14, hon.
3. Incorporate weight training and yoga into my workout program. Another goal that's been on my list for who-knows-how- long. Another fail for 2006.
4. Get more, better-quality sleep. I still only sleep about five hours a night. I need at LEAST six to make it through the week. Fail.
5. Floss daily. Okay, admittedly, this is a "gimme" goal, seeing as how I am the Dental Floss Princess. I have been flossing daily for the past 10 years. It's a pass, but it will no longer show up on my yearly goal list because it's pretty much been a done deal for a decade.
6. Pay off one credit card. Pass. I paid it off, but then ran it back up. Fail. But I only ran it back up a quarter of the way, and it'll be paid off again by the end of January. Draw.
7. Read at least 12 books for pleasure. Pass. Just made it by finishing #12 Friday night. Normally I can plow through books like no one's business, but I picked a lot of wordy tomes (Outlander, at 627 wonderful, amazing pages) this year. And confusing novels with convoluted plots (One Hundred Years of Solitude) where I had to re-read a lot of stuff ("Wait a minute--I thought that guy was dead? Oh, okay, it's his illegitimate son who has almost the EXACT SAME NAME...Where' s the Tylenol?")
8. Get to 180 words per minute on the steno machine. Okay, in hindsight, this was a really really dumb goal. Especially considering I had just passed 60 wpm when I made it. Apparently I thought I was hot stuff on that keyboard and would just whiz right through. Not so much. However, I did pass 80 wpm and 100 wpm, which means I am at 120 wpm. So, while technically a failure, I am considering it a 60% success because I doubled my speed from a year ago.
9. Get divorced. Pass. The Marion County (IN) Superior Court officially dissolved the Great Debacle of 1998 (or, the Worst Idea EVER) in early April 2006. Yes, that was me doing back flips down the street.
So, really only two 'fails' (and one 'draw') out of nine. I guess 2006 was a pretty good year, the first good year I've had in a looooong time.
1. Lose 30 lbs. I've had this on my list of goals for probably the last four years. I have failed every year. If you want to be a stickler, I have failed again. HOWEVER--I have lost 23 lbs this past year, and it's stayed off, which has never happened before. Since I lost 23 of the 30 lbs I wanted to lose in 2006, I am considering this 77% successful.
2. Run the Baltimore or NYC marathon. Pass. Ran Bawlmer on October 14, hon.
3. Incorporate weight training and yoga into my workout program. Another goal that's been on my list for who-knows-how- long. Another fail for 2006.
4. Get more, better-quality sleep. I still only sleep about five hours a night. I need at LEAST six to make it through the week. Fail.
5. Floss daily. Okay, admittedly, this is a "gimme" goal, seeing as how I am the Dental Floss Princess. I have been flossing daily for the past 10 years. It's a pass, but it will no longer show up on my yearly goal list because it's pretty much been a done deal for a decade.
6. Pay off one credit card. Pass. I paid it off, but then ran it back up. Fail. But I only ran it back up a quarter of the way, and it'll be paid off again by the end of January. Draw.
7. Read at least 12 books for pleasure. Pass. Just made it by finishing #12 Friday night. Normally I can plow through books like no one's business, but I picked a lot of wordy tomes (Outlander, at 627 wonderful, amazing pages) this year. And confusing novels with convoluted plots (One Hundred Years of Solitude) where I had to re-read a lot of stuff ("Wait a minute--I thought that guy was dead? Oh, okay, it's his illegitimate son who has almost the EXACT SAME NAME...Where' s the Tylenol?")
8. Get to 180 words per minute on the steno machine. Okay, in hindsight, this was a really really dumb goal. Especially considering I had just passed 60 wpm when I made it. Apparently I thought I was hot stuff on that keyboard and would just whiz right through. Not so much. However, I did pass 80 wpm and 100 wpm, which means I am at 120 wpm. So, while technically a failure, I am considering it a 60% success because I doubled my speed from a year ago.
9. Get divorced. Pass. The Marion County (IN) Superior Court officially dissolved the Great Debacle of 1998 (or, the Worst Idea EVER) in early April 2006. Yes, that was me doing back flips down the street.
So, really only two 'fails' (and one 'draw') out of nine. I guess 2006 was a pretty good year, the first good year I've had in a looooong time.
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