Quote captured from a friends blog:
"Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater. If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby If you give her a house, she'll give you a home. If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal. If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart. She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her.
"So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit." --Arthur Levin
Since 1936, the superstition has held that if the Redskins won their last home game before the election, the incumbent party would stay in power. And that rule held until 2004, when both the Redskins and John Kerry lost.
In 2000, as Al Gore went up against George W. Bush, while his Tennessee Titans were the last to play the Redskins at FedEx Field. Gore tempted fate by rooting for his home team, the Titans — who lost. Gore soon followed suit.
Winner of Nov. 3 matchup between the Redskins and the Pittsburgh Steelers: Pittsburgh Steelers 23; Washington Redskins 6.
Prediction according to the Redskins Rule: Obama
Today the wife and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary.
12 years by the numbers
This is the week that we are supposed to organize our mailing lists. We have tried to keep an electronic list, but they always seem to disappear. This year i think we will go an invest in a "old-fashioned" write in address book.When my wife and I first discussed having children we were both on the same page when it came to determining the primary care provider–their mom. We knew living on one income would take some sacrifice, but it was one we were willing to make. Ten years later we continue to live on one income.
The other day someone asked what my wife did for a living, and I told them she is a full-time mom. Their response struck me, “You guys are so lucky she is able to stay home with the kids.” Lucky? I guess there has been an element of luck to my career success but we’ve made our share of sacrifices to pull off this lifestyle, particularly early on.
We both drive older vehicles (mine is really old!). We did upgrade to an SUV a few years ago, but it was purchased as a used vehicle and came to us with some mileage already accrued. I drive an 8 year-old car back and forth to work. Unfortunately, I have a long commute, and even though the vehicles have been pretty reliable at that distance, the commutes are definately taking their toll.
Our entertainment budget is virtually non-existent. Early in our marriage we had several sets of friends who were double-income families. It seemed like they were vacationing every three months, and often hit amusement parks, aquariums, etc. in between. That’s not to say all double-income families can more easily afford to entertain themselves, but with the extra disposable cash I suppose it is less taxing on the household budget. We try to take an annual vacation, but we usually only get away once every two years or so.
We have less money in savings. Since living on one income tends to be tight we have had less money to save and invest over the years, which will probably lengthen the amount of time I have to work. College savings, retirement, and emergency savings are all behind where they should be, but we are comfortable with this trade off for now.
My wife put school and a career on hold. No reason a woman can’t have a successful career and be a great mom, but for my wife she made being a mom her top priority. My wife may someday return to school to finish her degree, or maybe even return to the workforce when our kids are older. But for now, she is content with her role as a full-time mom.
The opportunity for one of us to stay home with the kids is not granted by luck, rather by making other sacrifices in our lives. Opponents of stay-home parenting often cite the lack of social interaction as a negative aspect of keeping kids out of daycare. All of our kids (well the school aged ones) attend public school where they get plenty of socialization. I think the bond that they have created with my wife and I is better than any benefit of social interaction they would possibly get at a daycare. The bottom line is it is all about priorities. If you are willing to make certain sacrifices, being a full-time parent can be a rewarding experience for both you and your kids.
This week, if you haven’t yet, sit down with a cup of coffee and jot down what you think your holiday season will cost. It can be done a number of ways, but here’s a number of the most common line items:
DECORATIONS:
FOOD (not including regular groceries):
CARDS:
GIFTS:
EVENTS:
GIVING:
As I mentioned, you really don’t need to spend money on all this stuff. Every family is different, but I think we can all agree that extravagant spending doesn’t make the holidays any more special. How much you’ll spend has nothing to do with how much fun your season will be, and the amount you spend on gifts certainly has nothing to do with how much you love the gifts’ recipient.
I recommend setting a price limit on gifts, then searching for the right gift within that budget. Instead of being pre-sold on that $75 sweater for your sister, then stretching your budget to make it work, decide the maximum amount you’ll spend on siblings. If that sweater is just too much, then let it go. If you know ahead of time that your max is $30, you’ll need to find something in your price range.
Greg Schenck struggles to remove debris from a drain on North Main Street just north of downtown Houston after the passage of Hurricane Ike, Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008. (AP /Houston Chronicle, Smiley N. Pool)
A man inspects the damage in front of the JP Morgan Chase Tower after Hurricane Ike passed through the city September 13, 2008 in Houston Texas. Hurricane Ike made landfall in the middle of the night causing widespread damage. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
A building maintenance worker walks over shattered glass from windows blown out by Hurricane Ike on the JPMorgan Chase tower Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008 in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip
A house burns uncontrolled in a flooded neighborhood as Hurricane Ike approaches the Texas coast, Friday, Sept. 12, 2008, in Galveston, Texas. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Odd Place for a boat... Eddie Settlocker assesses damage caused by Hurricane Ike at an apartment complex he manages September 14, 2008 in Galveston, Texas. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Flooding from Hurricane Ike inundates a high school football field in the town of Delcambre, La. Saturday, Sept. 13, 2008. (AP Photo/Richard Alan Hannon, pool)
A house sits among debris, piled up by storm surges after Hurricane Ike made landfall September 14, 2008 in Crystal Beach, Texas. (DAVID J. PHILLIP/AFP/Getty Images)
A single home is left standing among debris from Hurricane Ike September 14, 2008 in Gilchrist, Texas. Floodwaters from Hurricane Ike were reportedly as high as eight feet in some areas causing widespread damage across the coast of Texas. (David J. Phillip-Pool/Getty Images)
People ride in the back of a pickup truck through floodwaters from Hurricane Ike Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008 in High Island, Texas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, Pool)
With Hurricane Ike offshore, Michael Gardner walks in high water in front of a burning marina warehouse in Galveston, Texas, Friday, Sept. 12, 2008. Fire fighters could not reach the structure so they allowed the structure to burn. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
The surge before the storm swamps Galveston Island, Texas, and a fire destroys homes along the beach as Hurricane Ike approaches Friday, Sept. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
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AWESOME !
Showed up to coach practice without a football. The players asked "how are we going to practice without a football. The coach responded with "How many people are on a football team" players stated 11 on each side, so 22. How many people touch the football at any given time? - (1). so lets work on what the other 21 people are doing.3. The Brick walls are there for a reason. Brick walls let us show our dedication. The Brick walls are there to make us prove how badly we want things - The brick walls are there to stop those who don't want it bad enough.
Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"A very limited number of great seats recently became available for our pre-season opener against the Buffalo Bills on August 9th at 7 PM. These seats are located in our Club Level and are only $250 for two seats. This offer includes a premium parking pass* and wristbands to our exclusive Tailgate Club**. The retail price of this package is between $700 and $1200 based on seat location."
WHITE WINES
Chenin Blanc
Similar flavors found in Chardonnay, thus the wine works best with appetizers, fish, chicken, & Asian or Indian cuisines.
Gewürztraminer
Wine is spicy and it captures the essences of Asian and Indian foods, as well as ham. (Champagne/sparkling wine is, however, the best accompaniment for these foods.)
Muscat (sweet wine)
Lots of acid and pear notes allowing foie gras, dessert, and fruit to pair well.
Pinot Blanc
Apple and pear tones making it right for fish, chicken, egg dishes, and brunch.
Pinot Gris
Hint of spritz and soft sweetness make it right for Asian and Indian foods.
Riesling
Apple, peach, citrus, and big acidity allow it to pair well with pate, fish, ham, and foie gras. Also, fine with Asian and Indian foods.
Sauvignon Blanc
Big acidity and crispness cut right through fish allowing it to pair well with chicken, turkey, and veal.
Sémillon (The best of it is sweet wine)
Apricot, honey, and nectar-like, it needs foie gras, fish courses; it craves Roquefort cheese. This is the grape for Chateau D’Yquem.
Viognier
Floral flavors with apricot and tropical fruit, making it excellent for cheese, brunch (egg courses), fruit, & quiche.
RED WINES
Cabernet Franc
Soft grape with plum, spice and big acidity make it perfect for lamb, pork, and chicken courses.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Big acid, spice, hefty blackberry, and oak require beef, steak, game, and rich cheese courses.
Gamay (Beaujolais wine)
Nothing complicated here and it marries easily with pork, ham, cheese, deli foods, brunch dishes, or any casual supper.
Grenache (The best come from Rhône, Australia, and California)
Spice and plum pair it nicely with beef, meat, and duck. (Like Pinot Noir, it’s one of the most versatile red wines, marrying with almost any cuisine.)
Malbec
This wine is popular in Argentina, where they love to pair it with steak, red meat game, and beef stew.
Merlot
This wine loves lamb; it also goes well with beef, macaroni and pasta dishes.
Pinot Noir
A versatile wine that craves salmon; superb with roast chicken, pork, grilled meats, quail, and pheasant. Like Champagne, it goes well with almost all cuisines.
Sangiovese
One of Italy’s finest grapes. Big acidity and cherry nuances pair nicely with veal, poultry, beef; it craves Parmesan cheese.
Syrah (also called Shiraz)
Peppery, spicy, blackberry, and oak make it forward enough to marry well with game, beef, pork, and cheese.
Tempranillo
Cherry, soft spice, with good acidity allow it to cut through game, duck, and steak.
Zinfandel
Spicy, with cherry and blackberry and modest acidity allow it to pair easily with beef, veal, pork, chicken, ragout, and cheese.
