Under Contract!

I know it's been a long time since my last blog and it might be a long time until my next (although I hope not) I wanted to share some pictures.  As most (if not all) of you  know we are moving to Helena, MT next week.  As of this afternoon we are under contract for a new home!  Here are the pics.  I will try to update this later with a brief description of each picture but I want to get these up quick so we can share them with you.  Keep your fingers crossed that everything goes well!

other stuff

Wow, I just realized that I never finished my non-sports post...oops.  Since my last post in March (that wasn't just about sports) a lot has happened.  It looks like I forgot to mention it last time but my "little" girl N turned 2 in February.  A couple months ago she decided it was time for potty training and, after a rough couple of days, she is doing awesome.  She still proudly announces when she's going to go to the bathroom and again when she's done.  Every time she returns from a bathroom with one parent she makes sure to go tell the other parent "I did it!"  She moved to her "big girl bed" for a couple weeks or so but now spends most nights in her crib, although sometimes she'll want to sleep in her bed.  Actually, the past month or so she has been sleeping in her pack-n-play when we sleep in the basement because it is so much cooler down there.

I had one and two month post-surgery appointments for my LASIK and I'm happy to report there were no issues.  I'm still seeing between 20/10 and 20/15 and am loving it.  I don't really have any issue with dry eyes and I rarely need to use the eye drops.  I love playing softball without having to wear contacts and need to get out on the golf course to try out my vision.

I'm not sure LASIK will help this guy

In April I celebrated my 36th birthday and a few weeks later Angie turned 29 (again!)  L turned 5 on May 22 and I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I have a 5 year old.  This past weekend we went shopping for her school supplies so I guess I have a little over a month to get used to the fact that she'll be in kindergarten soon.

Last week we went to Seattle for Angie's brother's wedding.  We had a great time seeing all the Van Voasts and the wedding was right on the water in a town called Olalla.

Wedding venue

After the wedding festivities were over, we spent a few days in Seattle doing all of the typical tourist stuff.  We took the monorail to the Space Needle and spent some time looking at Seattle from 520 feet.  As much fun as the Space Needle was the highlight of the day for L was getting to honk the Monorail horn with her cousins on the way back to the hotel.

I know the SN is over 600 feet high
but L sure looks little in this pic!

I've been in quite a few cities that have the Duck Tour but I've never tried it before until last week.  If you're not familiar with the Duck Tour it's basically a tour bus that drives on land and water.  We drove around Seattle a bit, boated on Lake Union for awhile, and then did some more sightseeing on land.  The driver is of course over the top silly and tells jokes the entire time but played a lot of music as we drove around and it turned out to be really fun.  I definitely recommend it and will probably do it again in another city.

I guess the tour wasn't too exciting for N

Now that we're back home it's time to enjoy the rest of the summer before school starts in mid-August.  I've still been trying to run 2-3 times a week but it's sure getting hard now when it's already in the 80s at 10am.  I am still holding off on signing up for the Denver Rock'n'Roll half marathon in October because I'm not 100% sure we'll be in town that weekend.

I'm going to try to post more often so I don't lose my 3 readers!  Angie and I are going to try to do a "recommended water intake" challenge starting today so I will post updates on that.  Have a great day!

Sports, Sports, and More Sports

Do you like the title?  It's been so long since my last blog entry I have decided to split this one into two separate blogs.  One on sports and one on everything else.  I'm pretty sure I could post the presents I'm going to get Angie for the next 10 years because I doubt she got any further than the title!

So much has happened since my last entry in early March.  Most of that post was devoted to the Broncos and the upcoming free agency.  Back in March I wrote that I thought Denver needed to pick up a safety, an edge rusher, and a linebacker.  I also mentioned that they were in need of another WR since they were most likely going to lose Eric Decker.  How does three out of four sound?  Denver made an immediate and loud statement when they signed two of the top defensive free agents in safety TJ Ward and pass rush expert DeMarcus Ware.  They also signed former Steelers WR Emmanuel Sanders.  They didn't get any linebackers that I know of but how can you complain about the moves they made?  If Von Miller can get back to his 2012 form they should be able to put some serious pressure on opposing QBs.  

I can't wait to see Ware in the orange and blue!

Also, the NFL Draft wrapped up last weekend and Denver made a few interesting picks.  I'll all for the first round pick of CB Bradley Roby from Ohio State but I was a little surprised to see them trade up in the second round to pick up a WR.  I really thought they would go for a linebacker that could make an immediate impact but I guess they wanted another weapon for Manning.  I do hear good things about the pick, Cody Latimer, however.  I heard one stat that said he dropped only 1 pass last season for Indiana.  That will be quite the change compared to Dropsies Decker.  After the draft Denver picked up CSU Rams LB Shaquil Barrett and RB Kapri Bibbs.  I'm actually surprised that Barrett (2013 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year) wasn't drafted and I'm curious to see if he can make the team.  I've never thought Bibbs' game would translate to the pros so I'm not expecting him to make the squad although I'd love to be wrong.  Bring on training camp!

Will Bibbs be crossing the goal line for Denver this season?

As far as the Avalanche, they ended up with the #2 seed in the Western Conference and then ended up losing in the first round to Minnesota in 7 games.  It was a fun series to watch and this season got me excited about hockey again.  I actually ended up going to game 5 (which the Avs won in OT) with my college roommate and had a great time.  With such a young and talented team there is a lot of optimism at the Pepsi Center (for the Avs...not so much for the Nuggets.)

Too bad this wasn't the scene in game 7

The Rockies are off to a better than expected start this spring.  Hopefully they will keep it up for awhile to keep things interesting.

#24 = #1

Sorry that there hasn't been an update in a month but there hasn't been too much to write about.  I had my "month-after-surgery" appointment last week (it had actually been 5 weeks) and everything went great.  I could still see 20-15 and I was actually able to read 3 of the 5 letters on the 20-10 scale.  Needless to say I am still very happy with my decision to do LASIK and I think I made the right choice going with 20/20 Institute.  They want me to come back next month and then I'll be good until my one-year appointment.

The Avalanche are in a push to get a top playoff spot, spring training is going full swing, and the Nuggets are, well, the Nuggets of old.  That being said, the thing I'm most excited about is NFL free agency which starts tomorrow at 2pm MST.  There is a lot of talk about which direction the Broncos should go in and I'm hoping they can sign a big name safety.  It's funny how many people are saying that the Broncos need to rebuild and completely revamp their defense.  Obviously I wasn't happy about the way the season ended but can anyone really complain about going to the Super Bowl?  I'd be more than thrilled to have a repeat of this past season and see what happens in the Super Bowl.  If they had played SF instead of Seattle, or even if they hadn't snapped the ball into the end zone on the first play, things may have gone their way.  Considering all the injuries they had to deal with, I think they are still in great shape.

Yes they will lose Eric Decker and probably Knowshon Moreno, and yes they lost Champ Bailey (more on that later) but just getting Ryan Clady and Von Miller back will make a huge difference.  As I mentioned earlier, I think they need to pick up a few defensive players like a safety (Jairus Byrd or TJ Ward?) an edge rusher (Jared Allen or re-sign Shawn Phillips?) and a decent linebacker.  On offense they will need to pick up, or draft, another WR, but I'm sure Bubba Caldwell will be able to do a decent job of making up for Decker's absence.  Even into the playoffs last year I was sure they would/should re-sign Moreno but now I'm not so sure.  I think his performance (or lack of) in the Super Bowl pretty much sealed his fate.  They need someone that can break tackles and bust off a long run.  I couldn't believe when I saw this but Moreno's career long run is 36 yards.  Yes you read that right, 36 yards.  In 846 career carries his longest run from scrimmage is 36 yards?  To put that into perspective Montee Ball had 120 carries last year and had a long run of 45 yards.  Ronnie Hillman has a long run of 31 yards in 139 carries.  Don't get me wrong, Moreno was a beast for Denver last year and they would not have done so well had Moreno not been on the team but I think it's time for a more dynamic running back.  I really hope Ball can fill that need.  We shall see.

Bottom line, I think Denver does need to fix some holes but c'mon, why is the sky always falling?  Yes Denver has a very difficult schedule next year but they will still win at least 11 games.  They just need some toughness to help them win a road playoff game in Foxboro since, once again, the Patriots have a weak schedule and will probably get homefield advantage.  Maybe I should be more pessimistic but I think they are still in good shape.

Last thing here since I'm starting to ramble, it was tough to hear the news that Champ Bailey was released but I think it was the right decision.  There is no way they could pay him $10M when you don't even know if he'll be healthy enough to play half the season.  I really loved watching #24 the past 10 years and can't wait until he's on the ring of fame and in the Hall of Fame.  Thanks for everything Champ!

Still Good

This will be another short post because my "one week after surgery" appoint was like my last one, quick.  This one was slightly longer because Dr. Danzo actually did an eye test to check my prescription.  He said everything looked good and my eyes were healing nicely and I could still see the 20-15 line.  He mentioned that my left eye looked a little dry and that I should continue to use my artificial tears but could stop taking the prescription drops.

I am still very happy with the results and am glad I did it.  I've still been wearing my goggles at night although as far as I know I've never woken myself up because I was trying to rub my eyes so I think I would be OK to sleep without them.  I've been sleeping pretty well so I figure I might as well leave them on.  I do usually take them off if I wake up around 4-5am and it feels wonderful!

I'd say the worst part is still not being able to rub my eyes.  It's not ever that big of an issue except when water runs over my (shut) eyes in the shower and I really want to wipe the water off.  I end up showering with my eyes closed and hoping they air dry by the time I need to get dressed!

No more appointments until the "one month after surgery" appointment at which time I'm hoping they tell me that my flaps are as healed as they will be and that I can gently rub my eyes again.

First Post-Op Checkup

This post will be short because, well, the checkup was short.  After a rough night of sleep due to wrestling the goggles all night, I woke up with dry, but surprisingly clear eyes.  I drove to the 20/20 Institute and sat in the waiting room for about 5 minutes before I was escorted back to the exam room.  I have to mention again, I have never waited more than 5-10 minutes for any appointment which is great, especially since all my appointments are on work days.  The optometrist that day was a new one (to me) but still very friendly.  After giving me a few eye drops he asked which of the lines on the eye chart I could make out.  I could read most of the bottom line (I mistook an O for a C) with both eyes and it turns out that line is the 20/15 line!  He made a joke about how they can't call themselves the 20/15 Institute but that that is a goal.  I know that vision can, and probably will, change slightly over the next month but I hope mine stays the same!  It's amazing to me that this procedure works so well and so quickly.  The doctor did mention that there was a fiber under one of the corneal flaps but that it wouldn't affect my vision.  (Affect vs. effect, I hate these two words, just use one for all occasions!)  I was a little thrown off so I didn't ask what the fiber was.  I will ask today at my appointment but I'm thinking it is a cornea fiber.

Anyway, that was it, just a quick look at the eyes to make sure everything was healing and I was on my way to work.  The dryness has slowly been getting better.  The first night I could barely make it past 9:30pm before I couldn't stand it (even with all the eye drops) but now I'm making it past 10:30pm without having to use the artificial tears too often.  The biggest pain for me is worrying about the corneal flap and wearing the goggles at night.  I finally took a nap yesterday without them (I was home with a sick N) and it was glorious.  I slept a few hours last night without them but would wake up every hour or two worried that I had rubbed my eyes so I put the goggles on for the last couple hours.  Also, the drops, specifically the artificial tears, are pretty sticky and gunk up your eyelashes.  I use a Q-tip, very carefully, to clean them off but I'd still prefer to just stick my face under the shower stream and rub my eyes.  Oh eye rubbing, how I miss you.

Another update after my appointment today.  Here's hoping my vision is still 20/15!

Super Bore

Nobody needs me to rehash the pain that was Super Bowl 48 so I won't.  I will make a few comments.  Sorry in advance that they are going to be so random but I'm just planning on typing them as I think of them.

• I would first like to place blame on Joe Namath.  If he hadn't flubbed the coin toss, Denver would have won the toss, deferred to the second half, and the game would have been much different.
• OK, that was obviously said tongue in cheek but you do have to wonder how the game would have gone if Denver would have won the toss.  I think Denver would still have lost, and probably by double digits.  If they played 10 times I think Seattle wins 6-7 times.
• Even after the safety, and subsequent drive, Denver was only down 5-0 and only 8-0 after the next Seattle possession.  There was plenty of time to calm down and get things under control.  If they were in shock after the game the way started, they are not a very strong team mentally.  I mean come on, you're down by one score.  Get it together.
• It was clear Denver was not prepared to be hit.  
• It was clear Denver was not prepared to hit back.
• Denver could not get Seattle off the field on third down.
• That being said, when can a team give up 43 points and you can say the defense didn't play that bad.
• True, they gave up a couple scores late due to bad tackling, but the game had been over for quite some time and it was clear the offense had given up.
• Denver clearly got out-coached.  When it was obvious that their game plan was not working, why not try mixing things up.  After the two week break, I was fully expecting to see things we had never seen before.  Well, they scored only 8 points, I guess that was something new.
• They had some clear mismatches on offense, specifically with Welker.  He was open a lot and I think they should have kept feeding him the ball over and over again until Seattle had to overreact to that and that might have opened things up down the field.  Maybe that was the plan but Manning was too flustered to make the throws.
• Denver's special teams, and special team coaching, was a joke.  Why do a pooch kickoff to open the second half?  Sure, they didn't know it would be returned for a TD but why take that change?
• I think the onside kick to start the 4th quarter was a bad move.  No, I don't think Denver was going to come back but you never know and why give Seattle such a short field?
• I said this to anyone that would listen but one of Denver's biggest problems was that their defense forced 0 turnovers in the two playoff games leading to the Super Bowl.  The finished with 0 in their 3 playoff games.
• Manning got rattled right away with that safety and it didn't look like he could recover.  That was surprising to me as it was not his first (or second) Super Bowl.  I thought his big game experience would give Denver the advantage but he made mistake after mistake and couldn't regroup.

Believe it not I was not intending this to sound so negative so let me (sort of) change it up a bit

• I stopped watching at the end of the first quarter.  I did tune back in a few times to see how things were going.  Unfortunately when I did, I saw Peyton's pick-six, and unsuccessful forth down (and short) conversion.
• Maybe that didn't sound positive but it was for me because I didn't witness the ugly second half.
• Maybe because I didn't witness the second half I have a more positive attitude that most other Broncos fans.  I've been listening to sports talk radio the past 2 days and it sounds like most people are devastated.
• Sure, I had a few bad dreams about the game but nothing near what I experienced after the loss to Baltimore last year.  I didn't sleep well for 3-5 nights after that game.
• I know this might not sound like me but I really enjoyed the regular season and playoffs (until the Super Bowl) and look back at the season with a positive feeling.  I enjoyed hearing about Denver during the 2 weeks leading up to the big game (as opposed to Baltimore or NE.)
• I am very happy that Champ got to experience Super Bowl week and get all the attention he deserved for a great career.
• Although I wanted Denver to win, I have to say I'm happy for my friend Chris (who has been mentioned on this blog in the past) because, as a life long Seahawks fan, he finally got to see his team hoist the trophy.
• After Denver's 0-4 record in the Super Bowl, I know how happy I was to finally see them come out on top.  I think every sports fan should be able to experience that feeling once in their lifetime.
• IMO, it was remarkable that Denver made it to the Super Bowl with 5 of their 11 defensive starters on the IR.  Yes, almost half of the starting defense, including their best player (Von Miller) was out.  Perhaps this is why they finished the playoffs with a -4 turnover margin.
• Denver's schedule next year is brutal.  Road games in Seattle, NE (again?), St Louis, Cincinnati, and KC, along with home games against San Francisco, Indy, and Arizona.  I'm thinking Denver will win 10 - 11 games next year.
• Even with 10 - 11 wins, with that schedule I think Denver will be much more prepared for the playoffs and hopefully more mentally/physically tough.  Hopefully they don't have the injury issues next year like they did this year.
• I'm curious to see what Denver does this offseason as far as free agency goes.  They will probably lose Knowshon and Decker but I hope they focus a little more on the defense.  Specifically safety.  They need to become a better turnover forcing defense.

So much for thinking this was going to be a short post!