take me out to the ball game

saturday night we watched our very first bees game.
the crowd sang a loud take me out the to ball game during the seventh inning stretch,
& i loved the cozy feeling singing in the ball park.

and guess what? sixteen more days of busy season! that's it.
ithinkicanithinkican.

a celebration of football

we gathered at cornelius' for a superbowl feast this year with the ivins.

i'm still unsure if the celebration was more for surviving football season,
seeing great friends and chit chatting,
laughing at brilliant advertising,
or playing with two of my favorite little friends.

whatever it was it was awesome.

jessica ivins who i know from study abroad knows my neighbor shannon,
and this is our first attempt to get everyone together.

i'm still laughing at the doritos office geek licking his co-workers finger... mmm cheese.

a really short but lovely trip

we took a quick two-day trip to las vegas to see the mr.'s pride and joy boise state football.
by nature of my last name lish i am a boise state fan, but when boise state plays
the utes i cheer for boise state
like its my life on the line because it almost is.

the only other pictures we have are of the hotel since that's all we saw.
sleeping in until 11 am gameday really didn't allow for anything other than a shower and lunch, which worked for me because it felt like a million buckaroos to stay tucked away in warm covers with not a thing to do.

i love you forever christmas break.

"the best season of the year"

have i mentioned the mr.'s passion for fall sports? how he watches relentless hours of games, plays in a few fantasy leagues, tracks stats on his phone, computer and tv 24/7, and gets a phone call or two to talk about the huge game? it's a bit overwhelming, but i'm in for the long haul and i'm adapting quite nicely by learning a few rules and getting into the teams and competition.

i surprised jared with tickets to usa v. el salvador for his birthday. so cool to see a team like usa play in salt lake city. rio tinto was plastered with red, white & blue and rightly so.



byu cougs v. colorado state saturday. my first game in a while outside the student section. very. very. odd.




i couldn't help but notice some leaves here and there changing on the mountains. whoa! i can't wait to go picnic in the canyon.

so you see i'm learning why the mr. says it's "best season of the year."

***warning***

i mentioned previously jared was working on an "nba thoughts" post. consider the following post his yearly contribution to the blog, and proceed with caution if you do proceed.

i promise this isn't a sign of what's to come for lishes' window. well, at least i hope not. you could say he's passionate about his sports.

3 Reasons Why I am Hating the NBA

I have always been a huge sports fan, and I have been watching the NBA for as long as I can remember. However, during the last couple of seasons I have been disappointed with what is taking place in the league. I almost don’t want to watch anymore. I would much prefer the boring days of Spurs vs. Pistons even though I think that their poor ratings caused what is taking place today. The following are three factors that have contributed to my disgust towards the NBA:

1. Officiating – The NBA: Where Amazingly Bad Officiating Happens

The officiating in the NBA is flat out horrible. I think that for the level of basketball being played in the NBA, the corresponding referees are worse than any other referees in the world. Yes, that means they are worse than intramural referees, and that is pretty bad considering the intramural refs don’t even know all of the rules. Don’t get me wrong, the NBA has better refs, but compared to the talent being officiated the NBA refs are worse. Intramural refs are a joke, but so are the players. NBA players are amazing, but the officiating is a mess. Since I am no writer, I am going to defer to Bill Simmons, a popular columnist from ESPN. I think he has done a great job of describing the state of officiating in the NBA:

“HOW COULD THE REFEREES BE THIS CONSISTENTLY BAD??? THEY ARE KILLING THE PRODUCT! THEY ARE KILLING IT!!!! I CAN'T STOP USING CAPS!!!! How are we enabling such staggering incompetence on a day-to-day basis?”

After relating an instance of incompetence he continues, “These screw-ups seem to happen four times a week. The league claims to care and made a big stink about hiring Ronald Johnson this past summer to clean things up. Nope. It's still a mess. Three weeks ago, the Lakers and Celtics played the highest-rated regular-season cable game in 13 seasons. Guess which crew the NBA assigned to that beauty? That's right, Leon Wood, Monty McCutchen and Jim Capers Jr. (only because Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne were unavailable)… For a league that claimed to take the Donaghy scandal so seriously, we haven't seen any inclination that it did. Not even a hint. Not a whiff. It makes me want to commit a flagrant foul 2 on myself. But I digress.”

I think he described the refs very well. However, I don’t think that they are so horrible just because they were born that way. I think that Donaghy was right. I think that the NBA has interests in certain teams winning and certain series playing out in beneficial ways. I think that the NBA just like any other business is about money, and they will do almost anything to make more of it. Everything that has happened in the past year or two just seems way too convenient. Two of the most storied franchises in history got magical trades that were clearly more beneficial for both of those teams. I guess it helps when the general managers of the other teams are former players of those two franchises. By making the popular teams good and by ensuring that they play each other in the playoffs an increase in money is all but guaranteed. Now I don’t think that every game is rigged, but I do think that the NBA is trying very hard to make popular series happen.

The officiating is really what I am most displeased with in the NBA. However, I now continue with two other topics that almost make me want to vomit.

2. The Lakers: Where Worshipping Yourself Happens

Watching this team play is horrible, and being in the presence of their fans is even worse. I don’t understand how anybody can be as cocky as some of the players on this team. I also don’t know how anybody could cheer for this type of team. I was at game 3 of the Jazz vs. the Lakers and the arena was packed with yellow jerseys. I was reminded of when I went to watch the Mariners play the Red Sox last summer and the crowd was full of Red Sox fans. There are not that many Bostonians in Seattle, and there are not that many Californians that made the trip to game 3. There is only one explanation for both crowds. Bandwagon. The Lakers have so many bandwagon fans it makes me sick. Along with the fans almost every player on the team makes me nauseous. However, some are definitely worse than others. The list that follows is comprised of the five players on the Lakers that I hate the most (from most hated to least).

a. Kobe Bryant “Therapist” --Sean Connery
This guy is by far the easiest person in the league to hate. I can’t believe how much he is in love with himself. I couldn’t help but laugh during the last game when I heard the announcers say that he gave himself the nickname Black Mamba. It wasn’t given to him by a teammate, an announcer, or fan but by himself. He decided that he was so awesome that he needed to give himself the best nickname possible. I think that this example pretty much explains why I hate this guy. Not to mention him changing his number to 24, one more than 23, because he wore it in high school. Give me a break. Kobe, the fans don’t boo you because they think you will play worse. The fans boo you because they hate you.

b. Sasha Vujacic
I don’t think I really need to explain this one. Just look at the guy. I do want to point out though that he also gave himself a nickname -- The Machine. I guess there is a reason they are 1-2.

c. Derek Fisher “The Traitor”
I don’t think that Fisher is as high on himself as the others on this list. However, I think that he is a weasel and a liar. I was fine with the Jazz letting him out of his contract to care for his daughter. Any father would want to take the best care of their kids. What I don’t understand is why he decided to go to L.A. when his daughter’s doctor is in New York. Maybe no team on the east coast would sign him. Maybe he thought that L.A. was closer to New York than S.L.C. Maybe he flies west to get to New York. But I think that the true explanation is that he wanted to play in L.A. and used his situation to his benefit. I am glad I booed him every time he touched the ball in game 3.

d. Lamar Odom
I swear Odom has an I.Q. of about 25. He seems like an absolute moron to me. There is not much else to say except for the fact that he also is a self worshipper. I just threw up a little bit in the back of my throat while thinking about him.

e. Pau Gasol “The Terrorist” or “Gashole”
I have heard some opinions that he should be higher on the list. However, after going to game 3 I realized that Gashole gets flustered so easily, and for that I hate him less. That is not enough though, to get over the apparent competition between him and Vujacic to see which of the two can go the longest without a shower. Can you imagine the stench that those two must be emitting? Gashole easily wins “Ugliest Man in the League Award.” Of course it took Popeye Jones’ retirement for Gashole to claim the top spot. I couldn't find a great picture of Gashole so I found a very close look-alike.

Now, I have told you why I hate the fans and the players of the Lakers. What I hate the most right now though, is the credit that Kobe is getting these days. All of the media is in love and talk about how he is such a better team player than the past few years. For all of you who think that is true, I have the following words: Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown. Are you kidding me? Who is the idiot in Memphis who made that trade? Kobe has not become a better team player. A better team was given to him. I can’t think of any playoff team in the Western Conference that would not be in the same place as the Lakers if they were given a 7 foot All-Star. I wish that the Jazz could have traded Jarron Collins for Pau Gasol, but Jerry West never played in Utah so it wasn’t going to happen. Anyway, I think that Collins might have been a little too much to give up considering the trade that went down. I hate the Lakers, I hate how the team came to be, I hate their fans, and I hate the love fest in the media.

(the love child of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol)

3. Reggie Miller: Where Incredibly Dumb Comments Happen
This last topic is more of a joke. I do, however, think that Miller rivals Odom for the dumbest person mentioned in this post. I also think that Hubie Brown now has a rival for worst NBA announcer. I guess I should mention the ESPN announcers from the last Jazz vs. Lakers game. They were pretty horrible, and I could almost put them in the running with the other two, but not quite. Reggie Miller is basically the real life Forrest Gump. I enjoyed watching him play, but he should have stayed out of the booth.

So those are the main issues I have with the NBA. I don’t expect everything to be perfect, but with the way things are I grow less and less interested.

the x factor

maybe you've seen the utah jazz playoffs ads about being the "x" factor. the ads are motivational and convey the message that you as a fan can be the "x" factor pushing your team onto victory. well being the big fans that the mr. and i are, we went to the game thursday to try and revive hope in this playoff series against the lakers and test out our "x" factor.

we yelled loudly, jared booed a lot at bryant and fisher, i hit a really loud accordian piece of banner material against my hand until it was raw, and we partied on with the jazz in a great win.

{my sign says, "i am the x factor"}

{confetti falling after the win}

dia, erica and the extra little guy on the way joined us for the game and dinner before. they definitely were the "x" factor.

tune in tonight for game 4. hopefully it's another success--keep your fingers crossed.

*jared keeps talking about this blog post he wants to write, including his thoughts on the nba and its referees. get very exicted. i'm sure you already are. and graduation pics to come soon.*

the madness of march

i'm not sure how familiar any of you are with the term church ball, but it's serious stuff. the mr. and i were married fall of '07, and subsequently moved into our current basement apartment where we go to a family ward of our church. this is where it all started for me.

you see, the mr. loves to play all sports. but you could say he has a special love for basket, as the italians refer to basketball. during the blessed month of march, and yes i did say month, the mr. is most likely found watching ncaa ball, playing byu intramurals, catching up with espn, joining the ward team for more playing action, researching his bracket, etc. you get the point. life for jared = basket, and he loves it.

church ball happens to be one of my highlights. each ward has a team of guys--old men, pre-mish in shape 18-year-olds, dad's who love to reminisce on the glory days of high school, and the newlyweds also tend to make their way out. the dynamic of the varied players, the families and ward members who cheer them on, and the referees and officials create so much drama. it is unbelievable how legitimate the games are and how intense the competition is. it's sheer entertainment, and fantastic entertainment at that.

our ward team played in the tourney over the last few weeks and won in the regional finals saturday. it wasn't just any win; there were flagrant fouls, a player getting thrown against the wall, technical fouls, an announcer complete with music, people yelling, crowds boo-ing, etc. one word: drama. i just can't fathom how people(bishopric members, parents, neighbors, etc.) feel justified with their actions, especially knowing it's church ball. there must be a reason a movie was created to capture all of the drama.

{the championship team}

their prize? t-shirts and cutting down the net, which now has a home on the refrigerator:

2009 First Weekend

Sundance

I ditched my snowboard, which I've used for the last 6 years, and Jared taught me some moves on skis. Is it bad that my snowboard is for sale on KSL right now? He's got skill, and I loved skiing with him.

Our Pad


These two crazies who live in Boston partied with us Friday night. The guys watched the Utes play, and Cath and I snuck out to Riverwoods for some quality shopping.

Menu: Papa Murphy's Pizza and peppermint ice cream/oreo deliciousness prepared by Jared.

Marriott Center

photo: byucougars.com

Last night the Cougs hosted #6 Wake Forest, losing 87-94. Previously BYU had a 53-game home winning streak. The game capped off the Lishes bad luck in sports for the last two weeks. A few football downers mixed in with the Jazz's performances equals nothing good.

How I'm Preparing for Football Season

Jared got a sports magazine in the mail yesterday with an article titled "Football. Finally." I wanted to screem, "Eeeeeek!" while terrible motions of gnashing and wailing of teeth were pictured in my mind.

This guide can be used to help you too if you husband is an addict. Here are a couple of items I’ve penciled in for the many great Monday nights and Saturdays to come:

01. Learn how to sew by making a blanket with Grandma. I’ve never touched a sewing machine before in my life, and even more pathetically I’ve never attempted to attach a button to a shirt! When I'm in a bind Grandma is always available to help out. Thank you Grandma for being the wonderful seamstress you are! I’m going for the Anthropologie bedspread type pick-stitch look (see fabric swatches below). I think it’s adorable with all of the fun colors and patterns! Now, I just need to cross my fingers and hope this learning curve is a little better than the cooking one was to me.

02. Create a wedding album. We are nearly one year after the fact, and there isn’t much organization to the matter. I have collected pics from all of my family, and we did a reshoot with the photographer. Now, I need to decide how to compile all of the pics and turn the album into my wedding memory book to have forever. Ideas?

03. Become a yoga master. When I’m back in Provo I’m going back to yoga. I want to practice, practice, practice so I can get really good. Other benefits include me being more relaxed. I have a tendency to be intense and stress about everything, especially school, and yoga really takes it down a notch for me and makes me relax. Namaste. (picture hands pressed together in prayer formation with head bowing)

04. Be a loving and supportive wife by joining Jared at BYU games. It's fun to be part of the huge student body, and our college days are definitely winding down. I'll sport my white and blue and cheer for the cougars of BYU!

Sidenote: Work has been insanely dull, and I have done absolutely nothing at the office this entire week. Hence, you're reading all of my many blog posts. I finish in the office today and tomorrow the interns are going kayaking for the day. Sigh of relief. The internship officially ends tomorrow. And to top it all off, Jared is in Cali this whole week. I pick him up at the airport tonight. His flight conveniently lands during the women's gymnastics all-around olympic event. I'm debating having him take a cab home. What a mean wife!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game...

I practiced the song a few times through in preparation for this week's Mariners game, and on Tuesday night I was able to sing it live! Oh, baby. I love to sing my little heart out, but for some reason my audience is never too happy to listen (nudge, nudge to Jared, my BFF's and my fam). Baseball games are the best because the other 50,000 people help drown out my disgusting voice, but you better believe I belted those lyrics with all I've got!

Ernst & Young took the interns to Safeco Field. I'm in a really small department--tax--and I don't see all my friends too much so I love when we do get together. The Red Sox were in town, and the stands were filled with just as much red as any other color! What the heck? Actually, I don't care but my husband was pretty disgusted. It's something about bandwagon and teams that always win. The two coolest parts of the game were watching not 1, but 2 bats get broken and of course the garlic fries. Mmm...

Tee Time

If there is one sport I knew I would never enjoy playing, it's golf. Just my luck, I marry Jared who is head-over-heels (if that's even possible for a guy) about walking around for hours on end with an immense amount of patience hitting a tiny ball into a 4-inch diameter hole hundreds of yards in the distance. Yuck!

But I have surprised myself again and think I might be coming around. Every now and again I'll commit to go to the range with my hubby. I usually try to hit a few balls, get extremely frustrated as I don't even knick any part of the ball, and then take a seat and wait it out as J finishes the bucket. Today presented a new and interesting experience: I hit the ball, and I hit it far enough to measure the distance in yards! I am a happy girl.




Here's my little Tiger:



P.S. We didn't go to the desert. Who knew it was possible to take such terrible care of a course, and we're in Seattle where it rains 340 days a year. What the heck? We roll high class.

Batter's Up. . .

The last few weeks have been so nice having a break from school and just working. I get home at 5:00, and Jared and I have all night to relax and have fun together. We joined a co-ed softball team and soccer team to keep us busy. It's been interesting to say the least. Softball started last week and we've had two games thus far. The first game we lost 0-12, and our team never even made it to third base. It was pretty sad. We played our second game last night and won by quite a bit. I played catcher most of the game and struggled to get a hold on the ball. It hit my knee then would bounce behind me somehow. I kept having to chase after it, and I'm pretty sure people could tell I'm an amateur. Soccer starts Thursday. I hope I don't die trying to run the field. It could be scarry.