Hobbies/Borders closing

I love to read.  Love it!  However, like most things, I'm all or nothing.  What has happened to the bookstore?  I love books.  Love to re-read good books.  Love going to the bookstore and browsing.  When I was younger, I used to go to the library w/my dad all the time.  Nowadays, everyone just goes online to Amazon or uses an E-reader like the Ipad or kindle.  Those intrigue me, but I'm not ready to abandon good old fashioned books quite yet. 

I went to Borders on sunday because they've filed for Chapter 11 and are closing many of their stores, including the 3 nearest to me now and the 1 closest to my parents' home.  Sad.  Barnes and Nobles filed last year too I think.  Borders had a big sale, 20 - 40% off the whole store.  It was insane in there.  The cafe was already closed and the shelves were thinning quickly.  The line in there was probably 50 deep.  I bought 2 books, which I've read already, and a juggling set.  Yes, you heard me correctly, a juggling set.  I'm impulsive and like to try new things and am gonna give it a whirl.  Maybe it'll make me feel better that so many bookstores are closing. 

Corona + Computer = BAD

DON'T, I repeat don't spill Corona or any other liquid on your computer.  Unfortunately that is exactly is what I did to the keyboard on my laptop last week.  At first I thought it was fine.  I wiped it off and the keyboard worked.  The next day, however, the computer still turned on, but now I couldn't type anything.  I brought it in and luckily its only the keyboard that needs to be replaced and not the motherboard and/or the whole damn thing.  Still, its gonna cost me over $100, no access to it at home, and no Warcraft playing.  Its about a week now, and I'm hoping I'll get it back today.  Nowadays, you basically can't even function without a computer or a cell at home.

So kids, lesson of the day, don't drink/eat anywhere near your computer.

The Void

What you may ask is the void?  The void is the period beginning with the end of the Super Bowl and March Madness.  It lasts about a month and a half or so.  Still confused?  Basically, the void is the time in which there are no major sporting events that are really that meaningful, in my eyes of course. 

Sure, there's hockey, NBA, and regular college basketball.  There's no college football, NFL, MLS, or baseball though.  Hockey just had its all star game a few weeks ago and the NBA hasn't had theirs yet.  Even the Pro Bowl now takes place in the week before the Super Bowl.  At least I follow the Premier League and thats decent watching material.  Unfortunately, all those sports are right in the middle of their seasons.  And their seasons are quite a grind. 

Well, at least this year's void will be a little easier to stomach as I can reminisce and bask in the Super Bowl win!

THE CHAMPS!

WOW!  Where to even begin?!  Many words come to mind, amazing, unbelievable, historic, etc.  I know tons of people have already written and blogged about the Super Bowl and the state of the packers, but I'm gonna add my two cents as well.

15 years has been a long time to wait, but oh how sweet it is!  There are so many reasons why this win feels so much more special.  With all the adversity during the season that they had to go through and even during the game, it feels like the team was destined to win.  I think the Packers put 12 players on IR this year.  A few would have been major stars/contributors (Ryan Grant, Jermichael Finley, Nick Barnett) just to name a few.  They may even have had Pro Bowl years.  Did the Packers blink?  NO?  The next man stepped up (James Starks, Desmond Bishop, Frank Zombo, Eric Walden, etc.), and performed just as well.  Even during the game (Woodson, Shields, Driver) all had injuries, but all they did was to inspire our team to victory. When Charles broke down at half and couldn't say anything inspiring, he didn't need to.  They knew what to do.

Another reason why the win means so much is the the long wait and finally being able to step out of Favre's considerable shadow.  15 years is a long time.  There are longer waits than that, but its still a long time.  Not to mention the last time we were in the SB, we lost and the fact that we've been very close to getting to the big game a few times in the last 5 years.  Much has been said about Rodgers' character, his great handling of the Favre situation, and now winning and equaling his SB titles as well is awesome and should be applauded.  And to think, going into this postseason, everyone wondered whether he could win a playoff game since he was 0-1.  Well, he's won the biggest of them all and we have our answer.

Being the #6 seed and winning it all makes it that much more impressive.  The last team to do so is of course, the Steelers.  Not only did the Packers win 3 road playoff games just to get to the Super Bowl, but they basically played 6 straight playoff games.  To make it that much better, they beat the Bears twice in that stretch.  Around week 14, everyone thought they were dead in the water.  Then that crazy finish in the Eagles/Giants game opened the door and the Pack ran through and never looked back.  The season had turned them into battle hardened vets, and now victors.

The scary part of all this is that we are built to win now (obviously), and possibly for a very long time.  The roster is one of, if not, the youngest roster in the NFL.  Grant and Finley will be back next year.  Hopefully so will Barnett and Hawk (possible contract issues).  A lot of rookies got a lot of playing time this year (Bulaga, Shields, Walden, Zombo).  Raji and Matthews are only in their 2nd year.  Rodgers is 27, in the prime of his career.  McCarthy wants to stay forever.  S-C-A-R-Y!

Victory!  Oh how sweet it is!

GUNG HAY FAT CHOY!!!

Happy new year to all!  It is now the year of the Rabbit.  Chinese new year is one of my favorite holidays!  Its somewhat unique to me in that although I have a lot of family, I don't have too many Chinese friends.  It becomes almost a personal holiday for me cause I often celebrate w/a few non-Chinese friends.  Usual, more traditional, celebrations may include a parade, lots of fireworks, one of those dragon dances, and eating.  We Chinese like to eat...a lot.  If we can eat some 'da been lo' (hot pot) then were in the money!

Da Been Lo is kind of like fondue, but done with boiling water.  Everything comes raw/uncooked (beef, chicken, pork, squid, fish balls,lettuce, noodles, more food that I'm sure I can't remember right now) and is cooked in the boiling water in an electric pot that you put in the middle of the table.  Everyone gets 2 sets of chopsticks, one for raw and one for cooked, a plate, and a small bowl with sauce.  My mom makes a hoisin, peanut mixed sauce...tasty.

The best part of the new year is getting the little red envelopes.  Red, the chinese color for prosperity, and inside you of course get $.  Its a beautiful thing.  Usually I take that $ and spend it right away at the bar.  I've had a few legendary, raucous nights on the new year w/the $ from the red envelopes.  I've also been known to occasionally only speak cantonese, what few words and phrases I know.  So, for all of you that now know that its Chinese New Year's, have a drink or 6, eat some Chinese food, and hopefully you'll get a red envelope.

Sun Tai Geen Hong!  Sun Leen Fai Lok!