I escaped to Gig Harbor last night to try to get a good view of the Perseid Meteor Shower, thinking getting away from the city would cut down on the light polution and lying out on the beach and watching the "show" would be nice. Well, I was right about both those things, except the "show" turned out to be a real dud. I'm a little disappointed, especially considering I remember a few times being down at Rockaway Beach (OR) and seeing quite a few meteors.
8/14/2002
too freakin' hot...
I played another indoor game tonight. Last weeks game was more or less a "pick up" game, because the other team was a no-show (forfeit) so it was good to kick a ball in "anger," so to speak. We won handily, 13-8 (consider the fact that with the "extra player of you're down by five or more" and they scored only their first two goals "even strangth"). I "only" scored I goal, despite tons of great chances. My shots have just been off lately, however tonight I did a lot of positive things that just don't show up on the score sheet.
Here are some sports-related "random thoughts:"
If I ran a PGA golf tournament, I would try to do something truly unique with the format. Many top courses actually have 27 holes (Salahee, where next week's NEC Invitational is taking place, is one of them) however, when the pros come to play, they only use 18 of them. Well,I Iwould use all 27. I would think of it as three separate 9-hole courses, A, B, and C. Thursday through Saturday, each nine-hole course would be played twice, with 18 holes a day. The field would be divided into thirds, with group 1, for instance, playing A and B, then B and C, then A and C, with each of the groups rotating through in a similar fashion. The groups could be decided by seeding the players, or just random draw, or both (seeding the top few, the drawing the rest, like major tennis tournaments). Most "normal" tournaments have the "cut," where about half the field is eliminated, after Friday (when the first two rounds have been completed). In the Jake Championship, the "cut" would take place after Saturday, and eliminate all but the top 30 golfers. Then, on Sunday, the 30 players left would play all 27 holes, with their score from the first three rounds being cut in half before the final round. For example, if a player came into Sunday with a -5, it would be converted to -2.5, or a +4 becomeing a +2 (even par would of course stay even). This would weight the final-round score as a larger factor in their final standings. I think it's a brilliant idea.
Here's a thought for the NFL: Only 2 preseason games, then a week off before the regular season. Teams could feel free to schedule "practice games" if they felt they need more "games." The NFL preseason is too long and pointless.
Is it just me or is it an absolute no-brainer decision for Major League Baseball to contract Montreal and Tampa Bay, if they really want to go through with contraction. Why would any other teams even be discussed????!
And on that note, Bud Selig has been unfairly villified all along as the "comissioner" of baseball. I say this because he isn't a comissioner at all. Don't get me wrong, I don't like Selig any more than anyone else, but a true sports-league "commissioner," and his office, should act semi-independently in the best interests of the game. Selig is merely an owners lackey (and an owner himself) and his actions are merely a reflection of Major Legue franchise owners as a whole. What the fuck do baseball fans Expect????!!
I'm a little surprised at how everyone seems to think, and expect, the Hawk's to sign a veteran quarterback, now that Dilfer is out for a few weeks. Okay, exactly what the hell do you do with the guy when Dilfer returns, and what about the salary cap? Think, people... is isn't as obvious as you think it is, is it!
On this note, I'm shocked with how "hindsight thinking" dominates fan's and media's opinion and coverage. Perfect example, former Mariner Derek Lowe tearing it up for Boston this year. Mariners fans LOVE to grumble about how the team is always trading away "great" players. Heres the problem, until this year, Lowe had been Mediocre at Best, and in fact last year stunk it up pretty bad. He has been a real revelation this year, and is having a "career year."
8/12/2002
I really don't like this hot weather. I know that 80 is "hot" by most people's definitions, but it is to me, and I really don't care for it. I'm not sure what the official high for today was, but I do know that tomorrow they are calling for "mid-to-upper-80's" which doesn't sounnd pleasant at all. I'll have to find a nice cool place to ride it out.
The good news is, it should be clear for the Perseid meteor shower which peaks today through Wed night.
8/11/2002
It't time to post something again, ain't it?
Well, I've started building the waterfall/pond landscaping "feature" at my aunt's house in Gig Harbor. I spent a few days down there last week, and am going to head down tomorrow, it seems to be rounding its way into shape.
Yesterday, I made a batch of beer, Andy's dunkelweizen, for the cuz's wedding in October, then headed for T&A's house, where we had some chili, played some croquet, watched some football, and played some Cranium. Ostensibly, we were there to have some watermelon they were trying to get eaten, but I don't even Like watermelon.
Today, Tyler and I hiked up Mt. Townsend (in the Olympics, near Quilcene). It is a great dayhike, with great views of almost the entire Puget basin, and into Sequim and Port Angeles, and even across the Strait to Victoria.
Porblem was, it wasn;t what we set out to do. We had planned to "hike" up to Lake Constance, which is only 2+ miles (one way), but a gain of 3300'!!! It sounded like a real adventure, with a warning that is was more of a "route" than a trail, and for experienced hikers only. It turns out the road into that area was washed out, making the hike 3 miles longer (one way). That was a little more than we bargained for, and seeing as how Tyler and I hadn't gotten off to the earliest of starts this morning (thanks to all the beer last night) we decided the Mt Townsend hike was a prudent choice. The road to Lake Constance trailhead may not be fixed for a couple years, but it's one I'm definitely keeping on the "to do" list.
