Remember when...

I wrote lots of posts every couple days? Let's try that again...I'm in NYC for the weekend with the lovely E.S.R. We had out official Christmas together and exchanged several gifts. I bought E a new IHome. The one she had really didn't work correctly any longer and it was simply long over due. For my big present, E is actually taking me out to a nice dinner...food happens to be one of my favorite things in the world so it works out.

Sports thoughts: Sox have potential for next season but don't expect the title. They needed a big bat in their lineup (Bay or Holliday) and neither happend. Addition by subtraction? I don't buy it. B's...average...not end to the title draught this year. Pats...first playoff game this weekend...they will probably win because without Welker they really are a completely different team and the element of surprise will help them win. Beating San Diego or Indy? Not without Welker. Better luck next year. Celts, Boston's best shot at a title this year. A few injuries but nothing they can't overcome. A finals matchup against the Lakers will be the most likely of cases. With a balanced bench, an unbelievable starting 5 and probably the second best defender in the league next to KG (Sheed) I think the Celts will be raising yet another banner come next October.

Alright...I'm out...see ya in...a few days hopefully?

The new me...

As of yesterday yours truely is BACK on a diet. As of March 8, 2009 I stand at a whooping 242 lbs. Just seeing that number makes me want to scream. That means that since January of 2007 I have put on 42 lbs. Thank you Chris Evans for going to Rome for a semester and leaving an unmotivated me in a world where unhealthy is cheap.

I want/need/desire to go under 200 this time. I want to be at the most 190 lbs. Do-able. Caloriecount.com says i should be dropping 1-2 lbs. a week and that I should be completed by September of this year. I'm not as concerned about the exercising. I can manage that. In 2 days I have gone from burning 350 calories to 500. Little by little that number should grow.

I am concerned about my eating habits. I have always been someone who craved the bad stuff. Maybe because of an addiction I gained as a young child, who knows. It's hard to pass by a Wendy's or a Mickey D's and not want to stop. The thought goes through my mind a lot. However, I have to force myself to think about the consequences; losing a day of exercise for a single burger, adding more calories and fat, this list could go on for a while.

I'm confident I can do this. I'm confident that I can keep the weight off this time. I'm confident that the new me will be more energetic and controlling of my hunger. 190 lbs, here I come.

Whitty Sports Title Here

USA just beat Canada to start their part in the World Baseball Classic. This team has no excuse to not win the championship this year. Baseball was born in America, therefore we should be producing the world's best players. We cannot be eliminated by Italy. However, if we make it to the championships and lose to Japan I might be able to understand that. Some people just don't care about the whole WBC but I think it's something that should have been instituted a long time ago.

Celtics beat the Cavs last night, they are now 4-2 without KG. This team clearly misses the big man on defense but members of the bench have been stepping up and playing well enough to help the team. The Celtics are also 3-1 since the Stephon Marbury Era began. He is averaging 14 minutes a game, 2.5 points a game on 5-16 shooting. Reports say they he is 3 weeks away from being fully integrated with the Celtics. Come playoff time he's going to be very important to this team coming off the bench. I still think this deal was necessary for the Celts to go far in June.

Bruins appear to be on the right track again. After a tough stretch in which they lost 9 of 12 games, today Mark Recchi added 2 goals to help B's to a 5-3 victory. That's all I can really talk about with the Bruins, be impressed I was able to come up with Recchi's name.

Uconn can't be Pitt.

Red Sox really suck at spring training games, good thing they don't count for anything.

Thats all.

Saturday night dinner

Somebody make this for me and then invite me over...

Shrimp Scampi

Ingredients
2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined - tails left on
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
1 small onion, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup shrimp stock, recipe follows
2 tablespoons cold butter
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
Lemon slices, for garnish
Rice, as accompaniment

Directions
Season the shrimp thoroughly with salt and pepper. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add enough oil to lightly coat the pan. Add the shrimp and quickly saute until just starting to turn pink, but not cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onions and saute just until they begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice, white wine, and stock, and reduce by 2/3, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp back to the pan and swirl in the butter. Finish with the parsley and check for seasoning. Garnish with lemon slices and serve over rice.

Instrument of the week

This is probably my favorite instrument, enjoy.

A djembe (pronounced /ˈdʒɛmbeɪ/ JEM-bay) also known as djimbe, jenbe, jymbe, jembe, yembe, or jimbay, or sanbanyi in Susu; is a skin covered hand drum, shaped like a large goblet, and meant to be played with bare hands. According to the Bamana people in Mali, the name of the djembe comes directly from the saying "Anke dje, anke be" which literally translates to "everyone gather together", and defines the drum's purpose. "Dje" is the verb for "gather" in Bamanakan, and "be" translates as "everyone" in Bamanakan.

It is a member of the membranophone family of musical instruments: a frame or shell (in the djembe's case it is a shell) covered by a membrane or drumhead made of one of many products, usually rawhide. Djembes are commonly about 12" (30 cm) in diameter and 24" (60 cm) in height, varying a few inches. They can also be found at many smaller sizes, from 5" (13 cm) up to 18" (46 cm) in diameter. As a result of the goblet shape, the density of the wood, the internal carvings, and the skin, there is a wide range of tones that can be produced by the djembe. The rounded shape with the extended tube of the djembe body forms a device known in physics as a Helmholtz , giving it the deep bass note. The primary notes are generally referred to as "bass", "tone" and "slap", though a variety of other tones can be produced by advanced players. The slap has a high, sharp sound and the tone is more "round" and full. The bass is the lowest.
Some consider the ashiko to be male and the djembe female.

SNOW DAY!!!!

Horray for snow!!!

What shall I do with myself today?

Probably not a whole lot.

FInishing the chinese I ordered last night. Probably have to listen to my roommates act stupid.

I promise there will be more posts to come.

Marbury era: 1-0

So far so good. Steph said good things yesterday and appeared to have good chemistry with his team. Please, please, please, please, please keep this up.

I'm all by myself this wonderful looking Saturday. Thank you roommates for leaving.

I'll find some hopefully entertaining for 5 minute posts later on today.