The idea for this blog started on Thanksgiving....the day of giving thanks for all wonderful things we have been blessed with in our lives. To be thankful for our friends and family, or health and fortune however small or large it might be. To come together with loved ones, enjoy the company of them all and appreciate the love and fondness we have for one another.
After feeling all nice and toasty with a full belly of the nourishment we were all thankful for the "stuff" starts. Christmas lists are brought out, shopping trips are planned and either pennies are pinched or credit cards are brought out to show each other how much we care with "stuff".
What I Love: Christmas. I love the songs, the decorations and the family traditions we have like playing cards on Christmas Eve and whiskey shots on the hour in memory of family we have lost through the years. I love the family all sleeping under the same roof to wake up to a half eaten cookie and note from Santa. I love the day in pajamas playing more cards and eating stocking candy for breakfast. Family.
What Drives Me Nuts: The "stuff". Why do we feel the need to go into debt or spend every penny in our bank account showering our family and friends with gifts. Don't get me wrong, I don't have much money but I do it as best I can. I love getting people gifts but the pressure that you have to get everyone something at the same time of year is overwhelming. Especially noting the fact that most people don't even give gifts that people actually want.
Solution. Year Round Christmas. No, I'm not suggesting decorated trees, fake snow, elves, fat guys in red suits and jingle bells splitting time with the Easter Bunny. I'm saying forget the stress in December, and spread the joy year round. As far as gift giving, try to send notes or things to your friends whenever you get the urge. I have a few friends who I do that with already. And since we've had children we don't buy Christmas presents in December anyway. No, we don't love each other any less, we just understand that a forced gift is not necessary. When picking up a cup of coffee, get a gift card to send to your friend who you wish was joining you. If you see a sweater that would look amazing on your bestie at a clearance sale in April....get it for her. On a hot August day, sip a cold drink and write a letter, by hand, to a distant relative. Trust me, these little things scattered throughout the year will do much more than an extra bottle of lotion from bath and body works on Christmas.
Although, if anyone can find a bottle of discontinued Butterfly Flower, I am all out ;-)
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Why we love sports......
American interest in sports is apparent everywhere you look. T-shirts ranging from little league mommas up to XXXL NFL fans are on every corner. Coffee and water cooler conversations are known to often begin, whether good or bad, with "How 'bout them Cowboys?" From the casual conversationalist to the statistical analyst, it seems like the $70 billion sports industry is highly visible in American culture.
Why has the sports industry been one of the fastest growing industries for decades? As one who currently has 4 different windows open with NCAAF rankings, Fantasy NFL football, NCAAF pick em's, and baseball trading news, this idea began to fascinate me so I opened window number 5 and began research.
Soccer Mom: This is both a beginning and a middle to the obsession. As soon as they're potty trained many children begin their journey into organized sports. Soccer, and tee-ball, then peewee and little league. My child is now 6 and I feel like we are already behind. Unfortunately, as much as I had hoped ever since I found out I had a boy in the womb, my child is not interested in playing organized sports....at least at this point in time. The children are sent out early spending a lot of their free time on a field of some sort connecting this to a way of life and moms (and dads) are eagerly cheering for their wee one to succeed.
Friday Night Lights: Growing up in a small Texas town this was a way of life and the ONLY life as a high school student. The joke was that they closed the only two gas stations in town by 7pm because everyone was at the game. Honestly, I couldn't tell you if that was true or not becuase I was already at the stadium. The energy in the hallways on a Friday in the fall was electric. And homecoming week, you could forget everything else existed. The locker and hall decorating, the pep rallies, the secret gifts to football players. High school football is really many teens first love.
College Gameday Saturdays: As much fun as one has in high school with their school's football team it only grows exponentially in college. In a stadium with over 80k maroon clad fans, tailgates, weekend parties, bowl projections the excitement in the air is unparallelled. This is also where one may begin to start paying attention to the statistics more. Pass percentage, QBR, point spreads, rankings. The numbers game is a fun way to get your math homework in!
The Business Man: And the money...from professional sport team revenues in ticket prices, merchandise and beer sales to both legal and illegal betting the business side is without a doubt impressive.
Check this out from www.americangaming.org :
The Couch Potato: Hot grill. Cold beer. Comfy couch. Nuff said.
Putting it together: Even if you managed not to grow up going and playing sports as a child, and don't have the money, business or math sense to be interested in statistical analysis as an adult, causal sports watching on a Sunday afternoon is a great excuse to have a drink, good food, a great way unwind and relax...unless like me, you're a Cowboys Fan.
Why has the sports industry been one of the fastest growing industries for decades? As one who currently has 4 different windows open with NCAAF rankings, Fantasy NFL football, NCAAF pick em's, and baseball trading news, this idea began to fascinate me so I opened window number 5 and began research.
Soccer Mom: This is both a beginning and a middle to the obsession. As soon as they're potty trained many children begin their journey into organized sports. Soccer, and tee-ball, then peewee and little league. My child is now 6 and I feel like we are already behind. Unfortunately, as much as I had hoped ever since I found out I had a boy in the womb, my child is not interested in playing organized sports....at least at this point in time. The children are sent out early spending a lot of their free time on a field of some sort connecting this to a way of life and moms (and dads) are eagerly cheering for their wee one to succeed.
Friday Night Lights: Growing up in a small Texas town this was a way of life and the ONLY life as a high school student. The joke was that they closed the only two gas stations in town by 7pm because everyone was at the game. Honestly, I couldn't tell you if that was true or not becuase I was already at the stadium. The energy in the hallways on a Friday in the fall was electric. And homecoming week, you could forget everything else existed. The locker and hall decorating, the pep rallies, the secret gifts to football players. High school football is really many teens first love.
College Gameday Saturdays: As much fun as one has in high school with their school's football team it only grows exponentially in college. In a stadium with over 80k maroon clad fans, tailgates, weekend parties, bowl projections the excitement in the air is unparallelled. This is also where one may begin to start paying attention to the statistics more. Pass percentage, QBR, point spreads, rankings. The numbers game is a fun way to get your math homework in!
The Business Man: And the money...from professional sport team revenues in ticket prices, merchandise and beer sales to both legal and illegal betting the business side is without a doubt impressive.
Check this out from www.americangaming.org :
- Overall, Nevada’s legal sports wagering represents less than 1 percent of all sports betting nationwide. In 2011, $2.88 billion was legally wagered in Nevada’s sports books; the National Gambling Impact Study Commission (NGISC) estimated that illegal wagers are as much as $380 billion annually.
- Gross revenue for Nevada’s sports books was $140.7 million in 2011. While more than $2.88 billion was wagered in 2011, more than 95 percent of all bets placed were returned to patrons in winnings.
The Couch Potato: Hot grill. Cold beer. Comfy couch. Nuff said.
Putting it together: Even if you managed not to grow up going and playing sports as a child, and don't have the money, business or math sense to be interested in statistical analysis as an adult, causal sports watching on a Sunday afternoon is a great excuse to have a drink, good food, a great way unwind and relax...unless like me, you're a Cowboys Fan.
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