Miscellaneous Missives

The Caribou I stopped at this morning asked the question, "What is Brett Favre's number?" This is easy enough... #4! Today Favre surpassed Marino's touchdown record with numbers 421 and 422. I couldn't help but agree with Chris Berman this morning when he stated, "Rooting for Brett Favre is like rooting for America." Maybe it's a bit simplistic, but I'll go along with it. After all, he's "more than just a pretty face." Besides watching Green Bay beat the Vikings is always a good use of my time. Listening to the Rams proved to be a poor use of my time, so I shut off the Rams, took the Packers off mute, and enjoyed the remainder of the game. This season may be a long season for the Rams, but it will be a fun year for the Pack! The Pack is 4-0 and the youngest team in the league. Favre more records: attempted passes, touchdown throws, and winning games.

Cubs Win! Although it's probably been a decade since Harry Carey called the Cubs games, I think a Holy Cow is appropriate. The Cubs have won the division for the first time since 2003. If you remember the Cubs playoff run when the fan in the stands grabbed for the ball, you remember 2003. For weeks I've been silently thinking we (the Cubs, Cubs fans everywhere, and me) were going to win the division this year, but I really didn't want to take any chances and jinx it. Honestly, I'm not a huge baseball fan because I find the game a bit boring. I get really excited when the Cubs are doing well, and I like to watch games during the playoffs. Actually living in Minnesota makes me get a little bit excited about the Twins too. Anyway, back to the Cubs... Waiting four years for a play-off birth is exciting. Today I even went on-line and bought a play-off t-shirt. Actually I've even contemplated trying on the Cubs shorts I bought in the late 80s... only in private!...

I love the fall colors. Of course I am talking about the changing hues of the trees and foliage, but it is also the wonderful sunrises and sunsets. My morning drives east on 494 have been vivid. With some good sense, I have resisted taking a picture while I'm driving. Tonight, as I was leaving a friends house, the moon was brilliant as it danced with the clouds. Although I did pull over to take the picture, it was safer than rush hour traffic. Unfortunately, the picture is not really worth "a thousand words," but at least it shows a bit of contrast.

I often stop at the Nicollet and 45th Caribou on the way to work since most local coffee shops don't open early enough for me to stop before work. This morning I actually left in giggles. The barista today was talking about how he used to own his own coffee shop which is a story I've heard before. He also mentioned how he likes this job better than his previous job because he can grow out his hair and beard. If you ask me, it's not an attractive look, but he seems like a nice enough guy. Anyway... The gentleman before me was quitting his job today. Barista- Good luck quitting your job. Guy- Thanks man! Barisa- I highly recommend everyone does it at least every two years! Why did I find this humorous? I really don't know, but I was honestly giggling as I left.

I often talk about the fact that each year I seem to have to "dumb down" my curriculum to meet the needs of my students. A lot of it probably has to do with video games and other technology. The truth is I also feel my intelligence wane with each day. Lately I feel like I can't come up with the vocabulary I need to express my ideas. Maybe it's the reality television such as Kid Nation, which I'm currently watching, that has led to my demise. This evening I went with a colleague to see Sharon Flake, a YA author. Although I was excited about visiting the author and seeing the program, I was also tired. I'm getting sick and even though I received acupuncture today, it might be too late. Anyway, we drove to St. Paul for the festivities. On the way I mentioned I was tired and would be happy at home watching Kid Nation. When we entered the YWCA (location of the event), we realized it was not what we had expected. Our picture was taken with Sharon Flake, a...

I now have one more reason to love Brad Pitt. I realize that I am shallow and my taste in men is often dependent on looks, but Mr. Pitt is a humanitarian too. He is working on a 150 sustainable low income homes in New Orleans (the "Make it Right" project).

I have a gluttonous behavior especially when it comes to sweets. This should not come as a surprise to anyone. A week ago today I purchased a box of cookies "All Natural Sandwich Cremes-- Vanilla." It is a Whole Foods 365 brand. They are YUMMY! The first night I ate a few before I looked at the calorie content. After perusing the side of the box, I stopped before I ate any more. Tonight I ate the last five cookies. Five sandwich cremes sound fairly innocent. The facts are less innocent. I ate the entire box in one week. There are 42 cookies in the box. Each cookie has 65 calories. Each box has 2,730 calories. If one divides 2,730 calories by seven days, it equals 390 calories a day. 390 calories a day in cookies. Obviously this does not count the other food I ate during these eight days. Next time I decide to purchase the "All Natural Sandwich Cremes," I will make sure I freeze at least half of the box. They (those dietitian experts) recommend 1,00...