redoverred

It seems as if most of the posters I have stuck around for are fed up with the changes made here at CBS.  I think my time here is coming to an end as well.  It is getting too hard and slow to navigate and now I won't recognize most posters becasue they will be forced to change avatars they have had for years.  This place is not the same community I once knew and looked forward to coming to every day.  Now I dread it.

So, where are you heading to?  Where is the safe haven where we can go back to being ourselves?

I am sending my prayers and thoughts to all those on the banks on the Mississippi.  At least 11 levees broke today in Iowa and there are more to come, some estimate between 20-30 more will break.  A friend in St. Louis sent pictures and my jaw dropped. They aren't expected to crest until Sat. and just the rain fall puts them at 39 ft.  Sullivan Blvd is completely under water as are the stairs up to the Gateway Arch.

In May of 2005 I left my job on the river to come home to Seattle to have my son.  Unfortunately August was the worst month of my life.  I was glued to the news channels, all of them, scanning the crowds for familiar faces.  Every 504 and 601 number in my cell was disconnected.  I cried and cried for days hoping my friends were all ok.  There are some that I still have never heard about even almost 3 years later.

I'm praying for dry weather (so far it looks good) and that the remaining levees hold.  I miss traveling the river and visiting all the ports, big and small, along the way.  Most had some kind of water mark for 93, some were high on the first building and some were three blocks up the hill.  Here's hoping the marks stay close to the river and low on the bridge.

Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday to me

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MMeeEE!!

Happy birthday to me

Some of you may already know but I coach girls volleyball and have for many years.  Every year I run into the same problem.  Everyone is motivated by different things, so how do I motivate them as a team? I am sure there are several other coaches out there- what works for you? 

My team has finally figured out how to play to their potential no matter the opponents skill level.  Every coach knows the 'play your game' mantra.  Now the challenge is to motivate them to improve on what they can already do.  Even the pro's are constantly refining theri skills, so why don't the girls understand that you have to continually work at improving.  It seems like I have much more belief in them than they do.  I wish they could see what I see.

This is a problem much larger than sports though.  Take a walk through any high school these days, eyes are just glazed over hoping to make it through the day.  Where are the goals?  Where is the drive to make it on thier own?  I am still amazed at how much 'stuff' teenagers have; video games, wardrobe to die for, mp3 players, tv's in their room, ect.  Where does all this stuff come from and how much do they actually have to work for it?  My town is overrun by kids just out of school who have no idea what it takes to live on their own.  A job flipping burgers doesn't pay enough to cover rent let alone anything extra.  yet they get a $300 paycheck and promptly spend $50 on DVDs or video games or cigarettes.

What motivates you and how do you motivate others around you?

I believe in rooting for who beat you and it makes it easy when you get beat by one of the best. RenaissanceMan started a thread on the GB page and I answered in longwinded fashion and have now decided to post it here as well. Enjoy one of my favorite football memories;
 
I share a few sets of season tickets here in Seattle.  I have been attending games for almost 20 years now (why does that make me feel old?) but I have never been able to see Favre live in all that time.  Last year the Packers came here for MNF and one of the other guys drove in from Montana to go to the game.  Luckily for me, he is a wuss!  The roads were icy and the snow just kept comming.  I left as soon as I got the call that he didn't want to go 'cause of the weather.

Brett Favre in the snow!!! Dream come true for any true football fan (especially if you don't live in GB).  I had 53 miles to go with the trip to pick up the tickets and get to the stadium.  It took 4 hours and we didn't get there till halftime. It's the only game I have ever missed kick off.  My usual route takes me down one of the steepest roads in Seattle so I had to go around, it seemed like every other street was closed.  I can not repeat the foul mantra I was chanting the whole way!

I'm pretty sure we were winning when I got there but to tell you the truth I was just glad to be there.  I never left my seat, standing only, not even to get beer!  I don't remember a whole lot from the game except that I believe we got a sack in the last chance drive. It was like I was a kid again just watching for the pure joy of seeing one of the greatest ever.  When I was little I would just watch the great players because I didn't yet understand the entire game. 

At 0:00 Brett went straight for the tunnel and only when Holmgren called him over did he shake hands with anyone.  Mike skipped the head coach to go for Brett.  (I wish he didn't like him so much sometimes- like last Sat.)  Then it was time to go home.  Ha Ha!  It had continued to snow through the game and was even colder than when I left the house. 

This time we only had 26 miles to go to get home.  Easier said than done.  There were so many stranded cars that they kept sending out more and more busses.  Unfortunately they sent them with out chains. (For the life of me I can't figure out why)  So the streets were littered with hundreds of stranded cars AND busses!! Seven hours later I finally made it to bed.  We had been in the car for almost 4 and not yet made it out of the city limits when we found a Subway that had never closed because the guys working realized they weren't going to be able to get home either.  Thank God they decided to capitalize on the situation.  They had the music going and they had gotten a case of beer from the convinience store next door, but best of all they had hot food!  People walked for miles ditching thier cars it was really funny how it all happened.  More than half of us still had our faces painted and jerseys on from the game.

The whole night was one of my favorite game experiences ever.  My all time favorite was also Green Bay on MNF.... my son was born on a monday and the first thing we did as a family once the visitors were gone was watch MNF at Lambeau Field from my hospital bed.

On another note- though I am sad my Hawks are out I am glad Brett gets to play the Championship game in Green Bay!! Almost like it was written in the stars, I'll be cheering for you the whole way.