Sheesh! I'm sorry...

Let me open by saying I apologize for not giving you your Morrisquads fill. I will strive to never let it happen again.... but it will happen so don't kill me. I do have five kids, you know.

OK - several things have kept me from posting recently. They are...

1. My blackberry broke while we were in the rain at the Harrisburg Senators game. Now I realize that I don't write my blog with my blackberry but I use my blackberry in gathering and organizing my ideas. (Stay with me... I'm about to let everyone in on a little secret). Since I carry my blackberry with me all the time, as I notice something that I find funny or humorous I make a note to myself on the blackberry. Then I'll go back to the device when it is time to post and the nuggets of hilariousness are sitting there for me to pluck from my electronic gathering tool. Follow? So - now that I have my blackberry back I'll post more. Okay?

2. I've been "slightly" obsessed with my fantasy baseball team recently. (If you ask Geana or any of my fellow league members the word "slightly" may be replaced with "completely" but I digress...) See - I gave up in early August and traded away my entire team for a few AWESOME players that I am permitted to keep into next year. Well as it turns out - I've skated into the playoffs and I'm actually beating the number one seed this week. I have a team full of guys named "Homer" "Gio" and "Skippy" but somehow I'm winning. He has a team full of superstars making millions of dollars who refuse to sign autographs and like to get drunk at bars with loose women. Anyway - I actually have a legitimate shot at winning this week and I can think of nothing else except winning at the moment (I can't help it... I'm competitive - but in a good way... really... I promise.) Don't get me started... I could go on but in the interest of keeping some readers I'll stop. Here is a cute picture of Sammy following my team and watching the Phils on TV. He's getting obsessed too. (By the way, the screen shows my team at 153pts and my opponent's team at 95. That's Brad Penny on the television - shutting out the Phillies after not pitching in weeks. The Phils have J. Happ pitching. Happ should be winning but he's not because he's on my opponent's team.)


3. School is starting and Geana has a job. For those of you who don't know, Geana got a teaching job for this fall. She has been preparing lesson plans and going to "teacher's only" days at her school. We're also trying to get the kids on a decent school schedule (going to bed early) and get all of their back-packs, lunch boxes, uniforms, etc. ready for the first day. Climbing Mt. Everest would be easier.

4. Lastly - football has started.

Set... HUT!

We played some football today... Sammy was still at Aunt Roe's so that's why there are no pics of him.

Letter to Sammy

Dear Sammy,

I don't know what has happened in the past 5 or 6 months, but all of a sudden you seem to be taking an interest in sports. Your mother and I have even talked about it (yes - we talk about you behind your back). You ask to wear your Phillies clothes, you ask to watch the baseball playoffs, and then you actually follow along for a couple of innings before you get bored.

This is so cool to me!!

Getting up on Saturday's to go to soccer isn't a chore like some of your former activities used to be for you. You seem to really want to go and are excited to be playing. Now - don't get me wrong - I'm not going to be one of those Dads who forces sports on you. I mean - I did theatre in high school and college and actually pursued it as a career for awhile. I am a big sports fan, but I understand that there are other things in life, too. Which is why I LOVE it that you've really taken to playing the piano, too. Dude - this is so awesome! I guess what I'm trying to say is that - more and more - I see myself in you and it is a really weird, and cool thing. Watching you grow up is fun, especially when I can directly associate with what you are doing and are interested in. Your interests may change as the years pass - and that's okay. Every parent says that watching their kids grow up is cool - but until you experience it, I don't think you truly appreciate it.

Next year we'll go to some more Phillies games together and maybe even some Eagles games (if the Steelers have a bye week).

Ok - I'm leaving work now so that you can play me some tunes on the piano before we get ready for bed. Heck - it's Friday - maybe you can stay up and watch the NLDS game with me if you want to. We'll have to ask Mommy... but don't worry - I'll sneak you my XM radio to listen to the game in bed if she says no.

Love,

Daddy

The Greatest Day in Sports

Ok - so today was the best day of sports that I can remember. Here was our day today:

Wake-up - rub eyes with Terrible Towel - get out of bed.

Get all 5 kids dressed in their Steeler's Gear.

Go to the Flea Market down the street where EVERYONE asks, "Are they ALL your kids?" Response: "Yes - one for each Ring - how many kids do you have?"

Come home & watch the Mets blow it on the computer while watching the Phillies win the division on the TV, completing the best comeback season I've ever seen (good thing we weren't wearing Pirate's clothes.)

Go to Grandma & Grandpap's house and watch the Steelers (lose).

Put kids to bed.

Blog while watching Roberto Clemente special on ESPN.

Watch the Eagle's Game.

Go to bed.

Next week - Divisional Series.

Gear from 'da Burg.

We were going through the fall clothes from last year in an attempt to find some stuff that still fits the kids. Turns out they've grown a lot in the past year and hardly anything is gonna fit. Bummer...

We did strike (black &) gold, though. We found a bunch of old Steeler's Gear. It was pretty cool going through that stuff... If you are a Steeler Fan in the Drexel Hill area - PAY ATTENTION - there will be some significant Black & Gold to be sold at the MOM sale in October in the 18 to 24 month range. We did find ONE set of Steeler outfits that still fit the girls. They are the cheerleader uniforms that every team makes for the young girly fans - Anna & Ella will be wearing them every Sunday from now until January. For the boys - we have one Steeler's sweatshirt that used to be Sammy's and one Hines Ward jersey that used to be Sammy's so we'll be able to get through the season. We also found a Brian Dawkin's jersey that fits the boys... but somehow it found it's way into the "for sale" box... don't ask me how.

Fake Money

This football season I've decided to start betting on 4 or 5 games a week. Mind you - we have no money and we also have seven mouths to feed on a single salary... needless to say - I had to be responsible (and creative).

The plan: I came up with a spreadsheet showing all of the games for any given week, along with the point spread and the odds taken from www.covers.com. The spreadsheet calculates how much I win based on the fake money that I wager. I know... I know... this may seem pathetic to some - but for me it quells my competitive urges while guaranteeing that I keep food on the table for the wife and kids. See - when it comes to sports betting, I'm not motivated by $$, I'm motivated by being able to be more successful than my friend Bill (who I have convinced him to participate in this ridiculousness with me). Like every other fantasy sports endeavor that we embark upon, I'm bound to kick his ass.

We each started the season with a bankroll of $1000, and I'm trying, as best I can, to wager with this "money" as if it were real cash (although I was tempted to throw $500 on the Bengals (-6) in Week 2 over the Browns (-Frye) good thing I didn't do it). Week one I went 2-3 and lost about $30. Week 2 I went 2-2-1 and pretty much broke even. I have yet to have that big week, but this week is it... I'm sure. This week I'm taking the following 2 games as definite locks:

Detroit vs. Philadelphia (-6.5) at -110 odds:
I've had the opportunity to watch the Eagles for two games and their offense looks PATHETIC. The Eagles, again, have no legitimate WR threat. Everytime they throw to Curtis, he's covered like muslim woman. Their special teams suck and McNabb has clearly lost a step. The defense looks solid, but doesn't make up for what they lack on offense and special teams. Detroit has gone 2-0 and are looking really good in the first 2 weeks under offensive coordinator, Mike Martz. The Lions are looking to make a statement by coming into Philadelphia and winning against a "top" opponent. This is one of those games, I think, that the line is completely flipped if this game were to be played in week 14. Detroit 17, Iggles 10.

San Diego vs. Green Bay (+3.5) at -110 odds:
I'll take the home dog on this one. San Diego's offense has yet to get it going. Granted they've played the best two defenses in the league, but I think they are playing the 3rd best this week. Green Bay's defense has given up just 13 PPG after 2 weeks. San Diego is coming off of a short week as well and Philip Rivers can't seem to clear his head. Give me the Packers at Lambeau. Packers 24, Chargers 21.

I won't bother wasting your time with my picks from the past two weeks, but I'll post my results on Monday for this week's games. Please take pleasure in seeing how much I suck at this...

New Quadcast Episode - #10

I just uploaded a new episode of The Quadcast. If you have not listened recently, please check it out at www.quadcast.podshow.com - or you can listen at www.morrisquads.com.

I talk a little bit about it in the podcast, but this weather is awesome. Does anyone else feel like going outside and playing football? Sammy and I threw around the old "nerf skin" this weekend. Let me tell you - it was a blast. Then we went to Grandma & Grandpap's house to watch the Steelers play. It really took me back to the old days when I would go to Gram's house for football with my parents. Maybe it's the weather, maybe it's the Steelers, or maybe it's me watching Sammy grow up, I'm not really sure - but I had the best weekend that I can remember. It was actually the first time that we've gone outside and threw around a football. We've played baseball, but never football and he was a natural. You can tell he's from da 'burgh.

I'm not trying to jump forward or anything in saying this, but I can't wait for the quads to be old enough to come out and play with us. WE COULD PLAY AN ACTUAL GAME!! How awesome is that going to be??? I've joked about it since they were born, but I'm starting to see it be a legitimate possibility in the next year or so. That's gonna be SWEET!

Ok - Geana just got home and needs the laptop. Posting to this site is so much easier than updating our site for every blog.

Tomorrow... 1st day of school for the babies! EXCITING!!!