Why Sevens Rugby Should Be Banned

Published on by Casey Category: Work

Why Sevens rugby should be banned
February 21, 11:21 AM
by Marla White, LA Equestrian Examiner

Last weekend some friends introduced me to the sport of rugby at the 009 IRB (International Rugby Board) Sevens World Series USA in San Diego. I have to confess I had never seen a rugby match and wasn’t sure what to expect. After watching an entire day of sixteen international teams competing at the top level of the game, I’ve come to the
conclusion that Sevens rugby should be banned.

Sevens rugby, invented by the Scots in the 1960’s, is a faster, shorter game than regular rugby. It involves seven men on each team (instead of 15) and they play two seven-minute halves with a one-minute half time. he play is much faster paced than regular rugby – or any other sport on earth for that matter. There are no timeouts and a tackle doesn’t mark the end of the play. Instead of action grinding to a halt every ten seconds it goes on with building intensity, usually until someone scores.

The teamwork involved is amazing. There are no specialty teams; each player runs, throws, kicks and tackles. The combination of grace, speed and strength required of each player is mesmerizing. And afterwards the players made a point of going around the stadium to sign autographs and take pictures with fans. Some other pro athletes could learn a lot from these generous (and often hunky) men.

The most amazing part of the Sevens USA Tournament is the fans. They come from all over, waving flags of every country from Kenya to Samoa to Scotland and their enthusiasm is unwavering from the first match at 10am until it’s over. It’s not just unwavering, it’s contagious. One game you’re booing the guy next to you while the next you’re buying him (or her) a beer. What’s so amazing is that they cheer for anyone who shows heart and courage. For instance, the entire Petco Park broke into thunderous applause for Mexico when they finally scored against Canada and booed the French player who kicked the ball into the stands in a fit of pique. Of course, that didn’t stop the crowd from playing keep away from the official trying to retrieve the ball.

So why should this sport be banned? Because it’s addictive! We’ve already made plans to return to San Diego next year for the 2010 USA Sevens. In the meantime, I’m Googling away to find out where I can get my next rugby fix.

Locally, you can see rugby on TV at The Springbok Bar & Grill at their Los Angeles or Long Beach locations. If you are more adventurous and want to play, Los Angles has a rugby club that recently celebrated its 50th anniversary – who knew?

Bring on the refund!

Published on by Casey Category: Work

Each year my goal is to have our taxes finalized before the end of February.  I am pleased to announce that that is the case this year!  And we will be getting money back too.  Yay!  Although, next year will be an entirely different story, I’m sure, with Homestead.

Speaking of Homestead, we finally met with an accountant last night.  He gave us a lot of good information on what we need to do to get Homestead up and running.  That’s one of my projects today — more figuring on our taxes, income, and insurance needs.  Wish me luck!

Winter has returned

Published on by Casey Category: Colorado, Weather

For a couple of days at least.  We finally got back to cold and snowy weather on Sunday, overflowing into yesterday.  I loved it!  Yesterday’s high was only 11° and this morning when I left for work it was -2°.  The only thing that would have made yesterday’s weather better would have been me curled up on a couch at home, warm, cozy and reading a book (which at the moment happens to be Twilight and I am thoroughly hooked!).  Today and the rest of the week the temperatures are supposed to head back to “normal”, although today we won’t make it above the freezing mark.

I’m just glad that “The Death Turn” in my neighborhood did not ice over. I’m sure the people who live along it are glad as well seeing as how they fixed their fence Saturday from the damage caused during the last snow.

January is part of Winter, right?

Published on by Casey Category: Weather

According to the calendar this is January.  If I remember learning about seasons in elementary school correctly, January is part of winter.  That being said, I think Mother Nature is confused.  Last month definitely felt like winter.  That was when we had 2° highs and -18° lows.  We also had a fair amount of snow last month.  In January we have only seen 3.5″ of snow (3 of which were a surprise as detailed in the previous post), but it’s the temperatures of January that are the most skewed.  We’re not setting any records, but yesterday was near 70°, today it’s supposed to be the same.  Granted, I love sunshine and warmth as all true Californian girls do, but I expect and want my Colorado winters to be brisk and white.

Maybe this means we are going to get pummeled in February and March?  We have barely had any snow this season so far! This time last year we had already received over 2-feet and in 2007 we had over 5!  You can imagine my disappointment.

Can someone please send out a memo to bring winter back!

Surprise!

Published on by Casey Category: Colorado, Weather

I love it when the forecasters are wrong, in my favor.  🙂  Sunday night we went to bed expecting nothing more than a dusting of snow, maybe a 1/2″, since the weather reports said our area would receive 1″ or less.  Think of the surprise when everyone woke up to 3-6″ of snow (depending on metro location).  We ended up with a lovely 3″ at our house.

The only downside to surprise snow is terrible road conditions!  I commute along a 2-lane highway between Lafayette and Boulder, so if there’s a hic-up, you’re pretty much stuck.  Think PCH, for all of you California readers.

My commute is 11 miles, which normally takes 25 minutes during morning rush hour.  Yesterday it took 90!  This is due mainly to un-plowed/snow-packed roads and a broken down bus blocking 1 1/2 of the two lanes.

Noah’s commute was just as bad.  It took him 2 hours to go about 15 miles.  He was supposed to work in Bailey yesterday, but with the roads so terrible (and the fact Bailey had more snow than we did) there just was not a way he would be able to get there and have time to get any work done.

Another fun road fact is that there is a 90° turn in our neighborhood that gets very icy during snow.  When I had the pleasure of driving on it yesterday morning I slipped, slid and “crashed” into a curb.  Thankfully it was only a curb!  Noah told me he also slid on the turn but he has 4wd as opposed to my AWD (which has to engage itself before it does any good) and was able to maintain course.  Last night, when going around the turn on my way home I was glad to see it the road had thawed.  But I also noticed that someone was more unlucky that I and had taken out the fence on the other side of the sidewalk from around where I hit the curb (it was not me!).

Needless to say, snow = pretty; icy roads = long commute.  I miss carpooling to Boulder with Noah behind the wheel.  This California girl is still getting trying to get the hang of ice-driving!

2009

Published on by Casey Category: Whatever

Well, we successfully made it into another year.  The new year came in quietly as Noah and relaxed at home, just the two of us.  On New Year’s Day we we’re pleased with a USC win at the Rose Bowl and went to an Iron Chef themed dinner party.  Each couple was given a secret ingredient and had to make a dish they had never made before.  We were given chicken and were told to make either a finger food or an entree.  I made chicken pot stickers, which fits in either category.  The other ingredients and dishes were:

Beef – taquitos
Spinach – spinach salad
Cheese – jalapeno poppers
Broccoli – broccoli cheese balls
Bread – focaccia
Fruit drink – raspberry-ginger spritzer
Egg – sausage wrapped hard boiled eggs
Caramel – caramel pie

It was a very delicious and fun party, with plans to repeat in 6 months.  Only the 2nd time the ingrediants will be a bit more obscure and we will be allowed one dry one (in case the dish selected is absolutely awful).

I hope all of you enjoyed your new year celebrations as much as we enjoyed ours.  Now, I am trying to gain as much from my last couple of days of vacation as possible before I go back to work on Monday!

When the wind blows, it takes your trashcan away

Published on by Casey Category: Colorado, Weather

You know how people say a tornado sounds like a freight train?  Yeah, I can understand that.

Last night it was very windy and by very windy I mean 64mph.  Noah and I slept terribly because the wind continued to wake us up when we did manage to fall asleep.  Between the loudness of the wind and the sounds of tree limbs breaking and falling in our yard or on our house (have not noticed any damage, but Noah has not been on the roof yet).  I did notice that there is a large Y branch on the porch roof, other smaller branches strewn across the yard and we are missing a trash can.

We have 2 large trash barrels, and 1 large recycle barrel.  The recycle was still standing upright, one trash can was laying down (the cans are all empty since our trash was just picked up on Saturday), and the other trashcan is MIA.  It’s not in either of our yards or in the cul-de-sac.  Perhaps the loud boom we heard of the roof at 3:30 this morning was not a tree limb, but our trashcan!  I guess when Noah climbs onto the roof after work tonight perhaps the mystery will be solved!

Also, just in, the weather service has just issued another high wind watch (last night was a warning) for tomorrow night into Thursday morning.  Woohoo!

Christmas 2008

Published on by Casey Category: Colorado, Family, Weather

No new snow this year on Christmas, but we did have old snow still on the ground and ice on our street.  I think that counts towards a white Christmas.  We still had at least an inch on most of the backyard (North facing).

Christmas was relaxing this year.  Christmas Eve we went to a family dinner at Noah’s grandparent’s house followed by a gathering of friends at, what else, a friend’s house.  Christmas Day we continued our tradition of opening gifts with my family via webcam.  We’ve been doing this since Noah and I moved to Colorado in 2006.  It’s almost as good as being in the same room.

The rest of the day Noah and I lounged around in our pajamas.  With no where to go Noah and I didn’t see any need to get dressed.  One of the gifts Noah gave me was an MP3 player, so I spent several hours ripping CDs to load onto the device.

Today was the first day we ventured back out into public, for church.  We then went around town spending gift cards we recieved as gifts (Bed, Bath & Beyond, Target and Walmart).  Noah still has a gift card for The Home Depot but is not yet sure what he wants to put it towards.

Tomorrow is back to the real world for Noah, working up in Bailey (the town where he grew up).  But not for me!  I’m still off until the 5th!  I have BIG plans for my remaining time off (researching more on setting-up Homestead, cleaning house, taking down Christmas decorations, setting-up the 2009 budget, etc).  I’m sure I’ll find time to lounge around too.

Hope y’all had a great Christmas and have something exciting planned for New Year’s Eve and Day!  I’ll post more on our happenings after the fact.

Arctic Chill Part 2

Published on by Casey Category: Colorado, Weather

This morning the weather channel said it was -17° at 6:30.  Denver just all but obliterated the previously set records.  Yesterday the previous record of -12° (I think) was set in 1901 and smashed by -18°.  Today’s previously set record low of -6° in 1954 was replaced by -19°.  And yet people still by into the global warming mumbo jumbo.

A plus is that our current 10-day forecast shows a 60% chance of snow on Christmas Eve (day).  Woohoo!  Everyone keep your fingers crossed that it stays in the forecast!

Currently the weather channel is reporting a sweltering -1° in Boulder!

Arctic Chill

Published on by Casey Category: Colorado, Weather

Last night we got some more snow and some very cool temperatures too!  The high I saw today was 3° and that was when I got up at 8am!  Right now, the weather channel says it is -8° outside.  I concur that it is quite frigid…enough to make one’s lungs complain when breathing in such cold, frozen air!

Next snow, maybe on Tuesday.  After that nothing in the forecast through the 23rd.  Keep your fingers crossed and pray for Christmas snow!