Pussy Cat

So we recently added a 6 month old kitten to our household. Why? I have no idea... He is funny though, very sweet at times and certainly gives the dog some mental exercise. I got my way when it came to names, so he is called Jedi. I think Ginger gave in on this to insure that the name has been used, so we can't call any future children that ... Little does she know, always two there is... Anyway, the name Chewbacca still hasn't been used...

We've noticed something strange about him over the couple of weeks we've had him. He possesses none of the grace and balance familiar in the feline community. He's clumsy. He's fallen off chairs, off the sofa, off the bed. Each time he climbs up on our balcony railings it's heart in mouth time. We're only on the 1st floor so he should be okay if he falls, but given his balance issues, will he be able to turn?

Dixie, our 90lb Cane Corso Mastiff, has settled down now. She was beyond interested when he first arrived, but now he's just kinda boring to her. Doesn't stop her from having a good ol' sniff of his arse every now and again, but we do seem to have broken her chase instinct with regards to him. The squirrels and chipmunks around the place still need to be on guard though.

So wish us, and him, luck as we all get to know each other.

Fantasy Baseball Dynasty League Rounds 1 & 2

What is a Dynasty League and why are you doing it?

I'm taking my enjoyment of baseball and fantasy baseball to a new level this year by joining a Dynasty League. This is where you draft a team and you keep the whole team year after year. As well as the Major League players, you also draft a Minor League team as well made up of prospects who aren't yet playing in the MLB but are potential future stars. It's a new challenge for me from the fantasy perspective, but it also motivates me to learn more about the baseball set-up when you get below the MLB teams. Living in Hoover, I am just about a mile away from Regions Park where the Birmingham Barons play. They are a Minor League team affiliated to the Chicago White Sox. I've been to one of their games but plan to attend more next season.

My team and draft details.

I named my team the Scotlabama Bluenecks - a homage to Scotland and Alabama and a take off of the 'redneck' perception about people from this part of the world. There are 14 members in the league and I was randomly selected to have the 12th pick. We are doing a snake draft, so I pick 12th in the first round, 3rd in the second, 12th in the fourth etc.

Round 1

It's round 1 and I'm watching who those ahead of me are taking with interest. I'm surprised early on to see that Alex Rodriguez has not been picked. I would have taken him with any pick from 2nd onwards. Is it possible he could drop to me in the 12 hole??? That would be one hell of a coup!!! No. He goes to 7th overall. So much for that little flutter of excitement. It gets to me and I know who I want. I take Ian Kinsler who plays 2B with the Texas Rangers. He is the first 2B taken in the draft and this promotes some discussion. 2B is traditionally shallow in baseball - there isn't a huge amount of fantasy impact players out there. The traditional thinking is that Chase Utley is the best 2B in baseball, and there is a lot of merit to that. However, he is injured and not an absolute guarantee to be ready for opening day. I just didn't want to draft an injured player with my first pick - it just didn't feel right.

So Kinsler it is. He's a young stud in the game. Can hit for power, has plate discipline and plenty of good hitting around him in the Texas line up. He can also run and steal a base or two so he should help me in all aspects of my Offence. I'm happy with the pick and quickly start thinking about the 2nd round. Ideally, I'd like to fill another shallow position and decide to target Jimmy Rollins for my SS position. If that doesn't work out, then hopefully the best pitcher in the game, Johan Santana, will be there and I can start building up an awesome rotation...

Round 2

BOOM! Rollins goes two picks before mine So much for that plan.

BOOM BOOM BOOM! Santana goes one pick before mine. My plan is blown to smithereens.

Right, time to get back to the cheat sheets and see who else there is. I don't like the players available in the shallower spots (3B and SS) at this point in the draft, so I expel that tactic from my mind and look toward the best available. Hey, Chase Utley is still out there - I have a Utility spot where I could play him and having the two best 2B in the game on my team gives me enormous trade leverage. But again, do I want to draft an injured player so early in the draft? I dunno, it's tempting. I decide on my other option - Matt Holliday, an outfield player with Oakland. His value has been decreased as he has moved to Oakland and there isn't very many quality players around him. But he has put up excellent numbers over the last few years. Like Kinsler, he can help me in all categories if he gets his season going. And hey, you never know, if Oakland's season really goes down the pan he may even be traded to a better team late in the season. I check his age - always important in a Dynasty League and there is no reason he doesn't have a few good years left.

It's a risk either way. Utley or Holliday.

I plump for Matt Holliday. I'm pretty happy, but there is a nagging doubt in my mind as to whether I did the right thing.

BOOM! The pick right after me is Chase Utley. Too late to worry about it now. There are 18 more picks before I pick again so it's time to relax for a while.

Kinsler and Holliday - it's really not too bad of a start at all.

SEC Championship Game

College (American) Football - Alabama fell to it's first defeat of the season yesterday, losing 31 - 20 to Florida in the South Eastern Conference (SEC) Final. We made it to the Final by winning all 12 of our regular season games. Florida were the favourites going into the game - the line from Vegas was about 9 points - and so it proved. It was a great game with 4 lead changes and Alabama came out of the game defeated yet with their heads held high.

This defeat drops Alabama Crimson Tide from 1st to 4th in the National rankings, and instead of going to the National Title game against Oklahoma, we head off to New Orleans to play Utah in the Sugar Bowl. Utah have gone undefeated through their season, but against undeniably weaker opponents and Alabama will be clear favourites going into the game.

It's a great second prize opportunity, and there is always next year to win the National Championship!

Roll Tide Roll!

Fantasy Baseball 2009

Well, Fantasy NFL is nearly done for the year. I missed the draft and the autodraft messed up, filling my bench with low ranked QB's so a successful run was never likely. I'm currently 6-7, looking to get to evens and then make a run in the consolation play-offs. I've done well with my team, and as we are able to keep 1 player for next year based on where we drafted them, my FA pick up of Matt Ryan has me salivating.

Fantasy NBA is well underway - my team is doing well. Took King James with the 1st overall and snagged Danny Granger with the 1st pick of the 3rd. Got my mancrush Rudy Fernandez late on too. So I love my team, it's doing well ... but ... I just find Fantasy NBA a bit dull.

I'm ready for some Baseball!! But it's months away!!

My main team is about to start it's 3rd year in a keeper league. I love this team. We keep 5 players and this is my plans at the moment:

Looking at the mock drafts going on, I have 3 first rounders in 10 team leagues, and this is a 12 team one, in A-Rod, J-Roll and Kinsler. Add in Morneau and that is a very solid in-field. I swayed on keeping Markakis or Granderson, but plumped for Markakis and managed to trade Granderson for a draft pick bump, believing he wouldn't make it back to me in the 8 spot on draft day.

Draft plans - looking to take 3 Starters in my first 5 picks and attempt to get some sort of a rotation. There is some wiggle room in our league settings for next year in doing a few daily add/drops so pitching depth doesn't overly concern me. Will need to keep a close eye on Saves - don't want to draft them too early but don't want to be left out completely at the start of the season either. Catcher position is just a touch deeper than normal so i'm in no rush to fill that. I made a mess of that last year - J.R. Towles - and ended up using multiple Catchers throughout the year.

So ... the brain is getting in gear for the 2009 season already. I have Burnett on my team and I'm hopeful I can get someone to bite on giving up a draft pick for him if he lands in Boston or New York, but it's not likely. They're a savvy bunch in my league.

Thanks for reading, and if you need a smile, picture the Scottish Sluggers preparing for battle during this cold, bleak winter.

24: Redemption Trailer

A nice change of scene, and it looks bad ass!

My truck

Can't be male in Alabama and not have a truck. Simply can't. And I got me a good one! Got a 2001 F-150 XLT Supercrew. Only had 37,000 miles on the clock and these things are built to run well over 100,000. Got a good deal from a Ford dealership, so was happy with the price and the security of getting it from a dealer. It runs great, the air conditioning is cold and I absolutely love the driving experience.

Came with the added foot stands, bed cover and rain guards over all the windows.

Love the colour too. My first ever car was a green 1.1l Ford Fiesta - now I have a green 4.6l V8 F-150 ... and I love it!

Wedding!

Well, our wedding was brilliant. Slight issue with the dress reaching the bride a little later than expected - no idea who was to blame for that... - but it all turned out perfectly.

Some pictures: