Debate Deflate Gate

I know, I know. The last thing you need is to see another opinion on the proper inflation pressure of a football. Especially from someone like me. Someone who is a football fan for sure, but someone who is pretty ignorant of the finer details of the game.

I wasn't going to do it. It's been scrutinized to death. Still. Here it comes. I promise I'll be brief.

So Tom Brady and the New England Patriots played the first half of the AFC championship game with underinflated footballs. Apparently that's how Brady likes his footballs.

From what I've heard from the experts, no equipment guy is going to take the initiative to purposely underinflate their team's footballs without the knowledge of the QB. And this QB is pleading ignorance.

I realize I'm just a girl with a passing knowledge of the game, but I'm pretty sure that Tom Brady has handled plenty of footballs in his time. I've got to believe that he could tell if one of his footballs was extra light on pressure. But whatever.

In all my time of watching football, I've seen some pretty crazy things. By "crazy" I mean subjective.

First and foremost, those in the know say that the refs could call an offensive holding penalty on every play if they looked closely enough. I'm inclined to believe that. So why on "this" play and not the "last" play? Are the refs just missing them or are there circumstances where they are looking for them?
Subjective.

It's a game of inches. The spotting of the football seems to me at times to be arbitrary. Two inches forward and a team continues their drive. Two inches back and it might constitute a major swing in momentum. I know that the spotting of the ball can be challenged or reviewed, but again: subjective.

Unsportsmanlike conduct? A player can be penalized for making a disparaging comment to someone on the opposing teams' sideline. Okay. But an upper echelon quarterback, like Tom Brady let's say, can go nose to nose with a ref over some perceived slight on his part, expressing his disapproval in what is clearly an antagonistic manner, and he walks away unscathed. Subjective.

Don't even get me started on what constitutes a catch.

All subjective and I'm sure there are countless other examples.

But here's the thing: The rules of football say the ball must be inflated to 12.5-13.5 pounds PSI. It's a rule. It's an objective thing.

Do I think that the Patriots would have lost if they'd used properly inflated footballs? Not likely. But still- they should have used properly inflated footballs. It's a rule. And it's objective. If you're going to play the game, follow the rules.

Otherwise, it's just football anarchy in what's already a field of gray.

A real author?

Hey everyone!

So, a few weeks ago I signed a contract with Camel Press for my manuscript Bygones. I've tried not to get too excited about it. Even though I have a signed contract, there's a long way to go. Anything could happen, so I've tried not to get too excited.

Still, I have a signed contract for my novel Bygones!!!

I know I have a lot of work ahead of me and I'm totally up for it. It's been a long time coming. Like countless struggling writers out there, I've spent hours and hours and hours researching and querying agents and publishers. I held my breath when I got a response, equally dreading and anticipating the answer. It was rejection after rejection after…well, you get the idea.

My first novel, At Second Sight, was a long journey. Ten years of writing, re-writing, editing, re-writing some more, querying, rejection, some interest and then more editing before rejection. It was my baby, a labor of love. How could absolutely no one out there share my passion for the story?

But no one did. I consoled myself with stories about now famous authors being rejected on their initial attempts. I knew I was one of hundreds of thousands of writers out there who felt the same way.

So I put it away. I worked on other things. But it never left me. I knew it was a good story. There had to be an audience out there for it.

Hello Kindle. Hello Nook.

It was terrifying but I did it. Even though no agent or publisher thought it was worth anything, I put it out there. It's not a best seller, but from what I've heard, it's sold more copies than most books that have been self-published. I consider it a success. The fact that I just sat down and did it, wrote a novel, was a success. But it's nice that some people have read and appreciated my story.

So check it out! At Second Sight is available for Kindle and Nook. If you read it, please leave a review.

But hey! I just signed a contract for my novel Bygones!

Hopefully it'll be coming soon!

Bowl Slayer

Soooo…..

Watched the Tax Slayer Bowl today. Please refer to my post dated:  September 14, 2014

Nuff said

To sleep...

Yeah, I know. It's New Year's Day. 2015. A new chapter. Time to bid farewell to the past and look forward to the future. Time to ditch bad habits and make improvements. Time to take better care of ourselves.

So you'd think my post today would be about New Year's and all the changes I intend to make so that 2015 will be my best year ever.

Guess again. This is what I want to talk about.

What does it say about me that the best part of my day is when I get to go to sleep at night?

I know, this is a busy time of year. The holidays are fun, but with them comes parties, shopping for presents, putting up decorations, taking them down. It's time to get together with friends and family. There's driving long distances, bad weather. Stress.
And of course there's the food. And more food. Then a little bit more. And wine. I eat and drink everything in sight and only feel worse because of it.

It would only make sense that lately when I lie down at night to sleep, I thank my lucky stars. A chance for peace and quiet. Time to rest the body and mind. I have to do it. I tell myself that anyway. In order to make it through the busy days of November and December.

But really I'm just kidding myself. It's not something new. It's not related to the busy holidays.

Every night before bed, I take the dog out to do her business. The minute she's back inside she runs to the bedroom to stake out her spot. I join her and pick up a book to read a few pages before sleep. Ridley cuddles up next to me and soon I hear her soft snoring. I read until I can no longer keep my eyes open- usually just a chapter or two. I flick off the lights and lay down. Get comfortable. A few thoughts flit through my mind before drifting off. Then I'm out.

It's a ritual. One I look forward to more than any other part of my day. So what does that say about me?
Is it a coping mechanism? I can lose the worries of the day in darkness. It could be that when I'm lying in bed, there's nothing else I should be doing. My only goal for the foreseeable future is sleep.

Or maybe I'm just tired and my heated mattress pad covered bed is so warm and comfy.

It's probably a combination of all of the above. But whatever it is, it is. And I have no idea what that says about me.

And oh yeah. This year I resolve to drink more water.

And write every day.

Happy New Year!!