Scarface

No need for Halloween masks at the Royer house. Lucy looked scary enough with all of her facial wounds. We have now dubbed her "Scarface." It was actually worse earlier this week, so this picture comes a little late (probably after a few days of healing). But, you can see she has two small wounds - one from a scuffle at daycare last week and another battle wound from hunting this past weekend. She doesn't seem to mind and Todd thinks the wounds look awesome. I am just hoping her hair grows back in those spots.

A Royer Weekend

This past weekend we went to Clinto to visit Todd's family. Well, actually Todd hunted on Saturday morning and I went to visit my grandma who lives only 45 mins from Clinton. We saw his family Saturday evening and Sunday before leaving. We ate a lot (I think the entire family went through 3-dozen homemade cinnamon rolls) and laughed a lot, too. On Sunday, the kids played for a long time after lunch. All of the Royer boys (including the big ones) are into football. Must be the time of the year, or maybe it runs in their blood. Below is a picture of Daniel's stance (with bis bike helmet, no less) and a few picture of Ben and Max before their big Sunday flag football showdown.

Whiffle Ball Update

I never followed up on my whiffle ball league. We called ourselves Team W after winning whiffle ball women. Really, it is after the W for the Cubs Win! Anyway, it has been interesting to say the least. We have played two games so far and lost both. We got beat by a really good team the first time around. Beat is probably an understatement. We pretty much got slaughtered - to the point we got the 10-run rule applied. But we had a blast playing!

The second game we lost by only a few runs, although I think we should have won the game. Everything was working against us - we only had three players to the other team's six, we had to play with a cracked ball (even after switching out two other cracked balls), and we played a sorority team that survived solely on cheating. Now, I am a fair person and I feel like I am a gracious loser, but I was just ticked off after this game. Whiffle ball is a recreational league, so the games are self-officiated. But, the teams have to agree on the plays. The sorority team never called themselves out a first, even if they were out by a mile and knew it. They kept skipping one girl in the batting order because she was no good. It was so obvious and we were so frustrated!

So, the rules are a little odd. You pitch to your own team, so if you are short players you lose base runners - there are no ghost runners. You have to throw the ball into the pitcher's hand, aka your teammate standing by the pitcher, who calls time to stop play. If time is called and you are between bases, you can only move to the next base if you are past the half-way point. Weird. I could go on with some other weird rules. But, it does make the game move faster! Below is a picture of me in the outfield. We play at the Rec Sports Center on campus.

Last Weekend

I never posted anything about the events of last weekend (10/13 and 10/14), except that we saw Hoosier Hysteria. I also ran another 5k with some friends, Todd took Lucy pheasant hunting at a hunting preserve, and we went to a u-pick apple orchard. It was a fun weekend and it was nice to be home. Usually we are out-of-town, so it was nice to sleep in and enjoy a great weekend weather-wise. Here are some pics of the activities, although I didn't get any of my kick-butt homemade apple pie!

Lana (R), Sheena (C), and I after the race. It was perfect running weather and we finished on the 30-yard line of the football field. Very cool!

This is probably a little gross, but I'll post anyway. Hopefully I am not offending any vegetarians or bird lovers out there, but here are Todd and Lucy cleaning a pheasant in our driveway (yes, the driveway while neighbors drive by). What the picture doesn't show is that Lucy just keeps trying to get at the bird. She LOVES hunting!

Big 10 Bowl Games

Stolen from a Purdue fan, is a list of the bowl games the Big 10 is eligible for. For those holding out hope that Illinois will go to a bowl game, check out the potential sites at http://goldfan.com/bigten_bowls.shtml.

2009 Illini Basketball Recruits

Looks like the 2009 recruiting class for the Fighting Illini is going to be a good one! We got several top states, including a Sterling kid. That will give me a favorite player right off the bat since I lived there for awhile, still have family there, and know many friends that are originally from Sterling. It's always nice to get the top recruits in the state to come to Illinios. Maybe Weber is turning the recruiting around. I think hiring Jerrance Howard to come back to Illinois could be the best thing Weber has done so far. Check out our recruits at Illini Board.

IU's Sampson breaks the rules (again)

I swear I wrote my previous post about Eric Gordon before I knew about the latest rules violations by IU Basketball Coach Kelvin Sampson. See the ESPN coverage of the story at http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3063434. Wouldn't it be nice if Gordon left for Illinois now to avoid all the corruption? Hmmm...my mind is wandering at the thought...

Illini sports

I got the chance to see Eric Gordon at Midnight Madness on Friday night. Of course, I am in mourning with my fellow Illini that I saw this at Indiana University and not the University of Illinois. All I can say is that I am sad he will not be wearing orange and blue this season because he is awesome! Seriously, probably the best freshman player I have ever witnessed. From the three-point arc, he is amazing! He also had some pretty cool dunks! Now, how he plays when the Big 10 season starts is yet to be seen, but I think he will do fine, especially after the first few games when he learns to adjust to the play style of the Big 10. But, he is really, really good. The only light of hope at the end of this sad, dark tunnel is that he will probably only be at IU for a season or two. I mean, if you're that good, why not make millions in the NBA? Heck, I would sign up if I had any talent. Did I mention he is amazing?!?

In other news, I am still keeping out hope that the Illini football team will make a bowl game. It would be so awesome to go! I didn't get to go to the last bowl game due to work, but I am motivated to go this time around. I've already talked to several friends that want to make a trek to wherever it is we would play. However, I am a little worried about playing OSU at OSU and some other games. Unfortunately, I may be donning my cream and crimson to see IU in a bowl game if the Illini don't make it. IU has the same record as the Illini, but definitely a much, much easier schedule. They don't play OSU or Michigan this year. Don't worry, my allegiance remains to the Illini, but it is followed by Indiana (hey, what can I say - they pay the bills around here) and then the Big 10 Conference in general.

So, much like my Cubs, I am keeping faith that the Illini will make the post-season in both football and basketball!

Christmas in October?

Yes, it is true. Christmas in October is here...at least for one area radio station. My friend Lana pointed out earlier this week that 93.1 in Indianapolis is switching from a contemporary music radio station to a talk radio station at the beginning of the year. So, for the 93 days between now and then, they are playing Christmas music 24/7 (nice 93.1 and 93 days of Christmas). While it seems totally ridiculous to listen to Christmas music before Halloween, I have to admit that I got sucked in on the way home from work the other night. I do love Christmas music after all. So, for all of you living or working around Indy, or passing through while traveling, be sure to catch some Christmas tunes on your way.

The Running Blahs

I love to run, but lately I have gotten the running blahs. I am not sure why, but I just don't have the motivation to go out there and run anymore. But, the weird thing, is go anyway. I just complain about it more and feel more fatigued, instead of energized when I am done. I've come up with several reasons why I am feeling this way. I hope the blahs pass soon, because this is the perfect season for running!

1. My most favorite running shoes that I have beening purchasing and repurchasing for the last two years is no longer. The Asics Gel Landreth II has been replaced by the Asics Gel Landreth III. You might not think this is a big deal, but it is a huge disappointment to lose access to your most trusted partner in running...your shoes! I am not sure what they were thinking, but version III sucks! It is no where close to version II and I didn't find any upgrades when I tried this pair of shoes on. I have since been trying to find a new pair of shoes. I bought the Brooks Radius 6 and had no luck. I turned that pair in to my wear-around shoes. New Balance and Nike do not fit my feet right. So, now I am back to Asics and I am going to give the Nimbus a try. I am cautionally optomistic they will work. I have searched high and low for more Asics Gel Landreth II's, but I cannot find them anywhere on the internet, even from foreign countries. So, if anyone runs across a pair of 9.5 version II's, let me know!!


2. My knee has started hurting again. Looks like I need to go back to the doctor where I am sure they will tell me it is due to overuse and that I should take a break and stay away from exercises where my knee takes the impact. Yikes! I can already feel the pounds coming back on!


3. I ran all spring and summer training for my two half-marathons. Todd tells me I am just burnt out and need to do something else for awhile. I have cut back on my running some and I am trying to do other things instead. But, when you are in a windowless office all day long, it is hard to go to the gym after work or take a night off. I need to get out and get some fresh air! Maybe I need a new race to keep me training and give me something to look forward to.

Lucy Takes 1st Place!

This past weekend we went to the at the Monroe County Humane Association Walk for the Animals. This is one of the biggest annual fundraisers for the local shelter. They set up one of the area parks with dog events, dog play areas, and all sorts of dog treats. Lucy had a great time despite the 90 degree weather with 100% humidity. In the doggie water park, she took over one of the baby pools and laid down in the water. A few other dogs tried to get in and share with her, but she kicked them out and laid back down to cool off. She really thinks she is something, as you can tell by the picture of her in the pool!

They also had this crazy dog cake donated by a local bakery that she devoured faster than anything I have ever seen her eat. Lucy is a picky eater and won't eat unless she is hungry or we give her one of her favorite treats. But, she loves this cake. It is the second year they had the cake and she ate the heck out of it last year, too (last year we even got them to give us some to take home) . They also had some doggie events and competitions. Lucy is a competitor. Seriously, she knows the difference between playing and competing. Todd and I were talking about how funny she is when she puts her game face on. This year, she competed in the Recall Relay and took first place. The relay requires the dog to stay about 30ft directly across from the owner. When called, the dog that gets to their owner the fastest wins. There were three heats and then the top three dogs from each heat raced in the final round. Lucy was by far the fastest and one of the better trained dogs in the competition. She stayed without restraint and ran straight to Todd when called. No distractions, no hesitation. She definitely had her game face on. Here is a picture of her with the grand prize. We missed taking pictures at the race!

There's Always Next Year

Yes, as painful as it is, I am a fully devoted, die-hard Cubs fan since birth and by choice. I wear my Zambrano jersey with pride and root on the Cubs whenever possible. This includes paying for upgraded Cable to get WGN in southern Indiana, watching all the games not televised on WGN at a local sports bar when our schedule allows, paying for mlb.com to catch the play-by-play from day games while at work, and several road trips to watch the Cubs in action. This year we saw them play a Wrigley three times and in Cincinnati once. But, the season ended in a three-game playoff series sweep by Arizona this past weekend. All I can say is that I am heart-broken. Not only does this signify the end of baseball for the year, but my Cubs are not going to the World Series. It is devastating! Sure, baseball will be on TV throughout October, but it won't include my Cubs. I guess this means I'll have to default to watching my AL team, the Indians and root for them. This also means that "There's always next year" will continue to be the common theme that unites Cubs fans worldwide. Next year will be the 100th anniversary of their last World Series Championship, which keeps my hopes high for the future (I'll just store my "It's Gonna Happen" sign until then)!

The Cubs @ Cincinnati

Most of you know that baseball is one of my favorite sports. Thankfully, Todd and I are both die-hard Cubs fans! We have been to Wrigley several times this summer and also enjoy watching the Cubs play on the road (heck, they have a better record on the road)! This past weekend we went with my parents to watch the Cubs play at Cincinnati. They had never been to that ballpark, so we invited them to come along. Unfortunately, we had tickets to the Saturday game and they clinched the division title on Friday night, but it was still a good day to see a game. We got to see a few homeruns and watch the game with thousands of other Cubs fans. Cincinnati never draws a big crowd, but there were about 39,000 in attendance on Saturday and I would guess a good 30,000 or more were Cubs fans. You can see the pictures I took of the crowd and it was a sea of blue. After the game, people were singing the "Go Cubs, Go!" song and flying "W" flags everywhere. We walked around downtown Cincinnati and Cubs fans were out like in downtown Chicago. It was awesome!

As far as Great American ballpark goes, it is a really nice park if you are in to comparing parks. Depending on your seats, you sit in padded seats, can get in-seat food service, and even have access to private lounges (which can come in handy if you are at the ballpark during college football season). My parents were floored at how crappy the 7th inning stretch was at the park. The Reds don't have anyone come and sing; they just play the sound track for "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" and end it at that. Fans sing, but it is not the same and they don't insert their team's name in the song or shout for more runs at the end of the song. Lame. Trust me, nothing compares to Wrigley and downtown Chicago, especially if you are a Cubs fan.

That night we went out to eat to an upscale small chain restaurant. It was good, but we were there for 3 hours! During that time, my mom had to send her steak back twice. She ordered medium rare and it came out well-done twice. Normally she would eat without complaining, but her order was so wrong it had to be corrected. By the time they finally got her order fixed, it was almost 11pm and we were all full anyway. But, we got free dessert, she got her meal free, and Lucy got a good doggie bag out of the deal.

Now, on to the playoffs...Let's go Cubs!!