Blogging Fun31349

I was a 14 year old teenager living in Orlando, Florida when the Miami Dolphins made history with their perfect 17 - 0 season.

The following summer, our church youth group took a long hot church bus ride to Miami to watch the Dolphins in pre-season training camp. It was amazing to see linemen so huge they could sit small children in their helmets and hold out their helmet with one hand so the parents could take pictures.

I still have the football signed by Bob Griese, Paul Warfield, Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick, and Mercury Morris.

This is a record that has lasted for 33 years.

So naturally I have followed the Indianapolis Colts this season as they threatened to achieve the same undefeated record. The 2005 Indianapolis Colts certainly have similar tools to the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

You could also tell that the Colt players were getting quite sick of all the questions about the streak. I can see how that would get very old very quick. At the same time, what a nice problem to have.

So now the pressure is off with the loss to the San Diego Chargers today. No one likes to lose. At the same time, I bet they are glad all the stupid repetitious questions are over.

# posted by blogs71375 : 10:54 PM  0 comments

One of the few mementos that remained from my grandparent's estate was a deck of playing cards. The other was a finger 'nappie' cut glass bowl signed by the artist. Their seven children shared equally the inheritance and not a stick of furniture came our way. No one knows what happened to the collection of antique hand spun Christmas ornaments or which daughter in law got the Haviland china. I always meant to keep the cards in the family to hand down to my daughter (she did get the nappie), but hard times made us desperate for money to pay the bills.

A transformation deck dated 1871, these Tiffany cards were hand made. Scenes in and around the city and country depicted the various modes of clothing popular at the time. No two card were alike. People were dancing, skating, talking, shopping, walking their dogs, and playing instruments. A clever pattern of diamonds, spades, clubs and hearts were worked into the scene to allow regular play amd printed on a strong plastic for a good snap. They came with a custom leather case, stamped in gold with the owner's name (a relative). All fiftytwo cards were present plus two jokers. These playing cards could not be bought, but were given as a bonus for buying a certain amount of Tiffany wares in their New York store. I thought that somewhere a collector would love to own these unusual cards.

I discovered that the author of a book on the subject lived in a nearby town. I called and he said he would be glad to look at the cards. He glanced casually at the cards, quickly replacing them on the cocktail table. He said that they were not worth more than two hundred fifty dollars. I was surprised at the low amount, telling him of a story I read in a Life Magazine book on antiques that an exact deck was sold ten years previously for four hundred dollars. He said that he knew of that book and he believed it to be a misprint. Suspicious, I told him I would think about it. He called several times, but I wouldn't change my mind.

Back at the library, I found a source book with a list of known card collectors. I wrote to four of them, one in England, one in South Carolina and two in a western state, describing the cards and asking for an offer. The South Carolina person replied with an excited request to buy the cards for one thousand dollars. She related that she belonged to an antique card club and that the president owned such a deck, but in poor condition. She admitted that they might be worth more, but one thousand dollars is all the money she could spend. I wrote back that I would be glad to make her happy, not being a collector myself. Soon the certified check arrived, the cards were insured and sent off, the bills got paid and (almost) everybody was happy.

# posted by blogs71375 : 9:54 PM  0 comments

My university, here in Huainan, that has looked so deserted for the past few weeks has started showing some signs of life. The odd student has started returning and there is certainly more activity here than in the last few weeks. The early birds here are the ones looking for their worms of love. Apparently, unable to bear the long Spring Festival-induced separation, they have come back to school sooner than necessary - sooner than necessary as per the school's diktats but perhaps, less sooner than the necessity imposed by nature. Which means, they have borne the festivities with some sort of stoicism. Spring Festival is the time when reunions are de rigeur for families. But lovers do not qualify as family and so they must make do with a period of segregation. They walk now, hand-in-hand, arm-in-arm, smiles on their faces, homes and hearths forgotten in the fire of love.

Lantern Festival! Today, the fifteenth day of the Spring Festival, a full moon day, is the Lantern Festival when people remember their ancestors, if I recall rightly. After today, this year's Spring Festival will be consigned to the caves in the minds of the people and the hearts of lovers. Some will remember it with fondness and others, perhaps, with a little less, depending on what the festival gave or took from them. The streets this morning are deserted. The morning was noisy though, with firecrackers rousing me from my tossing-turning sleep well before fingers of light could brighten the horizon.

Xia Wu Fandian (Afternoon Restaurant, if my translation skills are any good), my head-office as I refer to it since most of my meals and drinking are 'accomplished' there, was crowded. I walked on to see more of the festivities. All I saw was unenforced curfew - or, perhaps, a curfew enforced by tradition. I imagined people sitting to a lavish spread with their ones at home, leaving the streets to be trawled by the homeless and the foreigners, perhaps, equally homeless in some sense. I returned an hour later and the restaurant was as deserted as the streets and I sat down to my small measure of baijiu (white wine) appetizer and cabbage with fried and diced pieces of doufu (tofu, beancurd) and a bowl of rice to go with it. It tasted good, as usual. It's a dish created by a student's (Chris's) pretty girl firend, Peace. She directed the restaurant's owner-cum-chef on how to prepare it and it has become a hit with me and a few others I have taken with me to sample the dish.

While I waited, I asked the owner's mother, who helps clean and wash the dishes there, where the lao ban niang (mistress of the establishment) was. 'Mama', a genial old lady, with an ever smiling face and busy hands, signalled that she was at home in bed. Why, I asked. She indicated that he, her son the lao ban, (the boss) had beaten her. I am about to call him and ask why he did that, forgetting for a moment, that men have been beatiing their wives for thousands of years, not only in China, India or Asia but all over the world. Thankfully, most women don't cower in the face of domestic violence anymore. Instead, they are more than willing to desert their violent husbands/mates. Unfortunately, in parts of Asia, women still allow that and don't raise a hand against their partners, nor their voice against the 'practice'. I wonder when this violence will end, when men will return their women the dignity they not only deserve but have earned over centuries. I believe, it's men with a huge sense of inferiority that do this, not men who are real men.

Festival times are not times to rejoice for all...for some they are times of torture!

# posted by blogs71375 : 9:31 PM  0 comments

Theme parties are always great fun for any child's birthday party.

Does your child have a favorite movie, book, TV show, favorite character, or maybe your child likes animals or has a favorite sport or past time. Well how about using one of your child's favorites as the theme for their birthday party.

Planning Your Party

If your child is old enough, sit down with them and ask what kind of theme they'd like for their party. Then, keeping your budget in mind, as well as space limitations and preparation time, choose a theme and start making plans.

Once you've decided on a theme for your child's birthday party, you'll find that everything begins to fall right in place.

Kid Birthday Party Invitations

You and your child will have lots of fun putting together a creative invitation for their party.

When wording your invitation, try getting into your theme and have some fun. Use words and phrases that fit your theme.

If you're having a Princess birthday party, you might make it a "Royal Invitation from the King and Queen."

For a Pirate birthday party, write your invitation on a piece of brown paper bag crumpled up to look like old parchment. Draw a map to your house and have "X" mark the spot. Then write something like this, "Aaarrrhh, we be celebratin the birthday of Captain (your child's first and last name) and ye be invited."

Interactive invitations are lots of fun and help to get your invited guests involved in your theme right away.

For a Dinosaur birthday party you can send along a small box with a small plastic dinosaur "buried" in glacial ice (wrapped in cotton). Then the recipient can "dig up" the dinosaur.

For a Princess birthday party you could have your invitation rolled up, tied with a purple ribbon and hand delivered by someone in appropriate costume.

Be creative and have fun with your invitation. Remember, it's the first impression your guests will have of your up-coming party. Get them excited so they can hardly wait!

Kid Birthday Party Decorating Ideas

With your theme in mind, you can keep your decorations simple by using balloons and streamers and by putting pictures on your walls that you've cut from magazines.

Or you can be a little more creative by turning your living room into your theme location.

For a Dinosaur birthday party put blue and white helium filled balloons on your ceiling to form a sky with clouds. Then hang dark brown, light brown, green and orange streamers from the ceiling to the floor to make a jungle. Wrap some of the streamers together to make your jungle thicker.

For a Princess birthday party create a special throne using a chair and decorating it with bright red and purple balloons and streamers. And maybe even use a colorful pillow.

Again, be creative and have fun.

Kid Birthday Party Game Ideas

Most party games can be slightly modified to fit your theme. For a Blue's Clues birthday party Pin the Tail on the Donkey can become "pin the tail on Blue."

For a Princess party, Musical Chairs becomes "The Royal Musical Ball" and you can play appropriate music.

And speaking of music, music that is appropriate to your theme is perfect to use during your games. Simply start a game when your music starts. You can easily find CDs for most movies and TV shows.

Kid Birthday Cakes

There are a lot of great recipes available for theme birthday cakes, or you can easily pick up a frosted cake then add "edible cake toppers" for your theme.

Using edible cake toppers is a great way to create a colorful, professional looking theme cake for your child's birthday.

Kid Birthday Party Food Ideas

If you're serving food or snacks, keep your theme in mind and be creative.

For a Princess birthday party, serve finger sandwiches, candy sushi, royal colored jelly beans, grapes, sparkling apple or grape juice or a "royal punch."

For an Incredibles birthday party, label your food. Ketchup becomes "super sauce", carrot sticks become "energy sticks" and you can even have a mini "hero sandwich."

If you're using an underwater theme like Finding Nemo, serve "peanut butter & jellyfish" sandwiches, Gold Fish crackers and "tuna fish" sandwiches.

Be Creative

Even with a limited budget you can be creative and come up with lots of fun kid birthday party ideas... Put just a little effort into your plans and your child will fondly remember this birthday party for years to come.

And don't forget to take lots of pictures and shoot lots of video of everyone having fun.

# posted by blogs71375 : 9:30 PM  0 comments

Recent years have seen an explosion of interest in Bass fishing and this has led to many new business sprouting up to ride along with the wave of excitement. Hooking, pardon the pun, new Bass anglers is easy. All you have to do is to invite them for a Bass fishing trip and before you know it, they are now passionate about the sport. Businesses seek out hot interests like a heat seeking missle and we see resorts, sports gears and fishing related things being built - all with the aim to capture this hot market. As a Bass angler, clearly we have benefited from all these interests.

Right now, more and more are getting their feet wet to learn and find out what the big bass buzz is all about. For the uninitiated, Bass fishing is more than just fishing. Having a prized big bass in your hands and the opportunity to show it off is a feeling that is hard to describe. Only those who have done it will know the feeling and once you have done it once, you want to do it over and over again. But after the first bass fishing expedition, for the beginner, there is still lots more to learn.

First, you have to know the lures that you must have to enjoy bass fishing.

What the top 3 lures for catching Bass? No real surveys have been conducted but it is generally agreed by pro bass fishermen that plastic worms makes the best lures, followed by the spinner bait and then the crank bait.

After considering the lures, there are still other factors to consider, chief of which is how you intend to cover the waters

in your fishing. Do you want to cover a smaller segment of water thoroughly or do you want to skim across a larger area as quickly as possible to find fishg. Worm baits are very effective and Bass are absolutely seduced by it. However, worm baits tend to be slower and are best in certain areas which will come with experience.

One main problem with learners fishing with a worm is that they do not realise that the worm does not have the ability to sense strikes. And the main reason for the inability to sense them is due to the fisherman using a sinker that is too heavy and a line that is too thick.

To overcome this predicament, a variable buoyancy worm using lead strip sinkers can be adopted. The advantages are:

No moving lead on the line to dampen the feel of a gentle pickup

Precise amount of lead can be applied to deliver the worm action needed

Bass finds it easier to inhale the worm

It helps in hook setting

In snags, you can quickly shake yourself loose

Worms can be hung virtually suspended over the bottom when fishing in shallow water.

To tell how much lead strip is needed, wrap one strip around the hook and bury the barb in the worm. Ease it into the water

and watch it sink, it should barely settle toward the bottom. If it sinks to fast, take some off, etc. Make sure to use no heavier than 8-pound mono line - preferably 6 pound.

How much lead strip do you need? Well, one tested way is to wrap one strip around the hook and bury the barb in the worm.

Now, gently ease it into the water and watch it sink. It should barely settle toward the bottom. If it sinks too fast, start

again by taking some off, etc. Use a mono line that is no heavier than 8-pounds - preferably 6 pound.

Spinner baits, by virture of its construction, can move more quickly across the surface. It can be bounced on the bottom,

against tree limbs and moved in many different ways in order to stimulate strikes. It is a great probing lure for the shoreline because of its tangle-free construction.

Lastly, Crank baits are great if you want to check out a spot without wasting too much time. They cover a lot of water in a hurrry and you can use them for locating fish that may be scattered.

The most important rule is this - make it easy for the Bass to get to the lure - no matter where you are fishing in. Drop that lure right in front of them! Scientists have proven that Bass can calculate the amount of energy it will take them to go after the prey and if they decide its too much effort, they won't bother.

The bottom line is this - discover and learn to use each type of lures and find what suits you. Once you find the right one for you, you will really find enjoyment in bass fishing!

Aside from considering the lures, the other important factor is to know the accurate time in going for bass fishing.

The Biggest Bass are definitely caught at dawn or dusk. Remember - bass love to prey at ambush spots, which seems to offer lots of cover for the baitfish. They like to hide, and then pounce on their prey.

These bait fish are most active in the dusk or dawn. When they feeding, the bait fish's guard is down and less aware of threats, So that is when the bass strikes. Fish during these times for the best chances of success.

When retrieving an underwater lure in poor light conditions, pull in the lure at a steady pace once it is set in motion. This makes it easier for bass to locate and grab it.

Although I mentioned that dawn or dusk is the best time to fish for bass, there is one exception. Don't bother trying when the water is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature causes certain aquatics species to disappear, which in turn, nullifies the food chain feeding.

Just by keeping these 2 factors in mind for bass fishing - lures and the time to fish - you are on your start to winning the game of bass fishing. Once mastered, you can then consider other factors like water quality and weather conditions. Happy Bass fishing!

# posted by blogs71375 : 8:26 PM  0 comments

The furniture in a person's home says a lot about personal style and taste. In effect, most of us spend endless hours searching for the perfect piece of furniture before we actually make a purchase. With the availability of furniture from so many different time periods and schools of design, the choice can sometimes be daunting.

Furniture can reflect many personality characteristics, from fun and flirty to classy and sophisticated to modern and edgy. How do you choose the right piece?

Showrooms generally sort furniture by room, and within these rooms the pieces are further distinguished by style. If you are looking for a Chippendale sofa, for example, you will certainly find it with living room furniture, but it probably won't be placed next to the black suede chaise. Sometimes it can take a lot of patience to browse through furniture showrooms. Because your furniture will brand you, though, it will be worth your while to take your time and wait until you find what's right for you.

There has a been a trend recently toward studio furniture. This furniture is built in a studio environment, not by a large factory manufacturer, and therefore tends to be more unique. Studio furniture makers view themselves as artists or craftsmen. Many learn their craft not through apprenticeship but through university-level design and art courses. Of course, original style often equals higher prices. Just as we pay more for designer clothing, we pay more for carefully crafted furniture. Studio furniture tends to be more contemporary but may be influenced by more traditional furniture styles.

Many buyers are drawn to antiques. Antique furniture often creates a regal air in a home. If combined creatively with more modern pieces, antiques can add flavor to even a contemporary styled room. Mixing and matching different styles of furniture is quite fashionable these days, if done correctly.

Regardless of style, it is imperative that the furniture you choose is solidly built. Spending a little more may be worth your while if the furniture is made with better materials, as it will prove more durable in the long run. There is always room for practicality in a furniture purchase.

# posted by blogs71375 : 8:06 PM  0 comments

Its Saturday morning, and as I was in the living room, relaxing with the purple bougainvillea in view, out the front window, I felt a little twinge of anxiety.

Whats different about this twinge is I felt it, and didnt squelch it. I tuned into it, asking what it was telling me, this slight tightness in my gut.

The answer is I was about to worry about something.

I hadnt started yet, but I knew my mind would dredge up something; it was too peaceful a scene outdoors, and in, for me to just be tranquil about it.

And at that moment of perception, the words came to me: Why worry when you can work?

Ive found in good times and bad, happy and sad, work is the great elixir that helps me to feel better, on the spot. When I feel Im producing, thats when Im relaxing.

Im certain this taps into a survival program thats somewhere in my unconscious or my genetic code. When you think about it, working, as an alternative to worrying, is just a super idea:

(1)It takes your mind off of negativity.

(2)You actually get something done, of which you can be proud.

(3)By accomplishing, youre setting the stage to receive other rewards, such as income or its equivalent, and this will probably stave off some of the disasters youre worrying about.

So, the next time you feel anxious, and you dont know why, dont dwell on it.

Put yourself to work, instead, and youll be a lot better off!

# posted by blogs71375 : 7:11 PM  0 comments

Didier Drogba was a smash hit at the African Nations Cup which was produced by CAF (Confederation of African Football) and hosted in Egypt. The final with Ivory Coast took place on February 10 2006 and was won by the host country Egypt 4-2 on penalty shoot-out.

Didier Drogba had the most impact of any other national player of any other of the participaying teams during the course of the intra African match-ups. He is essentially a centeral force on any of the teams he has played on.. This also includes Chelsea of the English Premier League of which he is also a striker.

For team mate, Toure, Drogba presents a potentially decisive edge in the first competitive meeting between Ivory Coast and Nigeria since the 1994 Nations Cup semi-final won by the Nigerians on penalties.

"Drogba is a really great player and he is something special. We are really proud of what hehas a done for the team". "It's going to be a very hard game. But now we are in the semi-finals, anything can happen. We've got our chance," said defender Toure.

Seconds into the second half, the whole difference was made when Drogba netted his fourth goal of the tournament and the Elephants could afford to sit back for most of the second half. The goal stung the Nigerian bench who immediately replaced Mikel Obi with Jay Jay Okocha and Kanu Nwankwo with Julius Aghahowa, but still the Nigerians could not turn the game round. This is the first time the Ivorians, who have qualified for the World cup, will have played in the final since winning the title in 1992 in Senegal.

The Egyptians must thank goalkeeper Essam EL Hadary for saving two penalties as Ivory Coasts Didier Drogba missed a crucial first spot kick for the Elephants.

COTE D'IVOIRE (Ivory Coast) National Team Line-up

01.Tizie Jean-Jacques Hobrou
02.Akale Kanga Gauthier
03.Boka Etienne Arthur
04.Toure Kolo Abib
05.Zokora Deguy Alain Didier
06.Kouassi Koffiblaise
07.Fae Emerse
09.Kone Arouna
11.Drogba Tebily Didier Yves
21.Eboue Emmanuel
19.Toure Yaya Gnegneri

How many of these following substitutes will make their way to other Premier League teams in Europe and Asia?

10.Yapi Yapo Gilles Donald
08.Kalou Bonaventure
14.Kone Bakari
15.Dindane Aruna
16.Gnanhouan G. Amoukou Okosias
17.Domoraud Depri Cyrille Leandre
18.Tiene Siaka
22.N'dri Koffi Christian Romaric
23.Barry Boubacar
20.Demel Guy Roland
12.Meite Abdoulaye
13.Zoro Kpolo Marc Andre

The battle for African Footballer of the year

Drogba overshadowed Samuel Eto'o, his rival for the African Footballer of the Year award usually held in late February. Didier Drogba scored the decisive penalty to put Ivory Coast into the last four in a dramatic shootout victory over Cameroon in Cairo.However it might be blindsided by a contender from Egypt. Could Mido be in the mix?

# posted by blogs71375 : 3:47 PM  0 comments

The so-called "gulf" between teams from Premiership and those striving to join the elite from the Championship is often noted, especially when teams from their respective divisions clash in Cup competitions.

However, this "gulf" may be nothing more than a fallacy. When the third round of the FA Cup comes around, Championship teams rewarded with a home tie against Premiership opposition often make a mockery of their respective league positions.

Clashes of this nature have not occurred very often during the third round in recent years, although last season, eight matches fell into this category, with the "superior" Premiership teams winning just twice.

Preston @ 2.47 vs West Brom @ 2.56. Result: 0-2
Sunderland @ 2.20 vs Crystal Palace @ 2.86. Result: 2-1
Watford @ 3.11 vs Fulham @ 2.08. Result: 1-1
West Ham @ 2.32 vs Norwich @ 2.72. Result: 1-0
Sheff Utd @ 3.07 vs Aston Villa @ 2.12 Result: 3-1
Cardiff @ 3.45 vs Blackburn @ 1.95. Result: 1-1
Ipswich @ 2.48 vs Bolton @ 2.56. Result: 1-3
Burnley @ 5.69 vs Liverpool @ 1.53. Result: 1-0

If you had backed the home teams at level stakes of 10 you would have made a profit of 52.80. If you had used a betting exchange and laid the Premiership sides with a liability of 10 on each bet, you would have made a profit of 68.76 before commission costs as the draw results would have also resulted in winning bets.

The 2003/04 season produced only two eligible matches in the third round, both of which saw the Premiership sides fail to beat their lower division opposition at the first time of asking.

Watford @ 7.02 vs Chelsea @ 1.40. Result: 2-2
Gillingham @ 3.69 vs Charlton @ 1.86. Result: 3-2

If you had backed the home teams at level stakes of 10 you would have made a profit of 16.90. However, if you had laid the Premiership sides with a liability of 10 on each bet you would have made a profit of 36.63 before commission.

There was only one eligible match in the 2002/03 season which pitted a Championship side at home to Premiership opposition. Wolves beat even money shots Newcastle 3-2 at odds of 3.44.

Unusually, there are no all-Premiership ties in this seasons third round of the FA Cup, but eight Championship sides are hosting Premiership opposition:

Leicester @ 5.50 vs Tottenham @ 1.57
Hull @ 3.60 vs Aston Villa @ 1.90
Ipswich @ 3.20 vs Portsmouth @ 2.10
Luton @ 7.00 vs Liverpool @ 1.40
Millwall @ 4.00 vs Everton @ 1.80
Norwich @ 2.75 vs West Ham @ 2.30
Sheffield Wednesday @ 4.00 vs Charlton @ 1.80
Watford @ 3.40 vs Bolton @ 2.00

All bar one of the Championship sides are available at odds greater than 2/1, although it may prove a better option to lay the Premiership teams in case of drawn matches.

# posted by blogs71375 : 3:40 PM  0 comments

In this second article about birds, bird watching and how to get them to flock to your humble abode, we're going to focus on how to get a flock of birds by planting certain flowers in your garden.

It isn't so much the flowers themselves that the birds are after but the seeds that these flowers produce. After all, this is what these birds eat and a hungry bird will never turn its back on a tasty seed. Well, there are certain flowers that produce seeds that birds are most after. We'll take a look at some of these.

Probably the most popular flower for attracting birds and the most successful is the King sunflower. Birds are absolutely crazy about sunflower seeds. That's why passionate bird feeders go out and buy bags of this stuff that are so heavy they can just about carry them.

Sunflowers themselves have become a very big business because of this. A bird flying over North or South Dakota would literally see thousands of acres of sunflowers, a very large portion of which is grown especially for bird seed. People from all over the United States buy these seeds, which makes this one of the largest industries in the Dakotas.

When planting your sunflowers at home try to plant them in an area that will get full direct sunlight. If possible try to make this also close to a window. You'll get a steady view of hungry birds coming down to feast.

If you don't want to use all your seeds in the summer and want to save some for winter to feed what birds may still be around, what you do is put a paper grocery sack over each seed head and tie it around the stem. Leave some of the flower heads uncovered so that the hungry birds will not try to peck through the paper. After the seed heads have dried cut them from the stems and place them in metal containers. This keeps the mice from getting to them. This will keep your seeds safe for winter feeding.

Other garden flowers that birds love are cosmos, snapdragon, zinnia, cockscomb, aster, and larkspur. After these flowers have bloomed don't cut off their heads. Let them dry right where they are. When winter comes your flowers will bloom again and with them will come a flock of finches and cardinals.

Now, if you're trying to attract hummingbirds the best flowers to plant are any nectar producing flowers, especially if they're red, pink or orange. Some of the hummingbird's favorites are honeysuckle, columbine, coral-bells, impatiens, foxglove, and red penstemon. In the summer, hummingbirds go crazy over scarlet bergamot, cardinal flower, hosta, gladiolus, salvia, and trumpet vine.

Hummingbirds like a nice drink with their seeds so make sure you have a bird feeder near by where they can quench their thirst. A good feeder is one that attaches to your window with suction cups. And don't worry about standing at the window when they come. They'll plop down for a drink even with you staring right at them.

So if you're into bird watching and gardening this is a good way to kill two birds with one stone. No pun intended.

# posted by blogs71375 : 3:20 PM  0 comments

How can sports possibly be be romantic? It's simple. Just ask any man who has cheered on his favorite team, while cuddling with his wife, and he'll tell you.

Many women I know profess to hate all sports. Why? If it's something your husband really enjoys, wouldn't you rather learn about it, and share the common bond of sports than to have him watch it alone or always leave to watch it with his buddies? Me? I'd rather be a sports wife than a sports widow.

Before you start to panic, let me sneak in a disclaimer. No, you don't have to put on a parka and sit through an icy-cold Green Bay Packers game in November to show your husband your love. You can certainly sit warm and cozy on your living room couch together, to show him that he is special to you.

Does the thought of being cooped up indoors watching a game bore you to tears? If so, take him on a trip to see his favorite professional team or player. Or, for a more relaxed date, go to a local Middle School or High School game. You'll love the energy. It's hard not to get hooked watching those kids put their hearts and souls into their games.

You're still not convinced? Why not show your romantic side with your sports-loving husband in a fun, active way. No matter what his favorite sport is, you can easily find a way to participate.

Football Fans: Toss the football with him in the yard. If you've never played football before or just got your nails done, use a Nerf ball. When he lets you tackle him, you can sneak in a kiss.

Basketball Fans: Shoot hoops in the driveway. Play a game of "HORSE". The winner gets a back rub or snuggling afterwards. That way you both win!

Baseball Fans: Play catch with a water balloon on a hot summer day. Go to the batting cage. Or join a softball league together. It's great exercise, and you get to enjoy time together.

Hockey Fans: Dust off your rollerblades, grab a hockey stick and a street puck and hit the street with your husband. What do you have to lose other than a few inches off your thighs?

Fantasy Sports Fans: Join his Fantasy Football, Baseball or Basketball League. It's a great way to get to know his friends and also be one of the 'cool' wives. You might even surprise him and win a few games.

Golf Fans: Play golf together. Or, if your finances are tight, try a game of mini-golf!

NASCAR fans: Visit the local arcade. Find two racing games that are connected so you can race each other.

Tour de France fans: This one is easy. Pack a lunch and a few jugs of water on your bikes and hit the road.

No matter what you plan, it'll be a treat for him. And, the next time you're watching an episode of Desperate Housewives, don't be surprised if you find your husband sitting next to you.

# posted by blogs71375 : 2:56 PM  0 comments

Who lives in a pineapple, under the sea? Spongebob Squarepants! Spongebob is one of the hottest new characters out, and children and adults both love him and his show. A Spongebob Squarepants party would be a great theme for both kids and adults who love the yellow guy!

You can find Spongebob Squarepants party supplies in any party planning store. There are plates, napkins, cups, tablecloths and silverware that come in yellow with Spongebobs face. There are also themes which have him and the rest of the characters on his show, including, Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Crab and Plankton.

One of the best piatas around is Spongebob. He is large and square and easy to fill with all of your favorite candies. Other decorations include balloons, streamers, wall hangings and table pieces. They can be plain colors or bought to match your chosen motif.

Every party needs games! Pretend your guests are all crabby patty flippers. Use a spatula, cardboard or felt to resemble a crabby patty and an apron. Divide your group into teams. Each person at the front of the team wears the apron and carries the crabby patty on top of the spatula to a bun on the other side of the room. Who ever can race the most patties to the other side wins!

Prizes to give away can include any number of trinkets like bouncy balls, paddle balls or Spongebob stickers and tattoos. Candy can also be found to look like Spongebob or even a gummy crabby patty. Party stores have rows of prizes to include in treat bags to send home with kids (or kids at heart).

A craft to make with the kids would be a take home Spongebob. Buy yellow sponges and let the kids color his brown pants on. Glue big googly eyes on and they have a work of art!

# posted by blogs71375 : 2:26 PM  0 comments