Associated Press Athlete of the Decade

Recently announced was the Athelete of the Decade. The result was very surprising to me. Who was it? None other than our friend, Tiger Woods. Now personally, apropos to the recent scandalous events that have taken place with Mr. Woods, I have nothing against the man. As Paulo Coelho said, "Who among us can throw the first stone?" Certainly not me. My personal choice for the award, Lance Armstrong, can in second with 33 votes (behind Tiger's 56). I just can't agree with Associated Press in their judgment of Tiger as a better athlete than Lance. He walks around and hits litte white balls into holes, playing against old, fat, white men. Lance rode in the Tour de France (and won it) no less than 7 consecutive times. This is a race that lasts for 3 weeks (that's twenty one days) and each day is a stage that is anywhere between 100 and 180 miles, ridden at speeds around 30 mph, in a pack of 180 riders that are all moving individually literally inches from you. Not only did Lance ride this 7 times, but he won it 7 times, in a very dominating fashion. Oh, and did I mention that he did this after two years away from the sport, after given less than a 10% chance of living from testicular cancer that had metestacized into his abdomen (and lungs and brain.) Surely there is no comparison when it comes to superbness of physical fitness (which, the last time I checked, was what being an "athlete" was all about.)
But my vote doesn't count. So, Chapeau, Tiger. You deserve it (or your sponsors for whom you made millions of dollars who no longer support you do.) I honestly have nothing at all against Mr. Woods. My anger is not directed at you. It is for the imbeciles who run the Associated Press who base their opinions on financial worth, rather than human sacrifice and glorious achievement.

Finals

Now that time of year is here again. I'm not talking about Christmas either. Finals-the joyous Christmas present of every student at Apollo High School. At time for cramming and studying and stressing and complaining and reviewing and exhaustion and....all kinds of stuff. Here now is my chance to say, GET OVER IT. Finals are just tests. Just another test. People make such a big deal out of them like they are a life or death matter. They get all wound up and overstressed just to find out that...oh...that final wasn't so bad after all. Those who argue that they don't do well on their finals are also the ones who devote inadequate studying time. It just seems to me that it's a crying shame that people blow these tests out of proportions (and I mean students, not teachers, just to clarify) and then it turns out to be wasted energy. I'm thankful that we can at least get out of some of them if our grades allow, which isn't going to happen in college, no doubt.

Health and Illness during the Winter

As winter becomes more apparent around us, so does the tsunami of sneezing, coughing, moaning people experiecing the delightful minor illnesses that are a daily occurence during the frigid months. It seems each year, no matter how much OJ I down, I always end up with a small cold or at least a sore throat. While these thankfully aren't serious enough to prevent me from keeping up with school, they are inconvenient to say the least. It's not that a sore throat or a cough are excrutiating or dabilitating, but it's just a little annoyance that keeps ringing your immune system's doorbell and keeps you from running at 100%. I just hope that maybe this winter season I'll be able to steer clear of all that nastiness.

My favorite Christmas decoration

I really enjoy the ornaments that we have on our Christmas tree at home. The glass orbs are always fun to look into, and the tree looks absolutely astounding when the lights that wrap around it are turned on. There is a set of ornaments in particular that I always cherish putting on the tree. They are opaque sapphire blue orbs that depict the journey of St. Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem in preparation of the birht of Jesus. They are intricately detailed, and will always be my favorite ornaments that grace our Christmas tree.