Toddland...

So I was out walking the streets today and ran across a new label that caught my eye. It's called Toddland and the line looked super clean and basic, but in a most legit way. The pricing was pretty reasonable too, which is A+ in these times.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Toddland

Summer and Sunshine Hotlist...

With Summer right around the corner, the days are getting warmer and longer! Here's the Samo "Hotlist" for Summer '09 in no particular order:

+ Dachshunds - Summer ain't complete w/o a sun-loving Wiener by your side.

+ Dior Homme Sunglasses - CRAZE!

+ Golf - One of the best things of Summer!!!!

+ Brooks Running Shoes - Get in shape with kicks that fit and perform as good as they look.

+ An XL Watch - A rather large time piece is always on point with any outfit!

+ Bright Colored V-Neck Tees - Why not?

+ Molly Moon's Scout Mint - Love it!

+ Filson Bags - Simple and clean style.

+ Green Day: 21st Century Breakdown - Great album.

+ G-Star Rovic Belt Short and Nieck Check Shirt - My fav brand!

+ Shipley & Halmos Shirts - Try one on.

+ Subway - Can't beat the $5 deal.

+ Leaving the ride at home and walking or busing - Leave a smaller carbon footprint please!

+ Nudie Jeans - Fit = Incredible

+ Alien Workshop's new DVD, "Mind Fields" - Hands down best skate vid of the year.

+ Raekwon Mixtape - Any of them, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 2 is coming!

+ Mini Sirloin Burgers - Cause they are pretty darn good.

+ YSL Cologne - It's money.

+ BBQs with friends - Never gets old does it?

Bring on the Summer!

Witness...

The King gave Cleveland their own version of, "The Shot" by hitting a clutch 3-pointer with time expiring to give the Cavs a win in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

We will be seeing this highlight for the rest of our lives as it was amazing! With just one second left, LeBron caught the inbounds pass and put up the shot while fading away, bucket, game!

Hedo got Craig Ehlo'd!!!!

Memorial Day...

Here is an awesome photo that is circulating the news lately, even made the front page of the NY Times. Far left is Spc. Zachery Boyd reining down some pain on insurgents in his pink "I love NY" boxer shorts, red T, and flip flops! Turns out that Zach was in his sleeping quarters on his base in Afghanistan when his unit was attacked. He awoke to gunfire and I can only imagine what went through his mind, but it probably went something like this:

"$%&#! Lets see here, where are my pants, jacket, and boots? Hmmm, nowhere to be seen!?! Can't waste time, oh well, grab what's around, put on the helmet and body armor, grab the rifle and go!"

Mad props to you Zach for defending your platoon with no hesitation!

PS: Zach is ok and even got praised for his actions by the U.S. Defense Secretary, job well done soldier!

Everybody have a happy Memorial Day weekend and don't forget what the weekend really means. Props to all those who have lost their lives defending this country!

Terminator Salvation...

So I went and checked out the latest installment in the Terminator franchise today and I have to say that the movie did not live up to my expectations...but also have to admit that it was still fairly entertaining.

Way back when I first heard news about a new Terminator movie in the works and that it would be set in the future with Christian Bale playing John Connor, all I could think was that this film was going to be the blockbuster of all blockbusters! I have been a huge fan of the Terminator franchise and have long awaited a film that portraits the war vs. the machines post "Judgement Day." So maybe I went into it with expectations that were way too out of this world! :)

The movie was typical McG style with lots of flash and lots of superb visual/special effects (CGI was incredible), but contained less than desired dialogue and sup-par character development. The script did not allow Christian Bale to really capture the audience as John Connor because he was too busy jumping from action scene to action scene. The story itself also had a lot of holes in it and did not really do any justice to the whole saga that has been created via the first three films. I don't want to give anything away, as it's definitely a movie you should go see, but I came out of it with a lot of questions running through my mind. I am hoping that there will be another Terminator film (why not since Hollywood seems to have run out of ideas and this movie will make plenty of $$$$ to justify another installment) that has a deeper, more detailed man vs. machine storyline.

One reason to go see the movie, a kick a$$ surprise appearance in the film that had me stoked!

Samo's Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5 - Movie needed more dialogue and could have benefited from being 45 minutes longer to bring continuity and sense to the story. Reminded me of 007: Quantum of Solace in that maybe there was too much action and not enough story...but then again, it is an "Action" movie.

Don't let the average rating get you down though, worth the price of a movie ticket so GO SEE IT!

Ryan Leaf, WSU's finest...

Ryan Leaf made headline news today by being indicted in Texas on drug and burglary charges. Way to go Leaf, still doing absolutely nothing to better your public image.

Austin Hironaka larger than life...

Austin putting in some serious work down at Superpark this week! HOLY $H!TO that hip is a monster! Nice work my young homie, keep killin' it down there!

Seahawks and Curry...

WOW! In my earlier draft analysis, I raved about this guy, but didn't get too in-depth about him as I had assumed he would be off the board by the time the #4 pick came around to Seattle. But thanks to KC and their bold pick at #3 (Tyson Jackson from LSU), Curry was gift wrapped and handed to Seattle on a silver platter!

Aaron Curry will be a franchise LB and I think that the city of Seattle got arguably the BEST player in the entire 2009 draft class. He's a gifted individual who is going to come in and be an immediate starter and possibly a pro-bowler in his first or second year. High expectations, but this guy is that good! I like that he's going #59 and I am super pumped to see this guy on the field along side Lofa Tatupu and hopefully Leroy Hill (Franchise Tag was pulled yesterday, but hopefully it pushes getting a long-term deal done with Hill). That LB trio is something to get excited about!

Overall I think the Seahawks had a STRONG draft and set themselves up nicely for the future. Along with Curry, the Hawks drafted Max Unger, C, Oregon in the second round and Deon Butler, WR, Penn State in the third round. Max Unger is a stud of a center and he is going to challenge Chris Spencer for the starting spot the minute he gets to camp! Unger has great football IQ and is the type of guy we need to be snapping the ball and picking up blitzes/reading defenses to take some pressure off Matt.

Deon Butler...possibly the biggest sleeper pick in the entire draft! This kid only went in the third round because he lacks the prototypical size that scouts look for in an NFL receiver. But he is EXPLOSIVE! He runs a 4.38 40 (I believe he may even be faster than that on the field!!!!), is very athletic, and has awesome after-the-catch skills! He had an amazing career at Penn State and has all the tools necessary to develop into a star in the NFL. Some scouts have compared him to Steve Smith or at worst, DeSean Jackson, as a smaller receiver with tons of talent! I see him returning kicks and punts for us and possibly even cracking the WR lineup the first year out! He's SPEED, SPEED, SPEED!

We rounded the draft out by selecting Mike Teel, QB, Rutgers in the sixth round and Courtney Greene, S, Rutgers, Nick Reed, DE, Oregon, and Cameron Morrah, TE, Cal all in the seventh round. Mike Teel has great size and strong arm-strength and will be a good understudy for Hasselbeck.

One of the best parts of the 2009 NFL Draft for the Seahawks was the fact that Denver traded us their first round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft for a second round pick in this year's draft. That gives the Seahawks 2 first round picks for next year and gives us a prime opportunity to stack more talent on this team. Denver could be terrible this year with new faces all over the team and a new head coach/system, so this could turn out to be golden for the Hawks!

Lets all start getting pumped as the football buzz has gotten underway. GO SEAHAWKS!

2009 NFL Draft: SEAHAWKS...

So the day that Seahawks fans have been waiting months for is almost upon us as the 2009 NFL Draft will be held this weekend in the NYC. This is a much anticipated draft for all Seahawks fans as coming off a 4-12 season the Seahawks have the #4 overall pick in the first round. What they will do with the #4 pick is anybody's guess as all of the analysts and their mock drafts have been unable to come to a consensus on who Seattle likes or if they will even pick at #4 at all. I think the only thing that everyone can agree on is the fact that Seattle has to really think this pick out, as this truly could be a draft pick that will make or break the years to come for the Organization. So here is my little piece on what I think the Seahawks will do and my opinion on the potential prospects at the #4 spot.

A lot of Seahawks fans have been saying that they would like to see the team trade down in the first round and pick up a later 1st round pick and another pick or two in the 2nd/3rd rounds. First off, I do not think that it is likely anybody will be willing to trade up to the #4 spot in this year's draft. I will get more into my main reason why in my player analysis, but one of the biggest reasons is because this year's draft is overall a weaker draft comparatively and I think a lot of teams feel that there is no need to trade up to get the player they need or want. Secondly, the contract $ that is tied to a #4 pick, or any pick in the top 5, is HUGE and so a lot of teams will be unwilling to put themselves in that position for a player that they are not 110% sold will be a franchise type player.

I think the #1-#3 picks are pretty much set, so we can assume that Matt Stafford, Jason Smith, and Aaron Curry will all be off the board by the time Seattle gets on the clock. Detroit and their newly introduced "Fiercer" Lion logo are in desperate need of just about everything coming off an 0-16 season. Sounds like they are leaning towards starting with a franchise QB as reports have come out that they are near sealing a contract deal with Matt Stafford. Although late reports today have stated that the Lions have reached an agreement with Aaron Curry if they decide to select him with the #1 pick. I'm sticking with the call that they go Stafford though as they need someone that can deliver strikes to Calvin Johnson and be a real signal caller out there...now about that offensive line...hmmmm.

I believe that St. Louis will go Jason Smith with the #2 pick. Out is Pace and in will be Smith as the franchise LT for years to come. Smith is probably the only true OT prospect in this draft worthy of a top 5 pick and I think he is going to be great. He's got great physical gifts and even greater work ethic and character. It's just unfortunate that another team in the NFC West will be reaping the benefits of those gifts!

With the #3 pick KC will go Aaron Curry. Curry is possibly the best prospect in this years draft class and some say one of the best OLB prospects to come since L.T.! Bold statement, but he has all the tools to become an L.T. like force at OLB. At 6'2" and 254 lbs, Curry is a BEAST and his skill set and body of work makes him a once in a decade player at his position. If KC is smart, they will go Curry to build a solid defense around.

With the #4 pick the Seahawks will be looking at potentially spending $50-$65M on the rookie contract with at least $15-$20M in guaranteed cash. With money like that on the table, I foresee the Hawks taking a player that can provide immediate impact and contribute right away vs. a player that will ride the bench and come along in development progressively. That is if the Seahawks do not trade down, which in my opinion is that Ruskell and the organization hopes that they will get a phone call on draft day with an offer they are looking for. But like I said earlier, it is highly unlikely that the Seahawks will get a suitor for the #4 pick in this draft.

The prospects at #4:

Mark Sanchez

Sanchez has been skyrocketing up the draft boards in the last month and has been pegged as the Seahawks pick by a lot of analysts as of late. In Sanchez, I see a player that in most drafts would be a late first rounder at best, but in this draft has had his stock rise because there are flat out no top flight QB prospects. Scouts have been wooed by his workouts where he makes every throw in shorts and a cutoff t-shirt to USC receivers. He has decent size, above average arm-strength, good poise in the pocket, and is known to be a terrific student of the game (which is something to be cherished in QB prospects). But he only had 16 starts in a USC pro-style offense that was FULL of NFL caliber talent and I was never blown away by any of his performances. Not to take anything away from Sanchez, but lets face it, when you have an All-American line and All-American talent at every skill position, any QB with an inkling of talent could be productive. Plus, it's not like the last few QBs out of the USC system have turned out to be much in the NFL (minus some great play from Carson Palmer a few years back and the jury is still out on Cassel) and they were all arguably better graded prospects then Sanchez is. I think there is potential there, no denying that, but such a gamble with the #4 pick at this point.

Yes, Hasselbeck will be turning 34 this season and has battled injuries the last couple of years so the Seahawks do inevitably need to look at finding his successor. But Sanchez would want a contract at #4 that would more than likely make him a higher paid player than Matt and I don't think the Seahawks want to pay a QB who is going to hold a clipboard on the sidelines that much cash. Paying Sanchez that much would also put Matt under the microscope, or as some say, "start the clock ticking" and that is something I don't think Ruskell nor the organization wants considering they feel Matt is still in his Prime. I think all the buzz that the Seahawks were giving Sanchez was more smoke and mirrors to try and lure a team that is REALLY interested in him to trade up and give Seattle what they are looking for in return for the #4 pick. However, the teams that are interested in Sanchez I think see through it and don't seriously see Seattle taking him with the #4 pick, so will most likely cross their fingers and hope that Sanchez falls to them.

Bottom Line: Sanchez would ride the pine and be making MAD amounts of money to be the backup QB for a team that wants to win NOW! Matt still has 2-3 seasons of good football in him and Seattle can look at drafting a QB in the later rounds or finding a good QB via trade. Picking him at the #4 spot would be the worst decision for Seattle. I could be wrong, but I really don't see Seattle going Sanchez with the pick.

Samo's Reaction to Goodell saying his name at the #4 pick: Big, expensive TV will be damaged by flying object resembling a remote control!

Eugene Monroe

Eugene Monroe has amazing size and with Andre Smith's pre-draft headlines has leap-frogged Andre Smith to become the 2nd best OL prospect in this year's draft. Coming in at 6'6" and 315lbs, Monroe is the type of OL prospect that scouts drool over at first glance, especially because of his superb athleticism at the LT position. However, a lot of scouts have questioned his sheer strength. At the NFL Combine, Monroe only put up the 225 lbs bench press 23 times, which was less than stellar for a man of his size and stature. He was however very impressive on-field and showed that the potential is there for him to become a staple LT in the NFL.

Here is why I think the Seahawks though are not too serious about taking Monroe at the #4 spot. For starters, Ruskell has been known to be very weary of taking offensive linemen high in the 1st round. Plus, the Seahawks have invested a lot of money on Tackles in Locklear and Willis on top of Big Walter Jones. So Monroe, like Sanchez, would be making a ton of money to be a backup for at least a couple seasons. You all know that I am a huge Big Walt fan and even though he is getting seasoned in age and has had to battle through pain and injuries, I firmly believe that a Big Walt at 75% is still as good as any LT in the NFL!

Bottom Line: Just like with Matt, eventually and inevitably the sun will set on Big Walt's time and the Seahawks will need to replace his presence at LT. Locklear and Willis both have the potential to be that successor and there is no need to draft Monroe. Besides, according to sources, the Seahawks were one of only two teams to not attend Monroe's Pro-Day workout. Most likely a sign that the Seahawks do not have him at the top of their list for the #4 spot.

Samo's Reaction to Goodell saying his name at the #4 pick: It would be very disappointing to see the Seahawks go this direction with their first pick as it would be a lot of $$$$ tied up in a player that won't immediately see the field, but I could live with it knowing that success is built upon offensive lines and having Monroe on the roster wouldn't hurt the team's future outlook.

Aaron Curry

Now I know that we had crossed Aaron Curry off the list earlier as I had assumed he would be gone by the #4 pick, but he's so darn special that I had to at least give my bottom line and reaction to the scenario where he would somehow fall to #4.

Bottom Line: Curry is a freakish athletic specimen (4.56 sec 40 time, 25 reps at 225 lbs bench, and 37" vert) and regarded as the best and "safest" prospect in the entire draft. With Seattle trading away Julian Peterson, there is a spot in the LB core where Curry could come in and start right away. That is what I am looking for, a player with his type of impact that could contribute to a team that is thinking, WIN NOW! The thought of a LB trio of Curry, Tatupu, and Hill in Seattle's 4-3 scheme is scary!

Samo's Reaction to Goodell saying his name at the #4 pick: He's not my top choice for the Seahawks to choose, but it would be near impossible for the Seahawks to pass him up should he somehow fall to #4. I'll be stoked, but still be a little disappointed that we didn't draft...

Michael Crabtree

Here is my top choice for who I think the Seahawks should take with the #4 pick. To me it's almost a no brainer (assuming that Curry is off the board) as Crabtree has put together a resume that is ridiculous in the 2 years he played at Texas Tech. 231 catches for 3,127 yards and 41 TDs...WOW! I don't care what kind of system you play in, those kind of numbers are flat out amazing!!!! On top of all that, most of his best games were against the best teams under the National spotlight. BIG TIME PLAYER MAKING BIG TIME PLAYS IN BIG TIME GAMES! Sure he didn't run the 40, sure he turned out to be a little over 6'1" and not the 6'3" Texas Tech had him listed as, sure he had a broken foot when he arrived at the NFL Combine and had to withdraw, sure he didn't take part in Texas Tech's Pro-Day nor did he work out for any team...WHO CARES! Watch the game film and it's evident that he is big enough, fast enough, and is flat out a gamer and freak of an athlete!

Seriously, take a look...



Still have questions about Crab? It's so frustrating how little things can cause so much concern and questions over a prospect. He made the smart decision and got surgery on the foot so that he would be 100% ready for camp. I commend him for that and not worrying about putting up Combine numbers for scouts, having confidence that his game film will do all the talking necessary! The surgery was a success and he has stated this week that there have been no problems in the healing process and he is feeling as good as ever. Plus, look at the guy's ability to catch the ball. The comparisons to Fitzgerald are valid as he catches EVERYTHING with his hands and is so dangerous after the catch. He is built strong and big too and is a fabulous blocker, traits that make him very valuable to a West-Coast offense team like the Hawks.

Imagine, Housh, Crab, Carlson, Burleson, and Branch as your weapons in the passing game. Matt Hasselbeck is just dreaming of such a scenario. Character wise Crab is a class act. He works hard, has just enough ego to make him a competitor, and is a team player. Crab can come in and start from day one and in my mind is going to be worth every penny that the #4 pick will cost. Learning from vets like Housh, Branch, and Burleson will only benefit him in his transition to being a pro and I honestly think that he will turn out to be the top producing pick of the 2009 draft!

Bottom Line: Crab is a game breaking type of player that Seattle needs to make another Super Bowl run in the next few years. He will be the Larry Fitzgerald type of receiver that the team can build their passing game around for years to come. Put him alongside one of the best receivers in the NFL in Houshmandzadeh and you have a great recipe for success. Everytime this guy touches the ball, he is a threat to go house. Pick him with the #4 pick and make every Seattle fan jump in excitement!


Samo's Reaction to Goodell saying his name at the #4 pick: When can I buy my Crabtree jersey?!?!?!?

Thanks for reading, time for me to hit the hay!

Go Seahawks!

Jimmy Rollins...

This is quite possibly the best commercial on TV right now. Jimmy Rollins is a stud, haha!

Cool Story...

New teaser from Think Thank for their 2009 film, Cool Story. Looking forward to seeing what my boy AHiro has got for this one, guaranteed bangers!

Enjoy!

UW is the CHAMP!...

For the first time since 1953, the UW Huskies are outright Pac-10 Champs!

What a magical regular season the Dawgs have had. Lets hope they stay hot as we move into the post-season with the Pac-10 Tourney and then the NCAA Tourney and show the rest of the nation that the UW Huskies are FOR REAL!!!!

No. 16 in AP, No. 13 in ESPN/USA Today...

YEA BOY!!!!

HOUSHMANDZADEH IS A SEAHAWK!!!!...

It looks like the Seahawks are SERIOUS about getting back to the top of the NFC West by signing the top prize in free agency, TJ Houshmandzadeh! This is a great sign for all Seahawks fans who were nervous the team could enter into a rebuilding period with last season's down year. With this move the Seahawks show that they believe (as we all do!) that last season was a fluke and there will be no rebuilding as we aim to take back the West!

With a 5-year deal worth $40M and $15M guaranteed, Houshmandzadeh chose Seattle over Minnesota and Cincy. Housh will be an immediate impact player and I'm sure Matt is just drooling over the thought of having him to throw to! Houshmandzadeh told the press that he chose Seattle because he felt it was the best fit for him and that he was excited to play with a great QB in Matt Hasselbeck. Housh will be a perfect fit in our West Coast offense with his exceptional route running ability and great hands!

Housh played at Oregon State and is familiar with the NW. Seahawks Nation welcomes him with extreme excitement!

With the signing of Housh, the million dollar question now (literally) is, "What do the Seahawks do with the #4 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft?" Well, this basically opens up a ton of options for the Hawks. By bringing in a player like Housh to beef up the WR depth chart, we do not necessarily have to go the direction of drafting Michael Crabtree and use that pick to draft another need such as DT or OL. Now don't get me wrong, I would love to see them still pick up "Crab" with the #4 pick and create a superstar WR corp! Imagine, Housh on one side, Crab on the other, Branch coming out of the slot and Burleson being the #4 receiver in an offense that sees a lot of 4 WR formations....WOW!!!! One can dream eh?

It will be interesting to see what the Hawks do with the pick now. Trade down, pick another need, still pick Crab, who knows? It will be a very exciting draft for Seattle though, even more so now with Housh becoming a Seahawk!

GO SEAHAWKS!!!!

The Kid is coming back home...

Welcome Home Jr.!!!! The Kid is back and for all Seattle Mariner fans this is a great day, as Ken Griffey Jr. will be able to finish his career right where it all began. Finish strong in Sea-Town Jr. as the HOF awaits!

Good to be a pro athlete...

These are a couple of the PS3 consoles that the NBA All-Stars received during All-Star weekend. Sony had a players lounge where all of the All-Star weekend participants could come and customize a PS3 with anything they wanted. I love that Brandon Roy went with the UW theme! LeBron's PS3 is pretty sick too. Must be nice to be a filthy rich athlete and still get dope stuff for free!

30oz of LOVE...

So we went and celebrated V-day over at our favorite restaurant (Daniel's Broiler - Bellevue) and this is the delight that I hammered down! 30oz prime rib with a cracked peppercorn crust cooked to a perfect medium-rare color and a healthy side of garlic mash! This bad boy was no joke, about 2+ inches thick and half the plate!

May I mention that I started the night off with crispy artichoke hearts in garlic-hollandaise and a caesar salad (extra crushed pepper!) and complimented the main plate with some broiled mushrooms. Yes, the night was quite fabulous...oh yea, I also had half a Granny Smith fruit tart and vanilla ice cream to end the night!

Take witness to the several thousand calories that were consumed!

Brought a smile to my face :)

The aftermath, nothing but the bone...and a bite of garlic mash that was properly polished off right after I snapped this pic!

DUBS is here...

Welcome the Huskies' new Mascot, Dubs! Dubs was born Nov 15th, 2008 and is currently in some super training to get in shape for his debut Sep 5th, 2008 when LSU comes to town. He will make a cameo at the spring football game in April, so if you want to sneak a peak, make sure you're there! I am assuming the stud Mascot, Spirit, who has lead our Dawgs out for the last 10 years or so will be retired either then or at the LSU game. Thanks Spirit for always leading us out with some adrenaline! Dubs signifies a new beginning for Husky football, lets all get pumped and welcome Dubs with some WOOFS!

Go Dawgs!

Creative children...

So I have been a little M.I.A. lately and haven't posted anything since I got sick, but I'm back and with some humor to entertain your day! My wife got this e-mail forward from her sister and it's hilarious! Apparently, some little kid drew this picture at school and this is the letter her mom had to send to the teacher to explain, read and laugh...

Dear Mrs. Jones,

I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer. I work at Home Depot and I told Sarah how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had. Then I found one more in the back room, and several people were fighting over who would get it. Sarah's picture does NOT show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot. From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Smith

Hahahahaha, how funny is that!?!?! Kids can be so freakin' creative these days. What the e-mail doesn't tell you though is that the mom's full name is Lexus A. Smith....Hmmmm, Home Depot? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

A day in history...

As I spend today recovering from the flu that has knocked me on my butt, I had to take some time to log on and post a quick note about the day's historical event. Today, Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. More importantly, he became the first Black President in U.S. history, giving minorities across the land a true piece of pride and representing change, hope, and strength for all.

No matter what your political background is, no matter what side you voted for, no matter what part of the States you live in, today is a time to join as one and truly celebrate our Country and how far we have come. Dr. Martin Luther King's dream became a reality today, and with it, let us all join hands and step forward to bring this Country back to the strength upon which it was built.

Willis McGahee vs. Ryan Clark...

For those of you who didn't catch the Steelers vs. Ravens game last night, here is the video of the menacing hit Ryan Clark put on Willis McGahee. It was pretty scary to watch at first as Willis McGahee was not moving at all and looked to be out cold. He is expected to make a full recovery however and all his medical tests checked out. So with that said, enjoy the video!

Reason to be happy about this football season in Seattle...

THE #4 PICK IN THE 2009 NFL DRAFT!!!!

Hopefully taking this guy with it!

GO SEAHAWKS!!!!

UW Hoops...

So after a somewhat disappointing start to the season, the Huskies have ripped off 9 straight wins and gotten the label from ESPN as a "sleeper" to win the Pac-10 Title. I do not disagree at all, this team has been dominating on the glass (leads the nation in rebounding), gotten a lot better play from their guards, and overall plays solid team ball. I love Isaiah Thomas Jr., the kid is a flat out scorer and where he lacks in height, he more than makes up for with heart and grit.

Don't get me wrong, there is still plenty to improve on and at times the team looks like they are lost out on the court. Consistency is key and something the Dawgs will need to improve on as early on in the season they have often played down or played up to their competition. I am pretty excited though for getting into the thick of Pac-10 play. A lot of analysts around the country are saying that the Pac-10 is not looking as good as they were sold to be, but you know it's going to be tough and the Pac-10 is going to rise in strength as the season wears on.

Big game tonight against a hot Cal team, Huskies are favored by 5, which shows they are starting to get some real respect. Cal shoots well though and have gotten off to a great start this season at 14-2, it's going to be a battle.

Get pumped though Dawg fans, our team is coming alive and I think we've only seen the tip of the iceberg!

GO DAWGS!

Weather...

So it's been quite some time since I checked in with the good old blog. Lets just say I've been busy and have not had a chance to give the blog some love. I plan on changing that for the New Year however and aim to post at least once a week!

So what else is there to talk about lately other than the crazy a$$ weather we've had in WA. First it started out with the mid-December snow storms that pounded all of Washington, dumping massive amounts of snow all over the State. We had over 16" out front of our place at one point making it the most snow I've seen in the city in my lifetime! Crazy how the city just shuts down when more than 4" of snow falls! It was nothing compared to some of the cities East of the Cascades. Places like Walla Walla and Spokane got hammered with dumpings measured in feet vs. inches.!!!!

It was great for the mountains though, as there was plenty of POW to be had for all! Alpental back country was some of the best early season pow I've shredded in quite some time. Shredding was pretty much money for about 3 straight weeks until it all came to a screeching halt with the recent 50 degree garden hose that ripped through WA. Yea, a storm that brought torrential downpours and temps that felt more like Spring than Winter.

The warm storms pretty much shut down all of the passes, as the heavy rains brought avalanches crashing down onto the major highways. Snoqualmie lost almost 50% of its base over 2 and a half days as the rains ripped thorough. This picture shows Hyak after pretty much the entire face of the hill came rumbling down. It took out one of the houses built on the right of the first chair, ripping the home completely off its foundation!

Here is a pic of Snoqualmie falls taken today, showing the massive amounts of water that is melting off the hills and coming down to flood all of Western Washington. All of the rivers are projected to reach record levels and many people have had to abandon their homes to head for higher ground. Last night there was pretty much no way out of Western Washington unless you flew out or went far north with all three major passes closed down due to avalanches and I-5 south been flooded and closed south of Chehalis! In other words, there is a lot of H2O collecting across the State!

All in all, it's been a crazy start to the Winter in WA!

Hopefully the snow level comes back down and we start getting some dumps up on the hill again. I also wouldn't mind getting a week or so of dry weather to try and stabilize the roads and hills around here and keep them from sliding and settling.

Rain, rain, GO AWAY!

New Posts...

Stay tuned for the return of Samo's Update with bigger and better posts!!!!