Sometimes we do cool things

Yesterday we were sitting on the porch talking about drinking and someone mentioned playing Edward 40 Hands, a classic college drinking game. But we decided that you could make it much more coleslawesome if instead of Edward 40 Hands you played Edward 7 Cans. The premise is basically the same but instead of taping 2 40's to your hands you tape 7 cans of beer to your hands.

Of course while playing Edward 7 Cans we watched the back half of Gettysburg. In the past 4 days I have not come home and Gettysburg wasn't on. Sometimes we watch it multiple times in one day. It's 4 1/2 hours.

Gettysburg + Edward 7 Cans = Bliss

News

The bad news:
I've been bested by the City of Ann Arbor again. For me to get a chicken permit, my landlord, and every one of my neighbor landlords would have to ok it. Also, all of my neighbor landlords would have to sign a waiver to build it within 40 feet of their houses. Also, the coop would have to be 10 feet from the property lines. I am greatly upset.

The good news:
With my employment put to a vote, the verdict was 3-2 to not fire me. When I first started driving buses one of my trainers said he would be surprised if I lasted 2 weeks. Well, I've made it 2 years. But they are actively looking for a reason to fire me. So that's the good news.

I Rule at Fantasy Football

Ever since 2001 I have done a fantasy football league with my Friends from high school. I am a perennial favorite to win the championship. In the 7 years we have done it I have finished in the top two six times. I have only outright won it once though. I even recovered after wasting a first round pick on Tiki Barber 2 years ago. We even have a sweet trophy that the winner each year gets.

In recent years we have switched over to a keeper league in which I dominate. We keep five players from last years team. My team was so stacked that I had to give up Calvin Johnson and Antonio Gates. Also, since I finished first last year I had to draft last in the draft. I wasn't sure who to keep with my 5th keeper. It was between Romo and Calvin Johnson. I knew if I gave up Romo that I wouldn't get him back but I thought there was a chance that I could get Calvin back. As it turns the guy with the pick before me had to choose between Calvin and Chad Johnson, and went with Calvin. I still think Chad Johnson is a good consolation pick.

Here is my draft results. On the right is the round and overall pick and on the left is the average Yahoo draft pick. The first 5 are keepers so there average Yahoo draft pick doesn't matter to me.

1. (8) Adrian Peterson
2. (16) Terrell Owens
3. (24) Andre Johnson
4. (32) Jamal Lewis
5. (40) Tony Romo
6. (48) Chad Johnson (31.3)
7. (56) Darren McFadden (53.2)
8. (64) San Diego (62.8)
9. (72) Fred Taylor (102.2)
10. (80) Javon Walker (102.5)
11. (88) Vernon Davis (72.1)
12. (96) Jay Cutler (96.4)
13. (104) Patrick Crayton (105.3)
14. (112) Rashard Mendenhall (110.2)
15. (120) Seattle (127.8)
16. (128) Tony Scheffler (123.3)
17. (136) Robbie Gould (133.4)

For the most part I was getting players after their average draft pick which means that I was picking up the good talent after they should have been on the board. Like I got Chad Johnson 17 picks after he normally went. It appears that I did overvalue Fred Taylor by about 20 picks. I guess with Maurice Jones-Drew getting all the hype people have been wary to draft an aging injury prone Taylor. The way I see it though is that my 4th back is a pro-bowler who will get the bulk of the carries between the 20 yard lines. Plus in the last 4 games of the 2007 season he averaged 7.7 yards per carry. I really don't know why I thought so much of Javon Walker. I weighed the idea of the premier receiver in Oakland over the fact that the 20th overall pick in the 2002 draft wanted to return his signing bonus and retire. Overall though I think I had one of the better drafts in the league.

I think that Seattle defense will be unexpectedly good and San Deigo even without Merriman will still be tough. I love to draft young talent like McFadden. While I expect total domination, I do have to deal with the team that has Brady, Moss, Brian Westbrook, Marshawn Lynch, Larry Johnson and Calvin Johnson.

On a side note, I don't know which is harder to believe, Chad Johnson saying he could beat Michael Phelps at swimming or Lou Holtz predicting Notre Dame winning 11 games this year.

Chicken Names

Although I don't yet have any chickens yet, I have already thought of names for them. Here we go;

Elwood Blues
Garth Algar
Francis ("Frank") "Ponch" Poncherello
Bonesaw McGraw

I will decide which is which based on their personalities. Relating to TMNT:

Elwood - Leonardo
Garth - Michelangelo
Ponch - Donatello
Bonesaw - Raphael

Elwood is going to be my favorite.

I know I need more Chickens if I want to get Jake Blues, Wayne Campbell and John Baker.

Doesn't taste half bad

When I was a kid my dad held the firm belief that you could put anything into Mac and Cheese. We had it all, and most of it was pretty good. I remember eating Mac and Cheese with all sorts of things in it including, peas, hot dogs, green pepper, ranch dip, onion, coleslaw, and summer sausage, just to name a few. I distinctly remember one time having Mac and Cheese with a can of baked beans mixed in. I don't have any explanation to why that couldn't have been just a side dish (also, not so good). Once as a kid I combined my two favorite foods, Oreo's and mustard. It was then that I found out that two good things don't necessarily combine to form something better.

One of the nice things about being in Chicago this summer is that I can cook in a kitchen that isn't in the Box house. I thought that I would be making great dinners. My cubiclemate always tells me about the dinners he made the previous night; Beef Enchiladas, Chicken Parmigiana, Beef Wellington. I tell him what I ate for dinner: Spaghetti with Prego, Michelinas, Cereal. He says that I just eat college food, and he is probably right.

One of my main staples is grilled cheese. I might eat between 6-8 grilled cheese's a week. Mostly, I love sprucing up my grilled cheese with whatever is in the fridge. You know what I have found? Every sauce tastes good on a grilled cheese. Some variations I have tried include, Tabasco, mustard (sans Oreo), ketchup, BBQ, onion dip, other cheese, pogs, Russian dressing, horseradish and a few others. They were all delicious. I would suggest next time you sit down to cook up a cheeser, you grab whatever sauce or salad dressing you have in the fridge and slop it on.

Happy Cheesing!

Why? Because I Can.

Last week Ann Arbor's new Backyard Chicken Ordinance went into effect. It allows me to raise up to 4 hens behind the box house. Things I still have to do:

*Get neighbors permission. Basically, getting drunk with Chirs Orr.
*Apply for the $20 permit
*Build the Cooper Howell Honorary Chicken Coop
*Buy chickens

Then I can do all the cool things that come along with raising chickens, like eating a homemade chicken tender omelet.

I would be feeling better right now if...

... last night I hadn't done any one of the following.

• Eaten $9 of KFC for dinner
  
• Gorged myself at an open bar from 6-9
  
• Bought a 40 of Mickeys from another bar
• Met up with my cousin who bought me shots
• Entered into a hundred dollar contest to see who could pick up a girl
  
• Getting so drunk that my cousin had to get me a cab home
• Getting kicked out of said cab for being too drunk
• Immediately puking after getting out of aforementioned cab
• Passing out the wrong way on my bed with all of my clothes on

I would prefer to wallow all day, but there is a keg of Oberon waiting for me on a roof.