Weekend Recap (In Sports)

Happy Monday people of the Internet! I’d like to kick of this week by talking to y’all about one of my favorite things: football! Truth be told, I love all sports; however, as a girl who grew up in a football family, this particular game will always have a special place in my heart.

This little weekend recap is something I hope to make a permanent fixture among the entries of this blog of mine. I am sure some of you spend your weekends the same way I do: watching whatever game is on and endlessly checking your phone for the score when you’re away from a TV. I am here to tell you that there is no shame in that game. As such, I thought it might be great to fill you in on the victories (and tragedies) of my athletics-obsessed weekend!

First off: college football. In the interest of full disclosure I’ll tell you now that college football is the crowning glory of any fanhood I possess. I could go on about the reasons behind this favoritism, but for now I’ll try not to bore you. Because this is week 10 for NCAA football, a bunch of my teams had byes. Unfortunately, my favorite team did not have a bye. Also unfortunately, they lost. The Oregon State Beavers suffered a tough loss at the hands of USC. This has been a tough season for my Beavs and there is a lot of talk surrounding their quarterback’s performance this week despite murmurs of a Heisman running. Definitely a bummer there. The Noles ran right over Miami and Clemson beat Virginia, no surprises! Other than that, as far as I am concerned week 10 was a relatively quiet week on the college football front.

Now, the NFL is a bit of a different story. After a nail-biting game the Seahawks triumphed over the Buccaneers in overtime! Nothing makes me more nervous than starting from behind and having to make a comeback! On a sadder note, the Saints lost to the Jets, which was a definite heartbreak for this fan. All in all this week was pretty intense for many teams in the NFL! It just goes to show the unpredictability of any given football Sunday!

It would not be fair for me to exclude the fact that this past week the Boston Red Sox were victorious over the St. Louis Cardinals to win the World Series. Though I am not a real Sox fan, I can appreciate the symbolism behind this victory and what it means to the people of Boston. This exemplifies another great aspect of sports: its power to bring people together.

Finally, I think I’ll wrap this post up with a little controversy! News broke on Sunday of alleged racism and violent remarks from the Miami Dolphins’ Richie Incognito. Incognito apparently left a voicemail for his teammate, Jonathan Martin, in which he used racial slurs and other violent language to threaten Martin. Incognito has been suspended from the NFL indefinitely and is awaiting the result of an investigation into the matter to determine his fate. Some have supported the investigation, others think that this is a matter that should have been handled in-house. You can read more about this story here.

What do you think of this hoopla? In-house issue or worthy of being publicized?

I think that about wraps up my sports cliff notes for the weekend! I hope I didn't bore you too much!

Best,

Elizabeth

Back In Action!

I figured my first post back should probably be an explanation of my absence for the last--oh, seven months or so. As a college student and young adult, I am understandably going through a HUGE series of transitions in my life. Though sudden upheavals are often to be expected in this time of life, some things catch us more off-guard than others.

After a rough nine(ish) months and a time of serious changes, I have finally found myself back in a routine and a place of (semi) normalcy. I could not be happier to have signed a 9 month lease on an apartment in Eugene, Oregon, where I will spend the next two years of my life finishing my undergraduate education!

A few basics about my life in Eugene:

• I attend the University of Oregon! Technically, this makes me an Oregon Duck. The only problem with this is the fact that I actually support the Oregon State Beavers....awkward. For those of you who do not know me personally, this is actually my third university in two years! Maybe I'll tell that story on the blog someday!

• I live in a third-floor, two-bedroom apartment with my dear brother! I know what you're probably thinking. Flashbacks of that weird scene in Bridesmaids where the strange albino siblings are inviting her to move out because "it's ridiculous that two siblings of this age should live with a room mate." Look, I get that. If we were any other sibling group those questioning thoughts would be warranted. However, Ike and I have had an unnaturally harmonious and best friend-like relationship since we were roughly 10 and 11 (I'm older). Plus, we have almost 20 years of cohabitation experience under our belts. It's basically a match made in heaven. 

He's the one on the left--or the one who does not look like a 70 year old woman. That's my Grams--everyone say hi to Grams! They're both the best.

• I am a sports FANATIC, baseball and football in particular. Truly, football season turns me into an emotionally unstable, football-obsessed shell of myself. You would think that being a student at the BCS-ranked #2 school in the nation might be exciting to me. However, I struggle to keep my snide comments and eye-rolling to a minimum when it comes to discussing my school's football program. I'm just saying, I cant have $3 of free printing per term, but the football program gets its own barber shop? Groan. Bear with me. 

•  I work at a very popular and well-known home goods retail store! (I have decided not to expressly write the name on this blog for privacy reasons as well as a social media agreement I was required to sign.) Working for a large corporation has its draw backs, but for the most part I love my job! Plus, it pays my bills. How could I complain? 

•  On days I am not working, doing homework or commuting to spend time with friends, family or my boy, I can be found pounding the pavement on one of my daily runs or seeking out a favorite fishing spot. If the Northwest is perfect for anything, it is spending time outdoors. I am convinced there are not many spots that compete with us in overall beauty. 

A random fishing trip on the Columbia.

I guess that's a good summary of my life in the big 'ole Eug. What is your favorite part about the place you live?

Best,
Elizabeth 

Here We Go!

I think this is the start of something wonderful! I am excited to begin this blog as a collection of all of the things that make up me. "Who is 'me'?" you might ask. I am Elizabeth, a 19 year old college student with more interests than possible to keep track of and less time than ideal to work it all out. I plan to update this blog with pictures, notes, links and words that I feel represent myself and my interests!

Fair warning, sometimes I look like this in pictures:

That's only when I try really hard. Ninety percent of the time it ends up like this:

I'm sorry about it, really I am. I'm a compulsive goof ball.

You might wonder where the title "A Hundred Ways To Say Elizabeth" comes from. Or maybe you don't--that's okay too. One thing I have always really enjoyed about my name is it's dynamic capability. According to Wikipedia, there are a multitude of nicknames that can be construed from Elizabeth. I consider over 35 of these legitimate. These names include, but are not limited to: Liz, Lizzy, Libby, Elle, Ellie, Ella, Beth, Betty, Betsy, Eliza, Liza, etc. Additionally, I like to consider myself to be a multifaceted human being. Thus, the concept of "A Hundred Ways To Say Elizabeth" is born: to represent my personality and the many hats I (figuratively) wear.

Anyway, I think that qualifies as a decently well-rounded introduction. If you're reading this: THANK YOU! I hope you find what I have to say interesting, fun, thought provoking, appalling or otherwise worth reading!

Much love,
Elizabeth