US Open...Upset and Excited

Today is the third day of the US Open, as the First Rounds conclude and Second Rounds begin. And so far, two major upsets have occurred.

AP Photo/Daniel P Derella (from Yahoo Sports news)

Most recently (last night), Andy Roddick lost a heated match to opponent Gilles Muller. Muller consistently forced Roddick to use his weak backhand and also answered many of Roddick's fireball serves. It was an intense 3 sets (all with tie-breakers!), for sure, and I'm sure Roddick is still reeling that THAT was a first round...and it was his birthday...that really bites. Well, if Muller makes it to Federer, I'm sure he'll then get his ass kicked all the way back home.

Also, Svetlana Kuznetsova (defending US Open women's champion), lost in her first round to Ekaterina Bychkova, another Russian. I didn't get to watch this match, but wow...she became the first defending women's champion in the US Open to lose in the first round.

My other favorites are moving right along: Venus and Serena play their second rounds today; Lleyton Hewitt is leading in his first round against Albert Costa as I write this; Roger Federer sailed right through his first round (of course!); Lindsay Davenport faced some good competition but won her first round last night; Andre Agassi is heading into his second round; and Maria Sharapova pummelled her opponent as well.

Matches I will try to watch today: Sharapova vs. Randriantefy (damn, that's a hard one!), Venus vs. Kirilenko, Serena vs. Castano (tonight), and Nadal vs. Jenkins (also tonight).

I think it's pretty much a given that Federer will walk away as champion once again in the Men's, but I'm not really sure who will be the Women's champ...tho I'm most rooting for Venus and Davenport.

Alright, this serve's for you! Looking forward to even more excitement as the Open continues!!!

Images/comments on Katrina

So, Katrina came ashore today for the 3rd time (once in South FL, again near New Orleans, and again in Mississippi)...and what havoc it wreaked. It's times like these that remind us that Mother Nature is in charge and that we can only run or brace for impact during her wrath.

This particular storm, once a Category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale (with 175 mph winds at one time), may have caused at least $16 billion in damages (according to yahoo.com); it could also become the costliest U.S. storm in history. New Orleans is being called a wilderness by some...no power, no water, no gas...water everywhere...buildings damaged/destroyed, and residents are being told not to even think about returning for at least a week. It's really hard to contemplate...and I feel for those people.

The storm is now projected to pass through to the Northeast U.S., affecting the weather (to a lesser extent, obviously) in the Midwest along the way. Since hurricane season lasts until November, it's likely that at least a couple more storms will develop.

If you like learning about weather phenomena, CNN has a good web page with the basics (the list of names for this year, how hurricanes form, etc.): http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2005/hurricanes/index.html

Here are a few images I found in the Yahoo images that give a glimpse of the aftermath of Katrina:

Notice that the boat is not in the water, but on a highway.

US Open begins today!!

So this is my last week before I start my new job (next Tuesday)...I can enjoy watching a good bit of the US Open, which I'm stoked about!!

I've always liked tennis but only in the last couple years have I started getting into it more and more. I mainly watch the Grand Slam events, this being the 4th and last for the year. Tennis is fastly becoming my favorite sport to watch and to play. I really love that tennis pros have to work hard for the money they make...unlike many other professional sports. And it's a hell of a lot of fun to watch (and play!).

I have very little doubt that Roger Federer will be the men's champion in the Open, but I really am not sure which woman will walk away as champion. I'm rooting for Venus Williams and Lindsay Davenport, big time. It would be awesome to see them face-off yet again...I absolutely loved their historic Wimbledon match (though I had a hard time favoring one over the other). But who didn't laugh and smile with Venus when she won? THAT is what it's all about...yep.

If you're a tennis fan, be sure to check out my US Open Coverage link on the right hand side of my blog. I'm a big fan of Yahoo (maybe because I am a yahoo??), as you'll see, and think that their coverage is very comprehensive.

I'm sure I'll add more comments on the Open as it progresses...it'll be a fun 2 weeks, for sure!

Later...

In the beginning...

What's up? I've never had a blog before. I'm not sure how often you are supposed to water and feed it, so here's hoping for the best! heh heh

Nah, I just thought...hey, all these other people have blogs...I want one!!! This is actually pretty cool...I can talk about my toenails, my hair, my dog, current events, etc. I guess it can be like a journal or a venting ground...but if you think I'm going to share my darkest secrets and all that juicy stuff...well, you might be in luck! ;-)

For those of you who know me, you can skip all this crap! heh heh

For those of you who don't know me, here are some pics:

Here's the much abridged version of my life's story:

I grew up in the metro-area of Atlanta, GA (Roswell & Alpharetta), the oldest of the two children conceived by my parents (I have a 22-year-old sis). I attended college at Berry College in Rome, GA, where I received my B.S. degree (cuz I'm full of bullshit) in business. I worked at Bank of North GA in various positions for 5 years (during college and afterwards)--one of the best experiences of my life so far.

About a year ago...with the help of my friend Julie, I adopted my dog, Sierra, who has been a wonderful addition to my life. I have always loved dogs and to not have one around would be just plain weird.

I moved to Ypsilanti, MI in June. Why? Well, I had the opportunity to visit this region about a year or so ago and loved the area (especially Ann Arbor). For a while, I had been looking for a new place to live outside of the Southeast, somewhere that wasn't attracting a lot of people, so here we are. I also considered attending graduate school here...but those plans are on hold for a bit. I really am not ready to plant roots yet...and my new job may allow me to live elsewhere in the not-so-distant future.

As for what I'm like: I think I'm pretty laid-back (admittedly, not on the road...I'm a road-rager for sure!! HONK...outta my way, deuche bag!!! lol). I am gay, definitely, but I think I keep it under wraps...I keep a fire extinguisher around just in case I should start flaming. I love the outdoors...when it's hot, I prefer to be in the water or not out at all, though. lol Snow skiing is definitely my favorite outdoor activity, though it's not the cheapest to come by. Hiking, canoeing, biking, camping, you name it.

I'm a healthy guy too...no drugs, no death sticks burning in my mouth...I eat right most of the time; I work out regularly; and I watch Oprah...ok, maybe not THAT...

Other stuff I like: hanging out with friends, movies!! (now that I'm in Ypsi, I can catch most on opening night, which is awesome...cuz it's damn near impossible in Atlanta), my tv shows (Lost, Alias, Everwood, Gilmore Girls, Family Guy, The Amazing Race), singing in my car, and traveling to new and exciting places.

So that's enough...if you want to know more...let me know. If anyone even read this, I'll be so impressed that I might raise both eyebrows... ;-)

Come back soon...tell all your friends...tell all your family...tell Dubya I'm here too (cuz he and I need to have a man-to-monkey talk)!!!

Peace out, take care, sayonara!