SAIPAN...On the other side of the Island was this chill spot where people were taking advantage of yet another beautiful day...

A shot of me and my tan Oakleys...I am rarely without some sort of eyewear when out and about...trying here for the whole artsi-reflection photo-whatever...

This is the sunset after the first day there...as it happens, this was the first really nice sunset that they had, had in quite a while...apparently it had done nothing but rain for a week or two and stopped just the day before I got there...awesome...

This is Day2's evening display...much diffrent than the first, but nontheless beautiful...very, very peaceful times...

This is what is known there as "Bird's Island"...this is also about the time that my current illness was beggining to take a forceful hold on my body... while it is a beautiful place, I swear I don't remember seeing ANY birds...

Caught site of some cows (in the foreground) on the way back to the hotel...luckily my volunteer guide drove a convertible so we were able capture this shot of the cows...just a great shot of cows...and the coastal view isn't bad either HA!

And when it was all said and done - thumbs up indeed...Saipan is the shizzle fo' rizzle...probably the most beautiful place that I've ever been...all the people were great and happy...hell, my freggin' bartender from the hotel ended up taking me all over the island the last day I was there...WHERE would that EVER happen? Just a good, relaxed place...I could definitely see myself disappearing there for a year when I get out of the Army...I highly recommend giving this little island a visit...although, I may be a bit biased seeing as how the Army paid me to go here...I just got the check (direct deposit) from them for the trip...$1200 bucks...awesome...

Cough, cough...cooouuuffffff...

Sorry for the lack of posts or anything people...still sick..coughing right now as I type this...pain...had an alert this morning at aroung 5a.m. which helped - to not make me feel any better - and i've got CQ (24hour duty) this Saturday which no doubt will KILL me...which is very unfortunate...it's like I have to pay back my couple days of trying to smile...as if it wasn't enought that for every moment in Saipan that I felt happy I kept beating myelf up inside because it didn't feel right - feeling happy without HER...every moment of happiness was matched with a moment of (for lack of a better word) pain...it just didn't feel right creating any sort of worth-a-damn-memory without HER by my side...it just didn't seem to mean anything without HER...but I guess I digress...anyway...still sick...thanks Lope...I Love you Angela...stay safe...I'll get to a photo or two when I start to feel better party people...word up!...mahalo!

[Expletive] back...

Yes, I’m back from the island…wow…more to come in the next week or so on all that…but yes – wow…an astonishingly beautiful place…may have to live there for a year or so…like I said though – there will be more to come on that in the coming days… still catching my breathe – both figuratively and now physically too…

As for right NOW…I spent my first day back laid up in the hospital here…yup – the hospital…I feel vaguely reminiscent to the shit-storm that hit me in Iraq, but after two “popped” veins, two IV’s, chest-X-rays and numerous inquisitive looks from the doc I was released with nothing more than the standard Army bullshit…even after recounting my “medical history” of ALWAYS having the same crap and ALWAYS getting worse because the docs never fix the ACTUAL problem until it becomes horrible…but I digress…

I walked outta the hospital looking like an addict with holes up and down my arm, a bottle of “Sore Throat Spray”, Cough Syrup, some throat lozenges and a thing of Acetaminophen…that’s right people – all that to leave an Army hospital with nothing more than the stuff that most people have, or can at least get a hold of, on their own…

The best thing they gave me was a print out explaining what a viral respiratory illness is…I, according to the sheet, have an upper respiratory illness caused by a virus…ALSO, according to my hand-dandy piece of paper, should return “promptly” if any of the following occur: cough with lots of colored mucus, chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing or difficulty breathing, severe headache; face, neck or ear pain…

Hold the phone – I ALREADY HAVE ALL THAT…that’s why I was there in the first place…ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…

The thing about this mysterious illness is that I’m positive that I got it from Loper right before I left for my trip to the Island…the bastard showed up to drink a couple brews last weekend and started coughing crap all over the place saying how it was no big deal and that he’d had the cough for so long and this and that…to which I responded by being very (understandably) pissed off that he would bring that shit into my place knowing that I was about to head off to Saipan…dick…anyway…the good part is that it waited to hit full steam until the last day there…the bad part is – well that I’m sick as hell now duh!...thanks Lope…

Can’t wait to get back to Saipan…

Bound for Saipan...

Well peeps...I'm off to the airport in a few minutes to catch the first thing smokin' to the Island of Saipan...forecast is calling for highs in the 80's and lows in the upper 70's...a welcome change from the cold that is Seoul...the beauty of it all is that they're paying me to do this...ha! awesome...well - that's all for now...

Note to self...

Just so it's down and in writing...

The door is open folks...If the Steelers can find a way to get passed the Colts they may very well find their way in to a Super Bowl Championship...they match up VERY well with the Broncos and while I don't think that they will beat the Colts - I have to say that IF...wow that's an IF...if they beat the Colts the Super Bowl can be their's for the taking...Like I said - I don't think they'll beat Indy, BUT if they do I feel confident that Big Ben will be making someone A LOT of money in Vegas come Super Bowl Time...just so it's down, and in the record... blah...!

FRIDAY THE...

Fridays are Wonder-FULL…

Especially when it’s the 13th…this one though I didn’t’ realize until late in the afternoon…when it all started to make sense…

For some reason this morning it was raining…not snowing…hmmmmmm…0530 - sure enough it was raining…PT was “cancelled” for my guys….bong…

An extra two hours of sleep later – I’m on my way to the office…there’s a cab…sweet – gotta ride…basketball is on TV (on my computer screen) – wonderful – pistons spurs and then the Kobe’s vs. the LeBrons…sweet…

But then d-r-a-m-a…

And suddenly I’m volunteering to go on this trip because one of the Soldiers can’t…there’s no possible way they paperwork can be done in time though…

Or is there…

Yes…yes there is…

A four-day weekend this weekend for Martin Luther King and then my first day “back” I’ll be in the middle of the Pacific on a little island called Saipan…

The things I do for my country folks! HA!...awesome…

OK it’s a little more than 24 hours removed from the jubilation, the greatness, the triumph – THE game that will undoubtedly go down as one of – if not THE – greatest championship game EVER…certainly one of the greatest athletic performances by a single human in the history of organized sports…and I’m STILL catching my breath…

It’s moments like these (and the apparent unending corruption that is finally being uncovered in Congress) that makes me wish that the late great Dr. Hunter S. Thompson was still here with us on this earth…selah…

I just finished spending some of the best two bucks I’ve spent in quite a while on the 24 minute video compilation of the Rose Bowl brought to us by the good people at Apple and Itunes…I now HAVE the game…forever and ever…I can now take it anywhere and shit on a USC fan – or any non-Texas fan in the world…I can bring this video to Anywhere in Texas and it will bring INSTANT joy...it is simply a wonderful thing…

The elation that I felt when Vince somehow ran it in with 18 seconds left could only have been made better if I had EVERY SINGLE person that matters in my life here with me to experience it with…I don’t think I could have survived that though (spontaneous combustion and all) and I will continue to be happy with the fact that I was able to see it at all…it’s not often that something labeled “The Greatest EVER” not only involves “your” team, but also ends with “your” team coming out on TOP…I can’t stop smiling…

Here’s an email from a buddy to further demonstrate the magnitude of this:

One for the ages! When I awoke this morning I sat straight up in bed and told myself it was just a dream. I scrambled for the TV in search of the hung-over truth as to what actually happened. It was then that I realized that THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS was indeed the 2005-2006 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS. What a feeling - I have waited all of my life for this moment…National Champs, that seems to make the hang over and the pounding in my head seem meaning less. The feeling that I felt last night and how I feel right now will probably be matched in the same mile stones of my life: first born, first kiss, first beer, and my First experience of watching the TEXAS LONGHORNS win the game I have waited for forever. It was everything I had ever hoped for and then some. One of the things in my life that I wanted to see was this! I have a few more things on the to-do list but this was a big one. Now if I can only find that cat that crapped in mouth I am going to kill it.

Now when I shared this email with another buddy of mine he scoffed, basically saying that “it’s not THAT serious” and the whole – “it’s just a game” and this and that…

I can agree with that mindset to a certain extent, but I am obviously biased…there are things in all of our lives that we will look back on and either smile with fondness or attempt to erase in contempt…the happy times, the “I can’t believe that just happened” times, the “I just felt a missing piece connected inside of me” times…(Boston Red Sox Times here people)…those can - in an instant - change an entire person’s being…a pure smile for ANY reason is a beautiful thing on ANYONE, and happiness breeds confidence and confidence breeds success (right? Somethin’ like that)…I’m not saying the homeless will now become millionaires or anything but for at least the next week/month (perhaps longer) or so Longhorns fans are indifferent to anything negative…WE are happy…we feel unstoppable and sure…and that IS a good thing…for Texas anyway…but I digress…
If nothing else, I’m sitting in my room here in Korea all by my lonesome at 12:30 or so in the afternoon watching the Longhorns that I’ve rooted for, for as long as I can remember, play against what EVERYONE was touting as THE BEST team EVER…I’m wearing my beautiful-burnt-orange-Vince-Young jersey and throw on my burnt-orange-Longhorns cap (the same one I wore when they won the Baseball Championship back in April or so), basically curled up in a little ball with my knees in my chest on a chair backed up against the wall staring at my tiny little TV...hoping…doing math and all the various point calculations in my head (if they score, and a two pointer, or if they get a field goal and kick an onsides kick, or…)…

Then with a little more than six minutes left the Trojans are up by 12 and the math is still screaming through my head…a quick pass to Thomas and then a few plays later Vince is somehow in the endzone – I’m at a loss…I’m shaking…I don’t know what to do…I don’t understand why they would be allowed to come THIS close only to fall short…I try not to get excited…USC ball…3:20 to play…and they easily move in to Texas’ part of the field – it’s over…but wait – it’s somehow 4th and one and a half, but WE haven’t stopped White ALL NIGHT – NOT ONCE – as soon as it said fourth down I said to myself “you’ve got to go for it to close the game”…and it’s true that play would have sealed it – you don’t NEED Reggie…White had pounded the crap outta Texas all night…so I curled up tighter into my little ball of me…hoping…

THEY STOPPED HIM – THEY FREGGIN’ STOPPED HIM…breathe, breathe – still gotta score…I can’t believe they stopped him…breathe…face mask – first down…another first down and outta bounds – BREATHE, BREATHE…1st down, nothing’, 2nd down, nothing, 3rd down, nothing, wholly crap this is IT…26 seconds, 4th and 5 from the 8…at this point I have now squeezed myself in to such a tight ball that I can no longer be seen by the human eye…

A few seconds later and I just remember him standing in a crowd looking confused and for the first time EVER, being humbled, and well – whatever other emotion describes what he possibly could have been feeling at that moment – watch the tape folks…he’s bewildered…it’s like as soon as he crossed the goal line this sudden moment of clarity came over him and all at once he realized what had just happened…it was beautiful…meanwhile I’m screaming and jumping around my room like a crazy person who just got there first hit of speed since turning clean…

3 minutes to play and they were D-U-N – done…3 minutes later THEY were National Champions…

I went jacketless today in sub 25 degree temps with my Longhorns’ sweatshirt on and the hat - oh the looks I got… I either got the “freggin' bandwagoner look” - Even got a comment from a Staff Sgt. about "bet you didn’t wear that before yesterday" and then even got a Hook'em Horns sign from a distance followed by a yelp…I got the sense that nearly “everyone” wanted to say SOMETHING…it was grrrrrreat…haters…ahhhhh...

They’re playing the “Eye’s of Texas” on Leno right now…and uh…Oh yeah, by the way, I’ve got this video to show you real quick…HA!

Hook’Em Horns!

Best Game Ever?!...

It's gotta be up there. Simply amazing. Anyway, I said that I would do a running diary, but that not only took a backseat to enjoying the game during about midway through the third quarter - turns out BILL SIMMONS WAS DOING HIS OWN DIARY for the game which includes such gems as:

8:37 -- Keith Jackson on Vince Young: "As an old defensive coach once said, 'He ain't got no handles,' but he led the country in passing this year."
(Um, does anyone on this plane speak jive? What just happened there?)

AND...

9:04 -- Reggie Bush just makes me happy. I think I have a man-crush on him.

AND...

9:48 -- Just thought of something: Where do you think O.J. Simpson is watching this game? Something tells me he doesn't have the Marcus Allen/Ronnie Lott sideline pass. And yes, it's always fun bringing up O.J. Simpson to USC people -- almost as fun as meeting a rich person from Brentwood, playing dumb when they say where they live, then excitedly saying, "Hey, wasn't that where O.J. lived?" One of the underrated perks of living in Southern California. I'm telling you.

AND...

11:07 -- All right, this wasn't just the highlight of the game, it might have been the highlight of my life. Here's an actual transcript of Keith Jackson reading an "Emily's Reasons Why Not" promo (10 minutes after I wished for it):
"Don't miss the season's premiere of 'Emily's Reasons Why Not.' [Mumbling to someone off-camera.] 'Emily's Reasons' ... I don't know. [Back to the promo.] Starring Heather ... Graham. A new comedy about love, laughter and life, premiering at Monday, 9 central, followed by an all-new 'Jake' ... [prolonged pause] ... in Progress,' starring John Stah-mos."
(Note: That was 10 times funnier if you imagine Stamos flipping out in his living room, screaming, "It's STAY-mos, you old fart! STAY-mos!" before flipping over his 40-inch Sony Wega, breaking a coffee table and finally being consoled by Dave Coulier and his publicist, Lewis Kay.)

AND...

12:21 -- Young runs for the 2-point conversion. I now have him ranked above every NFL QB except for Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer. Good golly. We also had this exchange right after the conversion:
-- Jackson: "Only 19 seconds to play ... clock didn't move on that play."-- Fouts: "That's an extra point, it's probably not going to ... "

AND...

So what did we learn? Three things ...
1. Not only is Vince Young the best player in college football, his Rose Bowl performance following the Heisman Trophy ceremony ranked at least an 8.3 on the Vengeance Scale. It's nice to see an athlete back up his own words, isn't it?
2. If your season potentially rides on one first down, and you have a Heisman Trophy winning running back on your team ... well, you might want to have him on the field. It's a little unorthodox, I know. But it's probably a good idea.
3. Pete Carroll will always be Pete Carroll.

11 hours and counting...

phew...you could cut the tension with - well some sort of cutting utensil…I brought a jersey, a hat, a t-shirt, and even a cooze to the office today to adorn the walls around my work area…fuck ‘em – that’s what I say anyway…one guy had the NERVE to ask “hey, what’s up with all the Texas stuff?” – I then proceeded to pee on his shoes…it’s time folks – that’s all I had to say to anyone that came into the area today…OH YEAH…it’s time…for good or ill - it’s time…the day is upon us…it’s been building for months – nay – a year – since Vince and his homies were last in Pasadena…ahhh fond memories indeed…we shall see though…either way I’m excited…AND – either way you’re getting a running diary a’la’finch, outta this thing…a completely focused, play-by-play, snap-by-snap, great play-by-great play finch version for your reading pleasure…alright – maybe just the last part, but hell it’s free folks…word up…HOOK ‘EM HORNS!

10 minutes later I needed to add this:

After I wrote this I wanted to be sure and add the fact that I am literally HORRIFIED that the 'Horns will show up for the game in thier grotesque black jerseys with orange numbers…these are the SAME horrendous looking things that the basketball ‘horns showed up in to take a big dump on the game against DUKE a month or so ago…I know that the football jersey equivalent exists, but I’m holding out hope that the Longhorns show up in their beautiful WHITE ON WHITE uniforms (that suit them so well by the way)…I will say this – if they show up in black, I’m simply going to go back to bed or work for that matter, because if they pull that nonsense they will surely lose by 30 or more…mark the words of the Finch…that being said – if they respect tradition AND my eyes I stand by my earlier 35-24 prediction…we shall see…

and 20 minutes later I spewed this out:

I’ve read damn near everything currently out there from either the folks at Sports Illustrated o the good people at ESPN about the Rose Bowl matchup…USC is the “best” offense EVER…Watch out for the ‘Horns O’Line ‘cause they’re quick and they hit…Reggie Bush is the second coming…the running backs at Texas are hungry…LenDale White is the “X” factor…the Texas D is too fast (yeah I said that twice – they’re quick!)…but for me, at this point, one thing is the “IT”…

Well two things actually…

Vince Young is the Truth folks…that and Mr. Leinhart is college football’s Tom Brady…

There’s so much practice leading up to this game, so much scheming, so much planning so much preparation for the opposition…the fact remains though, that these two guys CAN’T be prepared for…they either ARE or they AREN’T…and hell, even if they aren’t ON they’re still hard to stop…

Vince tends to try and pull a Mike Vick and try and force a run/scramble…Matt can tend to try and keep looking for the BIG play and end up holding the ball too long and wasting downs…Vince has a habit of not tucking the ball when running into/through traffic and putting it on the ground…while Matt happens to at some times look like a wounded duck lost in a collapsed pocket…

HOWEVER,

Vince has a knack for seeing SOMETHING open deep in the secondary…and Matt has this keen sense to somehow briefly look like Brett Favre on a scramble before toppling to the ground…then again Vince is quick to pull a Houdini and have a group of defenders confused as he saunters in for six…while Matt – well Matt has this tendency to just be a great pocket QB…

Do Not be mistaken though…regardless of all the planning and all the scheming and all the preparation for both of the teams’ OTHER weapons – these two – Vince and Matt - will decide the outcome of this year’s Rose Bowl…whether it be in the Leadership category or the Performance category one of these two collegiate athletes will raise the championship trophy Wednesday night…and their teams’ will no doubt know who to credit for the victory.

Well I wish I had something new and compelling to say about the upcoming “Game to End All Games” and even the New Year for that matter, but I really don’t…

As for the New Year – I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday celebration…I was safe, but happy – not so much…

I was aroused from my post next to my toilet at around 2a.m.-ish by my NCO bidding me a happy New Year…I apparently had eaten some rather disagreeable food the night before and was relegated to either sitting on or standing over the toilet for much of the evening Saturday…a fitting end to a rather crappy 2005 if I do say so myself…that being said – the food – and 2005 – are now out of my system…so here’s to a joyous and magnificent 2006!

As for the Game…well I think I’ve pretty much covered it…I just had the urge to play around with good ‘ol Photoshop and came out with the above image…whatever…I’m excited…burnt orange is pretty much all I’m wearing right now…tomorrow will be the only day I have to work this week because I’ve put in a pass for Thursday and Friday so I can enjoy the game, which comes on about 10a.m. out here, and then have a reasonable time to “recover” either from the pissed-off-edness or revelry that will surely follow this year’s Rose Bowl…

Other than that, I’ve got some exciting things in the works, but I will not dare jinx them by blabbering on quite yet…let’s just say that it will ideally involve many hours of flying followed by MANY hours of happiness…that’s all you’ll get out of me at this point…

So here’s to 2006…many moments, hours, days – hell an entire year of happiness…and let’s not forget HOOK ‘EM HORNS! Oh Yeah!