Summer of Dan

She makes me shine

 

 As soon as I saw this picture I knew it wouldn't be in the ARPFs this Friday but rather in it's own post.

I say at all the time to her but not to other people but the Niff has influenced me more than just about anyone I can think of, including both my parents. I'm a better person, I'm a more thoughtful person, I'm a smarter person, I'm more compassionate, I'm the best me I can be and it's all because of her.

That is when you know you are in love. When you know you've changed on the inside, for the better, and became a better person on the outside as a result of the person you are with. She's opened my mind to so much. She does make me shine. I always strive to be a better person every day because of her.

I love you, Niffkin.

 

T.Hanks for this shitty movie

The Niff and I Netflixed (yes that's a verb) Angels and Demons with Tom Hanks and I can't remember a movie that has been so drastically different from the book. I am not the type of person that usually minds when a movie needs to go in a different direction from the book for the sake of time or money or even storytelling premises. 

BUT WHAT THE FUCK.

It's almost like it was two totally different stories. It's so fucking distracting. I guess i should be happy because every scene is new to me...?

Hotel Danifornia

Within the pat week I've booked two hotel rooms, in two totally different areas (mountains and the city), for two totally different reasons.

Two nights in the middle of March at the White Mountain Hotel in a mini-suite for our 6 year anniversary of me asking her to be my wonderful girlfriend. Nothing but relaxing, enjoying the fresh mountain air, and doing some shopping.

Oh, and swimming outside in the heated pool. During the winter. It's amazing.

Two nights Memorial Day weekend in Boston at the Seaport Hotel in the same suite we've stayed in the past 4 years (adjacent to the World Trade Center) for Boston's Run to Remember. Some exercise, shopping, sightseeing, and great food from the North End will be had. Mike's Pastry will not be the same.

And neither will my stomach.

Emotion

Emotion is one of my favorite words because it doesn't really describe any one thing. It describes someone's thoughts, feelings, behaviors. Emotions aren't wrong, they just are. I have friends that are seemingly emotionless but when you get to their core they just keep their feelings close to the vest. How people react in different situations, how people think and feel fascinates me.

Before the Red Sox won it all in 2004 and before they came back from 3 games down to the Yankees, every pitch in that postseason I was on edge. When they beat the Yankees 4 straight, I was worried they wouldn't win. And when they won it all I felt like a giant monkey was lifted off my back. I was only 24. Some people lived 70 years with that feeling. I can't begin to imagine what that was like. Fast forward to 2009. When they went out in the first round against the Angels and barely put up a fight I was upset. But I wasn't devastated. Because the monkey was gone. It doesn't make me any less a diehard Sox fan, it almost put things into perspective. Kinda (because let's be real - if Jason Bay really is gone for good, that would really really suck).

When I was 12 and hit by a car, immediately after I thought I was going to die. 30 seconds after I was angry that the guy that hit me fucked my bike up. 10 minutes after that I was half naked in the street as the firefighters cut my clothes off on a cold November night to see if I had any major injuries and I was feeling embarrassed. A couple hours I felt relieved that nothing was broken. In less than a few hours I felt just about every emotion you could feel and I was barely 12 years old.

When Vinatieri and the Patriots upset the Rams in the Super Bowl as 14 point underdogs, as that ball sailed through the uprights I bolted up and almost shot my then girlfriend out the back of my best friend's house. I was running around like a mad man, I was numb. I was so happy I was crying and we screamed for what seemed like an hour. And while all this went on my then girlfriend just sat there, pissed off that I bumped her when I stood up. She never got it. She was a miserable bitch anyways.

I carefully planned my proposal to the Niff over three years ago to be the end to her first road race on Thanksgiving Day. I chose that day because of what I knew it meant to her and also for what it meant to me. Thanksgiving has always been that ultimate day - it's always been about family and friends (ok, and food and football too). I proposed to her in front of our families and friends and she was totally shocked. But after I saw the picture in the paper the next day I had regret. Regret that I wore my Michigan hat for some reason instead of my Sox hat I always wear. Odd huh?

Coming into the league 8 years ago I never dreamed of winning a championship. My career record prior to this season is shockingly awful: 3-7, 2-8, 1-9, 1-9, 2-8, 2-8, 3-5. That doesn't include 3 seasons where we made playoffs and we promptly lost those games as well so chalk up 3 more losses in the L column. And then out of nowhere a 9-1 season and a championship trophy. Winning it all felt so similar to the Sox winning it. The monkey wasn't even off my back, he was finally dead. I laughed, I cried a bit, I was on Cloud 9. I still am. Every day I wake up I think about that. I'm thankful for my teammates, my coaches, my family and friends that have supported me not only through this season but throughout my career. And I smile.

Emotions are funny things. Sometimes songs will bring out random feelings or memories of the past. Sometimes reading a book again reminds you of someone that used to be in your life but has moved on. And the best part of it is your emotions are never wrong. They're your emotions and they might not always make sense to other people, but they are yours.

That's a good thing. 

Easy on the Pepsi

On the weekends when the Niff and I go grocery shopping we both pick out some diet soda to satiate our taste buds for the duration of the weekend. We both usually buy two 1 liter diet Polar sodas, a semi-local (Worcester, Mass.) soda distributor. Sometimes I take forever to drink mine and I find the Niff has ganked mine.

 
 

Go ahead and guess which one of us is Fuller and who is Kevin.

A little bit too true

Haven't had a completely random update lately so minus whale be very Hynds like and ketchup. Get it?
 

• Friday night the Niff and I headed downtown for Midnight Merriment. They close off Main Street and all the participating stores stay open until midnight. It was pretty cool, they had ice sculptures, horse drawn carriages, and a ton of people walking around with their dogs. The best part about it I think was exploring in all the shops we've never been in. Most of the places that were open seem to blend in during the day but it was cool to check them out in more detail.
  
  
• “It is no surprise to me that hardly anyone tells the truth about how they feel. The smart ones keep themselves to themselves for good reason. Why would you want to tell anyone anything that’s dear to you? Even when you like them and want nothing more than to be closer than close to them? It’s so painful to be next to someone you feel strongly about and know you can’t say the things you want to.” - Henry Rollins
  
  
• This weekend the Niff and I officially had our first meal at our new kitchen table. Most people don't think it's a big deal, but after what we've been through with this table it was a good way to start sunday morning. I wanted a new kitchen table because we eat 99% of our meals in the living room in front of the TV and I really wanted to at least have a place where we could feel like we are connecting. Sounds cheesy, but my meals with my family growing up consume a lot of the great memories I have of my childhood.
  
  
• My advent calendar kicks your advent calendars ass.
  
   
   
  
  And not just because Lola is sitting in front of it. Three words: Lindt fucking Chocolate. That's right. No cheap stuff this year. What a feeling to wake up and immediately have 100 grams of sugar to start the day. Ahhhh diabetes here I come.
  
  
• A little bit of my soul is dying every week when the Patriots lose. Not because they are losing, but the way they are losing. Our defense is young and suspect and that used to be our bread and butter. We could go ahead and lose the last 4 games of the season and I wouldn't be shocked.
  
  
• I have this undying hunger for two Double Whoppers with cheese and a large fry. I know it's all kinds of awful but I can't help what my stomach wants. Nay, it needs.
  
  
• It snowed the other day and it was awesome. Two inches at the most but it finally feels like December. This is a good thing. You appreciate the warmth and the sun even more after a cold, hard New England winter.
  
  
• Three terms everyone seems to be saying that I absolutely abhor: just sayin', legit, and not so much. Every time I hear one of these I want to punch myself in the face. The day after Thanksgiving I think my sister used all three in the same sentence. 
  
  
• Instead of lottery tickets where you can win $1 million, they should have local lottery tickets where you can win an awesome house. Think about it: if you don't like it or whatever, you could donate it to the homeless or a homeless program, or give it as a gift. It could be awesome.
  
  
• I'm down 15 lbs. since our weight loss contest at work started. I'm hoping to drop at least another 5 by next Friday so I'll be within 5 lbs. of my total goal weight. Plus it would be nice to have a chance at winning an iPod Touch. Before Christmas. And use it on Christmas day. Just sayin'. (See??? Saying that sucks!)
  
  
• I am a complete moron. I've had a Blu-Ray player since Black Friday and haven't watched a single Blu-Ray movie on it. Oh, maybe because I didn't buy a movie. That's like buying a jar of Nutella without having a spoon. Well, you can always use your fingers...
  
  
• I've always known Robin Williams was awesome. Further proof:
  
  
  
  
  
  Life isn't good. Life is great.

Be thankful every single day

Random fact of the day: It's fucking December. It's starting to get cold out and I love it. This means the Niff hates it. When it's cold out, she hurts because she isn't a whale monster like me. This is why she has 31085139805130 winter jackets and will surely get another. I am ok with this as long as she is warm. But don't tell her because she'll buy 10 more instead of one. 

Thanksgiving came and went without me having a chance to list all the things and people I am thankful for so I'll do it now in abbreviated form:

The Niff - 3 years ago last week we got engaged. I'm still crazy in love with her and she's the perfect match for me in every way. Except that she doesn't watch General Hospital. But that's ok because I don't want Tyra with her. Anyway. Just because we haven't gotten married it doesn't mean we don't want to, it doesn't mean we aren't in love, it doesn't mean we don't talk about it and think about it. I've never had someone so perfect for me - she's super smart, super funny, and super pretty. I can't think of one more super quality to have that would make her better.

My siblings - my brother is a toolbag and I love him for it, my sister is the female version of me. It's ok that my brother "looks like an uncle seven times removed from Germany that no one has ever seen" and doesn't look like anyone else in our entire family. I'm sure he's my brother...yeeeeah...aside from that, he'd be the first person to help you stuff a body into a suitcase and drop it in the river and you'd never even need to tell him "not to talk about this". That's the kind of brother everyone needs.

My sister will do anything I ever ask of her. She's easily one of the funnest people to be around and I laugh every time I think of her, the Niff and I are always laughing whenever she is around, and I don't ever forget the great lengths she goes for mer when I need it. Like putting together shitty IKEA furniture and being over 2 hours late to hang out with her girl friends. It means a lot.

My parents - my mother makes the best green bean casserole in New Hampshire. I'm sure of it. Kind of. She is one of the hardest working people I know and I am always happy to see her on the holidays with the rest of the family. We may be a divided family as far as a family tree is concerned now but a stranger couldn't tell. My dad makes the meanest Yogi Tea Turkey. Just ask him. That fucker was juicy as hell this year. I mean the turkey, not my dad. If there is anything to say about my dad it's that every time I come home he is always trying to get me to leave with something I left when I moved out: comics, sheets, books, random computer parts. I mean, THAT is love: "here Danny, take your shit, I'll see you next holiday! Save room in your car then too!" Always something to look forward to. 

The rest of my family -  I hate the term "extended family". WTF, are they just really long limbed human beings? Like aliens? Awful wordage. My aunt and uncle are like an extra set of parents, and my cousins are like sisters to me and my siblings. My uncle is my dad's brother, my aunt is my mother's sister. 

Digest that for a second...

Ok, see? It's not incest. Only sounds like it.

My aunt is a wonderful cook and I'm always thankful when she doesn't burn the buns or asks me and my uncle Pat to move the treadmill back down two more flights of stairs for her "because I'm around" and she needs new treadmill scenery. I'm thankful for that because every time without fail Pat always loses grip or the treadmill opens up and breaks 3 of his fingers or smashes him against the wall or he drops it on his foot or all of the above. Without fail.

My friends - I have far too many to list, but I will say this: good friends are easy to find, great friends are very hard to find. That's why they are called great. Get it? My great friends know they are my great friends, my good friends know they are my good friends, and everyone else knows their place. I know my great friends know they can count on me and I can count on them. And that is all that really matters when the zombie wars start. For real. Don't be a dick because you'll be left behind. Safety in numbers afterall.

My job - I love it, I love the people I work with, the work I do, the experience I'm getting, the technology I am exposed to, the trust I am given, the gorgeous building I work in. Yeah I'm one of those assholes that likes to go to work. Oh well, screw you too.

My health - generally speaking, I'm a healthy guy. Except when I got the swine flu three weeks ago. I'm fine with that, it tested my immune system and dammit I'm still here. I'm ok with a few mother nature curve balls thrown at me. I can see, I can hear, I can breathe. I can't complain.

My life - I do what I want. I read great books, watch terrible television sometimes, listen to awesome music. I workout with the Niff and enjoy it once I'm actually at the gym. I play XBox with my sister and we scream at fake zombies. I watch Curb Your Enthusiasm with the Niff, even though we're almost a decade late on the start of that one, and we laugh. A lot. I have the ability to say "I don't want to do this today, let's do this". I can drive anywhere I want to go. I can connect with my family and friends in a million different ways. I'm living the life I've wanted all along. It's all the pieces pulled together that makes it so great.

So yes, even though it's not Thanksgiving, I'm thankful every day. I truly am. And in case I haven't said it to all of you, thank you for being you. And if you don't think I'm talking to you, I'm not, but thank you for reading this anyway.

How's it going champ?

Saturday afternoon was the culmination of all the hard work I've put in, not just this season but since I first strapped on my pads way back when. It was slow going at first, it was muddy as hell. In some places there were 3-4 inches of water and 6 inches of mud. Our fullback Chase ripped a huge run to give us a 7-0 lead and we never looked back. We scored twice more and our defense stepped up huge and kept the Ravens out of the endzone from the 5 yard line as Rick punched the ball out and gave the ball back to our offense.

And despite the weather I had about 15 people come out and support me and my teammates as we tried to win a championship. I don't know if they will every know how it feels to look over on the sideline and chat them up during a quick break in the game, even moreso because of the shitty ass weather. That alone made me happy.

The Niff was in attendance for her 10841081 straight game. My parents and sister made it to the game. My sister took almost 500 pictures. 

 

 
  

Flack, Mark, Will, Anna and Dean, and Poppy all were all there. My boss and his wife were there in raincoats and seemed to love every minute of it.

 
 

It was so special to share that championship atmosphere and game with everyone.

Saying it was a dream season sounds cliché but it's 100% true. In 10 games, including in the playoffs, we pitched 5 shutouts. Not including the first game of the season we never gave up more than 8 points in a game. We forced 9 turnovers in one game. We never fought with our offense, we picked them up. When our offense gave us a lead we kept it. We always kept our heads high. It all sounds so cheesy but it's so fucking true. 

 
 

 

I'm closer today to more of my teammates than I've ever been and thankful for that. A fantastic and amazingly talented group of guys and even better friends.

  

Without my teammates I would accomplish nothing and without the Niff I would be nothing. I owe everything to them.

 
 

We hung together all season long. We let it all hang out, we pushed ourselves and each other. We knew it was possible from Day 1. 

And that's why we are champions.

 
  

You just have to grab it

This time tomorrow I will either be the happiest I've ever been next to proposing to the Niff or I'll be the lowest I've ever been since I had to put down the best dog in the world. 

Tomorrow I suit up with my 39 football brothers, in the pouring rain, and seek to accomplish a goal many of us have been aiming for since we put on pads for the first time.

We face a team that has no qualms about facing a team that has our record, our defense, and our homefield advantage. 

We have a chance to do something great. Some of us have a chance to close this chapter in our lives and be remembered that we went out on top.

I want to win the championship tomorrow not just for myself but for my teammates. 

Jim Levesque has been playing even longer than I have and never won a playoff game until last weekend, much like myself. He earned his 2nd Defensive MVP and said to me that not only was this one of the funnest seasons he has ever had but it's been with one of the greatest bunch of guys. That tells you something.

Jim Sanford. Our QB. He's been around the league as long as I have been, played on at least as many teams and knows what it is like to play on shitty shitty teams. Great leader, greater friend.

Rob Browne has played with me for 5 seasons, was on the Predators with me when I first came into the league. He missed his senior year in high school with a knee injury which forced him to miss the championship game. He's seen it all.

Skip Harris. The elder statesman on the team. He turned 45 this year and for sure it will be his final season. He's been in the league since almost Day 1 and has sacrificed time with his family and his kids (much like the rest of us, but come on, the guy has like a million kids and is almost ready for AARP).

Rick Fitzgerald is one of my best friends on the team. He's 40 and is playing in only his 3rd year of organized football. Arguably could have been the Defensive MVP of Single A in place of Jimbo, he is one of the most dedicated and nicest guys I've ever had the pleasure of befriending. His stats are insane: 30-35 tackles, 10 1/2 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, 5 fumble recoveries, 6 passes defensed, a safety, a blocked PAT, only 2 penalties, and has missed only 2 practices. He plays next to me at Defensive End and is just one of many stories I can't even begin to tell about all these guys.

So yes. I play for myself. I play for all my friends on the team. I play for the younger guys like Nickola, Zap, Evan, Casey. But I also play for the guys that have a small window of time left on the field.

I play for the Niff who comes to all my games. Who at away games sits in the stands for 2 hours prior to kickoff while we warmup. Who spends entire days living, eating and breathing football.

I play for all of them. 

It's within our grasp tomorrow. We just need to reach up and take it.

The best home defense system

The Niff and I were talking about the best home defense systems, which we believe need to include at least a couple dogs, some machetes/swords/axes, and more guns than Rambo.

And something else...

 

If you haven't thought about moats you won't survive long in the Zombie Apocalypse.