Middle Earth 2018 Commentary

Another year of many disappointments was 2017 for me, especially since my old rival Klent eliminated me in round two of the playoffs on his way to a second career championship. Our draft day has come and gone, and the NFL kicks off on Thursday. Will Klent be the first back to back champion in league history? Probably. What do I know about winning anyway? 

Here is my analysis for 2018:

First, I’m doing to ditch the format I was using. I honestly can’t decide who I think is in the top three. I believe that almost everyone is a wild card this year and no particular team stands out as a super team to me at this point. I will touch on a few teams that have certain features that I like (or don’t) instead…

Andwise Puddifoot (Jake Thompson) 

I’m going to borrow from Lil’ Jon here…BACKS! BACKS! BACKS BACKS BACKBACKS! Jake’s got them and you probably don’t. Zeke’s been like a son to Jake, according to Jake himself, and the combination of David Johnson, though coming off of a serious injury, gives him an advantage. He also has a nice combination of receivers that will compliment his strong backfield. I think Jake will go somewhere around 9-4, unless he gets beat by the schedule again this year.

Dol Guldor Tsundere Towers (Braxton Koehler)

…BACKS! BACKS! BACKS! BACKS! BACKBACKS! Have you already heard this one? Braxton has Gurley and Melvin Gordon in his backfield with a decent receiving corps around them. He also has Aaron Rodgers. It’s never a bad decision to take Rodgers…unless you take him too early, which Braxton possibly did by taking him in the 2^nd. He also wasted two picks at the end of the draft. While they usually aren’t important picks, our not having a kicker position didn’t do Braxton’s favorite player Gostkowski any hope of actually making his team. I predict that Braxton will go around 10-3, because he’s Braxton.

Prancing Ponies (Seth Svebakken)

Seth gave zero faith to running backs this year and his best and starting running back is Jay Ajayi. He also passed on Odell Beckham Jr. with his first pick in favor of AJ Green. I actually am going to predict Seth to have a high winning ratio, but I can tell you from experience last year that having an overloaded receiving corps will only leave you with heartbreak in the playoffs (I had Antonio Brown, AJ Green, Kyle Rudolph, Chris Hogan and Dion Lewis. They gave me around 9 points combined.) 10-3, but eliminated in round one or two of the playoffs.

Manning Helm’s Deep (John Barrett)

John took a bold pick in round two with Deshaun Watson. It’s not that I don’t like Deshaun or the pick, it’s just that it was in ROUND TWO. You don’t take a QB until round 5 or 6! Tragically for John, his top pick of Jerrick McKinnon tore his ACL on the last play of the last day of practice right after our draft wrapped up, and that’s going to sting. Due to the injury, I believe that John will fall to around 5-8 this season. 

Playoff Predictions

Now that I’ve commented on a few teams here and there, I’ll reach up into the air, grab a prediction by the tail and put it into my pocket. Here are my playoff predictions:

Miss the playoffs:

• The Shire Hobbit Weed
• Manning Helm’s Deep
• Newton’s Nazgul?
• Nathan’s Cowboys (because of the name of Tim’s team, and only that. He should compete otherwise!)

Runner up: Riders of Romohan

Champion: Saucy’s Werewolves

Gotham Commentary, 2017

By special request, I will start doing my analysis of Gotham each year, in additional to Middle Earth. Gotham is in it's 3rd year, and is a dynasty league. Klent Starks was our first Champion and Dave Groves is the defending champ. Will Dave repeat? Will Klent make his second playoff appearance? Find out below!

Top Three

Gotham's Reckoning (Nathan Koehler)

I have one of the best teams, no question. I drafted well, and I've made the trades I needed to give myself a legitimate shot at a Championship. The problem? I've never won in any league. There's going to be a lot that I will have to overcome. I have Rodgers, Freeman, AJ Green and Antonio Brown as my core, but barring injury, I should have a shot for the next few seasons.

The Odell Beckham Joker (Colin Capps)

Colin is The Reckoning's Evil Twin. He has a plethora of fantastic receivers and Colin has the smarts to continue to build and rebuild on the fly. Beckham, Mike Evans, Jordy Nelson and Greg Olsen lead his receiving corps and what an impressive group that is! Colin's running backs are a bit suspect, which may be his only weakness.

Beware The BatBear (Kevin and Braxton Koehler)

When Dad and Braxton combine forces, you know to expect great things. The BatBear has been consistently good, but will be hampered by the loss of David Johnson this season. Speaking of injuries, the BatBear is already have some issues with the loss of Andrew Luck for an unknown time and the inevitable injury of Big Ben at some point in the season. I'm still not worried about the team and expect them to make the big dance.

Wild Card

The Asylum (David Groves)

Dave clearly has a good team, since he's the defending champ. However, I'm placing him into the wild card slot as he's reliant solely on the Patriots. It did win him a Championship last year, but I don't think that will be a sustaining strategy going forward. However, this season, he may still make a big run. As of this writing, Gronk and Brady are back!

Miss Playoffs

Team Starks (Klent Starks) 

Klent is rebuilding his team a bit. He's certainly gotten better but may still struggle this year. It happens. At least it's a Dynasty League! I expect that Klent will return to his former glory sooner rather than later.

Middle Earth Fantasy Football Commentary, 2017

As is my tradition, I'm going to evaluate all of the teams that we've put together in our Middle Earth Fantasy Football league (a week late, no less, but I'm trying). It took Jonathan three years to rebuild the team he was given, but he prevailed and won his second Championship, and now wears The One Ring as his prize. Will he repeat? Find out below!

Top Three

Andwise Puttifoot (Jake Thompson)

Jake took Zeke at #1 overall last year and was the best team in the league during the regular season. He was also voted as MVP. Unfortunately for Jake, he met John in round one of the playoffs and was sent packing. Jake has again built a great team, and with Zeke set to play the full season, he's sitting pretty with a stacked roster. Since I'm doing this post-week one, I can say that the loss of David Johnson will hurt Jake, but no doubt that he will find a great replacement on waivers.

Rubber Ducky Rohirrim (Kevin Koehler)

Am I getting redundant with putting Dad in the top three every year? Maybe, but I can't deny his talent for building great teams. He has two top WRs in Mike Evans and Amari Cooper and his running backs, Ty Montgomery and Kareem Hunt, should be consistent to lead Dad to another great season. The question for him (just like me) is, can he make it through the playoffs?

Minas Morgul Scream (Nathan Koehler)

Yes, I'm putting myself in the top three. I've tried to be humble, but I think I have a good team this year. My keepers, Jordy Nelson and Antonio Brown, will be great and Le'Veon Bell will lead my running game, barring any injuries and shaking off his post-holdout daze. If I can stay healthy, I believe I have a good shot at making a deep playoff run.

Wild Card(s)

Newton's Nazgul (Jonathan Barrett)

Jonathan is great owner and has proven that he can be left with absolute garbage to build from and still win a Championship. He has a solid running core but has already been battered by injuries. No doubt, though, that he can keep rebuilding his team through waivers as he has shown over the many years. I'm placing him as a wild card because even when he hasn't had some of the bigger names in the game, he's still won The Ring.

Bonus Wild Card

Manning Helm's Deep (John Barrett)

John is the unsuspecting type of player that will creep up with a few wins, squeak into the playoffs and then upset teams that should never lose (i.e. Jake). He's shown, too, that he can take The Ring for himself and always bodes well, despite lacking some of the bigger name players (like father, like son?). John will rely on LeSean McCoy and Doug Baldwin, but that hasn't hindered him in the past. John may be a sleeper team that could shock someone in the playoffs.

Miss Playoffs

Riders of Romohan (Colin Capps)

Honestly, Colin probably doesn't deserve to be here in the Miss Playoffs slot, and I may be very wrong to put him here (but I'm going to anyway!). Colin is going to live or die by Odell Beckham, AKA Eli Manning and Jay Ajayi. I'm sure he will fix up some of his team's issues via trade or FA, but it's possible that he will struggle this season unless he makes a blockbuster trade.

How to Jump Start your Morning Routine

I'm the WORST at waking up. Number one, I sleep like a brick. Number two, I will EASILY push snooze on my alarm clock 7-10 times every morning. Ask anyone who has ever shared a house with me, and they can attest. [At this time, I'd like to apologize to my parents, my sister, old roommates, anyone who has had to share a hotel with me on work or church trips, friends who've invited me to slumber parties, neighbors who might've had thin walls, and of course, Nathan.]

I've tried many variations of giving myself reason to wake up, and none of them stuck. But, for 2017, I set some goals for myself. No, none of the goals were to wake up early. BUT, when I realized that many of my goals could be accomplished simply by changing my morning routine, it was a no-brainer! The cost-benefit analysis is undeniable!

3 Tips for Jump-Starting your Morning Routine:

1. Have a Plan - For me, I'm a lot better at waking up if I have a plan or schedule of what I'm going to be doing; essentially WHY I need to wake up early. I keep my goals in mind and remember that waking up early helps accomplish, not just one, but many of my goals. Figure out what your goals are and work to accomplish those goals when you first wake up!

Meditate on What is Important: As a Christian, my relationship with Jesus Christ is very important. But learning more about Him through studying, reading, and praying is also important. I designate 30 minutes in the morning for reading my Bible. This gives me time to think and pray about his promises, grace, and mercy he has for us. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to and end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23. So, maybe you aren't a Christian, or you don't care about reading the Bible. Find something that is important to you and focus on that. Whether you're a Christian or not, everyone has something to be grateful for. Journaling is a great option. Thinking about these things helps to clear my mind and restart for this day. 

Be Productive: One thing we have been trying to get better at is keeping our house continually tidy. The first step for me was getting rid of some stuff, but the second step is keeping the stuff we have in an orderly fashion. I have said for most of my life that everything I own has a place and when everything is in it's place, my house is clean. Well....Nathan does not share this philosophy, and I have let myself morph into his ways. Anyway, the point is, I have time set aside to do some chores before work. For some people "being productive" could mean exercising, or working on a home project.

Remember your Family and/or Housemates: We don't have children, but we do have pets, of which all are needy.... Koba and Yuki are pretty low maintenance in the morning (they just need to be fed), but Justice needs to be let out to go to the bathroom, fed, and taken for a walk. I also make Nathan's lunch (and sometimes even his breakfast). Remembering that people/animals are relying on you to take care of them, can be a real motivation.

2. Prep at Night - I've been doing this for quite a long time, mainly because I always knew I hated getting up, so might as well do as much as possible the night before so that I could sleep longer! 

Set out Clothes: Every night, I pick out my clothes, and lay everything out. This includes EVERYTHING, even socks, long johns, undershirts, etc. Anything I'm going to wear the next day is in a pile just waiting for me to put it on.

Prep Coffee and Breakfast: Every morning, all I have to do is push a few buttons and my coffee is made. I've already scooped the grounds and refilled the water the night before. This can be applicable if you drink smoothies for breakfast also. The night before, make sure your blender is clean, and set out the ingredients if possible.

Round up Supplies: Justice normally eats in his kennel and his food bowl sometimes winds up in the VERY back of his "room." When its in the back, I have to get on my hands and knees and stick my head into the kennel to be able to reach it! Anyway, I don't know about you, but I'd rather not have to do that when I first wake up! So I do it at night. I also make sure the cat's bowls are found as well. We keep all of the pet supplies all together, so I never have to hunt for Justice's leash, harness, or sweater for his walk. Gather any supplies you will need for the next day; pet supplies or other supplies. 

Note: I also take my showers right after I get home from work in the afternoons. This gives me more time in the mornings to do other things, and allows for my hair to air dry before I have to go to bed. This won't work for everyone, but that's what I do.

3. Avoid Time-Suckers - Time-suckers are things that don't add any substance to your life. They're just something to pass the time. Sometimes, I think time-suckers are OK, if you need a break or some time to do something that requires almost zero brown power. But  wasting your life away doing [essentially] nothing is a bad habit to start or to continue. Instead, I've chosen to fill my time reading, which still could be considered a pointless activity to some people. But trust me, you'll feel like less of a lazy bum if you read.

Binge-Watching: Binge-watching Netflix or some other TV source is a bad idea on a weekday. Sure, I love a good binge watch, and there's no denying that. But watching 3 hours of TV on a day before you are trying to wake up early wastes a lot of time AND does nothing to accomplish any goals! (Unless one of your goals, is to spend as much time watching TV as possible....) Additionally, its a bad idea to watch TV right before bed, especially certain types of shows. They could cause unsettled sleep or it might give you nightmares (cue inside joke with my childhood best friend.... you know who you are).

Social Media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, Vine, Pinterest. Those are just the apps on my phone. I know for sure that more exist, and more are to come in the future. Honestly, its crazy how much time and energy we devote to staring down at our phones and/or tablets. I'm not going to tell you how to live your life, but I decided for myself that I am not going to look at any social media in the morning, until I am sitting in my work parking lot. I don't even look at my phone at all except to turn of the alarm, and to check my text messages right before I leave for work.


I started my new morning routine at the beginning of the new year, and I waited to publish this post to ensure my methods would work. 5 1/2 months in, I can confidently say that Having a Plan, Prepping at Night, and Avoiding Time-Suckers are key ingredients to Jump-Starting your Morning Routine. It worked for me, and hopefully it will work for you!

Look Around

Many days on my lunch break, I will take a walk around campus. Yes, I have a specific route, and yes I go the same way every time, but that's beside the point. I like to be outside and soak in the sunshine, especially when I've been sitting at my desk all day. Since I work on a college campus, there are always many other pedestrians out walking, though most are simply trying to get from point A to point B.

It never ceases to amaze me just how many people look downwards staring at their phones! Sure, I have my phone with me to listen to Survivor podcasts, plus, well, for safety reasons, but I don't understand this compulsive behavior to stare down during your entire walking commute.

Here are 3 Major Reasons not to Text and Walk

1. It is Dangerous. I give training on Safety all the time. It is part of my job responsibilities to inform employees about the hazards that they may encounter will working at the university. I can always get a laugh when I talk about students texting and walking and running into stuff. Why do I use this example? Because texting and walking is dangerous! ESPECIALLY when you are walking adjacent to a busy road with crazy drivers!

2. It is Rude. One of the things that bugs me is how rude looking down at your phone can be. We all know its rude to be staring down at your phone while someone is trying to talk to you, but its also rude when you aren't talking at all. When you walk around in a public place, you will probably interact with people, even if its not on an audible level.

interact. verb. act in such a way as to have an effect on another, act reciprocally.

If you think that hogging sidewalk (and forcing me to dodge out of your way because you've got your eyes glued to your phone) isn't interacting, you're wrong...

3. It is Inattentive. For me, this is huge. My brain is wired to pay attention to detail. It's why I'm good at my job. It's why I like to create things. It's why I remember really really weird things. If you pay attention, there are so many things to take in!

I've mentioned before in a previous post about how random people ask me for directions all the time. As I mention in that post, it could be because I have a friendly face. OR it could be because I'm the only human around who is not looking down at their phone! I look present and approachable.

Several months ago, I watched a webinar about texting and driving. Texting and Driving has turned in to a huge problem in America, and I'm not going to get into all of my ideas about that, but I wanted to mention something that this webinar pointed out. "Distracted Driving" has existed since the Model T. In the past, distracted driving was eating your Chic-fil-a sandwich, or changing your Hanson CD, or putting your baby's pacifier back in her mouth. Normally when you are distracted, you are being distracted via one body part (i.e. your eyes, your brain, or your hands). Texting is a whole new "genre" of distracted.You are literally forced to use your eyes, your brain and your hands to successfully text.Texting takes your eyes off the road, your hands off the wheel, and your thoughts off of your main task. [Side note: I was looking for the percentage of your brain that is used while texting and I stumbled on this awesome website about texting and driving.]

I'm not anti-texting and I'm not anti-technology (obviously), but it's just not a good idea to try and successfully do anything with only part of your brain, even if it's something you learned at the age of one! Texting and walking is a bad idea. It's dangerous. It's rude. It's Inattentive. Just don't do it.

Book Club (with Myself) 2

Its been a while since I wrote book reviews and recommendations, and that's because I forgot that I like to read....again. No, I'm not kidding, I literally forget that I like to read, and then I won't do it for months and months. One of my New Year's Initiatives is to read 2 books a month, so hopefully, I won't have time to keep forgetting about this hobby.

Anyway, I finally finished 5 more books since my last Book Club post (4 were from 2016, and the last one was from last week) and here are my reviews and recommendations:


How to Make People like You in 90 seconds or less by Nicholas Boothman

Ok, let me clear the air before I give my review of this book. Over the past 5 or 6 years, I have really grown in my ability to talk to different types of people. Chalk it up to maturing if you want, but it was definitely sped up in the torture years of my life, working selling furniture.... But sometimes I still get conscious about talking to people because I can tell that we're obviously not connecting. This book is NOT about manipulating people, but rather learning to create connections with people almost instantly. The book talks about building rapport with people based on other's body language, listening, and sensory preferences AND how your own attitude impacts the way will be perceived. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to anyone who has a high potential to encounter first impressions in the near future (this would include going to a job interview, meeting a college roommate, making a sales pitch, etc.)....So pretty much anybody. One thing to note, if you're not interested in evaluating your own actions and your own encounters, then you should probably pass on this book.



Sherlock Holmes and the Needle's Eye by Len Bailey

I have started this book several times, only to get midway through and lose interest. Its not that the book is uninteresting, its just that every chapter is essentially its own story, meaning its not a "can't put it down" kind of book. This story uses the Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson characters to investigate 10 mysteries from the Bible. I found it interesting because it uses known historic information to elaborate on things that are mentioned in the Bible. That's not to say its adding to the Word of God, but rather, explaining certain customs that aren't specifically spelled out in the Bible. Its a good read, I'd say, and I'd recommend it for someone who likes history or who likes Sherlock Holmes or who likes investigating Biblical stories. I will say though, that some of the stories are not ones you would learn about at VBS, both in the fact they are not "well-known" references nor should you read this to your kids at bedtime.


And Then There were None by Agatha Christie

One of the things Nathan's mom passed down to him is her love for mystery novels. So, its not surprising that many books on our bookshelves are written by Agatha Christie. Finally, I broke down and started reading And Then There were None, while we were traveling in Boston. I must say, I can now understand the obsession! This book is about 10 houseguests who mysteriously get invited to a person's house (none whom they know). They each come into the house with their own individual secrets and have to figure out how to deal with their offenses. It is a very intriguing book due to the fact that there are 10 characters to try and figure out "who done it." I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone who can read. Due to the plot of the book, it speaks about murder, but it is not what I would consider graphic. Keep in mind that this was originally published in 1939, so there may be some references that younger generations may not understand. 


How to Think Like Steve Jobs by Daniel Smith

There is something intriguing about Steve Jobs and the empire he built with Apple (and Pixar), which is why I purchased this book for Nathan. This book is a mix between a biography and a self-help book. The author uses Steve Jobs' life chronologically, to point out themes that may have made him successful. Its got the stereotypical stuff like, "Don't be afraid to make enemies," and "Develop your own Style," but it also includes some more unique themes included. Overall, I enjoyed this book, as I hadn't read articles or watched many documentaries about the man. For someone who is very knowledgeable about Steve Jobs already, this may not be the book for you. In saying that though, the primary focus by the author is NOT the biography, but the "self-help" goal. Additionally, I just want to point out that Steve Jobs was a class A jerk, so I wouldn't necessarily model my entire life on him, or this book.... BUT there are some good points made, and I honestly did like the book. I'd recommend this book to adults who have a well-established personality and work ethic, but who may just want to see how another person may approach life. 

The Things We Wish Were True by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

When 2017 came, one of my resolutions was to read more. To go along with this, I downloaded Amazon Kindle on my work iPad for rainy days when its too messy outside to run during my lunch break. I was pleasantly surprised by one of my recommended books! When the Kindle app asked me the types of books I liked, I selected fantasy, fiction, and mystery, so when it randomly recommended "The Things We Wish were True," I didn't know what I was about to start reading. This book is about a group of people who live in the same neighborhood who know each other only from the community pool. One thing I really liked about this book was the author's choice on how to tell the story. Each chapter was told from the perspective of a different person (for example: Day 1-Person A, Day 2-Person B, Day 3-Person C as opposed to each person giving their perspective of day 1). This format keeps the reader on their toes! I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 16, probably. There are a few curse words  (but only a few) and some adult themes. A very good book!

How to Let Go of Clothes

Lately, I've been on a kick of getting rid of stuff. I'm not sure if its the whole, "Out with the old, it's a new year," thing or what. Anyway, I decided to do a major closet purge. I did a little bit of research, but then I just made up my own rules about what would stay and what would go.

Rule #1 - If I haven't worn it in a year, it goes. Now this can be a problem for me, but probably not in the way that one might think. Most people have not worn a lot of their clothes, and then they forget about those clothes they haven't worn and so they don't wear them, and then they keep forgetting, and the cycle continues. My problem is almost the opposite.

Let me explain with a short story about myself. When I was in the 9th or 10th grade, I had an old computer in my room. It didn't have the internet, but I could type and play solitaire. Around this time I decided to see how long I could go without wearing the same shirt (at this point, I wore t-shirts everyday). I would literally us an excel spreadsheet to record what I wore every single day, to see my progress. Yes, I know this is crazy and unnecessary, but its the truth, just ask my best friend, Maegan... 

All that to ensure that all of my shirts got equal attention.

Nowadays, I don't quite record it the same way, but I do have a specific clothes system. I organize my clothes based on type of clothing (i.e. sweaters, button up shirts, cardigans, etc.). Once I have cleaned a load of laundry, I put each item on the right side of their respective sections. In this way, I can literally see which pieces I have been neglecting. So, in short, I always make sure and wear all my clothes. 

Anyway, even with my system, I was able to discard some pieces of clothing, but only about 5! BUT, this rule did help me get rid of many of my scarves.

Rule #2 - If its damaged or ripped, it goes. Several weeks ago, I spent some time repairing about 3 shirts, so the obvious ones that would have been discarded avoided their fate. But I did find several shirts and a pair of pants which had stains that I just couldn't get out. I also had a few with small holes, which were probably from getting snagged throughout the years.

Even though sometimes I still wear clothing with a small stain, I decided to discard these to avoid feeling self-conscious when I want to wear them. I also included shirts that had uncontrollable pilling going on. All-in-all, I gathered about 10 shirts, and 1 pair of pants with holes, rips, stains, or pilling.

Rule #3 - If it's not modest, it goes. When I was younger I didn't care about how lock-cut my shirts were, or how short my dresses were. But now I do. So essentially I discarded any normal clothing that I would be embarrassed to wear to church. This got rid of about 5 party shirts and 5 dresses. I kept some of my party shirts for the beach or a date night. 

Rule #4 - If its so uncomfortable that I dread wearing it, it goes. I have this one shirt that looks great on me, it fits my personality, and it has all of the colors that look great on me. Even through all the good qualities, I avoid wearing it because it has this weird elastic thing in the sleeve that annoys me all day! I was keeping the shirt because it looks so great. But its not comfortable and I hate wearing it. 

In this rule, I included clothes that were to tight, shirts that were itchy, and button up work shirts that don't stay tucked in because they're too short. This helped me get rid of maybe 15 or 20 shirts and maybe 2 pairs of pants.

Rule #5 - If the only reason to keep something is for sentimental value, it goes. "Oh, I bought this for high school homecoming court." and "Wow! I bought this shirt for my trip to Greece" and "Gosh, this is what I bought to wear our wedding shower!" are all bad excuses to keep something. If these are your only reason to keep a piece of clothing, get rid of it! There are a few exceptions to this rule, such as a wedding dress.

Rule #6 - If something is not your style anymore, it goes. I remember in college, my wardrobe was essentially thermal shirts. Although thermals are great, its not really my style anymore. Its one thing if I was going to class every day, but these days I don't need 15 thermals! It just doesn't fit my lifestyle anymore. I need professional clothing, dresses for church, cute clothes for date night, and PJs! 

As rule #1 states, if you haven't worn it in year, it goes, but because I'm obsessive, I was wearing everything. Rule #6 really helped me with getting rid of stuff that should have been gone from rule #1. Basically, if its something I should have not worn in the past year, it goes. hahahaha

I got rid of 3 huge bags of clothes and am still left with plenty of things to wear! I have been working to sell my stuff because most of it is still in great condition! So far I have made $52.22! Not bad! I also decided to reorganize my closet to try and kick the obsessiveness noted in rule #1. I'm not sure if I like it or not though.