We are the Champions!!!

After a long and hard fought weekend of playoff games, X-Pac finally takes the title that eluded them last year.  Lead by Heidi, our MVP captain, we took the first two games Saturday with ease, then fought long and hard for the last two games Saturday afternoon, only to lose to C.J. Renegades in game #4 of the day.

That loss, however, only made us more hungry on Sunday, where we played Justice League and beat them again to face C.J. Renegades for the rematch and finals.  There was never a doubt that we would win it, but it was done with pure heart and sheer determination, especially with half the guys suffering from injuries.

So here is to X-Pac and a well fought season to become Champions of Mixed F!

Here's cappy with our all-star pitcher (is he a rocker??)

Our outfielder and rover being "too cool" before our first game Saturday.

Just chilling before facing the 'Gades for the first time Saturday.

After our last game Saturday.  Boy do we look tired!

Our most male MVP, female MVP, and most fun player!  Congrats to you all for making a fine contribution to the team this year!  That male MVP....I don't know if he should have won!

X-Pac Regular Season done

New team, old players!  Finished 12-4 this year under our captain Heidi! (second from the right, front row).  Onto the playoffs.  Really gelled together this year and had loads of fun.  Poor Mike though and the bad knee.  Wish us luck!

Oh, and picture of all the ladies!  

Congrats to the newlyweds

Past weekend, I went to a good friend's wedding.  Quite interesting, I must say.  I thought Chinese people were bad with time.  Assyrians are WORSE!!  Ceremony was suppose to start at 2pm, but ends up starting at about 3:15pm (NOBODY was there at 2pm).  Dinner was scheduled for 6pm, main course was not served till 11:15pm!!!  Other then that, great wedding (heaps of dancing!) and a good time to catch up with some friends.

The happy groom and bride

Me and the Greeks and Italian

Some more dancing although I don't think the groom (my friend) is too happy (this is after two straight hours of dancing.  I think he was dying for a cigarette!!)

One last picture for the night!

finally back!

Came back from the 'free' trip about 10 days ago.  It is so true that trips can make or break friendships!!  Not that I was going to kill my friend who came with me (though if we spent three days more, I think I might have.  Or he would have done me in!)

Vienna was great, Salzburg and Innsbruk were okay.  Nurnberg was okay, Munich was nice and Stuttgart was a bit confusing.

So instead of me babbling, here are some pictures.

I guess you gotta have schnitzel while in Vienna.  This was literally a foot in diameter.  Biggest one we had there.  On the left is the Austrian version of potato salad.  Very good actually.

Vienna State Opera house.  95% of it had to be rebuilt because of the bombs during WWII.  The front (as you see) is still the original.

This is the back of Schönbrunn Palace, where the Emperor used to live.  Quite big and beautiful.  Unfortunately, you cannot see the fountains, which is just behind the tree line.

Mozart's grave in Vienna.

South part of the old city of Salzburg

Innsbruck from the south side

And, of course, when in Germany, we had to visit the Porsche, Mercedes-Benz (both in Stuttgart), and BMW museums.  Mercedes was the nicest out of all the muesems we went, although BMW was still renovating theirs (ready in 2008).

And of course, the BEER!  In the left photo, the stein on the left.....that is a 1 litre beer, ONLY SIZE.  This was at the Hofbraühaus in Munich.  Supposedly the most famous beer garden in Munich/Germany.  We went there three times in four days.  It was that good, or rather my friend loved the beer there.  He finished two one litre steins.  I *barely* finished one.

Overall, good trip and would go back again to see all the other things I missed. 12 days isn't a lot when you look at all the cities we went to.  Put on 2400km in the rental car (MB A160) in one week.  Got lost a lot (does anybody need maps of the above mentioned cities?) which started to get on our nerves after the 10th time!

Currently Listening Everlife Now or Never see related

What's up???

Well, some other things that has happened since the new year.....

1.)  Finally was promoted at work.  Nice feeling, but HEAPS more work to do now.  More meetings, more responsibilities, and yes, more money!   However, I need to go down to our head office in Houston in early April.  Never been there and it is supposedly warm there.  Should be most interesting....

2.)  Found a new musical group by accident.  As you have noted above, found this group called Everlife.  They started out as a Christian band, but now.....more secular with a bit of a heavier sound.  On their second album (although if you go to their website, it seems like it is their debut album), you will notice a familar song and a similar sounding song, that is, if you are a Veronica's fan.  Seems they took a song and changed a few words and made it their own.  The other one was written by the Veronica's for them.  Sounds good.

3.)  Got free plane tickets to go to Austria this year from my now ex-boss.  He couldn't go b/c the wife couldn't get time off so off I go at the end of April.  Should be fun.  Always wanted to go, but never had time or the money, but with the plane tickets, I am halfway there.

In the past three months, only three things???  Wow, my life is really boring......