Happy You-Day Father Sir!

I know it's a couple days late, but I wanted to wait til the "time was right." So Happy Birthday!


Father Sir first made me "shake in my boots" way back in June of 2007, when Megs and I were hanging out at her place. Even though we had only been courting for a couple weeks (well, I was courting her anyways), I had my arm around Megs on the couch when Father Sir came walking into the living room; and I just about smacked myself in the face pulling my arm back in an effort to prevent him from seeing my "suaveness" on his newly returned-missionary daughter.

I quickly learned however, that just like Halloween, as time goes on, Father Sir isn't nearly as scary as he first seemed. ;) Of course, it didn't help that I was hitting on his daughter the first time we met... I was such an idiot.

Well Father Sir, I hope you're free this Saturday afternoon, cuz Megs and I have two BYU tickets with your name on them!


So find a friend, warm up the grill, and we'll head on down to "the LaVell" to cheer on the Cougs to victory over the Lobos! We love you!

Decision 2008; Sort of...

After getting most of my homework done tonight, my mind was drawn to some semi-serious thought about our current presidential candidates. While perusing around on the web for a few minutes, I came across a "Select A Candidate Quiz", put on by a Quad-Cities news channel. Click here to take the quiz yourself.

The premise of this quiz is that upon answering several multi-choice questions about different issues, and then stating that issue's personal importance to you, the quiz will spit out a score for each candidate (limited to McCain and Obama), thus telling you which candidate's political views are aligned with yours.

Now as to the validity (or lack thereof) of this quiz, as well as any bias or agenda there may be in the computations going on behind the scenes, I have no idea. It may-very-well-be that it's rigged by some right-wing extremist, computer programming news-caster... But either way it was fun for me to do and get one opinion of where my views are situated between this war-of-words otherwise known as, the Presidential Election.

My results gave McCain a landslide victory of 53-11 over Obama. I don't know how the scores are actually tallied so I'm not sure what the total number of points are, but it sure seemed to me like a lop-sided affair. Give it a try yourself, and feel free to post your quiz results in the comments.

In other news, Megs and I keep trucking along. School, work, school, work, see eachother for five minutes, school, work, football on the weekends. And thus go our lives.

Thankfully our teams' successes (Packers 2-1, Cougs 4-0) are keeping our spirits high, along with The Office premiere we watched tonight with some friends. Speaking of friends, Randy, one of my best friends, mission comp and groomsman got married this past Friday (to a girl from Wisconsin no-less) and we really enjoyed the festivities... We're happy that more of our friends are "joining the club".

Mum & Dad are sojourning their way up to the Lovely Deseret this next week to visit Kayci (oh, and us too) so I'm sure I'll be blogging again soon to recap the two minutes we get to spend with them amidst our school, work, school, work routine.

Love you all, and Go Pack Go!

Mr. Rodgers' Neighborhood...

So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye...

And so goes our bittersweet melody as we now bid farewell to the summer that was, and ring-in a new year of football! (oh, and school too...) I apologize to all my ever-so-faithful readers for taking an extended hiatus from my regular blogging schedule, but in my defense, the wife and I have been quite busy in the past couple months traveling there-and-hence, to-and-fro.

At the beginning of August, I meandered my way back east to Nashville, where I met up with Kurt to drive out west with him for his "big move". Luckily for me, he had already made the trip once with all his "big stuff", so all that was left for me was a 12'x6' U-Haul and 22 1/2 sweet hours of road-trippin'. Never before have I had so much fun rocking-out to Neil Diamond's Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show.

Actually, now that I think of it, I don't think I ever have rocked-out to Neil Diamond's Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show. Oh well, no matter. Either way, it was great to again learn "the ways of the Force" from my old master, Big Skywalker.

And see Mum and Dad's new digs... Pretty fly retirement pad, if I say so myself.

In the second week of August, Megs and I went on a weekend trip to 'Frisco and nearly didn't come back. Yeah, we had that much fun. We hit up Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf, the crookedest street in the world and of course, went to see our beloved Packers play the Niners in a preseason game at Candlestick. We had so much fun. Megs posted an awesome write-up (including a plethora of pictures) about our trip on her blog.

Since getting back Megs and I have gone golfing, cheered on Cosmo at "The Lavell", and unfortunately, started school.

That's right, it's September and we're hitting the books once again. I made a minor change (literally) this semester in my schooling as I dropped my French minor in lieu of Business. I'm still majoring in Economics and absolutely loving it, but I got real fed-up, real fast with my French minor classes, so this change was a-long-time-coming and a HUGE relief.

Instead of banging my head against the wall while studying the intricacies of 16th century French literature, I'm now learning about GAAP and organizational management in my Accounting and business classes, along with econometrics and price theory in my econ classes this semester. By far one of the best decisions I've made in a while.

But as we all know, when August and September roll around and temperatures begin to cool, there is one thing that trumps all the other happenings of this time of year. Yep, you guessed it...

FOOTBALL IS BACK!

And Megs and I couldn't be more excited about it! Unfortunately, our Beloved Brett is now wearing a different shade of green, but as the world will see on Monday night...


Green Bay is Mr. Rodgers' Neighborhood now...

Clear your calendars, cancel your appointments, take your place in front of your TV set this Monday night and join us as fellow Packer fans to root on "A-Rod" and our Green Bay Packers against the hated Viqueens on Monday Night Football!

GO PACK GO!

In the Name of Kit Kats...

Earlier this morning, an opportunity presented itself to me... an opportunity whereby I might procure myself a handsome reward; one replete with treats, Kit Kats and other delectable edibles. So in order to put myself in the most prodigious position possible, here is my response to Belle Ma's Challenge from earlier today....

10 Years Ago: Dad had just ordained me a deacon and bestowed upon me the Aaronic Priesthood. This occasion launched me into several years of priesthood lessons, home-teaching visits, passing and preparing the Sacrament and carefully watching the examples of my Dad and older brothers who honored the Priesthood. This was the mighty kick-start of my own personal testimony, one I could call my own rather than my parents'.

5 Years Ago: Aotearoa. The Land of the Long White Cloud. Loving life in NZ with Mum and Dad, I had finally grown comfortable living among the Kiwis, to the point of almost not wanting to comeback. (I say almost because no matter how breathtaking the landscape or how many fun things there are to do there, nothing beats the beauty and excitement of Lambeau Field on a Sunday afternoon...)

It was around this time that I really figured out that I wanted to go on a mission. Granted, I always knew that I was going to go, but it took living in the NZWM for me to really begin to grasp what missionary work was all about. These experiences proved invaluable while serving up in the Great White North.

One Year Ago: Megs had just come back from her mish and by happenstance, we started spending time together. It took me all-of-about-five-minutes to fall in love with her the first time I saw her, and only 3 weeks of dating to decide that we should get married!

...and oh yes, I almost forgot. I just about gave everyone in my family a heart attack by sending "The Video" to everyone so they could see my Megs for the first time...

2 Days Ago: Megs and I walked to see the Provo Parade in the morning, then went up the canyon to a park for an Independence Day picnic. I introduced Megs' family to brats and sauerkraut (the Official tailgating food of the Green Bay Packers) and then played around with pyrotechnics.

We were going to watch Saving Private Ryan (my favorite movie of all-time, starring my favorite actor of all-time) but we were pooped from all the festivities and called it a day.

God Bless America.

Yesterday: Megs and I spent the morning lounging around, after which she had to go to work. As I didn't I lounged some more. After Megs got off work, we shot up to the SLC to watch a Bees baseball game with some of our friends (Craig & Angee, Marcus & Liz) and stayed after for a sweet fireworks show...

(which just so happened to rain down hot ambers and ash all over us. I'm thinking about writing a screenplay about it actually, Mount St. Helen's II: Ash in the Outfield)

Today: Woke up early for 8:30 church (can't wait for football season!) and came home to find Belle Ma's Challenge... beckoning me to reply.

I must admit my mistake however, one that I realized only upon writing this short, sporadic memoir. I wrote this initially only for the promised reward to those who replied, and in the course of organizing my experiences, my thoughts turned away from the Kit Kats that I so salivatically anticipated, to the life that I have lived, and all those who have made it so wonderful and worth living. So thanks for the challenge Belle Ma, this was really fun and I enjoyed reminiscing with all of you of just a handful of events from the past few years of my life.

That said... Bring on the Kit Kats.

6 Months Down, Eternity to Go!

Happy 6 Month Anniversary Wifey! On this day 6 short months ago, Megs and I tied the knot in Holy Matrimony, and since then life has been nothing but bliss! Thanks to my sweety, life has never been so good... and will only continue to get better! I Love You Megs!

Not only is today the 6 month mark of my husbandhood, but today also marks two years since I've been home from my mission. Wow, a whole mission since my mission! My mission was the best two years of my life... until these past two. :) Yeah so maybe the first 6-months-to-a-year was a little shaky, but thanks to Megs and a great 2007 Packers season, I can proudly say that life only gets better as it goes on!

Of course there are plenty of things that aren't right in life, whether they be of my own fault or just by happenstance. But something I've learned from Megs more than almost anything, is that all the negatives, struggles and hardships in life could never shroud the light of the best things I have, my God, my wife, my faith. I am so blessed.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane!... No really, it's a Birdie!

I went golfing today with B Gomer (my bro-in-law-in-law) and HB (my Uncle-in-law) for the third time in as many weeks. The first two times, Brig and I played pretty equally, both shooting around 49 or 50 on 9 holes, nothing too spectacular, while HB rocked us by shooting in the low 40s, something I had never accomplished.

You see, I have always loved the game of golf, both playing and watching, but have never really caught on. Last summer, I played a bit but could never break 50 on 9 holes (terrible I know...) I've been a lot more dedicated this year, playing at least twice a week, thanks to HB's connections and Belle Ma's generosity (she got me a golf pass), and as you can see in the sidebar to the right, I've been playing considerably better this summer, and have yet to post a 9-hole score of worse than 50.

So 3 weeks ago when we started playing, my lofty goal was to somehow match HB's score before the end of summer, and lo and behold, my prayers have been answered!


As you can plainly see, my 43 tied HB's score and I even beat him on the back 9 today too! That 43 is 3 strokes better than my previous best of 46 I shot a couple weeks ago. Needless to say, I'm extremely pleased! You can also see that B Gomer shot a 39, his personal best as well... Congrats Bro!

Lastly, you might notice the circle around the 3 on my third hole. What does that mean you might ask?

Well Bird's the Word baby, cuz it's a Birdie!

I'm not sure if it's the first birdie of my life, but if it isn't, it's likely the second. It came on a short par 4 where I put my 170-yard approach shot about 4 feet from the cup, and holed-in from there.


And yes, I fist-pumped just like Tiger.

Happy Dad's Day!

I have only 4 words to say to my Dad on this Fathers' Day...


Thanks, I love you.

Thanks for all the things you gave me and all the times you were there for me. For every basketball game you showed up to and football game you watched with me. For every work meeting you left early and all the personal time you neglected in order to not neglect me. For every bite of food I ate and thread of clothing I wore, for every fun family trip and sports team I wanted to play for... Thanks.

I love you for all the lessons you taught me and the example you set for me. For teaching me about the Gospel and then showing me how to live it. For teaching me the importance of family and then always being there for us... I love you.

You made me feel that there was nothing I couldn't accomplish, and always supported and enabled me in whatever endeavor I was interested in. You never treated Mum as anyone other than the angel she is, and never acted unlike the loving Dad I know you as.

You Dad, are my hero.

Of course, how can I write on Fathers' Day without giving a shout-out to my great Father Sir.


Since the beginning of my courtship with Megs, Father Sir has been nothing but accepting and loving towards me, before AND after getting to know me. Even after learning of my "Macness deficiency", he still tolerates my "blue-screen-of-deathness".

Thanks for taking it easy on me when I asked for Megs' hand, and for what will go down as the greatest wedding of all-time. (Seriously everybody... you know you're jealous) Who knows, maybe someday I'll learn to surf the web more creatively and I'll buy some Alan Parsons albums.

To my Dads, of all the things to say and everything that you mean to me, the only thing that comes to mind remains simply...

Thanks, I love you.

A Birthday to Remember

It's official, I'm now 22 and no longer a "rookie" adult... No more excuses of being new to this "adulthood thing". I feel like Frederick Fleet, you know the guy who manned the crow's nest of the Titanic, who uttered the fateful words, "Iceberg Ahead!" Only in my direction, the word iceberg is replaced with real life. Just as well. I said this same thing when I left home for college, when I left college for my mission, when I left my mission for home, when I left home for college again and when I left bachelorhood for Meghan. Since "the grass has been greener" every step of the way so far, I'm hoping for that trend to continue...

I won't be giving the play-by-play of our (I'll never be able to just say my ever again) birthday celebration as that's already been done, but since my final birthday present came in the mail today, I figured that I should share it with all of you...

Behold, an authentic Brett Favre jersey!


Isn't it just absolutely gorgeous?!?!


All the numbers and lettering are beautifully stitched on, including the Lambeau Field 50th Anniversary Patch that the Packers wore at home this past season. Lust, love, whatever you want to call it, I absolutely, positively adore this jersey and almost had to call in sick to work today as I didn't want to take it off. And who got this fine piece of authentic NFL equipment for me?... Why only someone even more beautiful and gorgeous than my jersey!!!

My Megs. How I love her...

Now the buck doesn't stop there either... Not only did she get me this jersey-of-all-jerseys, but with it, she included 2 tickets to the Packers-49ers pre-season game in San Fran this August!

Heck Yes!

We are SO excited to go, I've already been coming up with all the things I'm going to yell to my favorite players...

"Hey Donald! Lemme see that First-Down shimmy of yours!"
(video: #80 Donald Driver, dance after catch)

"Hey Greg! Go deep baby!"
(video: #85 Greg Jennings, game-winning catch)

"Yo Al! Lock 'em down boy!"
(video: #31 Al Harris, bottom of screen)

"Hey Brett! Throw a TD pass for me!"... Oh wait. (tears... tears...)

"I mean hey A-Rod! YOU throw one!"
(video: #12 Aaron Rodgers, the future is now!)

Oh boy, I'm already like a little boy in a candy store, even though the game is still 2 months and 800 miles away... We'll be making a weekend of it and can't wait to "leave our hearts" in 'Frisco for a couple days!

In retrospect, the whole double-birthday thing is awesome. Megs is right, it does feel like Christmas, and there's no one else in the world that I'd rather share every, single birthday with for the rest of my life, than my sweet, sweet Megs!

Look out real life, Kodison has arrived! ...Again

Happy Birfday Betty!

On this, the 4th of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand and eight, we celebrate the birth of my Betty (some of you may know her as Megs), one of the greatest gifts that a loving God has blessed me with. To commemorate this, her 24th (oops, she told me to say 20th... my bad) birthday, here are 24 reasons why I wuv my Megs...

(in no particular order)

24. Because she plays the piano real well and fills our house with pretty music
23. Because she's not afraid to play sports with me; nor kick my butt at most of them either!
22. Because she laughs at my bad jokes... most of the time.
21. Because even while she lets me have my vices (Madden), she's a penny-pincher and helps us save money... except when at the mall ;)
20. Because she loves her family and makes sure to stay close to them.
19. Because she loves my family, even though she'd only met Kayci and the Parentals before the wedding.
18. Because she loves polka-dots and buttons and she's way good at crafty stuff.
17. Because she's an amazing cook. Before we got married, she "warned" me that I shouldn't expect much in that department. Well, 5-plus months of chicken pillows, lasagna, fried pasta, porcupine meatballs, jalapenos rellanos, enchiladas, cheese broccoli and orange chicken later... I am a fat man :)
16. Because she speaks French and totally knows what I'm talking about when I bring up stories about my mission.
15. Because her laugh is the cutest noise in the world. I can't explain through text, but if you've heard it, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
14. Because she can make a house/apartment look awesome. Our place rocks, and it's all because she knows how to put a home together.
13. Because she makes me laugh. Betty, you're hilarious... especially when you aren't trying to be <3
12. Because not only does she understand me, she's understanding.
11. Because she loves football and genuinely gets into it with me... (more to come on this later)
10. Because she's accomplishing things in life. School, work, church, hobbies and crafts... She's going somewhere good and taking me with.
9. Because she forgives me of my shortcomings and looks past them towards the few things I do well.
8. Because she loves God, the Savior and the Gospel... and makes sure that I do too ;)
7. Because she shows she really cares about me and always gives me her best.
6. Because she wants to have kids and thanks to her, they should be pretty cute.
5. Because she breaks my heart with her tears, and then melts it back together again with her smiles.
4. Because she loves the Packers and Brett Favre. (This of course is separate and much more important than #11)
3. Because she is the most wonderful person I've ever met. Only Mum and Belle Ma can even compete with her when speaking of someone so kind, loving, sweet, gentile and caring. She is my angel.
2. Because she loves me and lets me know it hundreds of times everyday.
1. Because she's my wife, sent straight from Heaven.

Happy Birthday Megs... I Love You.

Now where's the cake and ice cream?

Church Talks & Time

Megs and I had the privilege of giving talks in church a couple weeks ago, and while it had been some time since either of us had spoke, we shook off the rust and gave absolutely stellar discourses. What did we speak on? Megs went first and gave one of the best talks I have ever heard on the subject of prayer.

Now we all know that regardless of how she did, good or bad, in order to be politically correct (and to avoid sleeping in the shed**) I would always say that she did great, but believe this time...

She Rocked.

I mean seriously, as far as rocking goes, Celine Dion ain't got nothing on her... wait...

nevermind.

Anyway, she truly did an awesome job and I was really proud of her. She spoke a bit about the praying process that we went through together when deciding to get married and was SO sweet about it. I love my Megs.

Which leaves me and my talk. So if Megs spoke about prayer, what was my talk on? Naturally, the NFL Draft.

Yes, this NFL Draft...


That's right, no cheesy punchline, no second part to the joke... I'm dead serious, I really gave a talk in church about the NFL Draft. And what makes it even better?...

It was awesome!

Don't worry, I mixed in some scriptures and a few thoughts that were a bit more gospel-centric as well, but it was definitely my comments about the Draft that put it over the top. Just ask BelleMa... she was there and she loved it. :)

Now as great as our talks were, it was a separate announcement given by the bishopric that made the day truly special...

Megs and I were sitting on the stand, waiting to give our talks when one of the Bishop's counselors got up and said the following:

"We would like to let you all know, that as of the first Sunday in June, our Sunday meetings will start at 8:30 am."

As I sat there in shock, my heart rate picked-up and a smile of disbelief and excitement grew across my face. With so many people in the congregation groaning and complaining about the early start, why was I the only happy, nay, ecstatic one about this new time slot? Because the following was the only thing going through my mind...

SUN, SEP 7
Tampa Bay at New Orleans 1:00 PM
St. Louis at Philadelphia 1:00 PM
NY Jets at Miami 1:00 PM
Kansas City at New England 1:00 PM
Houston at Pittsburgh 1:00 PM
Cincinnati at Baltimore 1:00 PM
Detroit at Atlanta 1:00 PM
Seattle at Buffalo 1:00 PM
Jacksonville at Tennessee 1:00 PM

These are the first games played in the 1st week of the upcoming NFL Season. Note the times of the games in bold. Since these times are Eastern, that means that with our new church time, we'll get home 30 minutes after the first round of games start, just enough time to Tivo the games and be caught up by the end of the first quarter! In Other Words... No more taping and/or missing all the games every week!

Needless to say, my smile was 100 yards wide :)


**Note: Per my reference to sleeping in the shed. One might wonder why I didn't allude to the "proverbial couch" that we're all familiar with. You see, some time ago, Megs discovered that due to the fact that the TV, ESPN and Playstation are directly in front of the "proverbial couch", such a punishment as to banish one's husband to sleep on said couch wouldn't end up being much of a punishment at all, whereas banishing one's husband to sleep out in the cold-dark-damp-shed-with-tons-of-creepy-crawlies-that-freak-out-one's-husband-to-no-end would serve as more appropriate chastisement, thus providing the aforementioned husband greater incentive to treat his wife nicer and buy her more clothes and shoes.

Happy Birth-Givers' Day!

On this Mothers' Day I wish to shout out thanks and love to all the mothers in my life, starting with my very own Mum!


As you can see from this photo, I get much of my humor, wit and charm from my Mom. Through all the years, I get glimpses of who my Mother truly is and what she's done and still does for me. But even as I try to put all the pieces together, the full picture of my Mum never seems to come totally clear into view. She is all and more of everything that any woman should ever try to be, and I know of at least 7 other first-hand witnesses who would vouch for her.

So to my Angel Mother who gave birth to this boy...


and helped him become who he is today (which is pretty much just a taller version)...

I love you Mum.

Also I mustn't forget my other wonderful Mom, Belle Ma.


Megs' mumsie has been an absolute angel to me since "tying the knot" with my little Megs. Not only does she take me off Megs' hands when I'm driving my wife crazy, but she takes such great care of me and treats me like her own.

Je t'aime Belle Ma.

I have always been cognisant of my insufficient abilities to relate to mothers in any way or through any medium of comparison. However as I grow older, I find that my inadequate understanding of mothers becomes more and more wanting every year. I don't understand all that mothers do, nor do I get how they do it. But everytime I think about it, I realize that's the way it should be.

Because that's how great true Mothers are.

Ps. Mum, don't forget to re-wrap your Mothers' Day present and then act surprised when you open it up again... :)

Favre's on Letterman, and In The Game!

Last Thursday night, Brett made an appearance on the the Late Show with Dave Letterman on CBS. It was awesome! Here's his interview in case you missed it!



Was that the best Late Show or what?!?! Shucks I sure do love that guy. And in case you missed it, at the end of the clip, Letterman showed the cover for the new Madden NFL 09 video game with Brett Favre as the cover athlete! What an awesome tribute to a true legend of the game.

Here's an interview that IGN.com (a video game website) had with Brett...



And for good measure, the first gameplay video of Madden 09, which ends with Brett throwing a touchdown! (Could it really end any other way? I mean honestly...)



If I can't watch Brett play anymore, I'll at least get to play as him on Madden! The game comes out August 12th, so let the countdown begin!!

Finals or Kodison's Parenting Skills... Which are worse?

A family-friend of Megs' went out of town for a few days last week, and asked us to house sit for them while they were four-wheeling in Moab. They have four kids, but the only two that we really had to be mindful of was their 12 year-old son and 10 year-old daughter. By the time we came home Saturday night after the parents came back, I was pooped. Props to you Mom and Dad. I don't know how you did it for all those years; and for all the late nights, laundry and who-knows-what-else...

I'm so sorry.

Granted, while sometimes in the heat of the moment I thought to myself "whoa, I'm not ready for parenthood", it was really a piece-of-cake as the kids were all pretty chill and fun, especially when compared to what us eight kids (myself being public enemy no. 1) put Mom and Dad through. Again...

I'm so sorry.

With the end of our house-sitting excursion comes the start of a more-stressful and yes, time-consuming challenge... Finals Week. I took my first final yesterday (Statistics for Economists) and it was rough. I think I did pretty well, but I sure had to earn it. I decided to take a break from my studying today to blog and refresh my mind for my exam today and my three final finals tomorrow. Hopefully I'll "Be Like Mike" and come through in the clutch to rally all of those exams to finish the semester.

As most of you have been through final exams in the past or present and many of you have witnessed my parenting-skills (or lack thereof), I'll let you be the judge...

What are worse, Finals or Kodison's Parenting Skills?

I might call it a draw for now, but check back with me tomorrow night after 9 straight hours of exams and I'm sure I'll have a sharply jaded opinion on the matter.

It's Baseball Season... Without the Baseball Weather!

While April is only a couple days away, baseball is officially here! In honor of "baseball's New Year", I decided to revamp my blog in hopes of cheering on the Brewers to the playoffs in '08.

While I am a huge baseball fan, along with Megs (she will be, trust me), it appears that Mother Nature isn't so fond of the diamond as we are. As we woke this morning on baseball's opening day, we were greeted by none-other than....


...3 inches of snow!!!!



Yes you read that correctly. After nearly two weeks of highs in the 50s and 60s, Mother Nature has decided that winter isn't over yet. Not to fear though, I'll be out this afternoon clearing the base-paths with my snow shovel and Megs will be at the store buying peanuts and cracker-jacks!

Madness in March!

Now that mid-March has arrived and the basketball brackets are set, it's finally time to move-on past football (until the draft on April 26th) and enjoy the spectacle that is March Madness! So in honor of the Big Ten Champion Badger Basketball team, I've re-worked my blog to root on Bucky! (It'll be changing again immediately after the tourney, so stay tuned...)

In the process of banging my head against the wall and splitting hairs, trying to figure out how to fill out my bracket of predictions for the tournament, (be sure to fill out your brackets ASAP!) I came across some interesting economic developments in regard to the tourney. FoxNews.com is reporting an estimate, made by the outplacement consultancy firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, that American companies could lose upwards of $4 billion... yes, you read that right, billion. The first thing that came to mind when I read that was simply,...

God Bless America.

Seriously, where else in the world do we have the luxury of neglecting our work to fill out brackets, organize office pools, collect dues, track scores, watch streaming live video of games online, root for upsets and trash-talk your co-workers, all to the tune of several billion dollars?! And do you think the websites and media conglomorates that are peddling this 3 week recession are ashamed of the economic burden that they impose upon unknowning firms across the country??

Heck no.

Both ESPN and cbssports.com have so-called "boss buttons" that you can click to instantly change your screen from the tournament bracket or video, to faux-spreadsheets and reports, thus doping your employer into thinking that you're working, when really, he's paying you to prognosticate the Final Four!

As an economics major, one might wonder how I feel about this. You see, economics isn't expressly about having the most wealth, assets, or even the highest GDP, it's all about human utility. Whatever raises your utility (level of happiness and satisfaction in life) is what we economists really want... (which by-the-way often tends to be based around one's level of wealth or a nation's GDP). So, if the benefits of March Madness (in terms of our own personal utility) outweigh the costs of lost time and wages (I feel that they do), then by all means, let the Madness begin!

Permit me thus to conclude with one simple nugget of insight into this world of Sweet 16s, Elite Eights and Final Fours, Never pick the 16-seeds.

And oh yeah... God Bless America.

A New Era Begins...

As a final postlude to my Brett Favre tribute, it's now time to recognize that the future is now, and our future lies with Packers' QB Aaron Rodgers, a 3-year backup, to whom all of Packer-Nation now looks to lead us to victory. Rodgers was drafted 24th in the 1st round of the 2005 Draft and now has the heavy responsibility of filling the shoes of one of the game's all-time greats...

Good Luck.

However, Packers fans shouldn't lose all hope, as Rodgers has not-only shown plenty of promise in the limited playing time he's had, but he seems also to have the confidence of his teammates that he's the right man for the job. Here's what Brett Favre himself had to say about the "Young Gun", Aaron Rodgers...



So without further ado, I present to you, the new starting QB of the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers!



While Brett will be sorely missed by us all, I find myself surprisingly excited to see what Rodgers will bring to the table and confident that he can lead us back to the playoffs in '08! Let's all rally behind the guy as we usher in what will be another great era of Packers football!

But as one last farewell, before we officially part ways and move on from this Favre tribute on my blog, I'd like to share two last video clips of the great #4.

First, SportsCenter recap of Brett Favre and the Packers 2007 Season...



And lastly, a tribute to Brett not only from us, but also from several of the greatest athletes of all-time, showing their respect to the man who lined-up under center for the Green-and-Gold for 16 straight years, comprising 275 consecutive games. The one, the only, the timeless, Brett Favre.



Goodbye Brett Favre, Hello Aaron Rodgers...

Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4... Part IV

For the final edition of my critically-acclaimed series, Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4..., I chose to save the best for last. In today's post, we'll look back at some of Favre's greatest achievements and performances, those that set his career apart as being the greatest quarterback of all time.

~One, Two, Three-Time MVP: From 1995 to 1997, Brett set the standard for all future pros who hoped to be the best, as he was crowned the NFL MVP for three consecutive seasons, becoming the only player ever to win the award three times. As he retires this year, Favre remains the only three-time NFL MVP.

~The Touchdown King, September 30, 2007: Mid-way through the first quarter against the Vikings on the road, Favre lead the Packers down the field, to a 3rd and 7, at the Vikings' 17-yd line. Coming out in a shotgun-spread formation, Favre saw single, man-to-man coverage across the field and used his 17 years of experience to call out an audible to take advantage of the situation. Brett dropped back to pass and hit Greg Jennings on a slant-route over the middle for his 421st career touchdown pass, making him the all-time NFL career touchdown passing leader. Congrats Brett!



~Super Bowl Champions: Lead by NFL MVP Brett Favre, the Packers rolled through the regular season (13-3) and playoffs on the way to Green Bay's first Super Bowl appearance in thirty years. The Packers got on the board first as Favre threw a 54-yd touchdown pass on only the Packers' second offensive play. They never looked back. Though kick-returner Desmond Howard was named the Super Bowl MVP, Brett put together an MVP-worthy performance throwing for 246 and 3 total touchdowns (2 passing, 1 rushing). Favre had led the Packers back to the top of the NFL, and brought the Lombardi Trophy home to Titletown for the first time since Lombardi himself paced the Packers' sideline. Thus cementing his place in history among the Packer greats.



~Thanks for the Memories: After 17 seasons in the NFL, 3 league MVPs, 1 Super Bowl win, 275 consecutive starts as well as every signifcant career passing record, Brett Favre retired from the Green Bay Packers and the NFL, ending his legendary career. On March 6, 2008, Brett appeared in a news conference in Green Bay, WI to announce and discuss his retirement from the game. He was true to himself to the end, and in what may have been the greatest, most emotional retirement news conference of all-time, no. 4 left the game in true Favre-fashion.



I watched this news conference live, struggling to control my emotions as I watched my favorite athlete of all-time walk away from the game I love. My favorite quote from his news conference was "I hope that every penny that the Green Bay Packers spent on me... that they feel was money well spent." Well Brett, I've got news for you. Your money will never be any good in Wisconsin, because we'll be forever indebted to you.

Bonus Materials

This past year, Sports Illustrated named Brett the 2007 Sportsman of the Year. This illustrious award, which has been given out to other athletes such as Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong (here's the list), celebrated Favre not only for his amazing accomplishments on the field, but also his exceptional character and selfless contributions to others and the community.



~My favorite play from the 2007 Packers season: Tied 13-13, on the first play of overtime on Monday Night Football against the Broncos, Favre bombed a perfectly thrown 82-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings to cap one of Brett Favre's most memorable MNF performances and a 19-13 Packers' win.



So there you have it, Kodison's tribute to the greatest player of all-time. I hope that you've enjoyed reading Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4... as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let us never forget the fun and the memories we have of watching this great man play the game we all love. He played football the way it was meant to be played, and we loved watching him lead our favorite team every weekend. As much as I will miss him, I'm thankful to have witnessed his career, and for all the priceless memories that I'll pass-down to my children.

As I run out of superlatives and ways to describe his Hall-of-Fame career, it becomes difficult to describe my emotions towards my favorite athlete in history. So to finish this tribute, there's really only one thing left to say...

Thank you Brett.

Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4... Part III

For this third installment of my future award-winning series, Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4..., I felt that it was important to include some of the more fun memories that I have of Brett's career, even those that aren't directly related to throwing touchdowns on the field. Plus, at the end of this post, I included some bonus clips to thank you for reading and to entice you to come back tomorrow for the series finale.

~Up Top Ref!: With the Packers winning 14-3 over Detroit in week 17 this past December, Favre rolled right and threw a strike to Bubba Franks in the front of the endzone for his second touchdown pass of the day. Running off the field after the play, Favre had some fun with the referee in front of the Packers' bench before joining the rest of his teammates on the sideline.



~Brett the Business Man: Recently Brett was ranked as the 10th most marketable figure in sports (2nd in the NFL behind Peyton Manning), and he's got the commercials to prove it. Here's one of my favorites...



~Trash Talkin': Favre was always known for his smiles and light-minded trash talk with opposing players as well as his teammates. While this entry doesn't specify one distinct moment, I felt it appropriate to include this video, as so many of our favorite Favre moments have to do with his fun-loving, entertaining style of football. :)



~Favre Magic: The Packers dismantled the Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Playoffs this past January in what was a typical Wisconsin snowstorm. As the field turned white and snow filled the air, Favre led the Packers back from an early 14-0 deficit to rout Seattle 42-20. Known for his magical plays and circus throws, late in the 1st half, Favre pulled another trick out from his sleeve to convert a crucial third-down, which led to a Green Bay touchdown, one that would propel the Packers to the NFC Championship Game.



After watching these clips, it's hard to imagine anyone having more fun playing the game of football, nor anyone that's more fun to watch playing it, than our own Brett Favre.

Bonus Materials

I included Favre's first real playing time as a Packer in yesterday's post, and I found a couple post-game interviews the Brett gave immediately after the game. Knowing what we know now, they're pretty fun to watch.

Favre Interview #1

Favre Interview #2

Do you know how Brett did the very next game in his first career start? Here's the game recap from that match-up against the Steelers. What a performance he gave in his first start, which began his record-setting streak of 275 straight games.

Game Recap

And last but not least, as another example of Favre's fun-loving demeanor, here's a video clip taken from Halloween in 1995, when Brett, along with teammates Don Beebe and Frank Winters, disguised themselves and went Trick-or-Treating to Coach Mike Holmgren's house. (I think there ended up being more tricks than treats...)

Trick-or-Treating

Be sure to log on again tomorrow for the final installment of my Brett Favre tribute series, Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4...

Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4... Part II

In my second installment of Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4..., I'll continue to examine four more of my favorite memories from Brett Favre's career. Again, these come in no particular order, so just enjoy them as they come! Also, feel free to leave comments at the end of this post, sharing some of your thoughts on these memories, or go ahead and share some of your favorite Favre moments too!

~He Did What?!?!: On November 6, 2000, the Packers played host to the rival Vikings on Monday Night Football. The hard-fought game went back-and-forth, and at the end of regulation was tied 20-20. With the Packers driving in overtime, Favre lofted up a pass to favorite wideout Antonio Freeman on a deep fade route to the sideline. After the defender tipped the ball in the air, Freeman fell down and tipped the ball several times while on the ground. Once he had the ball in his grasp, Freeman got up and sprinted past the confused Vikings defenders into the endzone for a miraculous 26-20 Packers' win.



~The Winning Tradition: Trailing the Lions 24-21 with less than a minute to play in the 1994 NFC Wild Card playoffs, Favre connected on one of his classic deep-bombs to Sterling Sharpe to lift the Packers to their first playoff win in 11 years. Favre had returned a winning tradition to Green Bay.



~Brett Goes the Distance: Playing in Chicago against the Bears on September 11, 1995, with the Green Bay offense backed-up to their own one yard-line midway through the second quarter, Brett launched a perfectly placed pass to Robert Brooks who tip-toed down the sideline for a 99 yard touchdown, only the 8th 99 yard pass in NFL history. The Packers would go on to win 27-24 and Favre finished with 312 passing yards and 3 touchdowns to notch yet another spectacular primetime performance on Monday Night Football. (Sorry, I couldn't find any good clips of this...)

~Playing for Dad: The day after his father Irv died of a tragic heart-attack, Brett put together one of the most memorable Monday Night Football performances in history. With his wife Deanna, along with the entire nation looking on, Favre threw for 399 yards and 4 touchdowns. His near perfect game was not only one of his best statistically, but this emotionally-charged feat would define him for the rest of his career as he overcame trial after trial in his life.


As shown in this post, as well as the final two installations to come, Brett Favre was consistently one of the best clutch players in football. Whether it was on the national stage of Monday Night Football, or late in the fourth quarter or overtime, Packers fans always felt that if only we could give Brett the ball, he would come through when it matters most and Brett delivered, almost every time. Be sure to tune in tomorrow to see what four Favre moments made the list next!

Favorite Favre Moments : Four Days of #4... Part I

The first installation of a four-part series, documenting 16 of my favorite moments from Brett Favre's legendary career. Note that these moments do not come in any specific order.

~Favre's First Pass: Where else to start this list but at the beginning of Brett's illustrious career? His first pass attempt in the National Football League came during his rookie season in 1991 while playing for the Atlanta Falcons. His first pass in the NFL was tipped and intercepted, then promptly returned for a touchdown by the other team. A fitting beginning to his gunslinger career.



~Favre's First Completion: After spending only a year with the Falcons, and attempting 4 passes (resulting in two interceptions and zero completions), Favre threw his first complete pass in the NFL as a Green Bay Packer. Who was on the receiving end of this historic throw?... Himself.



~Head-first into the Playoffs: On Dec 18, with the 1994 season coming to a close, the Packers desperately needed a win to keep their hopes alive to make the playoffs. Favre orchestrated one of his signature, late fourth-quarter drives and scored while diving into the endzone from nine yards out, with only 14 seconds remaining on the clock. The Packers would go on to win 21-17 and not only would Green Bay make the playoffs that year, but Favre cemented his status as one of the toughest players in the NFL.


~The Legend is Born, September 20, 1992: Coming off the bench for the injured Don "Majik Man" Majkowski, Favre saw his first meaningful minutes as a Packer, and he would make the most of them. Entering the game midway through the fourth quarter with the Packers down 20-10, Favre directed an 88 yard TD drive, including a perfectly thrown 35 yd TD pass to Kintrick Taylor with 13 seconds left to cap off a game-winning drive and propel the Packers to an unprobable 24-23 comeback victory. Brett started the following week... and every game since.



Log on tomorrow to see the next four moments in the 2nd installment of my series, Favorite Favre Moments: Four Days of #4...

A Day That Will Live in Infamy...

On this day, March 4th, 2008, the greatest quarterback in the history of the Green Bay Packers organization and possibly the National Football League, Brett Favre, at age 38 is finally walking away from the game of football, ending his streak of 253 consecutive starts.

After 17 seasons, 160 regular season wins as a starter, 442 passing TDs, 61,655 passing yards, 5 league MVPs and one Super Bowl win, Brett is taking his all-time record-breaking career and riding off into the sunset.

I grew up watching this man play the game I love in a way that displayed his undying love for the game as well. His fun-loving demeanor attracted friend and foe alike, his charisma and down-to-earth attitude was familiar to thousands of fans across the country, and his winner-take-all, gunslinger mentality produced the better part of two decades of winning football in Green Bay, WI.

Forever known as the NFL's Ironman, Favre will go down in history as one of the toughest and fiercest competitors professional football has ever known. His talent, humor, personality, leadership, desire and unique style and flair made him one of the most beloved players in NFL history.

While many across America were shocked upon hearing the news of Favre's retirement, I was simply heartbroken. The man to whom I owe my fanhood was retiring from the game I love, and walking away from the team I . So, as a tribute to my favorite athlete of all-time, and in honor of the Great #4, I'll be posting four of my favorite Favre memories everyday for the next 4 days.


Upon reading the news early this morning and hopelessly attempting to come-to-grips with a world without Favre, I did the only thing that made sense, the only thing that a tough guy or real ironman could do... I cried.

Please come back Brett, we love you.

Loving the Playoffs!

*Disclaimer: This post is written in strictly football terms. The following comments are not to be confused or compared with other life experiences regarding familial or religious events (ie. wedding, family reunions, baptism, mission, etc.) If any offense is taken by the reader in response to the content of this post, the responsibility and liability of such offense lies strictly with said reader and the author is in noway held accountable.

The past couple weeks have been the most exciting of what has turned out to be the best year* in recent memory. After two years of missing the playoffs, not only have the young Packers team made the post-season with an impressive 13-3 record, but after beating Seattle last Saturday, will be hosting the Giants in the NFC Championship Game with a trip to Glendale, AZ for Super Bowl XLII on the line. Other than the obvious significance of this contest, why am I writing about this you ask? Well simply because for the past several weeks, our house has been a non-stop Packers Playoff Party! (3Ps= Packer Playoff Parties)

For last Saturday's game, we invited over several of our friends and we all piled down in front of the TV with chips & dip, jalepeno poppers, pizza and soda to watch the Packers come back from an early 14-0 deficit to dismantle the Seahawks 42-20. Watching the Packers roll in the blizzard that covered Lambeau Field was the most fun I think I've ever had watching a football game. (Qualification: Super Bowl XXXI was not just a football game, therefore the previous statement still holds true)

So in preparation for the game and our friends coming over, we lightly decorated the house in Packers paraphernalia. Here are several pictures to illustrate just a few examples...

Upon coming up the steps to the house, at the front door you're warmly greeted in the window by an original Super Bowl XXXI Title Towel. The Packers were crowned World Champions a short 11 years ago, and this Title Towel inspires those who enter as they watch the Packers' return to glory.

You'll also notice the little Packers football on the door handle. Cheeseheads Enter! Bears Fans Beware! (and this week, Giants Fans Go Home!)

Upon entering our humble abode, first off you'll see our stuffed Packers helmet hanging from the ceiling fan...

Followed by the 12 miniature plastic Packers helmets lined up in front of the TV. (Gotta love that guy on the screen... We love you Brett!)

You'll also see our replica Packers helmet and miniature '05 Packers Corvette (thanks Mum!) in the bookshelves on your way into the kitchen...

Where you'll find the Packers Kleenex box (that Dad found in an Albuquerque Walgreens of-all-places)...

The Packers magnets that Megs made all over the fridge...

The Packers chip & dip bowl from our fabulous Wisconsin sisters... (Thank you Kristi and Ali!)

And our Packers nite-lite, in case someone needs a midnight snack. (Thanks again Mum!)

Moving back into the living room, found on the couch is the grand-daddy of them all. The cream-of-the-crop, made by the apple-of-my-eye...

Go ahead and curl up in the sweetest* Christmas present I've ever had. That's right, for Christmas this past year, Megs made me (yeah, made) a Packers blanket. She bought the materials and over the course of several months, made it square-by-square. Here's a closer look...

Isn't that the coolest?!?! Isn't she the best?!?! I just about cried when she gave it to me...

So as you can see, when we sport our Favre jerseys and Packers apparel on gameday, our little house makes for quite the Packers Playoffs Party! We've decided to keep the decorations up everyday, in hopes that the good vibes felt here in our home can somehow permeate the sacred confines of Lambeau Field and help our boys in the Green and Gold punch their tickets to the Super Bowl! Go Packers! Beat those Giants!

A more complete collection of photos of our home can be seen here.