Mikey D

~Let's start with MSU basketball. I know they play Indiana today, and earlier in the week I was excited about the game, but now not so much. Not after watching Wisconsin rip our hearts out with their stupid looking badger teeth. I no longer care about the rest of the regular season (except that OSU game- I want to see if we can win that one, just to see if Adam is wrong), and am looking towards the tournament and the big picture. I've been thinking a lot lately about what would be the best seed for MSU in the tournament; the one that would give us a chance to have the most success. The more I think about it, I am convinced that we would have a chance to be dangerous if we were a #6 seed. Here's why:

-We'd be on the bottom half of the bracket, thus avoiding a clash with a #1 seed in the second or third round.
-At #6, we would receive no talk. We wouldn't be talked about as a favorite or a Cinderella. We'd just be there. I think that's what this team needs- not to be talked about.
-A first round match-up against an 11-seed forces us not to be complacent. An 11-seed this day and age is a quality opponent, so we should see high-effort in the first game and not games like Iowa and Penn State from earlier this year.
-After the first round we'd be an underdog the entire rest of the way. As recent history has shown, we don't play very well as a favorite. We seem to relish that underdog role. I think we'd all agree that this team has the talent to make run, and that they just need to put it altogether. Give this team a purpose and some motivation, and we just might be able to do it.
-Look at the possible #2 or #3 seeds. Texas? Beat them. Butler? Xavier? Georgetown? Stanford? Those are beatable teams. I'd feel much more comfortable going against them than North Carolina, Memphis, etc.

So from here on out, I'm rooting for a #6 tournament seed. Go State!

~I've been doing a lot of research lately about my financial future as a teacher down here. My conclusions? It's not looking good. Just recently our superintendent did not include a cost of living raise for teachers in the latest budget proposal (we usually get one every year). Not a big deal for those peeps outside of Maryland, but living down here everything is expensive. $200 electric bills and the such, so it's kind of a big deal.

Looking farther into the future, the steps increases that the teachers in my school system get are minuscule to say the least. After ten years I will be making less than practically every teacher in the state. Not cool.

And I know I'm only 25 and retirement is a long ways off, but as a person who worries about everything and anything, I worry about what my retirement is going to look like. I won't go into all the details, but with the state's pension plan for teachers I will basically receive about 40% of my ending salary. Comparatively speaking, Pennsylvania and Ohio receive about 80-95% of their ending salary. There's a big difference there, and again, with the cost of living so high here, it worries the hell out of me. Unless things change, I can't see myself staying in this state. I mean I want a wonderful retirement. I want to be able to purchase every sports tv package, have all the major gaming systems, a tricked out recliner, etc., and I'll be damned if I don't get those things.

~Grace is applying for a job with Limited Brands as I type. Believe it or not, my fashion-minded girlfriend isn't interested in working in the rental car industry forever. She would love to get into the retail and fashion side of business, and I will support her in any way I can (being a teacher it's easy- I can go anywhere). Anywho, if she gets a job with Limited Brands she has two possible locations for work- New York City and, get ready for this Adam, Columbus, Ohio.

Now a lot of things would have to fall perfectly into place for us to end up there, but it's got me thinking and it's got me excited for a plethora of reasons.
1. Adam and Stacey. Yay!
2. Closer to Michigan, and thus closer to my family, Kevin, and Grace's friends. And the sports scene.
3. I could get a job working in Ohio, and I'd feel much better about my retirement and economic future. Plus the cost of living would be lower.
4. Grace would be doing something she wanted to do. I know she's happy with her job right now (she's damn good at what she does), but I also know she'd be happier doing something she's more interested in. It'd be a big sacrifice for her to leave the east coast again, but I think she could handle it if it meant she's closer to her friends and has a job she truly loved.

Like I said, a lot of things would have to happen for any of that to come to fruition, but you never know!

~Grace and I saw Semi-Pro yesterday. Not as good as most Will Ferrell movies, but there were some funny parts. Thumbs-middle. Grace gave it thumbs-up, so all in all thumbs three-quarters. If you love Will Ferrell and aren't expecting much plot and just silly/outrageous humor, you will be satisfied. I am pumped for the new Harold and Kumar movie (see below). It's going to be dirty, raunchy, filthy, and most importantly, fucking hilarious.

~ So my spring break this year starts after school on Thursday, March 20- the first day of the NCAA tournament. Yes! I have already taken a personal day for that Monday, because I know I won't be able to focus, being that the brackets will be released the night before. Yes, that's how much I love this tournament and how much sports are a part of me. This will be the first year, however, that we won't have "the wall" set up. Kind of sad, but perhaps I can put something together for my blog that'll remind up of the wall. We'll see. Maybe I can do it that Monday, since I won't be going into work =).

Time for the Sunday grocery shopping. Take care.

~Mikey D