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No. 9 West Va lost at No. 14 Pitt Thursday night, 57-53. It was the 169th meeting between the two long-time rivals but the first meeting in which both were ranked! The Mountaineers shot just 34% from the floor, including just 6-of-27 on threes!

It was West Va’s first Big East loss of the year, dropping the number of remaining conference unbeatens to just SIX, heading into the weekend. In the only other game involving two ranked opponents last night, No. 19 Ohio State won in Ann Arbor over No. 22 Michigan, 94-85!

My free play for Friday is the Denver Nuggets over the Dallas Mavericks at 10:30 ET. My easy win on the Kings last night gives me a 4-1 80% run in the NBA the last seven days. Friday, I’m featuring two STRONG 10* plays in NBA action. Don’t miss my Eastern Conference Game of the Month or my Western Conference Total of the Month. Best of all, you’ll only pay AFTER you win!

Three other top-25 teams were in action on Thursday and all three won. While No. 13 UCLA scored just 50 points, the Bruins still won by 20! UCLA’s 50-30 win at Washington State was its 13th straight win in Pullman and the Bruins’ 25th win in their last 26 meetings with the Cougars.

No. 15 Georgetown easily won at home over St John’s (64-41) and No. 21 Washington beat USC up in Seattle, 87-73. Checking in on one of just FIVE schools still winless in conference play, St Bonaventure lost its 11th straight game (tying a school record), 81-70 at home to Fordham. That drops them to 0-10 this year in the A-10.

College basketball features just four games tonight, all in the Ivy League. Penn, 4-0 in the Ivy and one of just SIX remaining conference unbeatens in Division I, will be at 3-15 Dartmouth tonight at 7:00 ET. The Quakers are favored by 14 with a total of 124 1/2.

As always the weekend is full of college basketball action with at least a dozen nationally televised games. There are four games this weekend featuring top-25 opponents. No. 13 UCLA is at No. 21 Washington and No. 18 Iowa is at No. 24 Indiana, both on Saturday. On Sunday, it’s No. 9 West Va at No. 15 Georgetown and No. 10 Illinois at No. 19 Ohio State.

The Mavericks crushed the Heat last night 112-76 and the Kings handled the Bulls 98-80, making last night’s TNT doubleheader very boring. The victory extended Dallas’ winning streak to an NBA season-high, 13 games (11-2 ATS). The Mavs have held all 13 opponents to less than 100 points, allowing an average of just 86.5 PPG during the streak.

As for the Kings, they have now won seven straight games at home, including a home mark of 4-0 SU and ATS since acquiring Artest. Also of note should be that in the seven games Artest has played for Sacramento, the Kings have allowed opponents to shoot just 41 percent. That compares to the 46 percent the team allowed pre-Artest.

Friday night’s 12-game NBA schedule is highlighted by an ESPN doubleheader. The first game is the San Antonio Spurs at the New Jersey Nets (8:00 ET). The Nets will be putting their 12-game (9-3 ATS) home winning streak on the line against the Spurs, a team that’s gone 11-1 since losing to the Pistons back on January 12. However, Tim Duncan missed San Antonio’s last game with the flu and is listed a questionable. The Spurs are favored by 2 1/2 points with a total of 179.

In the nightcap, Dallas puts its 13-game winning streak on the line in Denver against the Nuggets (10:30 ET). Talk about opposites! While Dallas enters as the league’s hottest team, Denver has lost six of its previous seven games and enters tonight on a NINE-game ATS losing streak. That being said, these two teams have played two very close games this year. The Mavs have edged the Nuggets in Dallas, 83-80 and 114-112 in OT, in Denver. Dallas is favored by four points with a total of 201.

Checking in on some other games, sees the Celtics hosting the Trailblazers at 7:35 ET. Boston won its first game after its seven-player trade with Minnesota but has since gone 0-6 SU and ATS. Meanwhile, Portland enters this game an impressive 9-3-1 ATS its last 13 games. Boston is favored by 5 1/2 points with a total of 184 1/2.

The Knicks will try to snap a seven-game losing streak in Okla City versus the Hornets at 8:05 ET. The Knicks have lost 13 of 14 overall (3-11 ATS), while the Hornets have fared very well this year in “home games”, going 16-8 SU and 14-9-1 ATS. The Hornets are favored by six points with a total of 186 1/2. Lastly, the Charlotte Bobcats have won a franchise-high three straight games and they’ll host the Raptors at 7:35 ET, a team that’s a super 16-7-1 ATS, on the road. Toronto is favored by two points with a total of 210.

Ness Notes is available by 1:00 ET Monday through Friday. Saturday and Sunday’s notes are ready by 9:00 ET.

No, not just a color in your Crayola Box, it is now possible to have your own private putting green in your own yard. For the avid golfer it might seem like a dream come true to have your own green. Do they know what is involved? Let’s look at some facts.

Greens are expensive to build and need special maintenance. If you are determined to have one then we will fill you in on some facts. The first thing you ought to know is that taking care of greens will need a great deal of work. One of the first items to be considered is drainage. To maintain a green in good putting condition, the water has to be able to drain off properly. It does need to be watered, but in watering, it also should be well drained. If you want to have your own green, you should be able to spot disease, insect problems, and fertility issues. One thunderstorm can tell you if you have enough drainage. Some greens need to be surrounded by perforated pipes to carry the water to a distance away from the green or to a private stream.

Seeding is a problem, knowing what seed to plant for your location and making it look great is another problem. If you consider using sod, you should know that it is expensive. Seeded greens have to be pampered while the grass is taking hold. There is a fine line between waiting too long to mow and weakening the turf, making it open to blight, and mowing it too soon. The grass could be so young and tender that a regular mower will mash it down.

Green mowers are also an important cost factor to consider. New mowers can cost $5000 or more and used mowers are known to be priced as high as $1000. Toro makes a special mower just for greens.

Controlling such diseases as pythium, sod webworm and cut worm as well as algae and moss has to be done consistently. Regular treatment needs to be applied and if a treatment is missed, you could find your green overrun by disease in the space of one week.

Building a green can be done either by USGA specifications or by using less expensive material and less elaborate drainage designs. USGA specifications can make the cost of your green anywhere from $20,000 to $80,000. A good design is one where the green is above the surrounding lawn area with sandy loam topsoil. It also requires about a one-percent slope for satisfactory drainage. Many experts also recommend an irrigation system so you won’t have the inconvenience of watering the green by hand.

What grass do you want for you own backyard green? Again that is going to depend on where you are located. You have to consider if you are in the warm season zone or the cool season zone. There are many basic grasses that are used on nearly any golf course and there are also grasses that have been specifically developed for golf courses.

In the cooler climate, these seeds are suggested for your green. For one hole of golf, in the tee areas it is recommended that you use bentgrass while roughs and fairways require bluegrass. Hazards can also be planted with rough bluegrass and other ground covers.

In the southern or warmer zone, the recommendations are as follows. Tee areas should use Hybrid Bermuda, for fairways Bermuda, Ryegrass, and Zoysia is recommended. Roughs require Bahias, St. Augustine, Common Bermuda, and Ryegrasses.

Another question that you will need to answer is; do I need a special lawn mower? A standard rotary motor is not the right mower for keeping a green. It is important that you use a mower that pinches off the grass rather than chopping it. Look around for the best deal on these mowers.

Maintenance time should not be so time-consuming that you can’t enjoy your private putting green. It can give you hours of enjoyment and practice in the comfort of your backyard and if you especially enjoy gardening, it will be well worth the effort. Landscaping and preserving a golf green can be fun and relaxing, and you have the added benefit of being able to improve your game at home instead of going to a course to practice.

Albergo I Villini is a cheap 1 star hotel in Pontassieve, located in Viale Diaz 28

Albergo I Villini B&B is situated in Pontassieve very near to the confluence of the Arno and Sieve rivers, 15 minutes from Florence and near the secular forest of Vallombrosa and the National Park of Casentino. The house is open since 1952 and offers warm hospitality and a peaceful surrounding.

I Villini has 7 bedrooms with private facilities, some of which have a view over the river .There is possibility of parking. A genuine breakfast is served directly in your room. I Villini it’s well connected to Florence and to the places of artistic and historical interest in Tuscany; offers comfortable rooms decorated in an amusing and colorful way, every room has a radio and tv .

There’s a little library in the hall where guests can find magazines and parlour games . Breakfast is served directly in your room with real fresh "cornettos" just taken out of oven, and "cappuccino".

The payment can be effected with VISA , MASTERCARD & AMEX credit cards.

Florence km 15
Siena km 50
Arezzo km 70
Lucca km 80
Pisa km 90

Planning a trip to Italy? The top 3 destinations in Italy are Rome, Venice and Florence, but you can also consider other destinations in Italy: check our page for Hotel Deals in Italy and check wikitravel to get more information about your destination in Italy.

If you are looking for the perfect Christmas light for house decorating this season you may want to consider the general style of your home before making a purchase. The outdoor holiday decorations come in all shapes and sizes and one may be a little better for your particular style home than another.

Many people like to keep holiday decorating simple and elegant. One of the hottest Christmas light for house decoration is the spotlight. You can feature a great holiday door decoration with a clean, bright spotlight on the feature. This type of Christmas light for house décor is great for traditional homes.

Imagine a traditional colonial home with white siding and a magnificent red door. Add a green decorated holiday wreath and a spotlight and you have the makings for a wonderful yet simple holiday design. The ideal Christmas light for home decorations with a traditional appeal is quite simple.

Many people like a little more dazzle especially if they live in a home that has a dark exterior. A log cabin house is best suited for a Christmas light for home holiday decorations that really illuminates the space. Lighting that boasts large bulbs or flashing lights are great for a darker house.

Owners of cottage style homes might want to look into purchasing small twinkling lights. I have a small cottage house and I initially thought that the perfect Christmas light for house decorating would be big and flashy. I purchased a bunch of holiday lights for the home and I couldn’t wait to see the display.

My husband and I were a little overwhelmed by the outcome. There was way too much going on with this display. The Christmas light for house decorations should not be bigger than the house itself. The display seemed to swallow up our little cottage and the whole outcome was no less than disappointing.

We decided to scale down quite a bit. Instead of investing in icicle lights and flashing bulbs we figured that a few strings of twinkling lights would suit our little home much better. Although I love the idea of a lot of glow during the holiday season I really prefer something a little easier on the eyes.

A huge house that can hold up to big displays then the ideal Christmas light for house decorations for your place would be bold. We might use up our extra holiday decorations in the yard as well. Maybe they won’t be so overwhelming if they are spread out a little bit.

The bright old Chinese tale has a key gist; the anecdote described the truth that each & every person believes an event a lot more if it is seen. By the way of video production or videography it is achievable to shoot a series of occasions.

Nowadays in numerous company presentations, video clips are generally adopted. Through video production services it is viable to deliver the essential info to various possible buyers to help entice them. Online Video production nowadays is utilised for several different reasons; however, several online promotional videos & brand associated presentations are usually produced in order to accomplish desired company goals. Vidify’s online video distribution partnerships ensure your video commercials generate awareness and impact within the right circles, fast.

Audio video presentations are presently in fashion & thus are used in nearly any nature of industry activity. Video production companies at the outset by & large interact with a certain style of client or an organisation that looks to create a promotional video, a presentation or an assortment of video clips. The total work of video production is typically carried out by freelancers; though there are a number of online video production agencies around at the moment.

Participation of music composers, cameraman and script writers are also very typical when creating online video productions. What’s more, marketing agencies and public relations firms have very recently become involved with online video production & marketing.

Are you looking for a cheap and easy way to impress your date and to have a good time? Then get a croquet set and teach them to play. I recently taught a girl to play croquet. At first I thought that she thought I was nerd and that I was ridiculous for playing such games. I am also a cheapskate for taking her to play this cheap game or free activity rather than spending money on her, which I did not have anyway. The whole time we were playing, I thought that she thought I was dumb.

I easily won our first game, the one where I taught her to play. The second game was a little different, however, after she knew what she was doing and understood the game a little more. I still could have easily beaten her, but being the gentleman that I am, I played bad on purpose and intentionally hit my ball poorly or in the wrong direction to give her a chance. I played poorly to the very end and purposely missed the last two wickets, overshooting them so that I would have to hit my ball in the reverse direction and get another shot at them. This gave her the opportunity to catch up with me and hit her ball through for the win. I just thought it would be a little more fun for her if she was not trailing me by so much and even had a chance to win it. I think in the end she did not think I was so dumb after that, and actually had a good attitude about the game. She still went out with me again, so it must have been good. We did go out to eat and watch a movie afterward, and she specifically thanked me for that, but not for playing croquet.

I still think that she thought I was a nerd at the time, but later she said that she liked it just to be nice. I think that she is too nice to tell me what she really thinks. I kept prying her later, trying to get her to be honest with me and tell me that she did not like it, but she always reassured me that it was fun. The second time we played she actually wanted to play and suggested it when a family member and friend were with us and we were thinking of something to do. I had to teach her family member and friend how to play also.

Now that I look back, I have decided that I was very cultured and proper to take her to play croquet and teach her how. After all, croquet is a game that cultured people play. It was played by the upper classes in the British Empire, which is how it spread throughout the world to be the popular sport that it is today. I probably came across as intelligent and gentlemanly also, the way taught her how to play and let her win. In the end we were able to play a fun game outdoors for a while, which made me look good, and it was cheap.

So, if you are looking for something cheap, yet entertaining and impressive to do, then get a croquet set and learn to play. You can then impress anyone, anytime with your intelligence, poise, depth of culture, and being a gentleman or ladylike. It may seem silly now, and you may feel a little dumb or awkward at first, like I did, but I guarantee that in the end it will be OK. You can think of croquet as an End or a Means to an end.

Peter Jay is a Vice President with Yard Game Central and a manager and web administrator with PlayCroquet.com. For more information about croquet sets, visit PlayCroquet.com.

Heard about the Child Trust Fund? a small amount seem to know about the fact that all newly born babies get a free £250 voucher from the government to invest in a Child Trust Fund. Your son or daughter’s voucher may be invested in any one of three sorts of CTF account, Stakeholder – a shares-based account thatchanges into cash, a savings account or a shares account. It is a great opportunity to invest for the future needs of a youngster

Scottish Friendly is a licensed provider of the Child Trust Fund The Government is keen for the public at large to have access to Stakeholder accounts and this is the type of account that we offer. This means that:

Investments go into Scottish Friendly’s Managed Growth Fund, which hopes to provide strong growth potential

An investment is made partly in shares to get the benefit of potentially higher returns over 18 years,compared to a cash deposit account (although the value of shares can
fall as well as increase whereas capital would be protected in a deposit account)

It comes with a low ‘Stakeholder’ funds charge of only 1.5 percent every year

When a person reaches the age of 18 the young person will receive a lump sum, totally free of Capital Gains and Income Tax under current law

It is very affordable – extra payments can be put in the account from only £10

A particularly advantageous aspect of the Child Trust Fund is that anyone – parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends – can add to the Fund to an uppermost limit of £1,200 per year to help increase the child’s Fund (once added, this money cannot be withdrawn).

What this means is that our Stakeholder account offers a good balance between possible high returns and a reduced level of risk. There is also the additional assurance that our account is in accordance with with the Government’s stakeholder criteria. Nonetheless this doesn’t mean that returns are assured or that Stakeholder accounts are appropriate for everyone. Remember that the value of shares in the Managed Growth Fund (where your Child Trust Fund money is placed) can go down as well as go up and is not guaranteed.

Only children born on or after 1st September 2002 are qualified to start up a Child Trust Fund. If you have older kids born before the above-mentioned date who are not entitled you could look at saving for them with a Child Bond – it’s a tax-free savings plan intended for long-term growth.

It is evident that saving for your son is a sensible means of preparing for the world to come.

You’re in the middle of your long run for the week, and you’re doing just great! You feel strong, your time is right on target, you’re moving breathing easily and you feel confident. Suddenly, your calf muscle cramps, so suddenly that you almost fall in your tracks. Limping to the side of the road, you collapse onto the grass, your leg is throbbing so severely that you can’t even think…you try to stretch it out…it gets worse! What do you do now?

This is a runners nightmare, and one that any serious runner has either experienced personally, or has watched another runner suffering.

Before we get into a self treatment for this painful situation, let’s take a look at some basics. We are assuming that you know about keeping yourself hydrated, (and you do it, right?), and replacing lost electrolytes. You have read about carbohydrates & protein, and you eat properly. But what about stretching and working out muscle spasms as they develop?

I’ve watched serious athletes finish up a long run, stretch for 1-2 minutes, and leave. This is a big mistake! You need to take the time to stretch all of the muscles of your legs, and hips, after you finish your training run. It takes one full minute for a muscle to have a permanent stretch. That’s 60 seconds per muscle, not for the entire stretching process. Do your stretch slowly, allowing the muscle to lengthen gradually, and by all means, don’t bounce.

There are specific self treatments you can do for all the the muscles of your legs, however this article will address the calf muscles. In your calf you have two muscles, the gastrocneimus (“gastroc” for short) and the soleus. Most runners faithfully stretch the gastroc by either keeping their foot flat and then bending their body forward and keeping their leg straight, or by standing on the curb and dropping their heels toward the street, while keeping their legs straight. I always advise against this second method of stretching because it is too severe, until after the muscle has lengthened, for the muscle to tolerate this much of a stretch. Stretching should be done gradually, increasing the stretch every 15 seconds until you are stretching as far as you can anatomically bend your ankle, then hold it static for 60 full seconds.

The stretch that most athletes miss is the one for the soleus. Both the gastroc and the soleus insert into the Achilles Tendon, and either one can cause the tendon to tear if it is severely contracted. To add the soleus stretch is very easy. Assume the same flat foot position as you have for the gastroc, and move forward (bending the ankle), but now move your body back so you are also bending your knee. You will feel a totally different stretch. Do the same thing, increase the stretch every 15 seconds until your knee and ankle are bent as far as they can anatomically go, and again hold it for 60 seconds.

By the way, I see people leaning up against cars, fences, and trees. It isn’t necessary to bend from the hips up, that isn’t doing anything for your legs. Keep your body upright, put one leg out front with the knee bent, and the other leg back, with the knee straight. It’s the exact same leg position as when you are leaning against something, you just move your body straight up. It’s actually a lot easier to do, and more convenient because you don’t need to find a tree!

It has been my experience, while working with hundreds of athletes, that it is the soleus that will cause you the greatest amount of trouble. This may happen because everyone stretches the gastroc, and not the soleus. Stretching properly can help you to prevent the painful experience of a cramp while you are running…but here you are, on the side of the road, ready to scream out in pain. What to do now!

To begin with, DO NOT try to stretch it out until you help the muscle complete it’s severe contraction. This may seem like the exact opposite thing to do, but let’s talk about the logic of the body.

When your muscle goes into a severe crapm, sometimes called a “charlie horse”, the muscle is trying to contract violently. Muscles will never stop a contraction in the middle, it has an “all or nothing” system. A muscle fiber contracts fully, or not at all. If you try to stretch it out, while the muscle is trying to contract, you will tear fibers. You need to assist the muscle in its contraction BEFORE you can stretch it without injury.

When the muscle goes into this cramp, tightly grab your calf with your hands: one hand at the top of the calf, just below the knee; and the other hand at the bottom of the muscle, at the top of the achilles tendon just above the ankle. Now, help the muscle complete it’s contraction by pushing your hands together. This will be extremely painful, but only for a few seconds. Next, just release your hands, and then replace them in the same positions. Now, again push your hands together, this time it won’t hurt nearly as much. You are now assisting any last fibers to finish their contraction. Take a few breathes, get back your oxygen that was lost while you were breathing heavily during the pain.

Now you can safely stretch the muscle. Begin by rubbing the muscle with arnica gel and then squeezing your calf, like you were squeezing bread dough. I always recommend to my athletes that they have a tube of arnica gel in their pouches. Arnica gel can be bought in any good health food store, and is a homeopathic remedy for bruised muscles. It is amazing how quickly arnica gel will help the muscle heal.

After you have put on the arnica gel, and quickly squeezed the muscle (which brings blood into the area and also helps to heal the muscle), go into the gastroc and soleus stretches. I’ve had runners tell me that since they have begun using arnica gel during, and after, the race that they have a much faster healing process than ever before.

A muscle cramp, which is a severe spasm, can certainly stop you in your tracks, and not treating it properly at the time will mean you will limp for the remainder of the race, not only having a negative impact on your time, but on your muscles health. The few minutes you will lose in your training time, or in the race, to do these treatments will be rewarded by the minimal damage that has been done to the muscle fibers.

Interestingly the athletic diet has changed very little over the years. The reason being is that there are not many pathways to fueling the body most efficiently. A diet consisting of 60-65% carbohydrate, 20-25% fats, and 15-20% protein is the proper ratio of macro nutrients for most athletes and has been the mainstay for years. A highly trained endurance athlete would not last very long on a high protein diet, because their glycogen stores would quickly become depleted and they would no longer have the energy or reserves to train effectively. There is little controversy in athletic nutrition when compared to the general population. I believe the reason for this is athletic nutrition is based on hard science and fact, rather than sensationalism and circumstantial evidence. Coaches rely on clinical studies and proven methods rather than the latest hype. Remember, most diets have to have a “hook” or gimmick to get you to purchase their plan or products. That is not to say there is not hundreds of performance enhancing athletic supplements, many with dubious value. But the overall big picture on how to fuel an athletes body really has not changed all that much. This is what most athletes should focus on, rather than the latest supplement, performance enhancing product, or fad diet plan.

Complex carbohydrates such as starches and fiber should be the cornerstone of the athletic diet. Complex carbohydrates include breads, pasta, cereals, vegetables, rice and other grains, and potatoes. I try to choose carbohydrates that are in there “natural” form such as whole grains because they have more fiber and nutrients, and give a slower steady release of energy. If you are trying to loose weight, these foods have the added benefit of requiring more energy (calories) for break down. Processed carbohydrate foods such as pasta and bagels are great for loading your body with energy before and after competition. Simple sugars are good during a competition and for quick energy replacement afterwards (sports drinks). I try to avoid fruits before competition. They can upset your stomach and the type of sugar, fructose, can be harder for your body to process during exercise. Carbohydrates are broken down and stored as glycogen; the bodies fuel source, or converted to energy to compete and train. When glycogen stores run out you may “bonk” or “hit the wall.” You feel lousy, lethargic, and slow. Your body begins breaking down your muscles to use as fuel. Several days of hard training can also deplete glycogen stores. This sluggishness and inability to train hard is often misdiagnosed as overtraining. A good post work out recovery plan is crucial to maintaining glycogen stores for repeated training and competition. This means eating carbohydrates and a little bit of protein (4:1 ratio), immediately after training.

Fat is also a fuel source used during training, especially at lower intensities. But fat can’t be broken down very fast. As the intensity of exercise increases carbohydrate becomes the main fuel source, but the total amount of fat burned can remain the same, and the calories burned will be much greater. Don’t fall into the fat burning “zone” exercise plan. Fat is not a good source of energy to consume during exercise, but is crucial to processing certain vitamins and performing body functions. The best fats are mono / poly unsaturated fats. A good way to remember these types of fats is that they are liquid at room temperature (oils), and generally come from plant sources. Examples are avocados, canola, olive, safflower, and other oils, and nuts. Saturated fats generally come from animal sources and include cheese, lard, butter, meat fats, and cream. Your body only needs a small amount of saturated fats; about 10% of your diet. These are considered your “bad” fats that can raise cholesterol.

Protein is a poor source of energy and requires a lot of work to break down. Protein only supplies about 5% of energy during exercise, and up to 10% when glycogen stores are depleted. Protein however is crucial to repair the muscle damage of heavy training. There is evidence that endurance athletes need even more protein than body builders. Don’t fall into the protein=muscle trap. Muscle gain comes from adaptation to stress (ex. weights), and proper nutrition. Consuming too much protein can be hard on your kidneys and is unnecessary. Your body can only process so much protein at a time; the rest is flushed from your body.

If weight loss is you goal focus on energy in and energy out- calories. Do not fall victim to fad diets. Weight loss is really just a numbers game; you have to burn more than you consume to create a deficit. Remember; Lance weighs his pasta. A round number for weight loss is 10 x weight + 2 x weight for men, and 10x weight + weight for women. This is roughly your resting metabolism, the number of calories your body needs daily to sustain bodily functions. This is less than the number of calories your body burns every day. Couple this deficit with the deficit created by exercise, and you will loose weight. It is preferable, however, to loose weight by the deficit created from training only. This way you do not have to worry about being depleted for training. Eating smaller meals throughout the day can boost your metabolism and keep you from over eating. Try not to go hungry; you tend to eat too much at one sitting when you are hungry.

The “big picture” is to try to make sure each meal has carbohydrates, fats, and protein in the approximate ratios. Make sure your diet is balanced and consistent. You can do this by quantifying and calculating your food choices, or by simply eyeballing your plate. Eat a variety of complex carbohydrates, low fat proteins, and healthy oils. Stay away from high fat foods, especially saturated fats. It is important to read labels so that you know what you are putting in your body. Consider yourself as an athlete. Athletes’ put grade A high octane fuel in their bodies because it gives them a competitive advantage.

It was one of those fishing trips. You know, everyone catches fish but you, you loose six or eight of your most expensive streamers, it rains buckets, and you sink the boat. That’s right; I got skunked at Steamboat Lake over Memorial weekend.

I was determined to show those meat huckers (worms and power bait) that a well chosen and strategically placed fly was as effective as anything a conventional fisherman could load on a hook and hang under a bobber. Well, no such luck, I got stomped.

The fish were rising like mad on a midge hatch, and I threw everything in the box at them. I could swear I saw a hefty rainbow nudge my fly to the side to eat the natural laying only centimeters from my damn near perfect replica. As we watched the group of 12 year olds add another 18″ fish to their stringer (full loaded, I might add) I decided it must be a lake thing. I don’t fish lakes often.

I usually have good luck with a streamer in faster moving water, so I head for one on the several tributaries hoping to get the boat up far enough to make a make a few good casts. No such luck, here comes the wind. Determined and frustrated, I proceed to lose several of my best streamers in the dense shrubbery surrounding the mouth of the creek (can’t retrieve them since the current is too strong to get the boat any further up the creek).

On the way back to camp we are passed by a couple of boats with stringers of fish crashing off the bows of their boats (hmmm, are they just rubbing it my face, or are they tenderizing the meat?)Questioning my decision to become a fly fisherman, I head over to the dock to pick up my 5 year-old son and a fresh styro of night crawlers. I’ll let my son fish the meat before I crumble and load one up on the spinner myself. Surprising, no luck with the meat either, and hear comes the rain. I throw my arms up and ponder my karma activity of the past year.

We charge for shore as the lake turns to white caps. The rain and lightning moves in fast. Did I mention that we got the boat for free and have no clue what to do in the rain? We pull the boat up close to shore near our camp, outside of the no-wake zone. We leave all of our gear and head for the soggy camp.

Well, apparently it’s best to leave your boat in protected cove in the no wake zone. From what we could tell, our boat was hammered with 300 to 400 gallons of water from the waves and boat wakes from boaters rushing back to the dock. Yes, it sank in 18 inches of water. I didn’t realize a boat could sink in 18″ of water! All of our gear is floating around the shore. The gas tank and gear which included an Orvis waste pack with hmmmm, some 500 plus flies. Every box any fly had to be opened and dried on the dashboards of our trucks.

We bail the boat, load the truck and haul our soggy gear and crippled egos back home.

Next memorial day, it’s back to the river!!!