School Pride

Well I really can't believe I'm writing this, and I haven't fully wrapped my brain around it yet, but my high school is state champions in football. Osbourn beat Chantilly yesterday and won the Virginia Group AAA Division 6 title. HELL YEAH!

We used to be so awful in football when I was in high school, that to see the program come so far in just a few years is truly remarkable. It used to be that playing Osbourn on a Friday night under the lights was a guaranteed win for the other team. We had some talent, but we were the laughingstock of the district for so long. Not anymore.

I could write many more paragraphs about this, but I'll just say that Brandon Hogan is absolutely unreal. This kid is special--a lot of athletes just have that "it" factor, and he has it. In his last game as an Eagle, he accounted for all six TDs in the state championship game (three passing, three running). His 391-yard performance was so good that his coach, Steve Schultze, proclaimed: "[Hogan's] the best kid in the nation coming out [of high school], bar-none." I'm not sure he's the best in the entire country, but in my book he's the best in Virginia and WVU is getting one heck of a talent next year.

This team had on it a few kids I used to coach in basketball when they were in elementary school. And my next door neighbor was on the team before graduating last year, plus a lot of coaches were still there when I was a student. Being the city's only high school, it's a once-in-a-generation accomplishment and the players deserve all the credit in the world. I wish we had done this when I was there and covering the team! But better late than never; they made history and made all of us alums proud. Here's the article from the Potomac News/Manassas Journal Messenger. GO EAGLES!

KhalilG is a DC-area blogger who is proud to say he went to Osbourn and will be following Brandon Hogan's career closely.

December!

Really can't believe today is the first of December. Thanksgiving crept up on me, and I imagine Christmas will too. It's one of my favorite times of year (probably second to mid-March, for many reasons) so I'm looking forward to it. For the first time in three years it looks like I'll actually get a little time off over the holidays.

Also lots going on this month, when you consider holiday parties, people's birthdays, big events to get people in the Christmas spirit, etc. I'm not quite there yet, but maybe these 60+ degree temps we've been having are a reason for that (not that I'm complaining). But seriously, it seems like it was just summer and the fall really flew by. That's all for now.

KhalilG is a DC-area blogger who did a double take when he looked at the calendar this morning.

Blog is back

This is my first post in months, so this is mainly a test to see if this thing still works. If so, check back for more frequent updates (hopefully). For awhile it was R.I.P.: A Day in the Life, but for now it's been reborn.

KhalilG is a DC-area blogger who wonders if he'll have time to devote to this again, but isn't making any promises.

Hope springs eternal

Been just a tad on the busy side, hence the lack of posts in weeks. It is a new week and a new month; I have a new job, new house, new roommates, new cell phone, new co-workers, new commute, new friends and a new lease on life.

Life is indeed good right now, people. The craziness of these big life changes has finally settled down a bit, and now it's time to enjoy it. I look forward to reconnecting with people I'm closer to now, as well as moving forward in my personal and professional endeavors. I feel rejuvenated, refreshed and reborn...it's about time!

KhalilG is a DC-area blogger who seems to be on a roll lately and hopes you are too.

HAIL TO THE REDSKINS

'Tis the day before the Washington Redskins play their first preseason game. Tomorrow night they (we) take on the overrated Bungles in what could be a Super Bowl preview (HA!). I purposely try to stay away from blogging about sports, but with this year's squad and the buzz surrounding it, let me just share my thoughts.

We will go 11-5. We will get a wild card after tying with the Giants (but losing the tiebreaker) for the NFC East title. Our Pro Bowlers will be: Clinton Portis, Santana Moss, Sean Taylor, Marcus Washington and perhaps Chris Cooley. We will get all the way to the NFC Championship Game where we will fall to the favored Carolina Panthers, 31-17. Tasting another Super Bowl will make Washingtonians salivate more than a Freudian dog in heat, but we'll come up short due to Mark Brunell's injury and Jason Campbell's inexperience.

They say you gotta go out on a limb in this business, if only to make a name for yourself. These predictions can, and most likely will, change before the season but one thing will stay the same: the Washington Redskins are back. The days of the Iggles and Cowgirls ruling the division are long over, and this sports writer and lifelong fan couldn't be happier about it. IN JOE GIBBS WE TRUST

KhalilG is a DC-area blogger who looks forward to working for the NFL and will do his best to remain objective although his blood runs a true shade of burgundy and gold every fall.

Change

"Change? Shit, change is good for any of us. Whateva it takes for a n!$*a to get up out the struggle. I ain't mad at cha. Got nuttin' but love for ya. Do your thing boi..." --2Pac

I should have quoted the immortal Tupac Amaru Shakur a lot sooner in this blog. The message of the song lyric (from the amazing Makavelli album) is that change is part of life and sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. Well that's what I'm doing. Word.

This past week was a big one for yours truly. Without giving too much away--it is the Internet after all--I have some pretty big life changes around the corner. At this point, they include changing my place of residence and testing the new employment waters. Probably the hardest part of dealing with major change is just making the decision to do it, which I've done, and now it's time to prepare and live with my choices.

Isn't it funny how sometimes not much seems to be happening, and then all of a sudden everything gets turned on its head? I guess when it rains, it pours. I just need to remind myself to take it one thing at a time so I don't get in over my head. (Unintentional song reference to The Fray.) Change is in the air, I can feel it...

KhalilG is a DC-area blogger who is excited about his new life and wants you to be a part of it.

Dianne Ross Lamont (12/19/31-7/26/06)

Something sad, but ultimately inevitable, happened to my family this week. We lost Grammie, my stepmom's mother, early Wednesday morning. She's always been like a real Grandma to me and my brother, and she was an incredible mother, grandmother, role model and friend. The visitation was Friday night and the funeral Saturday. It was a testament to her influence and reach that the memorial was a packed house.

I'll admit that I shed a few man tears during some parts of the funeral. When my bro delivered a rousing tribute to her with a long speech and poem, everyone (myself included) became overwhelmed with emotion and I'm sure there were only a few dry eyes in the room. She was 75, she had cancer, she leaves six children and 16 grandchildren, and she was truly one of a kind.

It was extremely weird being at her house for the reception following the ceremony. Missing from the head of the table was the original "Miss Manners" and the centerpiece of such a strong family. If any good can come out of the death of a loved one, I suppose it is getting the chance to visit and reunite with your entire family. The circumstances were bittersweet, but I'm definitely glad I went. I guess, in the end, death is indeed a part of life. But the world is now without a great person who I'll truly miss. Thanks for everything, Grammie.

KhalilG is a DC-area blogger who wants to leave a lasting legacy on Earth because life is incredibly too short.

The Pen is always Mightier

I've been a writer virtually all my life--when I was probably six or something I started writing random short stories, poems, and other things 6-year-olds should not be doing. I know I'll always have the passion and ability to write for the rest of my life. Lately my brother has been on a writing kick too and it's reminded me that good writing is so much more than just a bunch of words pieced together.

Whenever I need an emotional or creative outlet, I end up typing (or hand-writing) whatever's on my mind. In the past, this has come in the form of girlfriend letters, friend e-mails, loved one poems and lately personal blog entries. I just think it's the easiest and most direct way to get out what's on your mind. I wish I was artistic because that would be another avenue, but unfortunately God didn't bless me with that skill.

I've been told I'm a pretty good writer and sure, I've been published lots of places and picked up some awards along the way. But writing, to me, isn't about the author; it's about the audience. When those words can jump off the page and really connect with the reader, that's when it hits home. The best writers can establish a connection with--and deliver an emotional appeal to--the reader that takes the subject off of the author and keeps it on the story, or on the message. This is something I strive to do in most of my writings--whether it be columns, articles or letters. Strong written words have an impact that nothing else in life can have...and it's a lifelong hobby that I will never give up.

KhalilG is a DC-area blogger who knows the pen is always mightier than the sword and hopes to one day prove that with a Pulitzer Prize.

Cut Off From the World (sorta)

My cell phone is currently out of commission, probably due to my own doing. It's been gradually dying a slow death over the last couple of weeks, and now it just won't even turn on. The Sprint people said I would have to pay an extra $150 for a new one when I went there last, and I was in a hurry so I decided not to. Good job Khalil, now you have no option but to go there and pay whatever they tell you for a new phone...not to mention you probably lost all your #s, pictures, texts, games, ringers and everything else saved on there.

The worst part is I don't know when I'll be able to go and get a new one. It could be tomorrow or it could be some day next week. So if you need to get in touch, look for me online or through e-mail until further notice. Go me.

KhalilG is a DC-area blogger who can't live without his phone, but will have to because of his obvious lack of common sense.

A picture is worth...

My blog was gettin' a little dry, so this post is just to break up all the text w/ some pictorials. As always, comments are welcome...

1) A group pic of us Manassholes gettin' our money's worth at the open bar at the Hilton.

2) Me and my boy WD-40 pregamin' in the hotel room before the party.

3) Me and Walter at New Year's in DC...everything's becoming hazy at this point.

So in one photo I'm smiling, in one I'm tryin' to be gangsta, and in the other I look like a deer in headlights. Which do you like most?

KhalilG is a DC-area blogger who is probably the least photogenic person alive.