Thursday, July 16, 2009

Prime Real Estate - Act Now!

When I created Underdogs Unite a few months ago, I thought it would just be somewhat of a message board to announce award nominations. I wanted to create a community of Underdogs like me who could help each other out.

Since then, I've added other features and even asked other Underdogs to contribute.

While I do love the idea of this site and have had a lot of fun doing it, I just don't have the time to devote to it any longer. Too many real life things going on - so one of my three blogs has to go. And this is going to have to be the one.

BUT - instead of just taking it down, I thought I might offer it up to someone else. Someone who has ideas for ways to improve and expand it (or just keep it exactly the same - because that's fine too). Someone who will have fun with it and encourage others to participate. Because at the end of the day, this site was never supposed to be a personal blog - a one man show. It's supposed to be a community.

SO - if you are interested, let me know by e-mailing me at underdogsunite@gmail.com.

If I hear from several people, I'll have to see if there is a way that you can have joint "ownership" (which isn't the worst idea since we're all busy - not just me). Or I could also hand it over to the first to respond, do a drawing, sell it to the highest bidder...(just kidding about that last one of course - unless someone really offers me money - because I can totally be bought).

However that works out, I'll hand over the blogger/g-mail accounts and the new proprietor can change the passwords.

I'll keep this offer open through the end of July. If no one is interested, I'll either take the site offline or possibly let it languish here unloved and unvisited. So it's up to you! Just let me know .

I'm still an Underdog - so I'll be one of the supporters for sure. I'll always visit, comment and even contribute if asked. Thanks again for everything - it's been fun!
-Kate

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Underdog Giveaway: Brüno T-Shirts and More!

Are you excited for Brüno?


Jeve is! (are? - not sure...there are two of them...)

Anyway - July's Gay Daddy of the Month feature also includes a giveaway for in honor of its recipient:

Grand Prize:
Brüno backpack, Brüno Face T-shirt, “Get Uber It” T-shirt

First Runner Up Prize:
Brüno hat, “Ich Don’t Zink So” T-shirt

Second Runner Up Prize:
Brüno Title Treatment T-shirt, “Nicht, Nicht” T-shirt

Entries will be taken through Monday, July 20. CLICK HERE for details!

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Just Keep Your Hands Off My Meat, or You Have A Little On Your Chin...

Hi! Pearl here. Join me, won't you, whilst I empty the contents of my tiny little head? I am a daily blogger on Pearl, Why You Little... but will also be here every other Wednesday until -- well, until I forget, frankly.

Enjoy -- and don't forget to use your napkin!


There’s a guy I know – we’ll call him “Wing Eater” – who’s playing with something he doesn’t know anything about. I feel like I should warn him. I have an obligation, don’t I, if I know the kind of trouble he’s heading towards?

I don’t recall when wings became so readily available; but unlike the baked-potato bar of the past, it appears they’re here to stay.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’ve nothing against meat on the bone. Some of my favorite foods come attached to bones. But there’s something about wings, something insidious. Something alluring. Something dangerous.

I didn’t always feel this way. There was a time when the promise of Buffalo wings could get me in a cold car on a cold night, when all I needed to hear was a word that rhymed with “wing” to put me in the mood…

I remember my first Buffalo-style chicken wing. Buffalo Wild Wing and Weck – also known as BW3 – was where I was introduced to the Buffalo wing. The sauce! The sauce! As the kids are saying, OMG! I told every person in earshot that when I died I wanted to be buried in Buffalo sauce, preferably in an air-tight Tupperware container.

Just burp the lid when I go.

And for the longest time, it was a treat. You couldn’t get them just anywhere! You had to seek them out, you had to have connections. Wings were not on every menu, not on every street corner, not handed out with new checking accounts as they are now. No, a good Buffalo chicken wing was reliably available at few places; and one of those places was BW3. I went. So help me God, I went. Like a deer to a salt lick, I went. Like an addict, I took to the wing in a finger-licking, napkin-abusing orgy of gastronomic indulgence.

My lips burned, my fingers were stained orange. I wouldn’t admit I had a problem. As long as I went to work, I thought, as long as I paid my bills...

Meanwhile, the bones in the garbage piled up.

What marked the end of my Wing Days? Was it when I started missing work, my sauce-stained shirts at the bottom of the hamper? Was it the tearful phone call from my mother begging me to lay off the sauce? Was it the morning I woke up on the couch, one hand on the remote, the other hand still in a bucket, my nails stained, greasy, chicken flesh under my nails?

It was all those things. I had a problem.

I joined a group. I found a mentor, and I got clean. Yeah, that’s my car with the “Sauce-Free and Loving It” sticker in the parking lot.

I was lucky.

But now, my friend – I believe we agreed to call him “Wing Eater” – he’s on that long, spicy road to madness. I need to do something.

I found this on the front seat of his car the other day, a scrap of paper suspiciously orange, the ink smeared:
Monday: Spring Street $5.50. Happy Hour 3 to 7. Ten in basket. Enough?
Tuesday: BW3 40 cents a wing. Bring change jar.
Wednesday: Mayslack’s 25 cents a wing – delish!
Thursday: Legends, 30 cents each – meaty. Bartender: John. Ask him about Packers. Ha ha!
Friday: Spring Street Bar and Grill again? Bartender during Happy Hour thinks I’m cute. Sweet talk for free wings????
Saturday: Grocery store. Buy wings for crock pot.
Sunday: Call Dad. Hint for BW3 gift card.


It may have already gone too far.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

The Ultimate Underdog

by christy

Hello friends, this is Christy, of A Lil' Welsh Rarebit, and fellow underdog. My friend Kate runs this fabulous site and has asked a few friends to pitch in with story ideas occasionally - here is my first try. Be nice!

I happened upon a blog recently, written by an American college student named Ryan - he's RUNNING across Europe - his blog is aptly called Ryan Runs Europe.

I think he's the ultimate underdog...granted, he's not running any kind of race. But seriously, is the human race really supposed to be able to RUN 1,800 miles? In one summer? Running continuously - about 20 miles a day? I think not! But he's doing it.

Every freaking day he gets up, runs, eats, sleeps, then runs some more. Here's his route:


AND he's a funny writer - so his blog is fun to read.

And the craziest part of his entire adventure?! He doesn't have a plan of where he's going to sleep every night. Some nights? Sure, he uses some couch surfing website. But mostly, he's relying on the kindness of strangers he meets along the way. The planner in me goes into hysterics thinking about this...

He's on about day 39 now, and I've read his complete archive. This guy is amazing - go read his post today - he says comments make his day.

And if you happen to know anyone who lives along his route, see if you can help him out. His momma will thank you - she posts comments on his blog all the time. Can you imagine watching your son do this from afar?

Christy also writes at A Lil' Welsh Rarebit and posts delicious recipes on her food blog What We Eat.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

The Connie Diaries: June 1986

It's that time again! Visit Connie over at The Young and the Relentless for:

Photobucket

New to the Connie Diaries or need a recap? Read below:

Teenage Connie resides in the diaries of Grownup Connie who writes over at The Young and the Relentless. We were first introduced to young Connie in August of 2008. Catch up by reading all previous entries (believe me - it's worth it), but if you would prefer the cliff notes version...

August 1985: Connie gets cable, decides to name her first child "Skye", falls in love with Donnie (although she does keep a "B" list) and also falls in love with Greg.

September 1985: Connie feels fat, has issues with Sally, has issues with Daphne, has a birthday, falls in love with Sean and falls out of love with Sean.

October 1985: Connie gets approval from Lola to go for Troy, asks Troy to go to the Sadie Hawkins dance, convinces her father to help her stalk Troy, becomes Troy's girlfriend (did I say "falls in love with Troy?" - a given), has her first kiss (with Troy - had to specify since with this one, you never know...) and explains "french kissing" to her diary.

November 1985: Connie doesn't want to kiss Troy at the dance (not in front of everyone), goes a full two weeks without writing in her diary, has a one month anniversary with Troy, watches "the R rated movie called Hardbodies," gives Troy a plane ride (in her dad's plane - not commercial) for his birthday, considers giving Troy a hickey and breaks up with Troy (Connie: falling in and out of love on a dime since 1985...)

December 1985: Connie has regrets about dumping Troy, decides that she has no regrets and starts dating Berto, communicates with boys through song dedications on the radio, gets a SWEET unicorn painting for Christmas...




...sorry - but that warranted a visual...gets her first car (with a back seat that folds down - yikes!) and makes it to the three week mark with Berto.

January 1986: Connie doesn't write in her diary for the first half of the month (too busy with Berto?), breaks up with Berto, falls in love with Donnie again, tries to set Lola up with Troy, stalks Donnie, gives up on Donnie and falls for Greg (again) and possibly Drew (he's new).

February 1986: Connie has a sparse journaling month, falls in love with Chase, falls ill (nothing fatal), gives up on Chase and falls in love with Oliver.

March 1986: Connie finds out that Ollie (a bit more familiar with Oliver since February?) likes Susan (an EIGHTH GRADER no less!), continues to stalk Ollie, gives up on Ollie, falls for Berto (again), stalks Berto, finds out that Berto only wants to be friends, continues to stalk Berto with locker notes, decides to consult the yearbook and find someone new (is there anyone left?) and continues to stalk and call Berto.

April 1986: Connie goes to a Dairy Farm (class trip), has issues with Lola, hangs out with the most popular girl at school, gets drunk on wine coolers, falls in love with Andrew and invents reality TV.

May 1986: Connie is shocked to find out that Andrew got into a fight and may have a price on his head (or may get jumped after school), rides her bike 10 miles to Andrew's house with Alison, is angry with Andrew for ignoring her and then makes up with him later at the roller rink, comforts Alison when she finds out that her boyfriend John's ex girlfriend is pregnant (by him I assume?), plans to date Andrew for at least three months, calls Whisper in the Dark "our song" (no word on whether Andrew knows this), got grounded for a month after leaving her sister Bobbi home alone, writes Andrew letters during her house arrest, and worries about Andrew not loving her anymore when he doesn't write back. (Whew! May was a big month!)
Can't wait to see what Connie gets herself into in June...

Monday, June 29, 2009

A Giveaway and a Closeout Sale

by Kate
The Big Piece of Cake
Wishing True

Check out this giveaway on my blog: The Big Piece of Cake! It's open through the end of June:


I'm also running a little sale for some bags:


I'll keep the sale open until they sell - and they're going fast...

Have anything going on that you'd like to promote? Let us know at underdogsunite@gmail.com!

(Seriously - I promote my own blogs every other day here - I'd like to mix it up a little!)

Friday, June 26, 2009

Friday Finds

By Renee

Hello all. Its Renee of But Why Mommy and Juniper and Coffee fame. Kate asked me to help out by posting a weekly column about jewelry, art and other goodness from the world of Etsy.

So for my first column, I thought I'd introduce you to a fun and Underdogish feature called Pounce. Pounce is a great way to search shops that have had a recent sale (some of the more popular shops) or shops that are brand new or have had no sales (our Underdogs).

During some of my recent Pouncing, I have discovered cool new shops like ooh, honey by artist Jenelle Madrigal. Jenelle says "painting eases my worries and warms my heart". These are some of my favorites from her shop:



Trees



Long Drive



Leaves

So check out ooh, honey or Pounce and find some Underdog artists of your own.

Renee blogs at But Why Mommy and Juniper and Coffee.