(Editor's note: Oregon State sophomore running back Ken Simonton will share a weekly diary with ESPN.com throughout the season. For more information on the Beavers, visit the official OSU site.)

Dec. 3, 1999

I am so excited for the Oahu Bowl. This is a great feeling, and I'm going to just consider it my vacation -- all my hard word has paid off, and now I get a free trip to Hawaii.

	Ken Simonton rushed for 1,028 yards as a redshirt freshman in 1998.

I had a couple opportunities to go before but things didn't work out. But I'm glad I waited. Now, I get to make my first visit and get my performance on all in one. I am definitely digging it.

I'm looking forward to that beach and the sun. I guess I'll walk around like a tourist just to see what I can see and act like a fool. I'm taking my camcorder because we have enough characters on the team to make it entertaining. I will not even begin to think about the game until the day before, but once I step on the field it's all business. Until that point, though, I'm not going to think of the University of Hawaii. I just want to have fun in the sun.

I really haven't had a chance to see Hawaii play much. I know the Rainbows finished off the season pretty strong, except for a loss against Washington State. In looking at the film, they have a tough defense. It's the strength of their team -- just like our's -- so my job won't be any easier. But, we have a lot of weapons to use against Hawaii and I don't really expect them to make the game too close for us.

I'm still a little banged up right now. My ankle is still sore and it's bothering me (I twisted it in the third quarter of the Oregon game) and my shoulder is banged up, too. Right now I'm at 80 percent. I plan to reach 90 percent by Dec. 18, and then I'll let the sun give me the other 10 percent so I will be ready by Christmas Day!

In the meantime, we haven't had practice in awhile, and the time off has been lovely. I will continue to enjoy my couch a little bit. It has been a long year so it's cool that the coaches let us get some rest. But it is time for the comfort to end, and we need to come out next week and have some sharp practices. The last thing I want for us is to come out rusty and get slapped around on national television.

As far as academics go, well, I'm disappointed to say I didn't finish the fall term as well as I should have. I didn't take a real challenging load of classes this term and it backfired. Instead of my grades getting better, they got worse. I have a heavier load in the winter so I'm going to get on the ball. I guess I work better under pressure.

I am definitely looking forward to Hawaii, but the trip does bring up a few fears. When I found out we were going to the Oahu Bowl, the first question I asked was, "What size plane are we flying in to Hawaii?" I don't enjoy flying as it is and I honestly wasn't going to go if they were flying us over on a little kite like we normally take. There is no way that I'll fly over water in a little wind-hopper. I figure in a big plane, they could find some bodies for a proper burial.

That leads me to my next fear. I have nightmares about the ocean so you will not see me snorkeling or scuba diving. I'm cool, but no one is getting me under ocean waters. I don't even mess with too many lakes. If I can't see the bottom, I won't be in it. I need to be able to spot something coming like the Lochness Monster, a Great White or octopus or something.

After the bowl game, I will rest and heal up then get into a baseball frame of mind. My busy schedule makes it difficult to give baseball 100 percent, but I want to practice with the team and hopefully compete for a spot around mid-season.