Sunday

This is not actually the spin class that I attended at Gold's this morning, but the look is similar. I decided that I needed to get off the couch and get started for the year. I'm thinking that 3-4 classes each week over the next 90 days will get me through the Winter with a fitness level ready for the early outdoor season.

There are probably between 30 and 40 bikes in the spin room, and they were all occupied today, with a couple of people wait-listed (to no avail). I'm guessing that New Year's resolutions are responsible for the SRO crowd. But its my recollection that when I belonged to Gold's previously, the more convenient after work and weekend classes all had to be signed-up for a day or two before hand, or you couldn't get a bike. I'm planning on doing at least a couple of 5:45 AM classes each week, which aren't that well attended.

Augie won last night in a so-so game. 4 joined in on the fun. Augie had the opponent well-scouted, and the opposing team's guards (who had been scoring big time) were shut down by the home team's switching, double-teaming defense. The Augie coaching staff consistently out coaches the other schools.

The pro football referee who was pilloried for a mistaken call in a San Diego-Denver game early in the year is reffing one of today's play-off games. The Fates were kind to him as the disadvantaged team had a big end-of-season run, made the play-offs, and actually won their first game last night. The ref had immediately admitted his error after the game, and, of course, took all kinds of abuse from the boxer-clad blogging critics. It looks like the league has given him a pass on any black-listing treatment. That seems like the right result.

SI had a story in the year end edition about some true sportsmanship in the 2008 girls high school track meet in Washington state. The short story is that the 3200 winner was DQ'd by a judge saying that she had stepped outside her lane. The second place finisher who was awarded the win disagreed, and gave the DQ'd girl the first place medal. The other seven girls in the placing did the same thing. And the girl who was given the first place medal placed in another event, and gave that medal to the girl who had given up her eighth place medal in the 3200. (A review by the race officials subsequently confirmed that the girl's got it right and reinstated the original winner into the record books.)

I took ten minutes yesterday afternoon and took the lights off of the front bushes. There's a country song, Redneck Girl, I think, that contains as part of it's chorus, "I leave the Christmas lights on my front porch all year long." I'm trying to stay below that radar scan.

I'm saying that tomorrow is the official start of the New Year. Friday was a orphan day of a sort since, except for shoppers, regular business was at a very low roar. I did get some of the piles in my office rearranged, but plan to do more of the same tomorrow. My pal Bill always does at least a small amount of rearranging of his office furniture, which he did on Friday. I did that once, a few years back. The urge has not returned.

This will be a fun week for me. A couple of works days, then Scottsdale for golf and fun in the Valley of the Sun with my pal Roy. Private air. Resort courses. But just an ordinary hotel, and we'll eat well, but not extravagantly. And I'm pretty sure that we'll keep a lid on the wine costs. This birthday thing is going to wear me out!

More reports as the week comes along.

BCOT