Sunday

The end of September.

I didn't see much of the Iowa game.  Minnesota came in 4-0, but didn't offer much resistance.  I'm guessing that the Hawks' game next Saturday at Michigan State will tell us more about what to expect the rest of the year.  I still think that 8 wins will be a reach.

The Ryder Cup has been good theater.  With the USA up by four points coming into today's 12 singles matches, the home team should take the trophy.  Several people from here have gone in to see the tournament live.  With only 4 matches going on at any one time on Friday and Saturday, 40,000 to 50,000 people can make good viewing a bit problematic.  If they had a Sports Corner bar at the turn, I might consider it.  Uh, not really.

The 2013 Giro d' Italia route was unveiled yesterday.  It starts in Naples, goes South to The Boot, and then returns North with a big day late in the race with a mountain-top finish on The Galibier.  The Dolomites in the top, right hand corner of the map, have some tough climbs as well.  They finish in Milan.  2 and I may fly to Naples as our entry point if our trip to Sicily next Fall becomes a reality.

I really don't follow The Giro that closely.  But they know how to pick their podium girls.  Sorry, couldn't resist the man-thing.

We all know that TV controls the kick-off times for football games.  Not to mention the maddeningly increasingly long media time-outs.  I wonder if NBC pulled their weight a little this AM with the first Ryder Cup singles match tee-off.  The paper said that Match 1 was to go at 11:03 local.  By my clocks, I think that they may have been a minute or two delayed.  And magically, immediately and seamlessly after Dan Hicks' little intro.  NBC's coverage started at 11:00, so I wonder if the "red-hat" guy was blocking the tee for a bit.  It would be shocking to me if NBC tried to intervene for it's own benefit.  Not.

The Drake Relays always prided itself in starting events on exactly the minute scheduled.  The scoreboard had a big digital clock clearly visible to crowd, and you could count on the gun going off on the exact minute listed in the program.  I remember the PA announcer coming on a time or two to say that a race was being held up for a minute or two so that they wouldn't get ahead of the scheduled time.

I've decided to go with a stability ball as my desk "chair" for parts of my work days.  I haven't done much of a job on my exercise routine since the end of Fit Club.  Golf is over, but if I can get a few simple routines incorporated into my daily activities, next year's quest for a lower handicap will get off to a better start.  (I think that 12 is still a good number.)
....

Now Later:....Hmmm.  That big choking sound that you heard this afternoon outside Chicago was the US golfers losing most of the day's matches, their big over-night lead, and the Ryder Cup.  Our guys just can't get up for a team game.  They're so busy trying to beat one another every week, this team thing just doesn't work.

More technology that I don't understand:  I got an @BarackObama spam-tweet this afternoon on my iPhone that didn't appear on my iPad or on the laptop Twitter feeds.  And the number of spam tweets I receive is on the rise.

I did learn how to key the "alert" notification on my devices when I put a meeting on my Outlook calendar from my phone or iPad.  (I had missed a meeting a couple weeks back, before I realized that I had to take an additional step when I input the meeting remotely, and I'm pretty sure if the alert had sounded, I would have made the meeting.)  I may even go to a community education program this Winter to learn more about the iPhone and iPad.  I know I have a lot to learn.

There are two efforts locally to preserve old buildings that look to me like they need to go.  One is an old school house on one of my bike routes:  Forest Grove School.  It doesn't look this good from the road.  Maybe a few boards could be salvaged for a vintage wall in a den.  Spending thousands is nuts.

In Moline, they're talking $150K to move the old railroad station a couple of miles to the Western Illinois QC campus.  Which hasn't been truly functional for years.  As if the students will be inspired by the old brick.  Whatever.  Now the politicians think they can go find some public money...and some votes, I'm sure.

Very busy this week.  I have lots to get done by October 15th.

BCOT.