Sunday

Looks like Fall is here in the QCA.  The nightly lows this week are projected to be 30 or so.  The ficus trees on the deck are coming in tonight for the duration. 

(Blogger still giving me problems.  Had to "Publish" after adding this pic because the system wouldn't "Save".  Really annoying.)

4 has again been the Producer for the national 7PM Eastern evening news hour on FOX the last two days.  Way to go, girl!

There's lots of chatter about the efforts to regulate the unnecessary roughness in football.  An Ohio State defensive back was tossed-out of the Iowa game on an early play when he was judged to "target" a defenseless Hawkeye receiver.  As I write this, a Green Bay Packer receiver is being carted-off the field after a hard hit from a d-back.  (And one of the tool announcers is trying to defend/justify the play.)

Personally, I do think that football is too violent.  The speed, size and strength of defensive players make for earth-shattering body shots to backs and receivers.  And video games and TV graphics have glorified the "big hit".  They've made rule changes over the years to protect quarterbacks (to the chagrin of defense advocates).  These new steps seem like the right way to go to me to bring player-safety to a higher emphasis.

This of course from a guy who never played football.

My pal "Sunshine" Ron has been working me hard over the last few days to get in at least one more round on the course. I had been completely satisfied to have called it a season after the Labor Day event...and had even taken my clubs to the basement for storage.  But Ron's a pal, the weather was looking warmer for today, and my schedule wasn't overloaded for the day.

But to get me to commit, Sunshine had to give me a stroke on three different holes.  (I really don't think the "stroke" holes mattered as I think I won those holes regardless of the help.)  As the game wound down, I was up two holes (and $2!) as we teed off on 18.  He had "pressed" on the hole, meaning that the bet was for $2 on that hole. Ron managed to get a bogey 5 when I conceded a short putt after he had missed his par putt from around 20 feet.  I was sitting on 4, about 18 feet above the hole.  If I missed the putt, he would win the hole and even the match.

The pic of Ron handing over the bet attests my successful draining of the putt!!  It was a priceless moment!  When boys play golf, its about the win, baby.  The amount of money doesn't matter.  Two bucks was a HUGE victory!

And the clubs are back in the basement.  Until Scottsdale in January.  Where, as I have already been put on notice, I will not be getting any strokes!

 (I have one more paragraph to add, but I need to go away from Blogger for a moment, and in order to "save" these last few paragraph, I have to publish.  So if you think this is the end of the post, it isn't!)

I can't remember if I have touted this bottle here in a prior posting or not.  A new recommendation is for Black Stallion Cabernet.  I had a bottle or two of this earlier this year when it may have been on sale at Hy Vee, but had not purchased it recently as it was usually not on sale...and at $23 was more than I was inclined to spend.  But I needed a case to re-supply the shelves on Maplecrest, and when I stopped to do so on Friday, I was able to lower my average bottle cost to make this a good option to take in for dinner that night at Geneva.

Smooth.  Has body.  No after-taste.  Certainly as good as the top-shelf Louis Martini or Rodney Strong.  (Well, not the top-est of the top-shelf Rodney, but the top-shelf Rodney that we see here in Iowa!)  Not a bad bottle to take as a guest to a house party.

All for this evening.  I'm taking the Buick over to the dealership this evening for them to take a look tomorrow at some front-end brake and suspension work.  A drop-off tonight when my pal Pete can give me a lift back home.  I need to get this stuff done before I get stranded on I-80 on one of my trips.  Over/Under on this is $2K.  Not too optimistic here...and taking the Over.

Have a great week in your neighborhood.

BCOT