Just a few lines before heading out for what's left of the day.
Had a little Tuscan red last night after work. Small crowd as many of the regulars are off for Spring Break with various family members.
Then I woke up at 1 AM this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. For what ever reason, my mind kicked in and I started thinking. A very bad move at 3 AM. I finally got a little more shut-eye between 5 and 7, but I didn't get rested. Hope tonight is better.
Final Four in a little while.
More tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Thursday
Another day at the salt mines.
The carpenter did a pretty good job with the doors. And not that big of a mess. But he had to come back today to move the light higher on the wall. I suspect that dust will be in the equation tonight. At this point, my only critique is that I made no effort to match the wood stain with the color of my other trim and furniture. The doors are not far off, but may be a little more "golden" than some of the other items in my house. And he used gold doors knobs. I might have preferred brushed brass or pewter. Then again, I could have actually stepped up and taken an active roll in these selections rather than tell him to get "whatever". Martha Stewart I'm not.
Anyone see the bloody nose that the USAFA player got in the game Tuesday night? I think that that may have been the most blood that I have ever seen on a basketball court. They had considerably less horsepower than did Clemson, but they distinguished themselves well by never giving in to defeat.
The class and character of the military acadamies' teams always draw strong reviews. Even the most jaded of money-driven elements will often step back and comment, "Wow. I'm glad those guys are on our side." Me too.
Any thoughts out there on favorite pizza? We had a staff lunch today and had delivered in Happy Joe's. While I'm not a huge pizza fan, this was very pedestrian fare. I like Harris' Hawaiian, and the deep dish served at some of the Chicago places. Maybe it's the crust more than it is the toppings. Any ideas? Aunt Martha used to make a pretty good home-made pie. I don't think they had places that delivered back on the farm.
Please contain yourselves over the big NIT game tonight.
Be careful out there.
The carpenter did a pretty good job with the doors. And not that big of a mess. But he had to come back today to move the light higher on the wall. I suspect that dust will be in the equation tonight. At this point, my only critique is that I made no effort to match the wood stain with the color of my other trim and furniture. The doors are not far off, but may be a little more "golden" than some of the other items in my house. And he used gold doors knobs. I might have preferred brushed brass or pewter. Then again, I could have actually stepped up and taken an active roll in these selections rather than tell him to get "whatever". Martha Stewart I'm not.
Anyone see the bloody nose that the USAFA player got in the game Tuesday night? I think that that may have been the most blood that I have ever seen on a basketball court. They had considerably less horsepower than did Clemson, but they distinguished themselves well by never giving in to defeat.
The class and character of the military acadamies' teams always draw strong reviews. Even the most jaded of money-driven elements will often step back and comment, "Wow. I'm glad those guys are on our side." Me too.
Any thoughts out there on favorite pizza? We had a staff lunch today and had delivered in Happy Joe's. While I'm not a huge pizza fan, this was very pedestrian fare. I like Harris' Hawaiian, and the deep dish served at some of the Chicago places. Maybe it's the crust more than it is the toppings. Any ideas? Aunt Martha used to make a pretty good home-made pie. I don't think they had places that delivered back on the farm.
Please contain yourselves over the big NIT game tonight.
Be careful out there.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Wednesday
I think I might prefer tax return piles on my floor to seven hours of parent-teacher conferences.
Word came from a couple of sources that my tone the last couple of days was a little down. Sorry that my mood at the office ran over to the blog. One reader sent me a very good little essay on a guy trying to get some of his commentary on SB's cups. And Craig Wilson's column today was good for a couple of yuks. He was talking about guys wearing bling.
My favorite story about rings is the one told by the now-deceased Al Maguire, the old Marquette coach and CBS basketball analyst. There was a pretty heated rivalry in those days between ND and Marquette. When he moved on to the TV booth, he liked poke the ND crowd by asking, "Do you know how to tell who's the Notre Dame guy at the party? He's the guy picking his nose so that he can show you his ring!"
I'll be curious to get home and see how the contractor did today with my doors. I fear for the dust.
Well, I missed the mark on my comments about what would get to the floor of the Senate. What a political mess.
I need to get out of here. A little vino is in order.
Be careful out there.
Word came from a couple of sources that my tone the last couple of days was a little down. Sorry that my mood at the office ran over to the blog. One reader sent me a very good little essay on a guy trying to get some of his commentary on SB's cups. And Craig Wilson's column today was good for a couple of yuks. He was talking about guys wearing bling.
My favorite story about rings is the one told by the now-deceased Al Maguire, the old Marquette coach and CBS basketball analyst. There was a pretty heated rivalry in those days between ND and Marquette. When he moved on to the TV booth, he liked poke the ND crowd by asking, "Do you know how to tell who's the Notre Dame guy at the party? He's the guy picking his nose so that he can show you his ring!"
I'll be curious to get home and see how the contractor did today with my doors. I fear for the dust.
Well, I missed the mark on my comments about what would get to the floor of the Senate. What a political mess.
I need to get out of here. A little vino is in order.
Be careful out there.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Tuesday
Another day at the office.
I chose not to read Major Ryan's analysis of possible winners in the clan's pool. That level of interest smacks of a fantasy league scorecard.
I will be staying away from 2. The last time I was with her when she had a cold, I was out of commission for six weeks. I hope her recovery is speedy.
My office is a pit. It will probably stay that way for another few days.
In my mail at home last week was a packet from the Diocese of Davenport with materials to complete if I needed to file a claim for past sexual abuse from priests. And there was an article in the paper over the weekend about the Diocese of Dubuque settling more claims in their region. Fortunately, I can take solace from the local attorney who has represented many of the claimants against Davenport by his assurances that "it's not about the money".
More trouble for women's college basketball. Tennessee is up by 20 in the first half of their regional final. Not only is women's basketball hard to get excited about, but there appears to be a big disparity between the few big "have" programs and everybody else (the "have-nots").
Interesting commentary in the political columns about the steps taken by the House last week to attach a withdrawal time line to an Iraq appropriations bill, and to subpoena certain White House political advisers with regard to the storm over the firing of the US attorneys. The politicians with Presidential aspirations are all trying to decipher the tea-leaves of public opinion, which has been mixed at best over these matters. If the Dem's want to make a change in government, they need to be careful of how blindly they follow the left-wing lead of Nancy Pelosi. I wonder with the bad press that the House bill received if it will even make the floor of the Senate.
I need to get out of here. Have a good evening.
Be careful out there.
I chose not to read Major Ryan's analysis of possible winners in the clan's pool. That level of interest smacks of a fantasy league scorecard.
I will be staying away from 2. The last time I was with her when she had a cold, I was out of commission for six weeks. I hope her recovery is speedy.
My office is a pit. It will probably stay that way for another few days.
In my mail at home last week was a packet from the Diocese of Davenport with materials to complete if I needed to file a claim for past sexual abuse from priests. And there was an article in the paper over the weekend about the Diocese of Dubuque settling more claims in their region. Fortunately, I can take solace from the local attorney who has represented many of the claimants against Davenport by his assurances that "it's not about the money".
More trouble for women's college basketball. Tennessee is up by 20 in the first half of their regional final. Not only is women's basketball hard to get excited about, but there appears to be a big disparity between the few big "have" programs and everybody else (the "have-nots").
Interesting commentary in the political columns about the steps taken by the House last week to attach a withdrawal time line to an Iraq appropriations bill, and to subpoena certain White House political advisers with regard to the storm over the firing of the US attorneys. The politicians with Presidential aspirations are all trying to decipher the tea-leaves of public opinion, which has been mixed at best over these matters. If the Dem's want to make a change in government, they need to be careful of how blindly they follow the left-wing lead of Nancy Pelosi. I wonder with the bad press that the House bill received if it will even make the floor of the Senate.
I need to get out of here. Have a good evening.
Be careful out there.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Monday
So I took a break yesterday. It was a nice day and I just elected to not come in to make an entry.
It is almost hot here today. It has to be in the high 70's. I guess that it is supposed to cool down later in the week.
I've also chosen not to go to the third coaches' session with my pal Roy this week. Just too much to do. I'm glad that he has taken the ball and is making it to the required classes.
Margret was out for a spin yesterday. Lookin' pretty fine.
My picks in the NCAA tournament continue to wallow in the also-ran category. I watched some of the games on Sunday, but had much more interest in the NASCAR race at Bristol. The 24 managed a third place finish in a car that was doing nothing but going backward in the first 150 laps. Toyota is getting cooked in NASCAR. They're not very competitive at this point.
3 was through town today on her way back from C-town. We dined at Golick's for lunch on the church steps. The owner said that he has been open for almost two weeks.
My new doors were supposed to be installed in my bathroom/hallway today. But the contractor called a wave-off because the door-building place in town had made the frames the wrong size. Let's see. You give the place the measurements. They ignore those instructions and make them the same size that they make most of their doors. Why even give them the specs? The new installation date is Wednesday.
Anybody notice the empty seats in many of the regional games? I have a women's regional final on right now between Rutgers and Arizona State at the Greensboro coliseum and the place is empty. I thought I saw quite a few open areas in the men's games as well, although nothing like the entire empty sections that exist in women's games.
I still haven't figured out the economics on the reasons why they built the new Wells Fargo arena in Des Moines and didn't tear down Vet's Auditorium next door. The new arena is a nice place, but I don't think they fill it very often. For the hockey game that we went to on Friday night, the box score said attendance was 5,000+, but that had to include season ticket holders. The upper bowl wasn't even open. In fact, they had some sort of mesh curtains up there that partially closed line-of-sight to those empty areas. I guess some concerts have been sell-outs, but the configuration of the area in those situations is usually for seating capacities at less than the maximum for basketball or hockey.
That's about it for today. Enjoy the warm weather.
Be careful out there.
It is almost hot here today. It has to be in the high 70's. I guess that it is supposed to cool down later in the week.
I've also chosen not to go to the third coaches' session with my pal Roy this week. Just too much to do. I'm glad that he has taken the ball and is making it to the required classes.
Margret was out for a spin yesterday. Lookin' pretty fine.
My picks in the NCAA tournament continue to wallow in the also-ran category. I watched some of the games on Sunday, but had much more interest in the NASCAR race at Bristol. The 24 managed a third place finish in a car that was doing nothing but going backward in the first 150 laps. Toyota is getting cooked in NASCAR. They're not very competitive at this point.
3 was through town today on her way back from C-town. We dined at Golick's for lunch on the church steps. The owner said that he has been open for almost two weeks.
My new doors were supposed to be installed in my bathroom/hallway today. But the contractor called a wave-off because the door-building place in town had made the frames the wrong size. Let's see. You give the place the measurements. They ignore those instructions and make them the same size that they make most of their doors. Why even give them the specs? The new installation date is Wednesday.
Anybody notice the empty seats in many of the regional games? I have a women's regional final on right now between Rutgers and Arizona State at the Greensboro coliseum and the place is empty. I thought I saw quite a few open areas in the men's games as well, although nothing like the entire empty sections that exist in women's games.
I still haven't figured out the economics on the reasons why they built the new Wells Fargo arena in Des Moines and didn't tear down Vet's Auditorium next door. The new arena is a nice place, but I don't think they fill it very often. For the hockey game that we went to on Friday night, the box score said attendance was 5,000+, but that had to include season ticket holders. The upper bowl wasn't even open. In fact, they had some sort of mesh curtains up there that partially closed line-of-sight to those empty areas. I guess some concerts have been sell-outs, but the configuration of the area in those situations is usually for seating capacities at less than the maximum for basketball or hockey.
That's about it for today. Enjoy the warm weather.
Be careful out there.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Saturday
Back from DM. Very enjoyable stay with good friends.
Saw 4 for a cup of coffee in IC on my way back. Had a very rude younger guy wait on us at SB's. He did not want to steam my Americano. The gal actually doing the work had no problem complying. But the kid was still complaining at my request 10 minutes later when they had a lull in business. A new low standard for the SB's corporation.
1 was doing a little flower-girl dress shopping today with the B's. She had done 9 miles this AM with Missy.
2 is going to her "gala" at the museum tonight. She's a ticket-girl and an auction assistant.
And 3 is living the life in C-town. We are a very active family this weekend.
More tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
Saw 4 for a cup of coffee in IC on my way back. Had a very rude younger guy wait on us at SB's. He did not want to steam my Americano. The gal actually doing the work had no problem complying. But the kid was still complaining at my request 10 minutes later when they had a lull in business. A new low standard for the SB's corporation.
1 was doing a little flower-girl dress shopping today with the B's. She had done 9 miles this AM with Missy.
2 is going to her "gala" at the museum tonight. She's a ticket-girl and an auction assistant.
And 3 is living the life in C-town. We are a very active family this weekend.
More tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Friday
No blog today.
I'm headed over to DM for the evening with Dr. D. Hockey game? Back tomorrow AM.
3 was in and out. A little tire problem on HOOPDRM which Mom took care of with her friends at Farm & Fleet.
I'll catch-up on things tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
I'm headed over to DM for the evening with Dr. D. Hockey game? Back tomorrow AM.
3 was in and out. A little tire problem on HOOPDRM which Mom took care of with her friends at Farm & Fleet.
I'll catch-up on things tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Thursday
Say, "Goodbye, Steve, good buddy".
Games tonight. 3 is supposed to be in town for the evening, on her way to a Chicago weekend.
It seems to me that the Selection Committee did no favors for Kansas. KU gets a number one seed, but in the West region. UCLA gets the two seed in the West, where the Regional games will be played in San Jose. Uh, who is likely to have the better environment? The Jayhawks have to first beat an underdog that the casual fan will favor, and then, likely, UCLA. (Similarly, Texas A&M, the three seed in the South, plays their Regionals in San Antonio.)
I was glad to see theUSAFA get to the semi-finals of the NIT with a home win last night. The fly boys get to play at MSG next week. They have a good coach whom they may be hard-pressed to keep.
Bettendorf is soon getting a new fitness club, Anytime Fitness, in the recently completed strip center at the corner of Devils Glen and 53rd. A graduate of Assumption and Loras, Molly Campana, is the manager. Bettendorf needed a new fitness club.
Hope everyone has a good evening.
Be careful out there.
Games tonight. 3 is supposed to be in town for the evening, on her way to a Chicago weekend.
It seems to me that the Selection Committee did no favors for Kansas. KU gets a number one seed, but in the West region. UCLA gets the two seed in the West, where the Regional games will be played in San Jose. Uh, who is likely to have the better environment? The Jayhawks have to first beat an underdog that the casual fan will favor, and then, likely, UCLA. (Similarly, Texas A&M, the three seed in the South, plays their Regionals in San Antonio.)
I was glad to see theUSAFA get to the semi-finals of the NIT with a home win last night. The fly boys get to play at MSG next week. They have a good coach whom they may be hard-pressed to keep.
Bettendorf is soon getting a new fitness club, Anytime Fitness, in the recently completed strip center at the corner of Devils Glen and 53rd. A graduate of Assumption and Loras, Molly Campana, is the manager. Bettendorf needed a new fitness club.
Hope everyone has a good evening.
Be careful out there.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Wednesday
This was almost a classic example of an early Spring day. Rain. Lightening and thunder. More rain. Mugginess. Plugged downspouts. I can almost hear the farmers getting ready their, "The ground's too wet" chorus.
I just had an early dinner with a client in Rock Island at The Chinese Kitchen. Humble surroundings, but great foo. [Sic]
How about a Top Ten list to get everybody's Spring juices flowing? Here we have the Top Ten indications that Spring is here. Not necessarily in order:
1. You don't put on gloves when you leave the house.
2. Lowe's opens an outside entry door to their garden shop.
3. Gollick's Meats fires up the grill for lunch.
4. High school baseball games in the papers' scorecard pages.
5. Pictures of runners in shorts and t-shirts in the Lifestyle pages.
6. A full (or semi-full) parking lot at Palmer Hills golf course.
7. Homeowners with spreaders laying down crabgrass preventatives.
8. Motorcycles.
9. Optimism in the Cubs' Camp.
10. Margret on the streets.
So hope everyone has a good evening. Don't be so afraid to add your own items to the list.
Be careful out there.
I just had an early dinner with a client in Rock Island at The Chinese Kitchen. Humble surroundings, but great foo. [Sic]
How about a Top Ten list to get everybody's Spring juices flowing? Here we have the Top Ten indications that Spring is here. Not necessarily in order:
1. You don't put on gloves when you leave the house.
2. Lowe's opens an outside entry door to their garden shop.
3. Gollick's Meats fires up the grill for lunch.
4. High school baseball games in the papers' scorecard pages.
5. Pictures of runners in shorts and t-shirts in the Lifestyle pages.
6. A full (or semi-full) parking lot at Palmer Hills golf course.
7. Homeowners with spreaders laying down crabgrass preventatives.
8. Motorcycles.
9. Optimism in the Cubs' Camp.
10. Margret on the streets.
So hope everyone has a good evening. Don't be so afraid to add your own items to the list.
Be careful out there.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Tuesday
Happy Birthday to Margaret!
My office is a pit. Piles and piles.
Out of energy. I'm headed out.
Be careful out there.
My office is a pit. Piles and piles.
Out of energy. I'm headed out.
Be careful out there.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Monday
Monday. Lots of stuff going on here today. Typical for the first day of the week.
It was warm enough here today that I stopped by my house over lunch when I was out running errands and opened some windows. I'll have to close them tonight, but they say tomorrow is looking like another good day. Then cooler the rest of the week. My house gets so stuffy in the Winter and has that "old house" smell to it. The again, it is an old house.
Readers might want to check out www.criteriumfinancial.com to see 3 with her new BBF. The shot was taken just a couple of weeks ago in Omaha.
Tomorrow is Mother's birthday. She would have been 99.
I met with the salesperson for the radio stations today about the spots for us that I finally received approval for from my Compliance office in KC. They are one minute spots read by the host (on tape), touting our sponsorship of the Memorial Day bike races. We're going to start out with just two per week for the first six weeks, but then shift to a little more active schedule in May when race day gets closer. On the morning drive show. In the near future, I may get them posted on the website as well.
I did a letter to the local paper's sports reporter who has written a couple of stories lately about a game scheduled for next Fall's basketball pre-season between the local small college, St. Ambrose, and ND in South Bend. (I think they changed the rules last year enabling D-I schools to play D-III teams in the pre-season which won't go against the maximum game count for their schedules. This competition in lieu of those touring club teams from foreign countries or commercial-sponsored amateur teams in the US.)
Anyway, the reporter had an initial story saying that this was going to be the first meeting ever between the two schools. Then in a follow-up story, he related the feed-back from several local readers who were involved in a similar game in SB back in 1957. One of those readers actually played in the game. That reader is a now-retired businessman, community leader of sorts who has a pretty good way with words. The reporter gave him credit for remembering "everything" about the game, including that it was played in the old "Rock gym" at ND.
I had to point out to the sports writer that his source may not have actually remembered "everything". The fact is that the old fieldhouse at ND was never known as anything other than "the fieldhouse". "The Rock" was, and still is, the Rockne Memorial, a students' facility on the old South Quad with basketball and handball courts, and a swimming pool. (Back in my day, the pick-up games at The Rock were legendary. But that is another story.) I told the writer that the small embellishment went well with his story. No harm. No foul.
He didn't respond to my letter.
My experience with the guy is that he likes to dish it out, but has pretty thin skin when it comes his way. I wrote him several years ago when he butchered a story on a TdF stage and he subsequently announced in print that he would never do another cycling story because he got so many responses critiquing his ignorant interpretation of the facts. To my knowledege, he has remained true to his word.
4 needs to suck it up and give us some material. We miss her thoughts.
So have a good evening.
Be careful out there.
It was warm enough here today that I stopped by my house over lunch when I was out running errands and opened some windows. I'll have to close them tonight, but they say tomorrow is looking like another good day. Then cooler the rest of the week. My house gets so stuffy in the Winter and has that "old house" smell to it. The again, it is an old house.
Readers might want to check out www.criteriumfinancial.com to see 3 with her new BBF. The shot was taken just a couple of weeks ago in Omaha.
Tomorrow is Mother's birthday. She would have been 99.
I met with the salesperson for the radio stations today about the spots for us that I finally received approval for from my Compliance office in KC. They are one minute spots read by the host (on tape), touting our sponsorship of the Memorial Day bike races. We're going to start out with just two per week for the first six weeks, but then shift to a little more active schedule in May when race day gets closer. On the morning drive show. In the near future, I may get them posted on the website as well.
I did a letter to the local paper's sports reporter who has written a couple of stories lately about a game scheduled for next Fall's basketball pre-season between the local small college, St. Ambrose, and ND in South Bend. (I think they changed the rules last year enabling D-I schools to play D-III teams in the pre-season which won't go against the maximum game count for their schedules. This competition in lieu of those touring club teams from foreign countries or commercial-sponsored amateur teams in the US.)
Anyway, the reporter had an initial story saying that this was going to be the first meeting ever between the two schools. Then in a follow-up story, he related the feed-back from several local readers who were involved in a similar game in SB back in 1957. One of those readers actually played in the game. That reader is a now-retired businessman, community leader of sorts who has a pretty good way with words. The reporter gave him credit for remembering "everything" about the game, including that it was played in the old "Rock gym" at ND.
I had to point out to the sports writer that his source may not have actually remembered "everything". The fact is that the old fieldhouse at ND was never known as anything other than "the fieldhouse". "The Rock" was, and still is, the Rockne Memorial, a students' facility on the old South Quad with basketball and handball courts, and a swimming pool. (Back in my day, the pick-up games at The Rock were legendary. But that is another story.) I told the writer that the small embellishment went well with his story. No harm. No foul.
He didn't respond to my letter.
My experience with the guy is that he likes to dish it out, but has pretty thin skin when it comes his way. I wrote him several years ago when he butchered a story on a TdF stage and he subsequently announced in print that he would never do another cycling story because he got so many responses critiquing his ignorant interpretation of the facts. To my knowledege, he has remained true to his word.
4 needs to suck it up and give us some material. We miss her thoughts.
So have a good evening.
Be careful out there.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Sunday II
Just a few lines this evening.
I got outside on my bike for the first time of the year this afternoon. Just a simple out and back on the bike path for about 40 minutes. It felt good to stretch the legs. A pretty steady South wind made the ride down to the path a little extra work.
2 stopped by the house for a water in the middle of her 7-8 mile run. She said that her trip north with 4 was a success. By leaving early this AM, she was able to get back with lots of daylight left.
I'm probably going to take a pass on this week's coaching classes. With Terri out for the week, it makes no sense to blow out of here at 3:30 two straight days just to accompany my pal Roy to listen to some well-meaning coach ramble for 3-4 hours. Plus the travel time. I just have too much to do.
My St. Patrick's Day was a bust. Other than listen to some loud, already-over-served losers sitting at the bar at Old Chicago where I went for a lunch sandwich, I was a non-participant in any festivities. Maybe next year.
I watched a TV taped-delayed replay of the final stage of the Paris-Nice bike race this afternoon. The commentators are the same ones who do the same thing for the TdF. Their vocabularies are limited. If you took certain adjectives out of their list of available ones, they would be mutes. I think they just sit in a room watching the same TV feed that we see, and go to great lengths to describe the race as it unfolds before us. I think this may be the modern day equivalent to the old radio broadcasts created from ticker tape reports. Remember the simulated-live horse race call done in The Sting? Same thing.
Ok. Have a nice evening. See you here tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
I got outside on my bike for the first time of the year this afternoon. Just a simple out and back on the bike path for about 40 minutes. It felt good to stretch the legs. A pretty steady South wind made the ride down to the path a little extra work.
2 stopped by the house for a water in the middle of her 7-8 mile run. She said that her trip north with 4 was a success. By leaving early this AM, she was able to get back with lots of daylight left.
I'm probably going to take a pass on this week's coaching classes. With Terri out for the week, it makes no sense to blow out of here at 3:30 two straight days just to accompany my pal Roy to listen to some well-meaning coach ramble for 3-4 hours. Plus the travel time. I just have too much to do.
My St. Patrick's Day was a bust. Other than listen to some loud, already-over-served losers sitting at the bar at Old Chicago where I went for a lunch sandwich, I was a non-participant in any festivities. Maybe next year.
I watched a TV taped-delayed replay of the final stage of the Paris-Nice bike race this afternoon. The commentators are the same ones who do the same thing for the TdF. Their vocabularies are limited. If you took certain adjectives out of their list of available ones, they would be mutes. I think they just sit in a room watching the same TV feed that we see, and go to great lengths to describe the race as it unfolds before us. I think this may be the modern day equivalent to the old radio broadcasts created from ticker tape reports. Remember the simulated-live horse race call done in The Sting? Same thing.
Ok. Have a nice evening. See you here tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
Sunday
Sorry to miss yesterday. I was here most of the day, but I just never took the time to post an entry.
I had originally thought about going over to DM for the Saturday night championship game to support my pal Pete's son. But the game wasn't scheduled to start until 8:45, which is past my bedtime. So I begged off. I don't think my attendance would have helped. They got beat by 20 in a game that didn't look that close at the times I checked in on it on the tube.
At this point in the family picks competition, the Eastern Iowa branch of the clan sucks.
A Discovery rider from Spain just won a big 7-day race in Southern France (Paris -Nice) with a charge up the last mountain on the last day. I have followed the race on the Internet. Really amazing how much cycling goes on in Europe. They also say that there is a new major sponsor in the wings for next year to replace the Discovery Channel. I wonder if that sponsorship is contingent on all of the riders staying drug-free? It should be.
3 is back on her way home to IC. Sounds like the trip was a success, but she also was looking forward to getting back to IC (and Chicago).
Anybody notice that the Chicago Bulls have been playing in green uniforms the last couple of games? Another marketing scheme for sure. Ugly. Then again, the black uni's that they trotted out a few years ago aren't that much better, and they have stayed in the rotation. Whatever it takes to sell a few more jersey's.
A case study for MBA programs might be the dust-ups that have surfaced this year in NASCAR between some of the new sponsorships of certain teams and NASCAR corporately, or existing deals on other established teams. The 31 car has been the Cingular Chevrolet for the last several years, but AT&T acquired Cingular last year, is phasing out the Cingular brand, and wants to put the well-known AT&T logo on the car. But NEXTEL is the primary sponsor for the Cup series and has veto on any conflicting sponsorships. AT&T has recently sued NASCAR under a free-commerce argument to get the logo on the car.
A lesser conflict popped up this week with the 7 car and Robbie Gordon's sponsorship from Motorola. Another NEXTEL exclusiveness problem. It sounds like they have that one worked out for today's race in Hotlanta.
All of this is a little interesting since Sprint bought NEXTEL a year or two ago and they are dealing with the probable phasing out the NEXTEL name.
I'm headed out to get some fresh air this afternoon. I plan to come back this evening to get a few more things done in preparation of the busy week ahead.
Be careful out there.
I had originally thought about going over to DM for the Saturday night championship game to support my pal Pete's son. But the game wasn't scheduled to start until 8:45, which is past my bedtime. So I begged off. I don't think my attendance would have helped. They got beat by 20 in a game that didn't look that close at the times I checked in on it on the tube.
At this point in the family picks competition, the Eastern Iowa branch of the clan sucks.
A Discovery rider from Spain just won a big 7-day race in Southern France (Paris -Nice) with a charge up the last mountain on the last day. I have followed the race on the Internet. Really amazing how much cycling goes on in Europe. They also say that there is a new major sponsor in the wings for next year to replace the Discovery Channel. I wonder if that sponsorship is contingent on all of the riders staying drug-free? It should be.
3 is back on her way home to IC. Sounds like the trip was a success, but she also was looking forward to getting back to IC (and Chicago).
Anybody notice that the Chicago Bulls have been playing in green uniforms the last couple of games? Another marketing scheme for sure. Ugly. Then again, the black uni's that they trotted out a few years ago aren't that much better, and they have stayed in the rotation. Whatever it takes to sell a few more jersey's.
A case study for MBA programs might be the dust-ups that have surfaced this year in NASCAR between some of the new sponsorships of certain teams and NASCAR corporately, or existing deals on other established teams. The 31 car has been the Cingular Chevrolet for the last several years, but AT&T acquired Cingular last year, is phasing out the Cingular brand, and wants to put the well-known AT&T logo on the car. But NEXTEL is the primary sponsor for the Cup series and has veto on any conflicting sponsorships. AT&T has recently sued NASCAR under a free-commerce argument to get the logo on the car.
A lesser conflict popped up this week with the 7 car and Robbie Gordon's sponsorship from Motorola. Another NEXTEL exclusiveness problem. It sounds like they have that one worked out for today's race in Hotlanta.
All of this is a little interesting since Sprint bought NEXTEL a year or two ago and they are dealing with the probable phasing out the NEXTEL name.
I'm headed out to get some fresh air this afternoon. I plan to come back this evening to get a few more things done in preparation of the busy week ahead.
Be careful out there.
Friday, March 16, 2007
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Thursday
Lots of games today. The ESPN site is keeping score as the games are completed.
This is "The Ides of March." Wikipedia has a couple of nice paragraphs that describes the history and usage of the term. I always thought that it was either somehow unique to March or that every 15th of a month was known as the Ides. Apparently, it only applied to the 15th day of a few months, and was the 13th day for the other months. Also, it was only applicable to the Roman calendar, which was replaced by the Julien calendar in the first half of the first century BC.
Then there's the conversion to the Gregorian calendar, but that gets even beyond the obscure interests of a trivia buff.
The "Ides" is the solution to the frequent clue for a four letter word in crosswords for something like, "March date", or "Bad day for Caesar".
I have the Buick out for the first time in a couple of months. I hadn't planned to do so today, but when I stepped outside to go to work this morning, the Taurus was heavily frosted over and I didn't feel like scraping. After having driven only the Taurus for so long, I had forgotten what a nice ride I have in the Buick.
My pal Pete's youngest son is on the Bettendorf HS team which won their first round game last night at the state tournament. If they win tomorrow and get to the finals, I may go over Saturday for the game. Another of their good players is the brother of one of 4's AAU teammates.
I'm not all that creative tonight. Hope 1,2 and 4 have a good start to their weekend. 4, if you're reading, use plenty of tanning lotion!
Be careful out there.
This is "The Ides of March." Wikipedia has a couple of nice paragraphs that describes the history and usage of the term. I always thought that it was either somehow unique to March or that every 15th of a month was known as the Ides. Apparently, it only applied to the 15th day of a few months, and was the 13th day for the other months. Also, it was only applicable to the Roman calendar, which was replaced by the Julien calendar in the first half of the first century BC.
Then there's the conversion to the Gregorian calendar, but that gets even beyond the obscure interests of a trivia buff.
The "Ides" is the solution to the frequent clue for a four letter word in crosswords for something like, "March date", or "Bad day for Caesar".
I have the Buick out for the first time in a couple of months. I hadn't planned to do so today, but when I stepped outside to go to work this morning, the Taurus was heavily frosted over and I didn't feel like scraping. After having driven only the Taurus for so long, I had forgotten what a nice ride I have in the Buick.
My pal Pete's youngest son is on the Bettendorf HS team which won their first round game last night at the state tournament. If they win tomorrow and get to the finals, I may go over Saturday for the game. Another of their good players is the brother of one of 4's AAU teammates.
I'm not all that creative tonight. Hope 1,2 and 4 have a good start to their weekend. 4, if you're reading, use plenty of tanning lotion!
Be careful out there.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Wednesday
I have pretty well lost contact today. My office looks like an accountant's in tax season.
Enjoyed 1 and 2's comments on yesterday's blog. I can be the blame for lots of issues in your adult lives. I encourage you not to emulate much of my decision-making.
Saw 2 at Duck Creek SB's this AM. I had stopped in around 8:45 for a second cup. She pulled in as I pulled out. I think that she has become addicted.
The hardest thing about my job right now is that I have to shift from tax return questions, to investment issues, to client inquires, to staff oversight, to telephone calls, and to who knows what else, in the space of 30 minutes. It creates a lot of stress.
2 is in charge of adding color to my re-modelled bathroom. Shower curtain and wall adornments. Maybe towels and the like.
The games are underway. I got Wally's entry into the family contest. I'll do mine in the AM. Uncle Phil advises me that Wally's entry doesn't qualify for the travelling trophy. If Wally were to win, I'd buy a separate trophy for him. He's family to me. He and I did this a long time before the ESPN set-up. We would sit at the sport's book at the Tropicana in Vegas and argue about the games before it became an industry. I always do his entry at a different time than my own. He favored the West, the Big 8 (now Big 12), and outlaw schools that were big on JC transfers and low on GPA's.
Glad to see 3 in the family contest. Hope her Internet fees on the cruise ship are covered by some blanket, daily access package.
I know 2 and 4 are headed up to the TC to see 1 tomorrow. Always feels good to see the girls together. But I miss them when they are not in this area code.
Late for me. See you on line tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
Enjoyed 1 and 2's comments on yesterday's blog. I can be the blame for lots of issues in your adult lives. I encourage you not to emulate much of my decision-making.
Saw 2 at Duck Creek SB's this AM. I had stopped in around 8:45 for a second cup. She pulled in as I pulled out. I think that she has become addicted.
The hardest thing about my job right now is that I have to shift from tax return questions, to investment issues, to client inquires, to staff oversight, to telephone calls, and to who knows what else, in the space of 30 minutes. It creates a lot of stress.
2 is in charge of adding color to my re-modelled bathroom. Shower curtain and wall adornments. Maybe towels and the like.
The games are underway. I got Wally's entry into the family contest. I'll do mine in the AM. Uncle Phil advises me that Wally's entry doesn't qualify for the travelling trophy. If Wally were to win, I'd buy a separate trophy for him. He's family to me. He and I did this a long time before the ESPN set-up. We would sit at the sport's book at the Tropicana in Vegas and argue about the games before it became an industry. I always do his entry at a different time than my own. He favored the West, the Big 8 (now Big 12), and outlaw schools that were big on JC transfers and low on GPA's.
Glad to see 3 in the family contest. Hope her Internet fees on the cruise ship are covered by some blanket, daily access package.
I know 2 and 4 are headed up to the TC to see 1 tomorrow. Always feels good to see the girls together. But I miss them when they are not in this area code.
Late for me. See you on line tomorrow.
Be careful out there.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Tuesday
70's and sunny today. Great day to be inside doing tax returns.
The play-in game is tonight. First round of NIT games as well. The Real Madness starts in less than 40 hours. Get those picks registered!
I do have my completion certificate for the first coaching clinic class on my office door. One down. Three to go.
An interesting tidbit of controversy for that play-in game tonight. The NCAA powers-that-be elected to not place the two lowest rated teams in the game because both are from "Historically Black Colleges" and they didn't want to eliminate one of those teams (for certain) in the play-in game. I think that that logic is a bit over-done. Niagra, the higher rated team, may have a gripe that they have to play the game, but they do get a national TV audience, and the winner is going to get waxed anyway.
VIACOM is suing YouTube for $1 billion for unlawful use of protected property. It's really another Napster-type of situation. There's big money out there and the traditional media moguls like VIACOM do not want to watch the new kids on the block walk away with all the cash.
Tiger Woods created a stir a week or so ago when he and the PGA brass announced that he was becoming the host for a new tour event to be held in the Washington DC area in early July. The event effectively takes the place of an event called The International held for the last several years in Colorado. That event folded early this year when the organizers could not secure a primary corporate sponsor. (A little of a reach for Criterium Financial.) The vision is to make the new event a clone of the tournaments hosted by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus at different times in the year.
The Palmer and Nicklaus events have "invitational" fields, which means that fewer players are asked to play than in a normal weekend tournament. That rankles the lesser players. But it's the big names who draw the fans.
The other reality that this illustrates is that if Tiger plays, the tournament will probably succeed. AT&T, which already corporately sponsors a couple of other PGA weekends, quickly stepped up as the corporate sponsor. The people in Colorado, where Tiger never played, can be heard in the background grumbling at their fate.
It looks like the state of Iowa is going to pass a new law that adds $1 tax to each pack of cigarettes sold in the state. The logic is to discourage smoking and to collect taxes. I have my doubts about the success of the effort to curtail smoking habits. It's an addiction!
I think that the warm weather today will have finally melted the ice in front of my garage. That drift of snow-covered ice has reminded me of the slow-to-melt drifts in the mountains around Tahoe that we see on our mid-Summer hikes.
Anybody read the story this week about the sorority that dumped a bunch of girls for "non-support/participation" reasons? The fact that none were beauty queens not withstanding. I think the national office yanked the local house's permits after the story got on the wire. Girls just being girls.
Ok. Still light out and I'm headed home. (By the by, myself and my electronics all survived the time change without damage.)
Have a great evening.
Be careful out there.
The play-in game is tonight. First round of NIT games as well. The Real Madness starts in less than 40 hours. Get those picks registered!
I do have my completion certificate for the first coaching clinic class on my office door. One down. Three to go.
An interesting tidbit of controversy for that play-in game tonight. The NCAA powers-that-be elected to not place the two lowest rated teams in the game because both are from "Historically Black Colleges" and they didn't want to eliminate one of those teams (for certain) in the play-in game. I think that that logic is a bit over-done. Niagra, the higher rated team, may have a gripe that they have to play the game, but they do get a national TV audience, and the winner is going to get waxed anyway.
VIACOM is suing YouTube for $1 billion for unlawful use of protected property. It's really another Napster-type of situation. There's big money out there and the traditional media moguls like VIACOM do not want to watch the new kids on the block walk away with all the cash.
Tiger Woods created a stir a week or so ago when he and the PGA brass announced that he was becoming the host for a new tour event to be held in the Washington DC area in early July. The event effectively takes the place of an event called The International held for the last several years in Colorado. That event folded early this year when the organizers could not secure a primary corporate sponsor. (A little of a reach for Criterium Financial.) The vision is to make the new event a clone of the tournaments hosted by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus at different times in the year.
The Palmer and Nicklaus events have "invitational" fields, which means that fewer players are asked to play than in a normal weekend tournament. That rankles the lesser players. But it's the big names who draw the fans.
The other reality that this illustrates is that if Tiger plays, the tournament will probably succeed. AT&T, which already corporately sponsors a couple of other PGA weekends, quickly stepped up as the corporate sponsor. The people in Colorado, where Tiger never played, can be heard in the background grumbling at their fate.
It looks like the state of Iowa is going to pass a new law that adds $1 tax to each pack of cigarettes sold in the state. The logic is to discourage smoking and to collect taxes. I have my doubts about the success of the effort to curtail smoking habits. It's an addiction!
I think that the warm weather today will have finally melted the ice in front of my garage. That drift of snow-covered ice has reminded me of the slow-to-melt drifts in the mountains around Tahoe that we see on our mid-Summer hikes.
Anybody read the story this week about the sorority that dumped a bunch of girls for "non-support/participation" reasons? The fact that none were beauty queens not withstanding. I think the national office yanked the local house's permits after the story got on the wire. Girls just being girls.
Ok. Still light out and I'm headed home. (By the by, myself and my electronics all survived the time change without damage.)
Have a great evening.
Be careful out there.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Monday
Real brief. I've got to go to Coaching Clinic 101 with Roy.
Can't say that there were many surprises in the picks. The biggest cry-baby's, Syracuse, K-State and Drexel are not that close to my heart. I did think that Illinois, Arkansas and Stanford all got in because of their conference reputations.
The clock is ticking on your selections.
2 and 4 came over for BBQ. Steak and chicken strips. Au gratin potatoes. Good stuff.
Margret got out for the first time yesterday. Had to drive over the small snow/ice bank in front of my garage. But she fired right up and felt good.
Have a great evening.
Be careful out there.
Can't say that there were many surprises in the picks. The biggest cry-baby's, Syracuse, K-State and Drexel are not that close to my heart. I did think that Illinois, Arkansas and Stanford all got in because of their conference reputations.
The clock is ticking on your selections.
2 and 4 came over for BBQ. Steak and chicken strips. Au gratin potatoes. Good stuff.
Margret got out for the first time yesterday. Had to drive over the small snow/ice bank in front of my garage. But she fired right up and felt good.
Have a great evening.
Be careful out there.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Sunday
Selection Sunday.
Did ribs at the Circle Tap last night. Still great after all these years. But they did raise their price from $15 to $18 since my last meal there. The family that owned the place at one time is the family of the Iowa State women's coach. The Cyclone women were on the tube last night in the Big 12 championship game. They did a nice job, but in the end, they had no answer for the big girl for Oklahoma.
For the more decadent locals, The Circle will be open at 9 AM on St. Patty's Day.
3 made it to her cruise ship in Miami. She may have to do some juggling to get on the web to enter the clan's NCAA contest. She got her run in before they went to the ship.
1, I had a nice visit with Sarah at coffee this AM. She is always so nice. Hope she gets the appointment that she wants.
Also spoke with Mrs. M. who came in for a while. One of her boys who went to the Naval Academy is at Harvard.
The time change went ok. In near record response to the change, I updated all of my clocks this morning. Even in the Taurus. This is in contrast to a year not all that long ago when I never change the clock in my bedroom.
I gave the bad news to the contractor that he was going to have to move the light in the bathroom as discussed here earlier. He feigned ignorance. Maybe he didn't feign it. I did get a little humor out of the fact that when I called him to let him know that I hadn't got his check in the mail the prior day, and that he could come by the office to pick it up, he gave the old, "Ho-hum, whatever, yeah, I might be out and could stop by", response. So I left the check downstairs at our front desk. Later in the morning, I just happened to be on my bank account website, and the check had already been cashed. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
May have 2 and 4 come over for a little BBQ this evening. Not quite warm out, but certainly better than anything lately.
One of the interesting things about these conference tournaments is that the teams can get gassed in these championship games. NC State had no legs in the last five minutes against Carolina. I remember the high school state tournament when we played three games in three days. I was deaded meat. Try to do four in four.
The paper today had an article about Suzy Orman. This is the irritating talking head who has made millions by authoring some fairly basic financial planning books. I mute the TV whenever she is on as I find her personality so grating. She was in the news recently when she came out of the closet with her sexual preferences. I guess she was looking to publicize her latest book. Turns out that, basically, she doesn't believe in the markets. Even thoughe she spends a lot of time talking about the science of investing, less than 10% of her assets are placed in equities. She prefers AAA rated munis. Not that there's anything wrong with that. AAA bonds, that is.
So hope everyone has a great day.
Be careful out there.
Did ribs at the Circle Tap last night. Still great after all these years. But they did raise their price from $15 to $18 since my last meal there. The family that owned the place at one time is the family of the Iowa State women's coach. The Cyclone women were on the tube last night in the Big 12 championship game. They did a nice job, but in the end, they had no answer for the big girl for Oklahoma.
For the more decadent locals, The Circle will be open at 9 AM on St. Patty's Day.
3 made it to her cruise ship in Miami. She may have to do some juggling to get on the web to enter the clan's NCAA contest. She got her run in before they went to the ship.
1, I had a nice visit with Sarah at coffee this AM. She is always so nice. Hope she gets the appointment that she wants.
Also spoke with Mrs. M. who came in for a while. One of her boys who went to the Naval Academy is at Harvard.
The time change went ok. In near record response to the change, I updated all of my clocks this morning. Even in the Taurus. This is in contrast to a year not all that long ago when I never change the clock in my bedroom.
I gave the bad news to the contractor that he was going to have to move the light in the bathroom as discussed here earlier. He feigned ignorance. Maybe he didn't feign it. I did get a little humor out of the fact that when I called him to let him know that I hadn't got his check in the mail the prior day, and that he could come by the office to pick it up, he gave the old, "Ho-hum, whatever, yeah, I might be out and could stop by", response. So I left the check downstairs at our front desk. Later in the morning, I just happened to be on my bank account website, and the check had already been cashed. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
May have 2 and 4 come over for a little BBQ this evening. Not quite warm out, but certainly better than anything lately.
One of the interesting things about these conference tournaments is that the teams can get gassed in these championship games. NC State had no legs in the last five minutes against Carolina. I remember the high school state tournament when we played three games in three days. I was deaded meat. Try to do four in four.
The paper today had an article about Suzy Orman. This is the irritating talking head who has made millions by authoring some fairly basic financial planning books. I mute the TV whenever she is on as I find her personality so grating. She was in the news recently when she came out of the closet with her sexual preferences. I guess she was looking to publicize her latest book. Turns out that, basically, she doesn't believe in the markets. Even thoughe she spends a lot of time talking about the science of investing, less than 10% of her assets are placed in equities. She prefers AAA rated munis. Not that there's anything wrong with that. AAA bonds, that is.
So hope everyone has a great day.
Be careful out there.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Saturday
FFF at Buffalo Wild Wings did occur. I think we all guessed "over" on the Carnac game on the bill.
3 is now in Miami to catch the liner for the cruise starting tomorrow. She said that the late/early drive into O'Hare was a little exciting with the scenic route they ended up taking. But they got there in plenty of time, and although the plane was delayed in departing, they made their connection in Charlotte and arrived as scheduled this afternoon in Miami.
There was a small story in the local paper this AM about the shortage of parking at the airport. Seems as though all the students and families on Spring Break have gobbled-up all the spots. Which begs the question, what do you do if you're headed out for a business trip at oh-dark-hundred and there is no spot to park? Park illegally and get your vehicle towed?
I'm headed out to enjoy the rest of the day.
Remember to reset your clocks tonight. "Spring" forward. Hope that your computer doesn't explode.
Be careful out there.
3 is now in Miami to catch the liner for the cruise starting tomorrow. She said that the late/early drive into O'Hare was a little exciting with the scenic route they ended up taking. But they got there in plenty of time, and although the plane was delayed in departing, they made their connection in Charlotte and arrived as scheduled this afternoon in Miami.
There was a small story in the local paper this AM about the shortage of parking at the airport. Seems as though all the students and families on Spring Break have gobbled-up all the spots. Which begs the question, what do you do if you're headed out for a business trip at oh-dark-hundred and there is no spot to park? Park illegally and get your vehicle towed?
I'm headed out to enjoy the rest of the day.
Remember to reset your clocks tonight. "Spring" forward. Hope that your computer doesn't explode.
Be careful out there.
Friday, March 09, 2007
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Thursday
The Madness has begun. There have already been a few upsets in the conference tournaments. The expansion of the power conferences has made Wednesday and Thursday busy game days for the conference tournaments. If you aren't in the top four seeds, you need to win four games in four days to get the trophy. Not many teams can do that.
Interesting that the Big 10 has elected to give Indianapolis a five year contract to host the tournament beginning next year. It has previously rotated between Indy and Chicago. The United Center is located in a fairly tough section of town. You really can't walk to the stadium. In Indy, I think they have the restaurants and hotels right there and you have a true tournament atmosphere. I remember how nice it was in KC when they had the Big 8 tournament there. With the expansion to the Big 12, Dallas and Oklahoma City get in the rotation to host and that just gets too far for me.
The Coaches Clinic last night was just more of the same. The instructor came to my seat before the class started and asked me to not read the paper during the session. I think he's worried that I might actually want the certification even though I have told him that I am just "auditing" the class. Can you "audit" a class even though you have paid the fee? Have you ever heard of someone auditing a community adult education class? I don't think I fall into any category of traditional students.
If anyone cares, the Assumption girls lost in the state semifinals today to the defending state champs. Close game. Assumption has no seniors so they should be back there next year.
My pal Pete says that the PV administrative officials made no friends with their tight controls in the gym after the the sub-state game last night between Bettendorf and Davenport Central, which Bettendorf won. They wouldn't allow the students on to the floor to celebrate, and they raised the baskets right after the buzzer sounded which precluded the team from cutting down the nets. I guess they eventually convinced the AD to lower one of the baskets.
But there are colleges around the country who have also taken significant measures to control the crowds. I think that it is a combination of safety fears, for both the players and the fans. Not to mention the possible law suits.
3 and 4 go on Spring Break tomorrow. 3 on a cruise with friends. 4 has plans to work a couple of extra days in IC (Europe is not cheap) and then join with 2 to go up and visit 1 in the TC. I wish I could go on Spring Break.
The NASCAR boys are in Vegas this weekend. I would be curious of the general feeling about town this weekend compared to last month when the hoodlums from the NBA were in for the All Star game.
Sorry for the lack of creativity. It has been a tough week.
Have a great evening.
Be careful out there.
Interesting that the Big 10 has elected to give Indianapolis a five year contract to host the tournament beginning next year. It has previously rotated between Indy and Chicago. The United Center is located in a fairly tough section of town. You really can't walk to the stadium. In Indy, I think they have the restaurants and hotels right there and you have a true tournament atmosphere. I remember how nice it was in KC when they had the Big 8 tournament there. With the expansion to the Big 12, Dallas and Oklahoma City get in the rotation to host and that just gets too far for me.
The Coaches Clinic last night was just more of the same. The instructor came to my seat before the class started and asked me to not read the paper during the session. I think he's worried that I might actually want the certification even though I have told him that I am just "auditing" the class. Can you "audit" a class even though you have paid the fee? Have you ever heard of someone auditing a community adult education class? I don't think I fall into any category of traditional students.
If anyone cares, the Assumption girls lost in the state semifinals today to the defending state champs. Close game. Assumption has no seniors so they should be back there next year.
My pal Pete says that the PV administrative officials made no friends with their tight controls in the gym after the the sub-state game last night between Bettendorf and Davenport Central, which Bettendorf won. They wouldn't allow the students on to the floor to celebrate, and they raised the baskets right after the buzzer sounded which precluded the team from cutting down the nets. I guess they eventually convinced the AD to lower one of the baskets.
But there are colleges around the country who have also taken significant measures to control the crowds. I think that it is a combination of safety fears, for both the players and the fans. Not to mention the possible law suits.
3 and 4 go on Spring Break tomorrow. 3 on a cruise with friends. 4 has plans to work a couple of extra days in IC (Europe is not cheap) and then join with 2 to go up and visit 1 in the TC. I wish I could go on Spring Break.
The NASCAR boys are in Vegas this weekend. I would be curious of the general feeling about town this weekend compared to last month when the hoodlums from the NBA were in for the All Star game.
Sorry for the lack of creativity. It has been a tough week.
Have a great evening.
Be careful out there.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Wednesday
This will be brief. Roy and I are off to Day Two of the Coaches' clinic which cuts my day way too short.
I watched 4's YouTube effort yesterday, and I was surprised at the length and obvious planning that went into it. I'm not sure of the plot, but I can understand how a person intrigued by cinematography could get excited about the opportunity of publication through the Internet.
I hope to get 3 and WB's picture on the Criterium Financial website in the near future.
Have a great evening.
Be careful out there.
I watched 4's YouTube effort yesterday, and I was surprised at the length and obvious planning that went into it. I'm not sure of the plot, but I can understand how a person intrigued by cinematography could get excited about the opportunity of publication through the Internet.
I hope to get 3 and WB's picture on the Criterium Financial website in the near future.
Have a great evening.
Be careful out there.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Tuesday
I am totally behind the eight ball.
Last night was the first class for my pal Roy and I for the coaching certification. Since he was unable to attend the local classes in Bettendorf last month, we have to do the 40 minute drive to Clinton for 10-12 days over the next month. Nothing like a little FFF with Roy.
The class was a bit of a joke. It was taught by a former JC coach who admitted that the state did not have a specified curriculum/outline/syllabus for the class: the instructor was just supposed to present "good coaching" information. For five hours on three different nights. We lasted about three hours and he said it was time for a game to start at the high school, so the class was dismissed.
All of the other attendees at the class had a reason for being there. My reason was that I was Roy's driver.
My bathroom is basically done. Except that the doors aren't ready. And the light fixture is too low and will have to be rehung. It's a decorative metal fixture with four bulb receptacles in frosted shades. But since the previous light had the bulbs fit in horizontally, the contractor made the fatal assumption that he could just move the wiring box to center over the new vanity without considering the fact that the bulbs on the new light were designed to hang down.
When it was time to hang the new fixture and the new mirror, the contractor's solution to the bulbs being too low, was to turn the fixture upside down with the bulbs pointing up. A contractor's equivalent to that recent TV commercial where the woman was at the counter of a fast food restaurant and changed her mind from a Number 6 to a Number 9 and the server simply turns the serving box 180 degrees.
My Russian cleaning lady came in today and I'm sure the home front will be much more to my liking this evening. The dust and grime of the last week have been hard on me. And Jake's Pants stayed until this morning which created other stresses. I like my solitary life style.
2 and 4 have announced plans for Europe this Summer before the wedding. 4 is doing a six week program for school and 2 will join her for a couple of weeks of travel after the classes are done. Must be nice.
3 was in Omaha talking to the real Oracle yesterday. She has a picture. Uncle Phil says that she should send WB a copy for his autograph.
Big lottery drawing tonight. I normally do not play, but I think a couple of us from the office may do a $5 shot in the dark. I've probably said it before, but if I were to win, I would not be one of those guys who says that he's going back to work just like normal and not let the money change his ways.
My securities software DST patch has been applied. I wonder if this is a scam like The Year 2000?
All for today. Have a good evening.
Be careful out there.
Last night was the first class for my pal Roy and I for the coaching certification. Since he was unable to attend the local classes in Bettendorf last month, we have to do the 40 minute drive to Clinton for 10-12 days over the next month. Nothing like a little FFF with Roy.
The class was a bit of a joke. It was taught by a former JC coach who admitted that the state did not have a specified curriculum/outline/syllabus for the class: the instructor was just supposed to present "good coaching" information. For five hours on three different nights. We lasted about three hours and he said it was time for a game to start at the high school, so the class was dismissed.
All of the other attendees at the class had a reason for being there. My reason was that I was Roy's driver.
My bathroom is basically done. Except that the doors aren't ready. And the light fixture is too low and will have to be rehung. It's a decorative metal fixture with four bulb receptacles in frosted shades. But since the previous light had the bulbs fit in horizontally, the contractor made the fatal assumption that he could just move the wiring box to center over the new vanity without considering the fact that the bulbs on the new light were designed to hang down.
When it was time to hang the new fixture and the new mirror, the contractor's solution to the bulbs being too low, was to turn the fixture upside down with the bulbs pointing up. A contractor's equivalent to that recent TV commercial where the woman was at the counter of a fast food restaurant and changed her mind from a Number 6 to a Number 9 and the server simply turns the serving box 180 degrees.
My Russian cleaning lady came in today and I'm sure the home front will be much more to my liking this evening. The dust and grime of the last week have been hard on me. And Jake's Pants stayed until this morning which created other stresses. I like my solitary life style.
2 and 4 have announced plans for Europe this Summer before the wedding. 4 is doing a six week program for school and 2 will join her for a couple of weeks of travel after the classes are done. Must be nice.
3 was in Omaha talking to the real Oracle yesterday. She has a picture. Uncle Phil says that she should send WB a copy for his autograph.
Big lottery drawing tonight. I normally do not play, but I think a couple of us from the office may do a $5 shot in the dark. I've probably said it before, but if I were to win, I would not be one of those guys who says that he's going back to work just like normal and not let the money change his ways.
My securities software DST patch has been applied. I wonder if this is a scam like The Year 2000?
All for today. Have a good evening.
Be careful out there.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Sunday PM
Looks like a decent day out there. Cool, but sunshine.
Hope everyone has a good finish to the weekend.
Be careful out there.
Hope everyone has a good finish to the weekend.
Be careful out there.
Sunday AM
Saturday was another dis-jointed day and I didn't get back to the office to make an entry.
Way to go Hawks! I think they have that NIT berth secured.
I see where the team that beat Augie on Thursday night pulled another upset yesterday in St. Paul by beating the Tommies at home.
The bathroom project is another day or two from completion. And they still don't have the replacement doors available so the true completion is probably as much as 10 days or more away. I hate the mess. There is a little film of dust on every surface throughout my entire house.
I'll add a true Sunday entry later today. I need to come back in to do some office re-arranging as a new employee starts tomorrow and we aren't ready for her as the offices are now set up.
Be careful out there.
Way to go Hawks! I think they have that NIT berth secured.
I see where the team that beat Augie on Thursday night pulled another upset yesterday in St. Paul by beating the Tommies at home.
The bathroom project is another day or two from completion. And they still don't have the replacement doors available so the true completion is probably as much as 10 days or more away. I hate the mess. There is a little film of dust on every surface throughout my entire house.
I'll add a true Sunday entry later today. I need to come back in to do some office re-arranging as a new employee starts tomorrow and we aren't ready for her as the offices are now set up.
Be careful out there.
Friday, March 02, 2007
Friday PM
Just a couple of quick items before heading out for the evening.
My buddy Jake's Pants is in town tonight so we'll be out there for a couple of adult beverages. We are no longer that dangerous to the general public. Needing to be in bed by 9PM limits our exposure to risks.
The bathroom project is not quite done. Glad I didn't try to do it myself.
My pal Bill and I had lunch down in the Village of ED today. Hard to beat their tenderloin and home fries. Actually, I've been there a time or two when the two of us have split a single sandwich and still had plenty to eat. We rarely finish a shared order of fries.
I received a written thank you note from a new client today, just to thank us for taking care of his financial stuff. What made it doubly sweet was that we had sent yesterday to him a very nicely arranged folder with his retention copies of the several forms he had signed to set up his brokerage accounts, along with a brief letter of thanks from our end. As I have said here previously, written notes are valued pieces.
So I'm off into the elements. We don't have the awful weather that seems to exist North and West of us. But it is Winter. In March. Then again, the girls' tournament starts in DM next week. One shouldn't get too anxious for Spring until after those high school tournaments.
Be careful out there. Especially you,1.
My buddy Jake's Pants is in town tonight so we'll be out there for a couple of adult beverages. We are no longer that dangerous to the general public. Needing to be in bed by 9PM limits our exposure to risks.
The bathroom project is not quite done. Glad I didn't try to do it myself.
My pal Bill and I had lunch down in the Village of ED today. Hard to beat their tenderloin and home fries. Actually, I've been there a time or two when the two of us have split a single sandwich and still had plenty to eat. We rarely finish a shared order of fries.
I received a written thank you note from a new client today, just to thank us for taking care of his financial stuff. What made it doubly sweet was that we had sent yesterday to him a very nicely arranged folder with his retention copies of the several forms he had signed to set up his brokerage accounts, along with a brief letter of thanks from our end. As I have said here previously, written notes are valued pieces.
So I'm off into the elements. We don't have the awful weather that seems to exist North and West of us. But it is Winter. In March. Then again, the girls' tournament starts in DM next week. One shouldn't get too anxious for Spring until after those high school tournaments.
Be careful out there. Especially you,1.
Friday AM
Sorry I missed last night. It got busy here in the afternoon and I had to leave a little early to meet 2 for a glass of wine before the Augie game.
Augie lost to a pretty good team that had their gunner come to life in the last nine minutes. Augie had no answer. They played something less than their best game and in the tournament, you don't have many cupcakes.
There may be such a thing as the 4000 Days blog jinx. My pal Pete's son was a feature in the blog yesterday, and he had a very sub-par game last night.
My evening was capped-off with a little running-out-of-gas adventure on our way home from the game. I had forgotten to check the mileage on the trip odometer in recent days, and, boom, the Taurus just dies on 53rd street by the theaters! In a blizzard!. Fortunately, we were able to get to a third right-hand lane and were real close to 2's car, which I ran over and retrieved. The gas station across the road wanted $10 for a small plastic gas can (no loaners available), so we drove the two miles to my house, got my lawn mower gas can, picked up some petro at the Shell station, and returned to the scene of the crime. A cop was there checking out the car, but that just kept the traffic away, and I did a quick gas-and-go, and that was the end of it.
The poorest decision I made yesterday was to wear my Oxford casual shoes rather than my Winter boots. Then again, 2 had on her ballet slippers.
Lots of closures today. A good one to stay inside.
So I'll add more later today.
Be careful out there.
Augie lost to a pretty good team that had their gunner come to life in the last nine minutes. Augie had no answer. They played something less than their best game and in the tournament, you don't have many cupcakes.
There may be such a thing as the 4000 Days blog jinx. My pal Pete's son was a feature in the blog yesterday, and he had a very sub-par game last night.
My evening was capped-off with a little running-out-of-gas adventure on our way home from the game. I had forgotten to check the mileage on the trip odometer in recent days, and, boom, the Taurus just dies on 53rd street by the theaters! In a blizzard!. Fortunately, we were able to get to a third right-hand lane and were real close to 2's car, which I ran over and retrieved. The gas station across the road wanted $10 for a small plastic gas can (no loaners available), so we drove the two miles to my house, got my lawn mower gas can, picked up some petro at the Shell station, and returned to the scene of the crime. A cop was there checking out the car, but that just kept the traffic away, and I did a quick gas-and-go, and that was the end of it.
The poorest decision I made yesterday was to wear my Oxford casual shoes rather than my Winter boots. Then again, 2 had on her ballet slippers.
Lots of closures today. A good one to stay inside.
So I'll add more later today.
Be careful out there.
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