Saturday

How did we get to the last day of February so soon?

2 did a pinch-hit for me at the writing contest awards event last night. I'm thinking that it may have been just a little shy of exciting.

I've spent the entire afternoon on the couch in continued recovery-mode.

The insurance company has agreed to settle with me for full retail on the Buick. I should get something in the mid $17's to help with a replacement. I figure that I'll have to spend a little more to get a slightly newer model with fewer miles. And eight cylinders to give it a little more get-up-and-go.

My Top Ten auto accidents, all time:

1. This one. Buick Lucerne 2009, with an old guy failing to yield.
2. December 1971. Datsun 240Z. Ottumwa, Iowa. Driveable afterwards. Right quarter panel and headlight assembly. My fault.
3. Summer 1972. Dover AFB, Delaware. Same car. A guy runs a stop sign. Not driveable. The whole passenger side sheet metal shot.
4. Summer 2002. My first Monte Carlo. I rear-ended a truck at the Elmore-Kimberly intersection near the office. The hood had to be replaced.
5. Summer 2008. Margret. The repair shop managed to dent-up her rear passenger side light assembly. Driveable, but a month to repair.
6. Does 1's totalling of the Escort in the TC's a few years back count?
7. How about 4's excitement with the Saturn?
8. Shared excitement with the original Hoopdrm? Multiple drivers, I think.
9. A couple of IC things with the Focus with 3 and 4.
10. Then there was the time I ran one of my high school cars dry of oil...

This was the first time in my life that I was transported to a hospital by ambulance. Or placed on a board with a neck brace by an EMT. Once is enough.

I'm headed to bed early and hope to get a full entry here tomorrow morning from SB's. (RevKev, I mean, like, I am giving up regular Coke, my all-time favorite drink, for the entire year. If I were to give up SB's, my body would go into emergency shut-down!)

Thanks for reading.

BCOT

Thursday

Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday failed to receive notice here earlier this week. So we're into full Lenten mode. Mardi Gras. Anybody giving anything up for these next six weeks?

And Spring Training games began this week. Does that mean that baseball season has started?

BTW, ...what is the World Baseball Classic?

I drove myself to work today for the first time since my accident. A little apprehension. No problems, but I see a lot of me riding while others are doing the driving in my future.

Another well-known newspaper is shutting down; The Rocky Mountain News. The Gray Lady is on a similar path. The traditional model is broken. I'm not sure what it will take to save the papers.

I plan to go into C-town tomorrow afternoon for Augie's 6PM game with Elmhurst College at the Wheaton College gym. Wheaton plays North Central College (from Naperville) in the second game. The winners play on Saturday night for the conference title, and the automatic berth in the NCAA D-III tournament. My pal Pete and I figure that tomorrow night's winners will both get in. The losers will likely be done for the year. (There's no NIT in D-III!)

We're coming home after the game, regardless of the outcome. If we win, there's a return trip for the championship game on Saturday.

Look for entries here and on Twitter from the road tomorrow (and maybe Saturday).

I'm not going to be able to receive my 3rd place award at the gathering of the writing contest participants tomorrow night. I want 2 to go in my stead. We'll see.

Postage rates go up as of May 11th. The letter rate goes to 44 cents. Why not 50?

That's all for now.

BCOT

Wednesday

Not much to add tonight.

Taking in a little Murphy Goode Cabernet. Good stuff.

So my effort in the writing contest was not totally to no avail. 3rd place in the non-fiction category was/is more than I expected. I turned in a piece that was not all that high on my standard. But I was glad that I stuck it out and turned in something. Given the accident and a lost Friday night, I could have taken a pass. I'm sure that there couldn't have been all that many entries in my category. Whatever. Like they say: you play the guys who show up.

I changed my pic on Twitter, and now have somehow change my whole set-up. I need to spend some time with 2 to get my act together.

Thanks for reading.

BCOT

Tuesday

Back on the couch in recovery mode. Not much improvement today. I seem to hit the wall around two or three, and have no trouble heading for the barn by four or five. Still not driving, although that's just being unnecessarily skittish.

The market reclaimed today most of yesterday's losses. Lots of doubts out there about the government's ability to fund the economy out of the recession. And not a small amount of backlash in the hinterland among folks not all that anxious to supplement the mortgage payments of others. The White House's theory is often expressed figuratively that, if a house in the neighborhood is burning, it is in the best interests of all the neighbors to man the bucket lines to put out the fire. Even if the fire was started by that neighbor's carelessness.

I don't buy the validity of that comparative. But I don't have the answer either. (This is where the economists throw a few equations with lots of variables into the Cray computers in the basement and come up with new visions...for new editions to their college texts. Going for $225 each. There's never been a recession in the college book market!)

Northern Trust is an old line banking institution that began in Chicago way back when. They're international now with lots of products and services. And according to the news, in possession of around $1.6 billion in TARP money. Which is rubbing some of the Lillie Whites on Capital Hill the wrong way after hearing of the parties and goings-on in conjunction with last week's Northern Trust Open (PGA golf tournament) in Southern California.

Cheryl Crow, the band Chicago, The Beverly Wilshire, and The Ritz Carlton are just some of the names making the headlines. Not to mention the title name of the tournament. Barney Frank and friends are having tingles all down their legs. Me? I think I'll open up a Northern Trust account tomorrow.

The convention business in LV, New Orleans, San Diego, Miami, Orlando, and other traditional destinations will wither up and die if we keep going this route. Not every company will be into TARP funds, but the money spent on these conferences is all deducted on returns filed with BO's Geithner. While Geithner has limited knowledge on the tax code, it will take the sleuths at the NYT about 30 seconds to put one and one together to get a story on their front pages for tax fraud. Public employees will be in the same boat for their national meetings.

It's a slippery slope. Even reporters have their own conventions.

And before anybody has too much heartburn, my reference to the President as BO, is certainly no worse than the derisive use of Dubya by virtually all of President Bush's critics in recent years.

And what about the stink on political cartoons? Between thin skin, the on-going MSM love-fest, and political correctness, we have Joe Biden and Bill Clinton to take the heat. Whoopee.

Somewhat relatedly, Jim Calhoun, the UConn men's coach got into it in a post-game news conference with a political activist who had acquired a media credential for the game. The questioner tried to embarrass Calhoun with an inquiry on his multi-million dollar contract. I've never been much of a fan of Calhoun, and he responded poorly with exaggerated indignation, but the bottom line is that the questioner was looking for headlines for himself.

Anyway, if we start with this trend of trying to limit compensation, where does it end? Does everybody have to drive a Chevy Impala (with a green engine), and vacation at the state fair?

I'm officially out of gas.

Have a great evening/day.

BCOT

Monday

Out of gas tonight

See you tomorrow.

BCOT

Sunday

Another day of recovery. But much better sleep last night, and the aches are diminishing. Still, no spin class for a few days.

I was lamenting at coffee this morning about the reality that it will likely cost me several thousand dollars to replace the Buick. (Insurance pays the current value of the car, which will be less than what a suitable replacement will cost.) My pal Tim (the author) reminded me that, "Cars are replaceable!)

It looks like the FFF for early June in C-town has been canned in favor of St. Louis when the Twins visit in late June. Tickets for Wrigley were sold out for two of the three games, and expensive for the third day. Scalping was an alternative, but the total cost for the weekend for the TC crowd became an issue. I'll be chatting with 2 to see if StL is in our future. Seeing the new Busch Stadium might be worth the trip.

High school girls basketball tournaments are in full swing in both Iowa and Illinois. The boys must start next week. My life focused on that tournament when I was that age. Of course, that was in a time before cable/satellite TV, video games, or the Internet. Towns got fully involved with their teams. It's still big in small towns, but the bigger schools often play before sparse crowds. The kids just have lots of other choices.

I'm thinking that I'm going to impose myself on friends for a couple more days and seek rides to my destinations. It's a new movie: Driving Lt. PC.

Here's a little recognition to 2 and 4 for a little support for Dear Old Dad. These were taken earlier this evening over at Mom's where we enjoyed some Chicken Noodle Soup for The Accident Victim.

Have a great evening/day

BCOT

Saturday

Well, it's been an interesting 30+ hours. Lousy sleeping last night. Just couldn't find a good position. Finally, I ended up on the couch with a bunch of pillows to prop me up.

I had my pal Ron come by and take me to SB's around 0730. Dr. Cal told me at coffee this morning that I could take ibuprofen with the Vicodin and doing so helped with the overall body aches.

I had to go into the office as I had arranged appointments for a couple of clients who needed Saturday times. I did OK.

I completed my writing assignment this afternoon. The prompt was a question: "Why are they all red?" Although the prompt came in an email last night, I just had no ability to address it then. So I gave it my best shot after my meetings this morning. Generally, my angle was a discussion about Tiger Woods always wearing red shirts in the final round of golf tournaments.

Snow here over night. About 2-3 inches.

4 is coming in tonight to check me out. We'll do din-din someplace, which won't be as good as The Airliner.

All other things having been equal, I would have traveled to Bloomington, Illinois tonight with my pal Pete for the Augie game at Illinois Wesleyan. It's a big game for Augie: a win and they are assured a birth in next week's 4-team conference tournament. A loss, and they need help by another team also losing.

All for now. I may add more after dinner with 4.

BCOT

Friday II

Headed to bed. Not a lot new to report. Thanks to all for the good wishes. I'll add more details tomorrow.

BCOT

Friday

The day started out great. No AM spin since I had planned to go to a class after work. I knew that I had a Planned Giving Council meeting over at Augie at 0730, so I had set the phone alarm for 0530 so that I would have extra time to get to SB's early for some Roy time. He has been out all week and he's headed back to Florida for a week of golf tomorrow. I woke before the alarm, did my full morning routine, and then put on the suit for the first time in months.

Since I so rarely wear a suit, I took the camera to the Augie breakfast and had another attendee snap this one of my pal Pete and myself for proof to disbelievers. Even the baristas were impressed with the look.

The Augie meeting get over around 0900. So I check in with Smith from the car as I'm headed out, knowing that I probably needed to go directly to a client meeting in a small Illinois town about 40 minutes away. Turns out that the client had called in and wanted me to phone them before leaving for the meeting. Which I did and determined that it worked better for all parties that we meet a town midway for lunch. Perfect for me since that gave me the chance to run home and change to jeans and a sweater. (This particular client may have choked if I shown up in a suit anyway!)

I come across the bridge and take Middle Road toward my house. Doing the speed limit or less. Seat belt on. Not talking on the phone or anything like that. Not a lot of traffic. I ease over to the left lane as I approach the final lighted intersection, with my signal very "green",less than 1/2 mile before the entry into my neighborhood. As I enter the intersection, I can see an older, tan-ish passenger van approaching the intersection from the other direction, in the left-turn lane, which was OK. Until he turns right in front of me!!!!!!

I am dead-ed meat. I slam on the brakes, and do a hard right turn to try to avoid a direct hit, but it doesn't help much. Boom!!! I hit hard and am juggled about in my seat. No bag deployment. I'm dazed, but never lose consciousness. It creates a big hubbub in the street. Several citizens stop, and at least a couple come over to me. And I recall one guy who is on his walkie-talkie radio calling the cops/medics. Within minutes, there are cops and firemen and Emergency workers all over the place.

Like I said, I was stunned, but I didn't think anything was broken. Eventually an EMT took charge and they put a neck brace on me and pulled me from the car and placed me on a board from transport to the ambulance. I was taken to Genesis East (no sirens or flashing lights), x-rayed, examined and otherwise observed for about three hours. No fractures, and no other discernible ill-effects. But very sore in the chest, lower back, and right wrist. Once they could determine that there were no serious injuries, they brought in the Vicodin, and that has helped a lot with my comfort level.

My pal Bill came to the hospital to babysit me while the process unfolded. Upon discharge, we were able to go to the towing company down by the Bettendorf police station and retrieve my personal effects. I was most concerned about my glasses, the camera, and one of my Nike running gloves, all of which the EMT's told me to worry about later. All were there and Bill cleaned out most of the other stuff in the car. And we then stopped by Walgreens for the Vicodin prescription.

So I'm now on my couch in recovery mode. Still very sore. No spin class tonight. It might be a very low-key weekend.

The Buick looks like toast. But whether they "total" it or not remains to be seen. I seriously doubt if PC will want it fixed. Aren't they trying to dump a bunch of over-supplied new cars at GM?

I will probably get back on here later this evening.

Thanks for the concern.

BCOT

Thursday II

The Tof C ends in the town of Paso Robles today. This the geographic home of the J. Lohr winery. The J. Lohr Cabernet is a family fav, and was served at a certain celebration in St. Paul in the Summer of 2007. The home page for the town lists dozens of other wineries. It might be worth the trip one day.

That "thud" you heard in the background was the market finishing the day at new lows. Hard to be optimistic with so much bad news in the air. I think companies are actually worth more than zero, but establishing a specific value above zero is proving to be difficult.

Another shout out to 3 and 4. 3 for working very hard and long this week on some projects at the office. 4 for granting me forgiveness (I hope) for not getting her weekly letter in the mail so far this week.

.

So hope everyone is having a great day.

.

BCOT

Thursday

I'm not sure what the deal was with my computer last night. It was almost like you were in a traffic jam and you could get on the road, but once there, nothing was moving. Finally, things opened up, but by then it was my bedtime.

This Verizon "anywhere" access exhibits the same kind of contrariness as you encounter with your phone service on occasion. The signal just loses it's strength and calls get lost. Sometimes its the weather. Sometimes its location. Sometimes its just gremlins. I'm thinking that last night it was the latter explanation.

Busy day here. I'll try to add to this later.

BCOT

Tuesday

Well, we have a day of change here on 4Kdays. It started with "Twitter", which led to the reformatting of my blog page, and the Twitter thing is still in development. Technology is a never-ending story.

I had become aware of Twitter during the political campaign. (Not all of The Old (Right) Guard were oblivious to contemporary communications!) But my curiosity was not truly peaked until this week when Lance's twitters became instant news in the TofC. So I took the time this afternoon to check it out and set up an account. I'm guessing that the phone access is next.

I can see where political operatives with the need for instant information can gain some leverage with Twitter. And celebrities who have large followings (and egos) can feed the media from their Blackberries in the limos. I'm pretty sure that there's no crying need in the vapor-sphere for any detailed minutia on my comings and goings. I guess we'll see.

Another big hit (miss?) on the day was A-Fraud. I failed to watch his press conference, but the reviews weren't too good. Of course, he stood no chance with the critics. Given his contract, demeanor, and Mendoza-line batting average in October, nothing he could say would (will) change his taint among the Baseball Writers of America (who just happen to be the voters for the Hall of Fame). The good ol' boys from the 40's, 50's and 60's who partied their way season after season, and got a pass from the press, are enshrined.

I've always said that today's mudrakers got their licenses to dig from Bernstein and Woodward. The standard today is what it is. A-Rod knows it. I just don't like the media judges thinking that they have some high ground to protect for the benefit of society. Kind of like paper coffee cups. My world isn't changing because some hack was able to leak a positive test on A-Rod. Whatever.

A great day here on the homestead. It was RCL day!

Does anyone outside of Michigan actually think that GM is worth saving?

Spin in the AM. Dubuque for a late morning meeting. Busy times.

Have a great evening/day. Look for a twitter!

BCOT

Monday

So the weekend was a bit of a bust for the blog. The Road to Perdition is paved with good intentions.

How about a Top Ten list to start the week? I'm thinking of 10 conveniences of modern daily life that I could get along without. Not necessarily because of some "green" initiative, or philosophical effort to better society. Just some routine things that I have or use, the elimination of which would not adversely affect my life:

1. Paper coffee cups. I could use a cup from home. (Al, this one's for you!)

2. Bottled water. (Another one for Al!)

3. Lifesaver peppermints. (I'll just ease up on the garlic!)

4. Shaving cream. (Hey, I only shave twice a week. Ivory soap was good enough for Daddy!)

5. Sun glasses. (What did they do before Oakley's anyway?)

6. Pennies. (It's a problem for the government as well.)

7. Store bags of any sort, for any store. (I just have to remember to bring my own!)

8. Carbonated soda. And I love Classic Coke.

9. Paper towels. I think. They do come in handy.

10. The US Postal Service. Seriously. Think about it.

It took me all ten elements to come up with a truly great idea. The USPS is a "dead man walking". A veritable Detroit sucking money for a failed business model. If people want daily delivery, make them pay a fee. If there's enough demand at the fee level, outsource the deal to the private sector. If companies still feel a need for a service to deliver the ads and other solicitations, pay up. Find a way. Or better, a different way.

Shifting to the other side of the spectrum, here's a nominal effort at a Top Ten list of similarly simple things that I am not prepared to give up in my daily life, at least not for now:

1. The SB's coffee in the cup that I will bring from home. I'm hooked.

2. The computer on my bike. I need to know my speed.

3. A nice selection of T-shirts. With a story for each.

4. Classic Nabisco Saltine crackers. They go great with Tuscan red.

5. A well formed, clean baseball hat.

Well, that's half of a Top Ten list and that's all I have for now.

Finally, I walked out of the oh-dark-hundred spin class this morning with one of the "regulars", kind of whining my way to the exit. She asked, "But don't you feel good when you're done?" And my thought was, "No". Actually, I am glad that its over. But there is really no part of me physically that is real happy with having gone through it.

A shout out to 3 who is on the road back to Beantown.

And a belated Happy Valentine's Daytona to all.Here's to Levi for kicking some serious butt today in the rain near the Bay area. That's RevKev in the 20th position giving his impression of Rosie Ruiz.

BCOT

Friday

Happy Friday the 13th. Pick your poison!
.
.
Seems like the editorial board is a bit prudish. I mean, it's Sports Illustrated, for crying out loud!


B (Especially) COT (Today)

Thursday II

Just so that the other readers understand the body painting topic. Click the pic if you want a close up of the geography.

Thursday

Happy Birthday, Abe!

Wednesday

Slow news day today. But this arrived in the morning mail.

There's some inverse marginal analysis that applies to my declining interest in this publication over the last several years. First, I'm obviously getting older. Second, the models are just as obviously getting younger. And third, the ratio of covered to uncovered skin is no longer statistically relevant.

Hard to believe that this annual issue used to be fodder for outrage in some public libraries. And general readership would have a measurable percentage cancel their subscriptions due to the inappropriate content. I'm thinking that what's available on the Internet today makes those old time protests a bit trivial. Times change.

NASCAR becomes fully engaged tomorrow with the two 150 mile qualifying races (called the Gatorade Duals). They had the top two spots determined by normal qualifying runs on Sunday, but the rest of the field will be set depending on tomorrow's races. The economy has definitely impacted NASCAR, but it's not like they won't hold the races. New sponsors have stepped in, teams have tightened up their belts, and the good operators will make it. Kind of like life. Tell that to the clowns in Washington.

And the pro peloton arrives on the Left Coast Saturday to begin the 8-stage Amgen Tour of California. Lance is there with Team Astana, but the team is committed to working for two-time defending champ, Levi Leipheimer. With the first three stages in what an Iowan would call the general Bay Area, we should expect an on-scene report from RevKev, eh?

Have a great day.

BCOT

Tuesday

11 possible correct answers to the question, "What is Ice?":

1. A hot shot pilot with Maverick in Top Gun.
2. What ran through Bird or Jordan's veins at game time.
3. What's on the road when you do an unexpected 360.
4. What's also known as rocks in a drink at the bar.
5. The last name of a white rapper named Vanilla?
6. Who, with a T, was/is a black rapper in Law & Order?
7. What is also known as stolen diamonds?
8. What 4 wheel drive vehicles are no better on?
9. What kind of a stare, with a "y", that I get from the hot babe at the bar.
10. What you try to do to a kicker about to attempt a game winning field goal.
11. What you need to put in your cell phone contacts list.

OK. So the list was a little sketchy. But the 11th entry is news to me. Since I had my phoned turned in to SB's yesterday, I learned that the finder's good intentions are only as good as the decipherable numbers in the phone. In my case, "House" happens to be my abbreviation for Sue's place. Which really doesn't do any good when she's not home. And since I have no land line anyway, direct contact to me is not going to happen.

I do have "Office" listed, which seems like a good option in the middle of the day, but they aren't Batista's for no reason. But I digress.

ICE. In Case of Emergency. It's a universal code, I am told. They need to make that one of the first instructions to cell phone owners. Never had heard of it. It's in the phone now.

So that's all for today. Glad ReveKev is up 'n at 'em in the middle of the night. That boy needs a life.

BCOT

Monday

My day was pretty well defined by my phone being in the drawer at Starbuck's until about 6:45 this evening. Without my knowledge.

4 had a great entry. She needs to give us more.

Have a great day.

BCOT

Sunday

Sorry for the absence. Friday was a typical Friday with Tuscan red. Saturday just got busy.

Here's a shot of my pal Pete, spouse, and Augie senior from last night's Senior Night festivities. Big win for the home team, which 2 and I thoroughly enjoyed. For continued exceptional performance in all things, Pete earns a first ever for 4000 Days, Friend of the Day! I took him to the airport at 0450 this morning for a much-deserved trip to the tropics. (If you can't take your bud to the airport at oh-dark-hundred, what good are ya?)

Enjoyed 1's comment on Wednesday's post about her cart at school. Is a teacher with a cart related to a Bag Lady? Actually, I do remember authentic bag ladies on the streets of Chicago. On both ends of the spectrum. My guess is that both categories are still there on the streets of C-town today.

Another quick trip over to IC to see 4 for lunch earlier today. We went to a place near The Airliner that serves exclusively burgers. With all kinds of options for condiments and cheeses. With fries...or not. No other sides. So, since I am off potatoes, I had a burger. Period. Not bad, but a little cold slaw or veggie option would have been nice.

Busy traffic on I-80 coming back the the QCA. There must be some rule about truckers cooling their heels until afternoon on Sundays because the big rigs were definitely out in greater force on the return trip. Which made taking this pic of my favorite tree a bit of a challenge. My guess is that the guy I was passing as I set my camera on top of the steering wheel may have got a little nervous.

Taking pictures from the car is probably a little less dangerous than doing crosswords, as was my wont before my eyes went bad. When it got to the point where I had to take my glasses off to do the crosswords, while driving, I concluded that maybe I should wait till I got to my destination to complete the puzzles.

How different is doing puzzles while driving with texting while driving? Or dialing? Or logging on? Again, fodder for another day.

This old tree has seen a lot of the Times of My Life. From those first trips in the '60's when I first went to ND, to those many trips from the QCA to Ottumwa to visit the farm when the girls were young. And all those visits to IC for FFF. If it could talk, it might gives us a shout every time one of us rolled past.

All the sports pundits now sit in judgment of A-Rod. I'm not much of an A-Rod fan, but listening to these hacks pontificate from On High is at least as bad. On another day, I will vent further (and, admittedly, again) on this segment of media low-lifes.

3 should give us some details on her weekend experience in the Big Apple, including her version of The Wheels on The Bus.

So hope everyone has a great week. More 50's here which means that even the dirty piles of snow should soon be gone.

Thanks for reading.

BCOT

Thursday

This is "Bossy".

Actually, we named all the cows. I remember Queeny. Beyond her, I'm at a loss. But they all had names.

My latest interesting exercise was the VRS (voice recognition software) on the United Airlines reservations systems. Mostly, I tried to jump the program, but it wasn't easy.

The deal was driven by my unexpected rescheduling of the Phoenix trip in October and the related no-cancellation airfare. I had to rebook by March to limit my loss to a $100 re-ticketing fee. So I found a relevant conference in early May and decided to take the leap. In the end, I was successful, but the agent in the Philippines was borderline.

Getting to the agent reminded me of the firewall in the automated response system at the Colorado Department of Revenue. Colorado actually didn't want to have taxpayers talk to anyone, so they created loops that would take you from A to B, and then to C and D, but ultimately, back to A. In the end, I grew to be highly impressed with their ATV (ability to avoid).

The Taurus has become the ultimate pit. I actually put some stuff in there Tuesday when I was trying to de-clutter my kitchen in anticipation of my RCL (Russian Cleaning Lady). My pal Bill needed a ride yesterday at lunch, so I had to pitch stuff from the front seat to the back seat. I suppose that the next progression is for the back seat stuff to go to the trunk. Where does it go from the trunk?

The movement of that stuff in the car could be a microcosm of the veritable Everyman's backpack in life. We're always moving stuff. Up through our twenties, we usually don't have much stuff. (Most of it will fit in a car!) In our thirties and forties (and maybe some in their fifties), we gather stuff. And move it in trucks from town to town and house to house. Different people need different sizes of trucks.

At some point, we stop gathering stuff, and begin to consider getting rid of the stuff that we own. ( Obviously, we all know some people who can't seem to throw anything away. These people need help.) Goodwill. Salvation Army. VFW. Garage sales. The estate auction. In Bettendorf, they have large item pick-up a couple times a year. You can get rid of a lot of stuff by setting it out at the curb. If the scavengers don't take it first, the city takes it to the dump.

Well, I could go on here, but I might lose the audience. So maybe another time.

Maybe 50 here tomorrow. Suite.

BCOT

Wednesday

No blog today.

BCOT

Tuesday

Looks like we have a lot of interest in C-town. You guys figure it out.

RevKev has shown a lot of enthusiasm in the New Year. I thought one of the reasons that you chose education as a career was to create scheduling flexibility. I'm not sure that 0430 work outs in the middle of January/February fit my vision of the Ivory Towers.

My Russian cleaning lady was here today! Yea! All's right with the world again!

The IRS has issued a new form. It's called the Form 1040DEM. Think about it.

For the last couple of days, the road crews have been out grinding down the expansion-joint bumps that had popped up on the main drag by our office (that was actually re-black-topped just last Fall). I'm thinking that this little episode is a vignette of performance in any division of government. Think TARP, stimulus, or Madoff. My confidence is low. I am not alone.

The European Destinations website that I used for the Italy tickets last night, called today saying that they couldn't process my request. They claimed that their shtick is that they need to book at least the hotel or car in addition to the air. Even though their system allowed me to do just the flight. So they directed me to an air-only site, and I re-booked the same flights from the night before...for an additional $90. What do you think that the airlines' normal kick-back is to the vacation sight? Whatever.

So a little short tonight.

Have a great day tomorrow.

BCOT

Monday

I'm thinking that Punxsutawney Bill saw his shadow today and that we now have six more weeks of Winter. As though we didn't know that Winter wasn't done!

The clock has officially started for the trip to Italia. I jumped on the airline tickets today. Depart September 15th out of O'Hare for Milan. Change planes in Munich on the way over and Copenhagen on the way back. Now 2 will need to get on the stick with the itinerary.

And 1.1 reached out and suggested a Cubs weekend when the Twins are at Wrigley in early June. It's a possibility, but that's TOMRV weekend, and 2 will need to pick me up in Galena on Saturday afternoon, and we'll have to head straight to C-town to make dinner. Lots of planning still to do on this one.

My pal Bill sprung for a massage therapist for his staff this afternoon. I can honestly say that the idea of bringing a masseuse to the office as an employee appreciation effort never quite hit my radar screen. I took my place in line (last), and I think that I was a lost cause.

Finally, there was a brief article in the WSJ Weekend edition about "Open That Bottle Night". The short story, if you're saving that good bottle of wine for a special occasion, make sure that you figure out a special occasion to drink it. I chose the Super Bowl to pop the cork on a Kenwood Jack London cabernet that had been gathering some dust. An excellent choice. Life is short. (It didn't even feel too bad at spin this AM!)

So have a great day.

BCOT

Sunday

Great day for February 1st. Too bad that Arizona scored with too much time left on the clock for Pittsburgh to score the winner. I thought the half time show was better than any of the commercials.

Great spin this AM. Perfect trip over to IC to lunch with 4.

The Augie game last night was a bummer. Wheaton wins by 10. Augie just couldn't put it in the hole, and made some crucial turnovers at the end of the game. They sorely missed their only inside guy with any muscle. The big man bull for Wheaton had 18 points and 17 rebounds. Ouch.

4 was impressed today with my new, very "trendy" jeans from the Gap. So was 1 when she saw them in Houston. As I stated on both occasions, my choice was driven by price and availability of the styles in my size offered at the on-line discount price. And I really wasn't all that sure of the color or texture of what I was buying. Is there some auto, old-guy-buyer-protection-plan meant to assist guys in my position from embarrassing themselves? It worked for me.

By the by...what do all the sports writers/radio hosts/football analysts do now that the Super Bowl is over? Does anyone care? Are they covered under the Hollywood exception of the Big O's stimulus plan?

Busy week ahead.

BCOT