Friday

I had the intention to get this up last night to give a short recap of my Wednesday celebrations, but it just didn't happen.  I'm finding that writing in the early AM is easier than doing the blog at night.  What does that mean?

Long story short, Wednesday was low-key all day, but lots of the right buttons were pushed and it was just the right mix of conversation and activity.  Plenty of chat at Coffee, lunch and all the right phone calls.  2 and I then shared that nice bottle of top-shelf J. Lohr for din-din...along with a quality Harris pizza...and saw Augie come away with that big win.  A quality day.  Thanks to all.

(Almost forgot...In addition to the other positives to the day, it was RCL Wednesday.  In my world, RCL days are always good days!)

I'm not sure if its the Sometimer's or me just being a male, but I really can't remember distinctly much of my adult birthday celebrations other than the 50th and 60th.  No recollection at all for 21, 30 or 40 which tend to be significant milestones.  21 would have been junior year at ND, but I suppose that I might have actually been in Ottumwa on the date since Christmas vacation back then usually extended a little longer than the two weeks that most colleges have now.  I'm sure it was a midnight drink wherever I was at the time.

The Big 3-0 would have been C-town.  We coulda been on a ski trip at the time, although those trips were usually for a week, inclusive of New Year's, so we should have been back in Arlington Heights by the 8th.  And 40 would have been Davenport.  I just don't have any recollection of big parties or wild times for either of those dates.  Back then, I was bullet-proof and I never gave age a thought.

Now 50 was a memory maker...boys golf trip in Cabo.  That was back in a time when I stayed up after 9 PM, and I admit that there was alcohol involved.  And 60 was the Surprise Party on Maplecrest...which did catch me by surprise.  Another good time.

That bottle of top-shelf J Lohr was the one carrying the label of "Carol's Vineyard".  I had noticed a year or two back that this top-shelf  bottle had two variations.  Initially, I had noticed only the "Hilltop Vineyard" designation on the label.  Then it may have been at my favorite spot, Total Wine & Spirits, that I noticed this second labeling for the bottle.  An Internet search got me a readable version of the back-side information.  You may be able to click on this text-shot to get the story.  Its a very nice bottle of wine.

Moving on...

I've never been a huge fan of Doug Collins or his son Chris, but if last night's dismantling of Northwestern by the Hawks is any measure, NW is going to need some serious reinforcements to be competitive in the Big 10.  I'm sure that people see NW as a possible Duke of the Midwest, but unless Chris Collins gets some players, it ain't gonna be pretty.  Just like Iowa's previous coach (Todd Lickliter) proved, a nice resume means zippo if you don't have Big 10 caliber players.

(OK sports enthusiasts, how many out there knew (before doing a Google search!) that Doug Collins went to Illinois State and was on that 1972 US Olympic basketball team that lost to the Russians?)

Finally, many thanks to the extended clan members who have graciously included me on their Christmas card lists.  I guess I've become "that little bit odd" uncle in Iowa who has those four girls.  I'm ok with that.

No big plans here for the weekend.  I'm just looking forward to having it not be minus a million degrees for a while.

Make it a Good Friday in your neighborhood.  And...

BCOT

***Had to change that Home page pic.  Made me cold just lookin' at it!***