Sunday

Well, the Hawks came within 30 seconds of a perfect season.  Not much you can say.  Woulda, coulda, shoulda.  But in the end, they just couldn't get a stop on that long drive.  MSU had just enough.  I sure hope the Hawks get the Rose Bowl as the door prize.

This is probably the day that Margret goes into storage for the Winter.  My pal Cal has a new multi-car garage and there's a spot reserved for Margret.  That makes things a little less packed-in on Century Heights Avenue.


I have managed to pick up another cold.  Not awful at this point, but the typical runny-nose, gravel-ly throat and general head congestion.  Going the route of lots of OJ and fruit.  Not sure where it came from.


I elected to go over to Augie last night for their basketball game rather than get hooked-into the pr-game and start of the Iowa game.  I figured that I'd leave at halftime and still be able to see as much of the Hawks as I needed.  And that's how it worked out.  Augie killed Wisconsin Stevens Point by 23 points in the rematch of last Spring's championship game.  Well, actually it wasn't a true rematch.  While Augie has all of their guys back, there was only one returning SP starter, and he was no where's near enough to keep pace with the Augie rotation.  Really nice crowd.

I give credit to the Steven's Point coach for taking this game.  He had to know that his squad would be hard pressed (literally) in this one, but he brought 'em in and took the hammering.  Then again, he knows that a loss like this won't hurt his tournament chances, and it puts his players on notice of just how much work they have to do to get back up to national-level competition.  The Augie team looks good...and hungry.  They play at least 10 guys...and there's not much of a drop-off in that second unit.  They have a predatory defense.  No wonder Augie couldn't get a D-I pre-season game.  Like why would you?

I am reminded that this is 3.01's four week birthday.  You are Grandson of the Day!  Wow! That went fast.  A month on Tuesday.  I am told that 4 has become the Baby Whisperer.

Auntie Soo is headed out that way on Friday.  I'll have The Winniferous for the weekend.

I had to order new checks for my personal bank account last week.  I like to think that I don't spend that much money on things that need a written check, but I obviously have more payees than I casually might consider.  Most of my recurring bills are done on-line: credit cards, utilities, etc.  But I write checks for charitable contributions, odd-ball things like car repairs, hair-cuts, taxes and some insurance coverages.  There's a cost to pay your bills.  Hmmm.  Think about it.

I'm a bit impressed (not favorably so) at the cost of the checks, $45 for 300 checks.  No special design.  The same name/address as from prior orders.  I'm trying to remember if you always paid for checks or not.  I mean, you, Bank, are holding/using my money...paying me no interest...and I have to pay you so that I can use it?  Meh.  There is a service involved that is beneficial to me...but, it doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies to pay for the checks themselves.

Its a little like the old ways in Vegas where the cost of the hotel room and the food was almost a give-away by the casinos, just to get the gamblers to come into the place.  Then they figured out that they could charge people for that stuff...and they would still come to town.  Now, unless you're a recognized "player", you pay rack rates for the rooms and the restaurants.  Free lunches are hard to find these days.  Its all the Big O's fault.  (Just checking to see if anyone was reading!)

I may not get on the blog tomorrow.  Remember its Pearl Harbor Day on the 7th.  Say a prayer for our service men and women.

Thanks for reading.

BCOT