Glorious fun

We've had a glorious weekend.

With temperatures in the 60s today, we did our church stuff. Then I demanded that we get outside for a walk.

I retrieved Phoebe's pink tricycle from its winter storage facility -- aka the basement. Then, Kates and I walked the neighborhood, with Phoebe peddling alongside us, and headed for the playground on the university campus. Phoebe climbed the monkey bars, slid down the slides, and swung on the swingset for what seemed like hours as Kates and I stood nearby and took it all in.

Now I've got some records on as I prepare for my mind for another week. A glorious way to end a glorious weekend.

* * *

This morning we said goodbye to Kates' parents, who arrived Thursday night to spend the weekend with us. ... To say Phoebe was happy having Grandma and Grandpa S. around this weekend is an understatement. There were some serious tears running down her cheeks this morning as they prepared to leave.

I can't say we did anything out of the ordinary or overly exciting with them here. Nowadays, any time we can visit family members, their presence alone is enough.

After they arrived Thursday night, we ordered food from a Thai food place in town that Kates and I have wanted to try for a while -- and it was good. ... Friday, Kates, Phoebe and I went off to school, but the grandparents followed and spent a little time with Phoebe in her classroom during the morning. During the evening, we dined out at one of The 'Ville's finest restaurants.

Saturday, we slept late. And in the afternoon, Kates and her mother finished a duvet cover they've been working on for Phoebe's bed, while Kates' dad and I walked to the campus for the Bearcat basketball team's regular season finale.

Going in, I knew it had the potential to be a thriller. Our team was going up against a close rival in basketball, both teams were ranked in the top 20, and the winner took the conference championship.

The 'Cats burst out to a 10-2 lead to start the game, and they held a 34-23 lead at halftime. Things looked good.

But the game got interesting during the second half. Our opponent chipped away at the lead and then, with 1:20 remaining in the game, tied the score at 63 with a pair of free throws.

Both teams battled for the lead and the game came down to a final possession for our opponent at the 15-second mark. After a timeout, the away team ran a play. Missed a jumper for the win. Missed a tip-in for the win. And the Bearcats grabbed the rebound with 4 seconds left in regulation.

I jumped so high in the bleachers that I nearly stumbled on the bench in front of me on my way down.

Our star point guard sank two free throws with two seconds left. And then it was over. Our team won the game 67-64, and "We Are the Champions" began to power through through the sound  system as the players received the conference trophy.

We hung around to watch the celebration play out and see the players cut down the nets. It was a glorious scene to witness ...

On a glorious weekend.

Ho ho hum

So we decorated our house for Christmas this weekend.

For the last few years, Christmas decorating has not been something I’ve looked forward to. Because it means pulling heavy boxes from the back of a storage closet. Untangling lights. … And Kates and I always end up bickering about what ornaments should go where on the tree, or how certain decorations should be arranged on the shelves. Don’t get me started on some of her Christmas tins and her affliction for snowmen.

Just today I made three separate trips to Wal-mart for extra lights and storage containers.

It also didn’t help that our Bearcats lost to one of our biggest rivals. We had the game streaming on the internet as the decorating commenced, and when the Cats went up 10-0 in the first quarter, it looked as though it was going to be our team’s day once more. But the opponent outscored us 7-41 the rest of the way. Season over.

On a side note: I broke for my second trip to Wal-mart during halftime of the football game. To my delight, the store’s sound system was broadcasting the game. The same was true when I stopped across the street a few minutes later at the grocery store. It was one of those “You know you’re in The ‘Ville when …” moments. It’s pretty special to have the town embrace the team to that degree.

We actually set up the tree Friday night, and Phoebe -- as always -- was all about helping me. In fact, it couldn’t have been a better project for her. With each of the branches coded by letters and colors, Phoebe was all over it. First she followed my directions to separate each of the branches by their colors. Then, when it was time to assemble the tree, I called out the letters I needed and she brought them to me with gusto. I enjoyed every minute of it.

By Saturday evening the three of us were cheerfully decorating the Christmas tree together …

We also got out an old videotape of children’s television specials my parents handed down to me shortly after Phoebe was born. The tape starts with “A Chipmunk Christmas,” and Phoebe was enthralled … It goes on with “The Christmas Toy,” a live- action, Jim Henson-produced Christmas story about what happens when toys’ owners are not in the room. Or as I like to call it, the original “Toy Story.”

So another year of decorating is complete. … In a few weeks, the taking down of the decorations.

Thankful for the Muppets and more

We said goodbye to Kates’ family about 9:30 this morning and capped a weekend of much joy, celebration, togetherness and thanksgiving.

We filled the rest of today with cleaning, watching Toy Story movies, and naps.

As I write this, Phoebe is napping in our bedroom closet. At about 4:30, out of the corner of my eye, I saw her carry a stack of blankets up the stairs. I figured she was doing something with her dolls in her room, but after 10 minutes of quiet I went looking for her and eventually found her cozied-up in our closet. “Dad, close the doors. I’m trying to take a nap,” she whispered. So I did, and Kates found her snoring away about 10 minutes later.

* * *

After Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day to Remember, we all got a good night’s sleep and rolled out of bed one by one. We treated Friday as we would have treated Thursday. The ladies took to the kitchen to prepare the Thanksgiving meal, while the men pitched in with the food when needed, between reading and romping around with Phoebe, inside and out.

The meal was served around 5, and it just might have been the best-tasting -- or at the least my favorite -- Thanksgiving meal of all time. It was Kates’ first-ever turkey, and she cooked it to perfection. The meat was tender and we loaded our plates with mashed potatoes and gravy, corn bread stuffing, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, almond-covered green beans, fennel salad, cranberry-orange relish and crescent rolls.

The men took care of the kitchen clean-up -- very efficiently, I might add -- and we settled in for the night cap. Phoebe put on her concert for the girls in the living room (In addition to “Deer in the Headlights,” she’s now added “Fireflies,” “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye” and “Now” to her repertoire.). Then Grandma S. got the honor of reading her bedtime stories and tucking her in.

Once Phoebe was asleep, we thumbed through our movie collection and broke open the pies -- apple-cranberry, pumpkin and pecan -- for a late dessert. “Juno” proved to be the popular movie choice, and it turned out that Kates and I were the only ones who had seen it. I certainly didn’t mind watching it again, and it got a thumbs-up all around the living room as the end credits rolled. … Afterward, we flipped through the TV channels in search of another good flick. We landed on “The Shawshank Redemption” and watched some of it before each of us headed for our beds, one by one.

* * *

The house didn’t begin stirring until after 8:30 Saturday morning. After breakfast, we bundled up -- the gusty winds made the 50-degree temperatures feel like 30 -- and we headed outside for a walk and tour of the university campus.

By the time we returned to the house around 12:30, the ’Cats football playoff game had begun. I got the game going on the radio, and we unloaded the refrigerator of Thanksgiving leftovers for lunch. … After that, I took Orrin and Kelli for a driving tour of The ’Ville, as we continued to listen to the game on the car radio.

About that game. Last weekend, the ’Cats played from behind for most of their first round game until the defense recovered a fumble at the opponent’s 8-yard-line and ran it in for what proved to be the game-winning score with eight minutes left in regulation. So this weekend, the ‘Cats headed to Texas, where they took on the No. 1 seed in the region. Again, they found themselves behind, by as many as 18 midway through the second quarter.

But as they’ve done again and again, the ‘Cats clawed back and tied the game at 31 apiece with under five minutes left to play. With 10 second left in the regulation, the ‘Cats got new life once more when their opponent missed a 27-yard field goal attempt into the wind and sent the game to overtime.

In overtime, the ‘Cats wasted little time scoring a touchdown and went ahead 38-31. That meant their opponent got an opportunity to match the score … It came down to a fourth down and a pass attempt. When the dust settled, the radio announcers shouted that the pass was incomplete and the ‘Cats had won, our house erupted. … Not that there was any doubt the ’Cats would win it. On to round three next weekend to avenge that loss at Arrowhead Stadium a couple months ago.

Once the excitement of the ‘Cats game died down, we turned our attention to the Wisconsin-Penn State game, which the Badgers won handily. … Better yet, I learned later that my high school alma mater, Olathe South, won the state football championship yesterday.

Before the Badgers game was over, everyone in the house retreated somewhere for a nap. The house was quiet until 5:30 p.m.

* * *

Finally, it was the show we’d all been waiting for: The Muppets. Aside from our Thanksgiving dinner, it was the most anticipated event of the weekend. But the plans were thrown into doubt when things went south Thanksgiving Day. Kates, Phoebe and I were readying to head out the door to see it Thursday night when Kates’ parents called with the good news that they were going to make it after all.

We saw it as part of the local movie theater’s dinner show series. Kates prodded me Friday night to make reservations for the showing, and it was a good thing because the place was packed. … The wait staff wasn’t exactly on their game either, which was an annoyance. First, we waited more than the average time for our food. Then, they brought the appetizers with our main course, and they messed up Kates’ dad’s pasta order by putting cheese on it, which he can’t eat.

The film, on the other hand, was pure movie magic. Whether Phoebe was sitting in Kates’ lap, Grandma’s lap, or Grandpa’s lap, she sat mesmerized, wide eyes staring at the screen, for most of the show. Interestingly, she never did make the connection of Amy Adams’ Mary character in the Muppets movie to Adams’ Giselle character in Phoebe’s beloved “Enchanted” -- which by the way, we also watched after we returned home last night.

The movie was a delight to watch from beginning to end. Jason Segel nailed it, and the casting was perfect, too. My biggest beef may be that I wanted more out of the cameos -- particularly Neil Patrick Harris and John Krasinski, who were relegated to pretty much answering phones. On the other hand, Jim Parsons as the human version of the newest Muppet, Walter, was pretty great; and when Emily Blunt appeared as Miss Piggy’s assistant at Vogue, you could hear whispers across the theater as people leaned into one another to acknowledge Blunt played the assistant to Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly in “The Devil Wears Prada.”

There were moments the film dragged, but the plot always picked up with “gags like the “travel-by-map,” montages and other Muppet zaniness that helped make the puppets so popular in the first place. The movie also produced several smart and ironic one-liners that were easy to miss if your mind was wandering. (Mary, early in the movie after the quest to reunite the Muppets appears to be finished: “This is going to be a really short movie.”)

Of all the reviews I’ve read, Entertainment Weeky’s seems to align to closest with my thoughts. They gave it a B+.

Good reads ...
a The New York Times: Getting the Gang Together Again
a The Kansas City Star: ‘The Muppets’ make a triumphant return
a Boston Globe: Pure fun, no strings attached: ‘Muppets’ revels in ingenious absurdity
a USA Today: Jason Segel's green with admiration for 'The Muppets'

Classic 'Cats

With the success of last weekend’s ‘Cats football game, our team lived to see the playoffs. … And Phoebe wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

While Kates stayed home to clean for our Thanksgiving company, Phoebe wanted to travel to the game with me. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined this scenario 10 years ago, and this father couldn’t be more proud.

About the football. … This was week one of the playoffs. After an unbelievable start, our team squeaked in as the fifth of six seeds in our region. It appears they’ll play all of their games on the road. If they win all four, we’ve got a ticket to play in the national championship game for the sixth time in seven years.

We’ve got a long way to go, but some might say we have a team of destiny on our hands. They lost two games this season -- by a total of six points. Both were the result of a fourth quarter comeback by the opponents. … But this team has a way of playing at another level in the playoffs. No matter the deficit they will find a way to overcome it. And don't forget this season has an added meaning.

This weekend we were going against our bitter rivals to the south. Think of it as our version of the Duke-North Carolina rivalry in college basketball. We’re close in proximity and we hate losing to each other. One of our two regular season losses was to them. ... Just walking on to their campus today made my skin crawl.

Pheebs and I arrived at the stadium and met friends Mallory and Matt at the gates. Our team’s fans had already packed the sideline bleachers, so we ended up in a set of bleachers behind one of the end zones … I bought Phoebe a box of popcorn, which I think is the real reason she loves going to the games, and we set in for what was sure to be a classic.

It started rough for the ’Cats. As in ugly rough. … On the first play from scrimmage, one of our guys fumbled a lateral that led to a score. Then, an interception that led to a 58-yard-field goal. Then, a second interception for a 55-yard touchdown return. And -- bam! -- our team was down 0-16 just four minutes into the game.

At halftime, we trailed 7-22. … You could say it was déjà vu. Last year, we trailed the same team 0-17 at halftime in the first round of the playoffs. We won that game 28-24.

Anyone who’s come to know our team as I have over the years knows it’s not over until the final second ticks off the clock. In our fans’ minds, we always knew we would win that game today.

So in the second half, our boys tightened their play and -- voilà -- we trailed 27-29 at the end of the third quarter. … At this point, it’s worth noting that our marching band plays the fight song after each of our scores. After one of the scores, I got distracted but snapped out of it to catch Phoebe, who never ceases to amaze me, shouting the university cheer that comes at the end of the song. She knew exactly what to do when she heard that song.

Closing in on eight minutes left in the game, our kicker missed a 26-yard field goal into the wind that would have given us our first lead in the game. … But in the wake of our letdown, something happened and the next thing any of us saw was one of our defensive linemen carrying the football into the end zone for what proved to be the game-winning score. It turned out the opposing quarterback fumbled the snap, and a two-point conversion put us up for good, 35-29.

The defense held on. Time ran out. And our students stormed the field when it was over.

As the celebration settled, I boosted Phoebe on to my shoulders and we joined the team and remaining fans on the field for the customary post-game gathering.

My friend Gina sent me a text that read, “That my friend is closure.” I couldn’t have said it better.

Division I can deal with it’s money-grubbing corporations and host all of the dot-com bowl games it can come up with. It’s a travesty that Division I doesn’t have a playoff system, and it’s reason numero uno that I, try as I might, just can’t take Division I football seriously. D-II is where it’s at, my friends.

Back at our car, I flipped on the radio for the post-game show and marveled with our team’s analysts at yet another classic ‘Cats comeback.

It took us the entire post-game show to get out of the parking lot. … When it was over, I honored Phoebe’s request for the “I Walked By and You Caught My Eye” song. … She was snoring in her car seat a few minutes later.

Another good day.

Goodness

So we had our first snow of the year Tuesday night. I caught on when I saw a student tweet a request for a snow day on Wednesday. … I headed for the sliding glass doors at our deck and -- sure enough -- the ground was already covered with about an inch of the white stuff. As much as I hated to admit it, it was a pretty snow.

It was even sweeter Wednesday morning, as I was getting ready for work, when Phoebe came bounding into our bedroom, shouting, “Daddy, you wanna see the snow!?” … She then took my hand and pulled me across the hall to her bedroom window where she pointed out the window. “See!”

For a few moments I gained a whole new appreciation for snow.

* * *

We went to our last ‘Cats football game of the regular season. A 62-21 win.

But the best part for me was spending it with Phoebe.

As we were getting ready for the game, she put on one of my team hats and asked if she could wear it to the game. She was so cute in it, I couldn’t say no. I helped her tie her hair in a pony tail, adjusted the cap to fit her little head and then taught her how to put her pony tail through the back of the cap. To my surprise, she wore the cap for the bulk of the game.

As usual, we started with the tailgate. Today’s buffet was nachos. And the band is better with each week. … Phoebe also couldn’t wait to get to the inflatable slide, a popular destination for the kids at this year‘s tailgates.

After the halftime performance … Kates headed home, while Phoebe stayed with me for the rest of the game. As the ‘Cats ran up the score, Phoebe wanted to go to the park adjacent to the stadium. She ran and played for the rest of the quarter and the first part of the fourth.

With a few minutes left in the game, we headed back into the stadium and watched the rest of the game from a fence behind one of the end zones.

When time ran out, we headed onto the field. We listened in on Coach’s post game talk to the team. And Phoebe was delighted, as always, to be on the field. … We walked home, and she held my hand the entire way.

After checking in with Kates, I needed to run some errands and asked Phoebe if she wanted to take a ride with me. It wasn’t my intention when I took her along for the ride, but about halfway through I realized she had been quiet for some time. I looked at the rear view mirror, and she was asleep. … Back at home, I unbuckled her from her car seat and carried her inside to her bed.

Kates and I woke her up about an hour later so she could eat supper and get her bath. Had we left her, she might have slept through the night.

When we did put her to bed for good tonight, I gave her a tight hug and thanked her for the great day. “I had a lot of fun with you today,” I said.

“Thank you, Daddy. I had a lot of fun, too.”

I can’t think of many things better than that.

* * *

Now Kates and I are sucked into “Serendipity.” … She found it on TV and whatever plans we had for the rest of the night were thrown out the window.

Have I mentioned how much we love this movie?

Judge me all you want.

The official end of fall

So our beloved Bearcats lost last night.

No championship game this year. No road trip to Alabama.

Dang.

Things were looking so good, too. With all of their dramatics these last few weeks, they had us thinking this was another team of destiny.

Despite the bone-freezing temperatures in Minnesota -- game-time temp was nine degrees with a wind chill of 15 below -- the 'Cats appeared to be playing tightly.

Then an interception late in the game. And they missed a splendid opportunity to sack the opposing quarterback and put the game away on a 4th-and-2 with 4:12 left in the game. The quarterback instead eluded would-be tacklers and ran 34 yards for a touchdown. Which ultimately put the game away for his team. We lost 17-13.

The loss aside, it's been a thrilling season -- and a welcome distraction in our challenging fall.

To appease our fans who couldn't make the trek to Minnesota for last night's game, the school hosted a watch party in our student union. Big screen TVs. Snacks. Door prizes. And vouchers for meal deals at the Papa John's Pizza downstairs.

When I arrived to help set up about a half hour before game time, there was a large crowd waiting outside the door. As the game got underway, we estimated about 350 people crammed into the room.

And what an atmosphere. There was nowhere else I would have wanted to watch the game. ... Students were leading chants and cheers, and mimicking the pep band's songs, as if we were at our stadium a short walk away. The crowd erupted in cheers when our players had a good play, and they roared with boos and jeers when we didn't.

Kates and Phoebe -- dressed in their Bearcat gear -- joined me shortly after the game started and jumped right into the party. ... During those final minutes, we were holding on to our hats -- and hearts -- just as tightly as everyone else in the room while the Cardiac 'Cats tried to pin down one more comeback.

But it wasn't meant to be. Dejection set it.

The fans quickly filed from the room, and we hung around to help with the cleanup.

Then we bundled ourselves, wrapped Phoebe like a mitten in her blanket and pushed into the parking lot. With the first snow of the season blowing around us and a wicked cold wind slamming our faces, we hurried to our cars and head home.

The fall is over. Winter is officially here.

Game day

When Phoebe awoke Thursday morning, the first words out of her mouth were “I go to Bearcat game today!”

“No, Phoebe. The game isn’t until Saturday.”

“No! I go to da Bearcat game today!”

I couldn’t be prouder of the way Phoebe has taken to the Bearcats this season. Football rules in this town, and she’s fitting right in. Kates is coming around, too.

Wherever you went in The ‘Ville this week, the buzz centered on the big game today. Reserved tickets to the game sold out within hours, leaving only standing room. The teachers at Phoebe’s daycare were teaching the B-E-A-R-C-A-T-S cheer to the kids during snack time this week. Schools and offices told their people to wear Bearcat green Friday, and every other person at the chili supper we attended last night was sporting Bearcat green -- Kates, Phoebe and I included.

Take a look at the daily report card the daycare sent home with Phoebe yesterday.

The buzz was so loud, in part, because we were going up against our conference rivals to the south in a third-round playoff game. Their first-year coach had once been an assistant for our team and helped build them into the powerhouse they are today. Now he had his new team challenging our team’s stake as the region’s best.

The buzz was so loud, in part, because our regular season meeting, on their turf, went down to a heart-racing, game-winning field goal with no time left on the clock. We won it 17-16, handing them their only regular season loss. Some said we were lucky to win the game.

Our house finally started stirring around 9 this morning. We were slow to get to breakfast … and then we started putting on the layers. The forecast: In the 30s with gusty winds. Wonderful.

Still at our place around noon, we could hear the public address system and music from the stadium a few blocks away. … We decided to forego the pregame activities. We didn’t want to spend more time outdoors than we needed to, not to mention the challenges a 2-year-old adds to the equation.

We arrived at the stadium about a half hour before kickoff and joined the steady stream of fans walking to their seats. Our seats, some of the last reserved seats available, unfortunately, were on one of the end zones, across the aisle from the opponent’s fan section. In fact, many of the opponent’s fans had spilled into our section and surrounded us. A daunting situation, but we didn’t hide our allegiance and cheered just as loud as they did.

It must’ve worked. Our beloved Bearcats scored a touchdown on their first drive and never trailed in the game -- a welcome change from the last several games, which have hinged on fourth quarter comebacks and necessary defensive stops down the stretch, thus resurrecting their Cardiac ‘Cats nickname. Our team won the game 37-20 and is again among the playoffs’ final four.

As for Phoebe, the girl never quit. She gladly ate from a box of popcorn, sans mittens, throughout the first quarter while sitting on Kates’ lap. She huddled between us under a blanket for most of the second quarter. And she spent halftime bouncing on my knees to the beat of the marching band’s performance. … With the game in hand late in the fourth quarter and Phoebe becoming increasingly antsy, we decided to head for the exit. That provoked a mini tantrum, only until we stopped to watch the game’s final two minutes from the gate.

Sticking to her game day routine, Phoebe was zonked out in her car seat within minutes of us leaving the parking lot.

Thanksgiving

As we arrive and pass these annual milestones on the calendar, I’m repeatedly saying to myself, What a difference a year makes. We spent the Thanksgiving weekend last year at The Farm, agonizing until we were sick about the life-changing decision that lay in front of us. This year, as a result of that decision, we celebrated Thanksgiving in the Ozarks of Missouri.

Kates and I didn’t have to go to work on Wednesday, and no one stirred in our house until almost 10 a.m. Which has to be a record for The Missouri Era. … Within a couple hours we had our bags packed and the car loaded. And we were leaving The ‘Ville. Funny, in Wisconsin everybody talks about "heading north" for vacations and holidays; now the popular phrase is "heading south."

Little did we know we’d be driving through tornadoes to get there. We drove through not one, but two blinding, torrential rainstorms that I think are the new benchmark for Hardest Storms To Drive Through … Ever, beating out what became known as the Ingrid Michaelson Storm in Milwaukee last year. Again, I felt like I was navigating the Edmund Fitzgerald. … Somehow, Kates and I have a knack for finding such storms on our road trips, including the one we drove through a couple weeks ago to get to Kansas City.

No fear. I blasted through the storm. And we made it to our destination just fine.

After checking into our accommodations for the weekend, we reunited with my family at Joel and Stephanie’s new home. Some good old-fashioned Wisconsin brats for supper. While Phoebe and Sophia renewed their bond, watching Nickelodeon over plates of cut-up grapes and hot dogs. And Freddie just sat in his hi-chair and smiled. Endlessly.

* * *

Thursday we slept past 8 and indulged in the hotel’s continental breakfast. Then Phoebe camped in front of the television in our room and provided the play-by-play of every balloon passing through the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade -- from "Snoofy" to Buzz. I’ve never been a big fan of the holiday parades, but watching it this year with Phoebe added a new dimension to the annual spectacle.

Outside, we had gone from 73 degrees the night before to 36 degrees, with a mixture of sleet and snow falling from the sky. Such is winter in Missouri.

We were back at Joel and Stephanie’s for the afternoon. We watched football and conversed while Phoebe and Sophia ran laps in their Disney dress-up clothes and butterfly wings.

One of the best things about visiting Joel’s and Stephanie’s house is their meals, and they delivered another delicious one for Thanksgiving. From the Ina Garten recipe book, they laid out a Thanksgiving buffet that included herb-roasted turkey breasts, green beans, cranberry relish, sweet potato casserole and pear-apple sauce. We were joined for dinner by member's of Stephanie’s family, and the room was filled with fun conversation.

Eventually, the goodbyes began. We wished Mom and Dad safe travels as they were returning to Wisconsin the next day. … And we played a fun game of Are you staying, or going with us? with Phoebe. We had given her the option of having a sleep-over with Sophia, but she soon decided to come back to the hotel with us.

Phoebe was asleep less than halfway into the five minute drive back to the hotel. Kates carried her limp body up to our room, and we laid her on the bed without a sound -- complete with the pink tutu she refused to take off when we left Sophia.

I went downstairs for a dip in the hot tub, while Kates sat in bed reading.

That was Thanksgiving Day.

* * *

Friday, we maintained our morning vacation routine. Slept in. Continental breakfast. But on this morning, there was a brilliant sun shining into our room.

After making ourselves look presentable, we were heading down U.S. 65 once more toward Joel’s and Stephanie’s place. In our strange upside down adult world, Uncle Joel, my little brother, agreed to watch Phoebe for the day, thus allowing Phoebe and Sophia -- the 2-year-old duo -- a full day of fantasy play and dress-up. … As usual, Phoebe clung to us and begged us not to leave until finally Kates and I distracted her long enough for us to creep through the door. As usual, we heard her screaming and running to the door while we headed for the car. By all accounts the screaming lasts only a few seconds before she’s off and playing, which is exactly what Joel texted to us a few minutes later as Kates and I drove to Branson.

Without a kiddo in tow, Kates and I spent the entire day in historic downtown Branson, joyously walking the sidewalks, breathing the crisp fall air and slipping in and out of the stores that appealed to us. Kates got to treat herself to a Starbucks coffee and lovingly pulled me into one too many jewelry stores. Both of us hunted for treasures within the numerous antique store booths; holding us back, however, was our tight budget and the lack of permanent housing to inspire us. And all of the vinyl records that appealed to me were outrageously overpriced.

We enjoyed a home-cooked lunch -- a taco salad for me and a patty melt for Kates -- at The Shack Café. We delighted in strolling through the aisles of Dick’s 5 & 10 -- a colorful array of everything. And we had fun filling a paper bag of old-fashioned candy at the Old Fashioned Candy Store. …

But, for a glorified historic downtown, I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. Our trips to Stillwater, Minn., and Galena, Ill., seemed to offer so much more in scenery and variety.

By late afternoon, we ventured down the hill to Branson Landing, a picturesque and modern outdoor shopping center in its own right. The atmosphere was bright and festive. A tall Christmas tree stood at the main entrance to the shopping center, Holiday music was blaring over loud speakers and the Landing’s trademark fountains were attracting eyes. … We explored a few stories in search of Christmas gifts, but came up empty.

We never made it to the classic Branson strip. Around 5 p.m., we had had enough and decided we needed to rescue Phoebe -- or Joel, depending on your perspective.

Back at their house, it turned out Joel had survived. He’d done just fine. … We downed some Thanksgiving leftovers with him and enjoyed each other’s company while the kids continued playing.

Stephanie completed her workday and joined us later. The goodbyes began shortly after that. … We were halfway out the door when Phoebe stopped in her tracks and said with wide eyes, “Wait! I give Unco Joe a hug n’ kiss!” She whipped around, ran to hug him and planted one of her trademark open mouth kisses on him before rejoining Kates and I.

For the second night in a row, Phoebe fell asleep less than halfway into our drive back to the hotel. Kates carried her to our room, and we laid her on the bed without a sound … I went downstairs for a dip in the hot tub, while Kates sat in bed reading.

* * *

This morning we were packed and on our way back to The ‘Ville by 11 a.m. We cruised toward Kansas City and made a pit stop at a Flying J -- where we filled up on caffeine, Phoebe walked up and down the store aisles picking out snacks, and we met a trucker from Janesville with whom we exchanged our Wisconsin knowledge and connections.

Around 3 p.m. we were nearing home and I was overjoyed to finally be within range of receiving the Bearcat football game on the radio. Lo and behold, our boys were trailing in the fourth quarter again, but staying within range -- a scenario we’ve witnessed the last four weeks and grew accustomed to long ago.

In this afternoon’s playoff game, they were down by as many as 10 points with 10 minutes left in the game, but a ‘Cats touchdown closed the score to 31-28. As the minutes waned and our heart rates increased, the defenses held tight.

With about four minutes in the game, the ‘Cats took the ball for a do-or-die possession and drove 80 yards downfield. They scored the game-winning touchdown with 17 seconds left, just as we’d arrived back in town and were traveling down Main Street. The silence in our vehicle was broken by loud cheers and pumping fists. Classic ’Cats football.

A few minutes later we were parked in our driveway, waiting out the final seconds, a hail mary pass and confirmation that the ‘Cats won the game. Smiles abounded.

“I guess we’re going to a football game next weekend!” Kates said.

Yes, we are.

The Fall Classic

Amid all of the change and tumult in our lives these last few months, Saturday afternoons have been a bright spot. Because they mean (cue the Monday night football theme music) … Bearcat football. 

I could go on and on -- and on -- about the lure and charm of it. And why Division II is better than Division I. … The game day atmosphere. The tailgating. The marching band. Bobby the mascot and the cheerleaders. The lack of ego and money-grubbing executives looking for anyway to make a buck off star athletes. Not to mention our powerhouse football team with a legacy that’s unmatched over the last 15 seasons.

As I’d hoped when we made the move here, Kates -- though she won’t admit it -- and Phoebe have been sucked into it the way I was 13 years ago. Trekking to the stadium on Saturdays is now a family affair. Saturdays are game days.

Even during the weeks when Kates thinks she’s not up for a game, Phoebe is the one to push her over the edge. It never fails, mid-week Phoebe declares “I go to da Bearcat game this weekend!?” And Kates can only smile and give in. … Phoebe has a huge crush on the mascot after all.

Such was the case this weekend for the big game at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, an annual game dubbed “The Fall Classic” that the Bearcats play against a conference rival. Kates was on the fence, but Phoebe made a mention of going and we couldn’t deny her. We booked a hotel for Friday night, I got my hands on some tickets and our plans were made.

Friday afternoon, I picked up Phoebe a couple hours early from daycare. When I stepped through the door, she spotted me and ran toward me squealing, “I go to Bearcat game!” I’m so proud of her.

I met Kates at our place. We loaded the car. And soon we were going to Kansas City.

The only problem was the beautiful fall weather we’ve been enjoying suddenly turned ugly. The temperature had dipped into the 40s and we left The ‘Ville in a fog. As we neared Kansas City and converged with the rush hour traffic, the light rain turned into a monsoon.

We found our accommodations across from the stadium complex, checked in and then I got the pleasure of unloading the car in the cold hard rain.

Once Kates and Phoebe were set up with my laptop -- they spent the night watching movies in our hotel room -- I headed to the car again, and then downtown for our pep rally at the Power and Light District.

Despite the horrible weather outside, the atmosphere was awesome inside. The Kansas City skyline was illuminated around the open-air pavilion, but an awning overhead protected us from the rain -- and the heaters throughout the pavilion made the air feel like a balmy 60 degrees.

Saturday was game day. By the time the stadium gates opened at 10 a.m., there was already a long line of vehicles, sporting their teams’ colors, jamming the road. In the meantime, we headed across the street for a breakfast at Denny‘s.

The real fun began once we parked at the stadium around 11. Cars adorned with Bearcat flags and fans clad in green sweatshirts and jerseys filled the lot. Along with the smell of burgers on charcoal grills.

We headed for the alumni pavilion to meet up with my office mates and help greet fans as they streamed inside. Phoebe wasted no time catching the attention of everyone she passed, and really made a splash when the mascot, Bobby, visited the pavilion. Fearless, Phoebe proceeded to take him by the hand and led him from one end of the Pavilion to the other. … It was absolutely adorable, and god bless the student underneath that costume for being so patient with her.

Eventually, we heard the band marching by and headed outside to watch their pregame performance. Phoebe loooves watching the band. ...



When the band finished, we headed inside the stadium -- where we enjoyed the royal treatment.

Before yesterday, I’d been inside Arrowhead Stadium just twice in my lifetime -- once for a Chiefs-Saints game during the Steve DeBerg era, and we sat in the nosebleed section. The other was for a Chiefs-Bills game during my infamous concession-man experience.

This weekend was an entirely different experience. Arrowhead underwent a major overhaul during the offseason, and our office acquired one of the stadium’s suites for Saturday’s game. After passing through the turnstiles, we boarded an escalator that took us to the suite level. Cherry woodwork and gold-patterned carpet highlighted the sleek design, and the wide-open atrium areas outside the individual suites were naturally lit with exterior walls made entirely of large windows.

Our suite was complete with leather seating and a fireplace -- where a fire was burning. A counter-top was covered with steaming trays of meatballs, nacho cheese dip, chili and other football-watching food. It was awesome …

Then again, I’ve never been one to get too enthralled with the whole suite atmosphere. Like that Miller High Life commercial where the beer man lambasts some suite dwellers "in section la-di-da" at a baseball game. For me watching a game from inside a suite is no fun.

So I filled my plate with goodies and led the way to the private outdoor seating area in front of the suite. Private outdoor seating being the key phrase. The outdoors part allowed us to feel like we were part of the crowd, and the private part allowed us to enjoy the perks of suite life (private bathrooms, the food, a place to warm up when the chilly air got to us … )

All of that, of course, was a bonus to the excitement of watching our team play in an NFL stadium. Under a huge scoreboard. Surrounded by a bowl of seats filled with thousands of fans.

All Phoebe needed was her popcorn and she was set.

The game started as a blowout and then turned into a nail-biter. With our team ahead 20-3 at the start of the fourth quarter, the opponent drove 80 yards for a touchdown -- but we blocked the extra-point attempt and returned it for a two-point conversion. Another opposing touchdown made the score 22-16, and then our rivals marched the ball to our team's 12-yard line with less then 30 seconds left. Our defense didn't budge, though. 

The final minutes had all of us sitting on the edge of our seats, literally. And breathing a major sigh of relief when time expired with the ‘Cats still on top. 22-16 was the final score.

We joined the swarm of fans leaving the stadium and then waited oh-so patiently as the car-jammed parking lot thinned out enough for us begin our drive home.

Phoebe, who rarely stayed in one place and enjoyed her game day experience to the fullest, was asleep in car seat before we left the parking lot.

Nail-biting basketball

So I made my return to Bearcat Arena this weekend.

And I couldn’t have picked a better game for it.

I’d spent the afternoon in my apartment, catching up on some side projects and household chores. It felt great; this was the first weekend since arriving here that I’ve felt settled and not like there’s something I have to do or set up. One of those weekends where you're feeling so comfortable you'd rather not go anywhere …

So I almost didn’t … But I also knew it would be good to get out of my apartment, go to the basketball game and be part of a crowd. So I did.

All of the parking lots were full, and the closest parking spot I could find was two blocks away. I arrived inside the arena just as the game was getting underway and took a standing position in one of the wings. Initially, walking along the sidelines by myself to find a seat -- by myself -- seemed too daunting; I figured I'd shyly try hanging in the wing for the duration of the game. I really wished Kates was with me … But I soon got tired of standing. And about eight minutes into the first half, I sucked it up and walked down the sideline to an open spot on the bleachers behind one of the baskets.

It’s safe to say the atmosphere at basketball games here has never compared to the raucous game days of our powerhouse football team. Even when the basketball teams have been really good, the atmosphere in the arena has had a dullness to it, which is too bad. I came from a high school where things were just the opposite -- raucous basketball games, but dull football games … Truth be told, after a few minutes of watching the game I was sort of regretting my decision to come and thinking of the other things I could be doing. I’m not the kind of person that likes to spend his Saturday afternoons napping, but even that would have been more exciting.

Then my mood started to change. Our home team had been keeping the game close, but I had no clue of the significance until Dr. Bob, our athletic director, whom I’d been sitting next to, leaned over and informed me our opponent had lost just one game this season and was ranked No. 3 in the nation. Our team, on the other hand, came into the game with a 9-10 record; they were unranked.

Suddenly, I began watching the game with more interest. And at halftime, our team trailed by just two points.

A couple dance performances and a kids relay race later, the second half kicked off. Our boys kept battling and stayed in the game. There were 15 ties, 20 lead changes and no lead larger than six points. In the second half, my heightened interest in the game had me pumping my fists and hollering like an alum should be.

With just more than a minute left in the game, one of our guys hit a three-pointer from the corner to give us a one-point lead. But the opponent scored a jumper on the other end to take back the lead with under a minute to play … On our next possession, our guard drove to the basket and drew a foul. He sank both free throws to put us back in front 60-59 with 31 seconds left in the game.

The opponent missed a jumper and we got two more free throws to seal the upset with nine seconds left. The other team threw up a couple three-point tries in the waning seconds, but it was our day. When time expired, the crowd erupted. We had won the game 62-59 and knocked off the No. 3 team in the country.

I was glad I had come.

* * *

Next, it was time for the nightcap. Kansas at K-State …

I returned to my apartment and popped a pizza in the oven for my private party. A few minutes later my laptop was ringing with a Skype call from Kates. My parents also were staying with her and Phoebe for part of the weekend, and despite being separated by hundreds of miles, they were joining my party by the virtues of virtuality.

Having taken great joy in watching the Jayhawks clobber Missouri the other night -- not to mention No. 1-ranked Kentucky‘s loss to South Carolina, I was prepped for another good beating last night and pumped for Kansas's return to No. 1 status ... I had been reading about "The Octagon of Doom" all week, which had me only slightly worried. But I had no idea Kansas State had worked itself up to a No. 13 ranking. Plain and simple, I hadn’t been following K-State.

It turned out to be my second nail-biter for the day.

As we watched the game, we realized my television feed was running about three to five seconds ahead of the feed that Kates and my parents were watching. With every Whoo! and fist pump I made, I was tipping them off that something significant was about to happen ...

Eventually, I started feeling bad enough about ruining any of the game's surprises that I was suppressing my emotions -- which wasn't easy. A couple times I managed to pump my fists without making a sound and averted ruining the moment because my parents were looking away from their computer monitor. Or like when I scowled inside as KU turned the ball over in the final minute of regulation, allowing K-State to send the game to overtime.

There were other moments -- like when Sherron Collins hit a layup with nine seconds left in overtime to seal the win for the Jayhawks -- that I couldn't contain myself and had to jump out of the camera's view to do a little dance.

Ah, the madness. Is it March yet?

Two weeks in review

Forgive me for not posting a lot of substance lately … The roller coaster ride hasn’t stopped since “the announcement” a couple weeks ago. Although, this stretch has been much more enjoyable than it was in the weeks leading up to our big decision.

Suffice to say, I've got a lot on my plate right now --- it seems I can barely think straight ...

For one, we forgot our niece's second birthday. We bought her gift weeks ahead of time, and then forgot to mail it. I realized our mistake at about 4 o'clock on the afternoon of her birthday.

Last night, I took a Christmas card to our neighbor’s house and it donned on me when I got back to our house that I never signed the card. Left it completely blank and sealed it in the envelope.

* * *

I got my car repaired …

The bumper was replaced, and the repairmen even took out a small dent on my driver’s side door that bugged me every time I stepped to my car. It appeared there within weeks of me getting the car brand new; some careless passenger swung his car door into the side of my car door and -- ding -- that dent appeared. For seven years, it’s pained me … Now, it’s gone.

The body shop did a fabulous job with the repairs. With the new paint job and the wash and cleaning they gave it afterward, it was like picking it up brand new all over again.

I wasn’t so happy about the time it took for the repairs. … I took the car in last Tuesday and someone from the shop was calling me at least once a day to give me updates on the repairs. On Thursday morning, the caller told me the new bumper had been ordered, and they expected to have it put on, painted and ready for me to pick up that afternoon …

But in the afternoon, I got another call informing me the wrong part had been shipped and the shop was waiting to replace the wrong part. A couple hours later I got another call that the replacement part hadn’t arrived, and the repairs wouldn’t be complete for another day … Which, in turn, meant I had to pay for another day on my rental car, which, by the way, was a smooth-riding Mitsubishi Galant.

When I finally did get to pick up my car, the guy who presented me with all the paperwork -- let’s call him the cleanup guy -- gave me this schpeal about how I would be receiving a customer satisfaction survey for the repairs and it was important that I give them “10” ratings on every question. “We want to see 10s all the way across the board,” the cleanup guy told me.

“Well, I would give you 10s all the way across the board, except for the timeliness factor,” I told him, and I went on to explain my frustration about the car not being repaired in the timeframe they told me.

The cleanup guy tried to reason that it wasn’t their fault and blamed it on the company responsible for shipping the parts. He suggested that if I didn’t give them a 10, then the repair shop was going to have to show that to the parts company and explain that their business is being hurt because the wrong part was delivered.

Um, ya think!? Isn’t that the point of your fancy customer satisfaction survey!? So I can voice my thoughts on the service!? … If you’re having problems with your parts vendor, then you better get them fixed.

All told, the whole ordeal set me back $722.01.

I so can’t wait to get that survey.

* * *

Earlier this week I had an assignment at one of the local high schools to interview five students who were participating in a finance exercise …

They were five great kids -- three girls and three boys -- who were easy-going and engaging to talk to. The chances I get to interview and interact with young people is one of my favorite parts of my work …

At the end of the interview, I asked the routine question, “Do you guys have anything else you’d like to add?”

“You have really pretty blue eyes!” blurted one of the girls, who had shown throughout the interview that she was a free-spirit, unafraid to say what she was thinking.

“Oooh-k, thanks,” I said and tried to brush it off while the others giggled.

Awkard? A little … But it came in a totally open setting, in front of a group of people, from an innocent high school girl, who clearly meant for it to be nothing more than an innocent compliment.

In a strange way, it sort of made my day.

* * *

I’ve been on a big Paul Simon / Art Garfunkel kick lately …

There have been so many nights lately on which I’ve come home and, in my search for some tunes, yearned for something that wasn’t too upbeat, and yet so mellow it made me want to sleep … Simon & Garfunkel fit the bill -- a perfect blend of rock-solid guitar and soft melodies that is easy on the ears.

“Mrs. Robinson” is a great, great song. “Graceland” and “Sounds of Silence” are two great, great albums.

* * *

How sweet has “Glee” been the last couple weeks …

I think I speak for a whole lot of people when I say thank god Will finally figured out Terri’s fake pregnancy … Although, I never saw the intensity of their kitchen confrontation coming. Kudos to the “Glee” writers for going dramatic and not schmaltzing it up with an angsty pop-rock song.

Thanks to that “Mattress” episode, I haven't been able to get "Jump" out of my head … The “Glee” kids’ version of the song just might be better than the original, and filming that mattress video looked like it was loads of fun to do. It was easily my favorite musical number of the season …



Along with “Somebody to Love” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” from last week’s “Sectionals” finale.

And how could you not get giddy over seeing Will and Emma finally share a kiss to the build-up of “My Life Would Suck Without You” !?

Great TV.

* * *

My beloved Bearcats won another championship last weekend.

Finally.

I was sooooo tired of hearing sports commentators call them the Buffalo Bills of Division II football …

Sheesh. How many teams GET to four straight national championship games. And the one they won last weekend was their FIFTH consecutive appearance in the championship game -- the only team to do so.

AND they won back-to-back championships in 1998 and 1999.

Commend the program already for its stronghold at the top of Division II football!

Last weekend’s comentators seemed to care more that Notre Dame’s new hire coached at Grand Valley -- Northwest’s opponent in the game -- five years ago than they cared to discuss Northwest’s storied history in the championship game.

About that game. It wouldn’t have been half as fun if it wasn’t another heart-pounder -- which seems to be the way the Bearcats prefer to play their championship games.

I caught most of the first quarter at home and my behind never saw the couch.

Northwest was steamrolling Grand Valley in that first half. Their first drive, for instance -- six plays, two minutes and, bam, they were in the end zone. Then, all of a sudden, it was 21-0.

That’s the way we left it as we loaded the car and drove across the state line to spend the afternoon with Ray and Leah and meet Baby Audrey. Thank gooodness for DVR; all I had to do was pray that we didn’t have a power outtage.

Fast forward to the third quarter and, bam, all of a sudden it was 23-20. There were penalties and dropped passes, and suddenly it seemed everything was going wrong. The nightmares of the past championship games were rearing their ugly heads.

Then, in miraculous fashion, Northwest turned a 4th-and-four pass play into a 26-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, and the Bearcats held on for the title.

When it was over, I breathed a sigh of reliefe and erupted in giddy laughter. Kates and I looked at each other and grasped hands in pride.

Now we could say we were moving to Titletown.

Sunday reading

OK ... So my Bearcats didn't put on a very strong performance yesterday.

Sheesh, if they would have played as well the rest of the game as they did in the fourth quarter, they would have been golden ...

That fourth quarter was going so well, I was having visions of those "Cardiac 'Cats" making another legendary comeback ... Then -- don't even get me started on that botched call after the onside kick.

So now they've lost four straight championship games. Never mind the fact they've been there four straight years (on top of winning two straight in '98 and '99).

Bring on the awkward comparisons to the Buffalo Bills.

Some of the reads that caught my interest during the last week ...

Sports ...
a Cubs fans denied ... again.
a Baseball Executives Face the Odds
a As Money Tightens, Scaling Back On Jobs and Fun
a Red Sox unveil new club logos and uniforms ... Not a fan of the change.
a From the Phillie Phanatic, a Family of Mascots
a Oklahoma case shows system isn't OK

Music ...
a Letters to Cleo reunion blasts from its past

Politics ...
a Obama Worked to Distance Self From Blagojevich Early On
a The Real Obama: A Centrist? No. A Transformer
a Two Cheers for Rod Blagojevich

Media & the Internet ...
a Pressing the Question
a YouTube Videos Pull In Real Money
a Advertisers Face Hurdles on Social Networking Sites
a Governor sought to withhold Wrigley Field funds unless Chicago Tribune fired editorial writers critical of him, complaint says ... Sickening.

Technology ...
a Apple's iPod Problem ... As my iPod continues to run smoothly -- knock on wood -- I've often pondered the notion of this story.
a The day TVs die

Life & other stuff ...
a Publishing books about the Great Emancipator is a recession-proof business
a Surviving the dark winter solstice

Heartbreak 'Cats

It was destined to be a great day.

Kates and I woke up together at 9:30 this morning. We shared breakfast and read together at the table. I started some chores …

Then at 11, I settled in for the big game. My Northwest Bearcats were once again in the Division II National Championship football game, this time against Valdosta State. Northwest came in ranked No. 5, they’re a powerhouse program, and after last weekend’s exciting win against Grand Valley State, I had all the confidence in the world that they could pull it off today …

Especially after the ESPN2 broadcast led with footage from both teams’ pre-game locker room talks. Coach Tjeerdsma told his team during his pep talk that it was their day and only they could control it, nobody else. And if they did everything right, he said, “then you get one of these.” And he pointed to the big championship ring on his finger, from either ‘98 or ‘99 -- I don’t know which one it was, but I do know those were two of the most fun and memorable days of my life, and the ‘Cats did a whole lot of things right on those days …

“Yeah Mel!” I shouted after the talk, clapping my hands loudly and pacing around the room like I was in the Florence, Ala., locker room with ‘em.

I also couldn’t help but notice the Bearcats were stationed on the same sideline they were on when they won the ‘98 and ‘99 games. (I believe they were on the opposite sideline when they lost the title games the last two years.) That has to be a good sign, I thought.

Oh, but it was not mean to be.

Despite an early field goal by Valdosta, Northwest took a lead and held it into the fourth quarter. In the fourth, Valdosta scored to take a 17-14 lead, but Northwest came right back with a touchdown to go back up 20-14 … Only to watch Valdosta block the extra point attempt and run it all the way to the opposite end zone for two points, making the score 20-19, though still in Northwest’s favor …

And finally Valdosta put the ball in the end zone for the winning touchdown with 22 seconds left in the game. Final: 25-20.

Big sigh … Man, my heart was pounding watching the last few minutes of that game. And it’s been this way every year!

Geez, could the broadcasters have rubbed it in anymore that Northwest was on its way to losing its third straight national championship game!? Big deal. Why not recognize the program for making it to three straight title games!?

And could Andre Ware have dropped the fact that he watched Valdosta win its 2004 championship anymore times? C’mon dude, no one cares. You played in the high and mighty Division I. Go cradle your Heisman …

The officiating was poor, too. The referees couldn’t make up their minds on some rulings. There was a terribly harsh holding call on Northwest. And there was a terrible ball spot that should have been an easy first down for Northwest, but instead -- luckily for Northwest -- it was ruled a first down by a hair.

Sorry. I’m just a little heartbroken right now.

You know why Northwest didn’t win … I wasn’t wearing my Bearcat stuff. I had forgotten to put it on after I got up this morning … When I realized my mistake midway through the third quarter, I almost raced upstairs to change. I didn’t, though … I should have.

You’ve gotta credit Valdosta. They completely shut down Xavier Omon. And they didn’t give Northwest many chances to get its offense going …

Sigh.

There’s always next year. And I still hold tight to my memories of '98 and '99, as if I haven't mentioned those years enough already ...

And at least I still have the Packers.

And those Kansas Jayhawks basketball games are coming too.

Omon! Oh man! Oh baby!

For the last several weeks our computer has been my transistor radio. Each Saturday I've had to log on to the Internet radio to listen to my beloved Bearcats in the Division II football playoffs ...

They rolled over West Texas. They got by Chadron State.

But last night, it came down to one more game, the semifinal round, against Grand Valley State for a chance to get to the championship game in 'Bama. And this time, it was being broadcast live on ESPN2, baby!

Now, you might recall Grand Valley edged the 'Cats for the title in 2005 and in 2006 ... Last night was different, though. The commentators noted it too -- Going in, even with Grand Valley ranked No. 1 and Northwest ranked No. 5, you had to believe Northwest had the edge; they were trying to avenge the championship game losses and they were playing on their home turf, arguably one of the greatest atmospheres in D-II. It was a chamionship game atmosphere, indeed, and an incredible feeling to be watching my alma mater! my team! and the sidelines I'd paced for four years! right there on national television ...

Kates and I were roaring with every positive yard the Bearcats gained ... and beaming with every shot or reference the commentators made on the surrounding campus ( ... Freezing fans -- it was 17 degrees -- in the student section, snowy shots of the Memorial Bell Tower and the kissing bridge, and a few minutes of amusing conversation about the residents watching the game from their cheap seats in the South Complex -- complete with frenetic fans bouncing in their dorm windows. HA-larious.)

The teams battled in the first half, and it looked as though field goals were going to make and break the game. Northwest went into the locker room at halftime down 13-10 ...

Then ... Xavier Omon came to the rescue. The dude was unbelievable ...

He helped put Northwest ahead, 17-13 for good, midway through the third quarter with a short touchdown run ... Then Grand Valley and Northwest traded field goals to make it 20-16 ...

Just a few minutes into the fourth quarter, Omon caught a screen pass and broke a couple tackles for an 11-yard touchdown pass ...

And then!, after Grand Valley punted and put Northwest on their own 2-yard line, Omon took the first play from scrimmage 98 yards to the opposite end of the field for the knockout punch ... Omon had rushed for a total of 292 yards, and 204 of those came in the second half.

Grand Valley surrendered and ran out the clock. Northwest had won 34-16. The students stormed the field. Sweet Home Alabama started blaring from the public address system. The goal posts came down and off they went toward College Avenue ... Just like old times.

Good reads ...
a Northwest Missouri State advances to NCAA Division II title game
a Northwest Missouri savors rematch with reigning champs

* * *

The game ended a little after 11 and Kates and I promptly went to bed ... Little did we know, around the same time Stephanie and Joel were heading to the hospital and our little niece was about to make her grand entrance to the world ...

About 8:30 this morning, as Kates and I were sitting down for breakfast, we got the call from Joel that she had been born. Can hardly wait to meet her ...

Here's a picture Joel passed on ...

More random musing

Rock chalk Bear-hawks!

That was my mantra over the weekend.

My beloved Bearcats were back in the D-II playoffs, seeded No. 2 and playing for the right to go to their third straight title game. On Saturday they were up against West Texas …

And! …

My beloved Kansas Jayhawks, after years of football futility, were ranked No. 2 in the nation and taking on the No. 3 Missouri Tigers in what was arguably the game of the year …

Saturday morning I dressed in my Bearcat green sweatshirt and donned my blue and red KU cap. I was set.

At noon, I tuned in on the Internet radio for the Bearcats game, live from Bearcat Stadium (It’s just D-II, folks. It may not be on TV, but it’s still darn good football, and it just feels a bit cooler having to listen to it on Internet radio ... sort of like the days before TV existed. Yet, it's the Internet. Hence, the 'sort of' part …) … It was never a contest, the ’Cats scored on their first three possessions of the game and came out of the first quarter leading 21-7. Both teams scored twice in the second quarter, but the Bearcats scored 14 more in the third while holding West Texas scoreless. The final was 56-28.

And here's hoping I’ve got two more weekends of cheering on the Bearcats in a civil, smart playoff system. Don’t even get me started on the BCS …

Later Saturday night, with Mom & Pops here for the night and after a tasty dinner out-on-the-town, we settled in for the Jayhawks game, live from another one of our old neighbors -- Arrowhead Stadium.

Unfortunately, that game was never a contest either -- in favor of the wrong team. The Jayhawks were buried by a load of defensive miscues and missed tackles. I fell asleep for the third quarter. Woke up for the fourth. By that time Kansas had jump-started its offense, but it was much too late … Final: 36-28, in favor of the hated Tigers.

Dang.

* * *

Last week I went to one of the local Goodwill stores to donate some books and things Kates and I were getting rid of …

And while I‘m in the area, I thought … It never hurts to take a gander and what’s available for purchase, too.

There on the front row of the records rack was the historic recording! of (cue angel chorus ... ) “We Are the World.”

… There it was, the LP in near-mint condition. With nine previously unreleased songs by nine superstars (of 1985, of course). A fold out of full-color pictures and the humbling liner notes detailing the “state of permanent crisis,” the “stark realities” and the “tragic formula” plaguing Africa. And the ways that the lucky buyer of this record could help -- No. 1 being “Buy the single, album, video …”

I seized it. 99 cents.

It’s all about the chase.

* * *

So the baby’s been starting to kick a lot …

Yesterday Kates and I were looking over a book of names and their meanings … The baby was moving a lot at the time. Must’ve knew we were talking about her / him …

I asked about the meaning for [suggested middle name of possible boy] …

“It’s not in here,” Kates said, paging through the book.

“What!?” I screamed in my goofy David Letterman sort-of-way. “What!?” I did it twice for good measure.

Kates puts her hand on her belly, looks toward it and says, “Don’t worry you’re Daddy freaks out every once in a while. It’s OK.”

The game (of life)

... I just finished watching yesterday's national championship game ...

What can I say?

...Northwest lost the game on their own missed opportunities and mistakes, and Grand Valley State capitalized on them ...

That and Cullen Finnerty could not be stopped ...

* * *

... Kates and I joined her family yesterday for her brother Orrin's college graduation ...


... The four of us and the family dog loaded up the family van and made the three-hour trek to the campus, meeting Orrin and his girlfriend at his apartment ... ah, the rat traps that are campus housing ...

... As if we weren't already dreading having to sit through a drawn-out roll call of names, the ceremony got off to an interesting start when the university chancellor stepped t o the podium to welcome the audience and the microphone was dead ... We waited for another 15 minutes as the tech-heads replaced the microphone and then replaced it again, and pride-filled parents spilled from their seats onto the gymnasium floor to get close-ups of their graduates ...

... Once the ceremony started, it moved swiftly. The chancellor addressed the crowd, and an alum who's now a radio show host/comedian gave the commencement address, encouraging the graduates to "save the world" with observations of his own life and times at the college ...

... Then the roll call. Orrin was in the last row of graduates, and that gave us plenty of time to decide what we would yell when his name was finally called and he crossed the stage. The options included: "You're kidding," "Save the world" and "Save a tree." He graduated with a degree in natural resources ... But when Orrin's name was called, we pretty much just said whatever came to our minds ...

From the campus, the graduation party moved to Bernard's, an up-scale German restuarant, where we feasted on duck and salmon ...

But before the food came the champagne. Each of us offered a toast to Orrin, congratulating him and passing on whatever words of widsom we had ...

When it came to my turn, I told Orrin to rememeber one thing: Plastics.

* * *
For the drive to and from the graduation, I was honored to be in the front seat of the van, iPod in hand and plugged in, providing the official soundtrack for the road trip ...

... On the way up we mostly played music heard on Grey's Anatomy before straying into some top 40. Then on the way back, I started with some mellow stuff from Norah Jones, Dido and other favorite female artists to lighten the mood a little bit, and then got into the good stuff with some truly classic rock: selections from The Beatles, Beach Boys, The Turtles, Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Joe Cocker, and on and on ...

But that's not the reason I'm telling this story ...

As we sat in Orrin's apartment wasting time before our dinner reservation, Kates' dad started to mention to the group that I brought my "strawberry" and was playing music during the drive ...

Clearly, he was referring to my iPod and confused it with the popular Blackberry. But he called it a strawberry.

I burst into loud laughter, and then explained to his bemusement what he had just done.

Good times.