4.0/18 Wish I was that good with my bowl picks

Alright! Just checked my grades for the fall semester!

I have been fairly nervous for the last two and a half months about my Informational Literacy class. Through 12 credits I had a 4.0 GPA and was hoping for the same in the fall semester.

I have really desired to do very well in my MA at least better than my BA at TBC. Tonight I checked on my grades and got an early little Christmas present to learn that I kept the streak alive with an A in both classes.

Informational Literacy was a pretty tough test for me and now that I am past it I'm pretty happy! I guess my final project must have been good enough to pull me up into the A range. I was pretty nervous about the whole ordeal.

I am now half way through the program, both academically and financially, and I have obtained a 4.0 while raising kids with Samantha and having a full time job... one more year!

Concerning my bowl picks... could they get worse?

Wyoming won... that should have been my sign.
Rutgers did beat UCF as I suggested!
Middle Tennessee won.
BYU beat Oregon.
Utah thumped Cal.
And right now Southern Methodist is beating the daylight out of Nevada.

I guess I'll take the 4.0 over being really bad at selecting college bowl games.

Christmas in the Bag!

We've got Christmas set! The presents bought, the packages wrapped!

I believe that I am almost more excited as a Dad waiting for the 25th to watch my kids eyes light up! This year is going to be great!

We did about 2 hours of Swimming at Watiki on Sunday. After swimming we headed over to Outback... Samantha has never been there and it's probably been 6-7 years since I last had a bloomin' onion of there quality! We also had some lobster tail and steak.

On a side bar... Samantha has always been funny with her steaks. She's always been a believer that a steak is only done if it's dark brown from one side to the other. Lately she has decided that pink in the middle isn't so bad. So lately if she get a steak she order's it Medium and has a big smile on her face! It's almost as though she's discovered a new food!

After the Outback we had a lot of time left for the night so we decided to get an early start on the Christmas shopping. First stop was Toys-R-Us! This store has really been one of those necessary evils for us. At least 90% of the the stuff at Toy's-R-Us are things we would never want our kids to have. The other 10% is pretty cool. We've found some very cool items for Aundrea over the last several Christmas and Birthdays!

Aundrea and Tristan were whipped after a day of driving, swimming and shopping!

Monday we finished our shopping and headed home after a meal at a local Mexican restaurant. When we got home, we sent the kids to bed and then started wrapping presents (while watching Ben Hur).

Now with the kids (and Samantha...thank you Vegas!) done, I can sit back and wait for Christmas to get here!

Christmas Countdown

Ok so we're off to Rapid for some swimming at Watiki and to finish up our Christmas shopping.

We've got a lot left to get for the kids. I've don't think I could enjoy Christmas anymore now that we have kids!

I am fortunate in that Samantha's Christmas is settled as Vegas covered that for the both of us! Now we just need to worry about the two kids and maybe one or two things for the pups.

Christmas movies are really becoming a tradition in our household. With the invention of the DVR we've really been able to record a lot of good movies for later viewing. Aundrea is currently watching "Happy Feet" which isn't a big Christmas movie but is really funny all the same!

So far I've been very pleased with Aundrea's attitude towards presents and gifts. She is struggling a little bit with sharing again... which seems to be a cycle for her. We need to do a little better job of putting her in situations to share with Tristan and other children.

Tristan was given a big wheel at Grandpa and Grandma Strong's a week ago... you can tell that he absolutely love's being on it, but is frustrated that he can't touch the pedals yet.

Off to Rapid we go.

College Bowl Pick 'em

Here's my guesstimate on the Bowl's:

New Mexico- Fresno over Wyoming
St. Petersburg- Rutgers over UCF
New Orleans- Southern Miss over Middle TN
Vegas- Oregon State over BYU
Poinsetta- Cal over Utah
Hawaii- Nevada over Southern Meth.
Little Ceasars- Ohio over Marshall
Meineke- Pitt over NC
Emerald- USC over BC
Music City- Kentucky over Clemson
Independence- Georgia over Texas A&M
Champs Sports- Miami over Wisconsin
Eagle Bank- UCLA over Temple
Humanitarian- Idaho over BG
Holiday- Nebraska over Arizona
Armed Forces- Houston over Air Force
Sun- Stanford over Oklahoma (Joy say's the Okies)
Texas- Navy over Missou
Insight- Minnesota over Iowa State
Chick-fil-A- V. Tech over Tennessee
Outback- Northwestern over Auburn
Gator- Florida State over West Virginia (FSU can't lose BB last game at the helm)
Capital One- LSU over Penn State
Rose- Ohio State over Oregon
Sugar- Florida over Cinncy
International- NI over South Florida
Papa Johns- South Carolina over Conn
Cotton- Okla St. over Miss
Liberty- East Car. over Arkansas
Alamo- TT over Mich. State
Fiesta- Boise State over TCU
Orange- Georgia Tech over Iowa
GMAC- Central Mich. over Troy
BCS Championship- Bama over Texas (Combined score of 48)

Ok we'll see how I do, a few risky picks but we'll see... bring home the big money!

Feel free to tell me where you disagree!

Ebay and Used Jeans

So I'm known by my wife to have one or two cheap bones in my body. Now understand, I'm not cheap about everything... just some things... and jeans are one of my some things.

Jeans are perhaps the most overpriced item in all of the history of the world of clothes... ok so I've seen some thongs that are equally overpriced... but you wouldn't catch me dead in a thong!

Jeans to me are like the plague... I love to wear them... but I HATE to buy them. My rule on jeans is simple... if the number behind the dollar sign is "2" or higher then they stay on the hanger. That is unless the "2" is immediately followed by a decimal point... which trust me... doesn't exist!

Recently I had a rather brilliant idea. As I noticed that my closet jean selection was down to 2 I decided it was time to do the evil deed and purchase that third pair.

Now understand that down to two pairs of jeans for me is like telling a woman she only needs two pair of shoes... things like that just don't go over to well!

To further complicate my issues, one pair of my jeans is about 2 inches to short and are require that I sag the rear end a little more than I'm comfortable.

The other pair are something I found at Kohl's this past summer for $14... heck you can't beat $14 jeans!

The only problem is that I failed to understand the term "low cut" jeans. For me, I figured that this was something to do with the legs... perhaps even the crotch... I don't exactly enjoy feeling the crotch of my jeans! So low cut... heck yeah... bring those bad boys on!

Did I mention that I'm not overly excited about dressing rooms? I stay out of them... much like I stay out of thongs! This has led to a few issues over the years... most of which have been minor hiccups on my road of fashion. This time it really bit me in the butt... I mean like a rottweiler bite! Low cut actually means that from the crotch to the belt loops the jeans actually have less material... DANG.

My rear end isn't quite as slender as it once was and I'm not implying that it's shapely... it's just there!

I thought they only made low cut jeans for girls so that they could show off their thong? (wow not really sure why I keep bringing up thongs?) Guys are meant to have regular cut jeans... I ain't got nothing back their that I'm looking to show off!

To make matter's worse, the only store I have bought jeans at in the last 6-7 years is called Saver's... which specializes in used jeans and a lot of other garage sale items. It's not exactly American Eagle!

With all this drama, I decided that I would elevate my jean shopping experience by utilizing the single greatest internet website of the decade, Ebay!

After a great deal of browsing, I came upon a pair of Silver Tabs. If your not familiar with Silver Tabs, let me just say that they're like the best jean Levi EVER invented! At the time the jeans were up for only $2.50... that's like stealing candy from a baby!

So I did the math... I could bid $13 and with the $6.80 shipping fee I'd be at $19.80 and under that $20 window. DONE! I ended up with the winning bid of $12.50 and feeling very proud of my purchase!

That was until about 3:40 today. That's when I opened the mail to discover these...


Now I know what your thinking! They do look pretty good! Upon closer inspection I noticed a little surprise...


Darn it. Looks like a five foot four inch crack dealer wore out the bottoms running from the LAPD on COPS.

Just my luck. Maybe I should just stick to buying thongs?

One Year... and Counting

It's been difficult to imagine that our family has now been in Gillette for a year (as of TODAY)!

At times, it seems like only yesterday that we, along with mom and dad, made the finishing touches on the Uhaul and headed yet further West than Ellendale, North Dakota.

Looking at the past year, we have certainly had our good and bad moments! I have had a much more difficult time adjusting to the new locale and job than Samantha and the kids have in adjusting to the move.

In fact for the first 8+ months I really struggled with the move and my decision to move my young family out here. However, the last four months have been much better for me and have really helped me confirm my decision making.

I have also felt a little more goal driven this fall than I had in the past. Partially thanks to now being more than half way through my master's program and being able to see the end in sight. I have also had a great deal of motivation to at least attempt to pursue education beyond my master's degree, I'll complete this decision sometime in the summer and will hopefully have an answer in the fall.

Samantha and I have also discussed and come to some major financial decisions for our family that we have already begun to implement. Having a job that is rewarding of my time has been a big blessing over this past year, hopefully it will enable us to continue towards our goal of paying off a great deal of college debt. We've been adamant about not taking out another dollar in loans to pursue further education, good thus far!

Samantha and I have also wanted to expand our family by at least one more child. NO, I'm not making an announcement! Ellendale was enjoyable, but based on my salary we both recognized that it would be near impossible for us to have another child. It's now very much a probability! I'm sure at some point in 2010 or 2011 we'll have an announcement to make, but let's wait till then!

For the kids the year has been an exciting change. First, they've been able to see much more of me on a regular basis which we hope leads to benefits in the future. Tristan celebrated his first birthday shortly after we moved out, since then Aundrea has had her third special day!

This past summer was exceptionally special for us as we were able to take a six week hiatus and just enjoy one another and family! I think we put about 6,000 miles on the car this past summer, it's a vacation we won't soon forget.

Like all move's, we have had a few difficult decisions to make over the past year. The first came in the form of an almost move back a little closer to Samantha's family. At the time I believed it was a decision I was making more for Samantha, however I don't necessarily believe that now! Samantha would like to consider a move back to Minnesota in some point in her life but right now she seems to be content in living in a few places different than where she grew up. The job itself would have been a good landing for me and I still think it would have been a good fit. There were however a few issues that I tried to overlook in order to make the move. Samantha on the other hand looked at the whole picture and called me on it, thank the Lord for a good wife! Overall, I think we did the right think by staying put for now.

We have also wrestled with the idea of purchasing a house. It's easily been one area that I've struggled with. A house and land that we can call a home is something that I desire for Samantha and these kids. On one hand I believe that it represents stability, on the other hand I have no intention of making a long term commitment to Wyoming or paying into the ridiculous housing market of Gillette.

Another good move, but difficult decision for us, has been my acceptance of a baseball position with the local Legion team. The position will require that I commit to the program for much of the winter, spring, and summer, and it will severely limit our ability to travel on our own like last summer. However, they offered to allow my family to travel with us on road games, making the decision much easier for me. I have had other concerns taking the position as well but I'll spare you those! The financial remuneration will also assist us in meeting our family goals.

So here we are one year since a move that took us away from the only community Samantha and I knew as a married couple to a place that's different but has provided us with several positive experiences! In another year I'm not sure what I'll be reporting, but I can now say that I look forward to getting to that point!

VIVA LAS VEGAS!

This past weekend was a memorable one! I managed to squeeze Friday and Monday off work as Samantha and I headed to Denver to fly out for Las Vegas, Nevada!

Ok, ok... here's where you insert all your "Christ-like" swear words about how bad Vegas is!

In reality, you haven't been there so pipe down!

For us it was a lot of fun! This was my third time to visit "sin" city and Samantha's first. I am finding a great deal of joy in traveling with Samantha to places she's never been! I think I'm happy just knowing that it's a new experience for her! It's so much fun to watch her enjoy a new experience!

Our decision to go to Vegas really began about a year ago, just after our decision to leave Trinity and head to Wyoming. It was there that Slivo and I had initially talked about meeting up in Vegas and hitting up the Brooks and Dunn concert with our wives in tow.

Two years ago Sliv's treated me to a trip to the Southwest United States that started and ended in Vegas but also included places like Sedona and Phoenix, Arizona; La Jolla and San Diego, California (where I witnessed the Lion's get THUMPED by the Chargers). That experience still resonates as one of the most enjoyable trips in my adult life. The highlight of the trip was no doubt listening to a tremendous Brooks and Dunn Concert at the Hilton in Vegas. To understand this concert imagine a theater that seats about 800 or so people with Kix and Ronnie rockin' out to Hillbilly Deluxe about 60 feet away... nothing will erase that memory in my mind!

You can't beat a Brooks and Dunn "My Maria"

I think this is about the time I wet my pants from anticipation!

This time around with B&D calling it quits we decided that we couldn't not take Essy and Samantha on the trip! So plans set and sleepless nights abound we headed down to Denver on Thursday and blasted off at about 6:34 on Friday Morning!

My date for the weekend was pretty alright! I mean who could beat the mother of my children!

Samantha was ecstatic! For a while I was certain her and Essy had picked up tickets to Chippendale's based on how excited she was... but I guess she was just stoked that we were leaving the kids behind and had the opportunity to spend some time with her husband and some very good friends!... (much to my joy!)

That's NOT a statue! This guy had me BLOWN away! I wish that I could control my body that well!

Once in Vegas we met up with Coach and Essy and headed out for GAMBLING AND ALCOHOL!!!!! WHEW!!!!! YEAH!!!!!! Ok... if you've never been to Vegas let me be serious... there's actually a PILE of stuff to do besides slots and beer! You know, things like blackjack and shots! Kidding... we actually became tourists! There are A TON of sights to see in the town! We checked out a lot of the major casino's and their free attractions! On top of that there are many non-casino related activities to enjoy, like shops such as F.A.O. Schwartz and ESPNzone... both are VERY COOL!

These two drink more "sweet tea" than the rest of the south combined!

On Saturday night we hit the concert! Unfortunately right before the concert Slivo said, "Concert's like these are sometimes not quite as good the second time around." DARN IT! He was right! Kix put down to much Tequila before coming on stage and they didn't let their electric guitar player jam like at the previous concert... dude can play about as well as I can eat!... YEAH, THAT GOOD!

Excalibur at night! In order to get this picture we went up to the top of the Eiffel Tower... it was around this time that Heights and Elevators make me sick... VERY sick!

The days were spent doing a great deal of sight seeing and eating! The Buffet at Paris is unlike anything I've experienced on Earth! WOW! Ok... imagine Old Country Buffet... except 10x bigger and 10x better... ok don't imagine OCB... just imagine REALLY GOOD FOOD!

The whole experience was absolutely great! You just can't beat an experience like Vegas! To put it calmly... Vegas is an absolute assault on your senses! It's an incredible place that is great for that 3-4 day gettaway... any more than that and your just being a putz!

Wouldn't it have been cool to stroll in their 40 years ago and hear Dean Martin or Frank Sinatra? We had fun! If you ever want to go to Vegas, call us up! My quiet chicka' from Minnesota is sold on the place!

They just might break my heart...

This will be a quick post...

I just wanted to comment a little on the Tiger's decision to trade away Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson.

First... CRAP... looks like we're priming to rebuild instead of take the bull by the horns.

Second, I really enjoyed Curtis in center and Edwin when he threw. I am a little annoyed by the clubs ability to trade them, particularly Curtis to the Yankees. That's not a good fit for him.

Well, actually for him it probably is a good fit, but I really didn't want to see him in pin stripes. He'll be protected in that lineup and will probably help the Yank's a great deal.

Edwin on the other hand was just beginning to show us what he could do. He had a power fastball and an excellent slider. I was most looking forward to his performance next season. I really believed that he had the ability to be "Cy" quality. Now he'll probably collect hardware with the D-backs. UGH!

On the the other side of the coin, the Tiger's were able to net "prospects" WHOOPTY! I grow weary of the MLB's crowning of blue chip prospects. Much like the NFL teams decision to hand out the BUCK's to college kid's to go pro, SILLY. So now we've got a few guys that are "can't miss prospects" for two guys that have proven they can get it done at the big leagues. That's trash.

Now understand, I will eat my words if the Tiger's steal the pennant in '10. I guess what I am saying is that I wanted to see them do it with the two they lost over the four they gained.

At any rate, the Tiger's never called and asked my opinion so I guess I'll buck up and pray that we just landed a superstar! Bye fellas... hello new guys!

A little learning and a little R & R

What a beautiful spot to have an education conference! This is a short walk down the beach from Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, California. Pacific Grove is nestled on the ocean 75 miles south of San Fransisco and next to Monterey, California as well as Pebble Beach California (which is well known for the world class golf course that hosts PGA and several other popular events).

I flew out around 6:30 am Thursday and flew back into Gillette at 10:30 pm Saturday evening. The other District APE teacher also went to the Conference. We had a great time and even learned a few things while we were there!

Although it was a National Conference there was only about 110 teachers there, well less than the 500 that apparently attend on a yearly basis. The conference center itself was first established around 1900 and has grown to numerous large rustic style buildings. The setting was quaint, however the accommodations were ok at best. Considering the price the district paid to send us on the trip, I believe it was a good deal for us to learn and share knowledge back and forth with colleagues.

Thursday evening included a key note and socializing. Friday morning and afternoon were filled with sessions and provided me with some excellent ideas to implement in the future. Around 5:30 or so I called a cab and Becki and I headed into Monterey for a little sea food at Bubba Gump's on Cannery Row. This was probably my fourth or fifth trip to Gump's as Mall of America has one that we frequented on occasion. After the meal we did a little shopping for our families and enjoyed the night life for a few hours.


Cannery Row made the trip worth it for me! There were a lot of neat shop's and the temp was in the mid 50's. I really enjoyed the experience!

Just a short walk down the board walk and plenty visible from my room was the beach. I was disappointed as the water was even colder than Lake superior! There were constant waves ranging from 4-8 feet... I'm not sure swimming would have been a great idea!


Well this trip wasn't on my dime, however Samantha and I depart for Las Vegas in a week from Friday. It will be Samantha's first time in Sin City and my third. We're looking forward to taking in the sites!

Yes, there are things to do in Vegas besides gamble!

We're booked to watch Brooks and Dunn at a small venue. We're meeting up with Eric and Estalita Slivoskey. Slivo and I made it out to Vegas about two years ago and had said at that point that we wanted to bring our wives out for the concert should we ever get the chance. Now with B & D retiring we decided we couldn't wait to long! We hope to do another show while in Vegas, and although we'll be there for 3 1/2 days I'm not sure that we will fit in everything we would like to do!

We're both very excited as it will be our Christmas gift! Aundrea and Tristan will spend the time with Grandma, I think she's kind of happy about that as she leaves a week later for El Salvador.

That moment of embarrasment...

Ok, so for every father in the world there has be that moment where you realize your kid/s can do something you can't do. Something that forever had been in your realm of accomplishment, and it's now in there's. Something that you ALWAYS knew you'd be able to do better than your kids.

I'm fortunate. Aundrea and Tristan are still pretty young, I'll wait till T-ball (and probably not much further) to see the almost sure likelihood that one of them "outshines" pops on the diamond. Or simply enroll Aundrea in piano to realize that she'll have more musical ability in her fingers than in my entire body.

For my dad, life has always had many unforgiving moments. However in those moments there have typically been shades of grace. For instance, dad was not a baseball player. So at my age of 11, his age of 37 there wasn't to much pride damaged when his glove was a little low on a high heater that caught him in the face. Nor was there much pride damage at his age of 40 and my brother's age of 17 when on water ski's my brother seemed to be able to absolutely master ski's on one foot or two. Dad eventually was able to relive his child hood and get himself out of the water! Ok, so he did a great deal of boating growing up and we did very little in comparison, but when you hit forty and find there's more surface area around your middle nobody expects a whole lot in the water! Except that perhaps you can float for hours in a pool without the assistance of a life preserver.

I think this last week finally brought dad to his knees about his strengths potentially becoming his kids strengths and that maybe they can do one or two things better than he.

As I said before, dad wasn't a baseball player so there weren't many expectations there. Dad wasn't a basketball player so he needs to just stick with his patented "granny shot". Dad did briefly attempt football but again realized that it wasn't for him. Although I wouldn't say that my athletic prowess wasn't overly inspiring (and Christopher's certainly wasn't), we still knew that there was an easy win in it for us when we took on dad.

There were a few things that dad could absolutely call his own. Tear apart a motor and put it back together- dad. Look at an empty room and see it fully finished off and the steps it takes to get there- dad. Ride a motorcycle- dad.... or is it?


This past week dad thought that motorcycles were still undeniably HIS thing. He chuckled when I told him that on the written test I had missed the most allowable but still managed to squeak by. He belly laughed when I complained about the difficulty of the skills test and my passing even though I missed nine points.

So on Tuesday Dad put his "legacy" on two wheels to the test. First was the written test. Remember, this is the guy that passed all "138" CDL written tests with the efficiency of a Yale Law student taking the bar and asking for a few extra questions "just for fun". The motorcycle test proved to be slightly different for the old guy. Basically it took two rounds! In round one he missed so many the computer laughed at him! On round two he squeaked by so close that the computer recommended that he get a better life insurance policy!

So with testing complete, dad moved outside. Much more confident in his skills. Besides that, two women were administering the test... how hard could it be? On the first of six skill measurements dad did well, so well in fact that you could feel him getting cockier by the second! However all forms of arrogance deflated quickly on round two when he was asked to weave around several cones (I missed 8 points here... BUT I STILL PASSED) Dad on the other hand made it through three of the cones and decided that the last two were to menacing! So he rounded the bike and came back to the start as if to say "I need to give it another shot". Both ladies had the look of being somewhere between bewildered to having just heard the best punch line of the night at a comedy club. The one arrogantly walked over and informed the old man that in his haste to restart the skill he missed 13 points and had subsequently failed the test!

Wow! If you could have seen the poor old guy. He looked like he'd just got hit by a Mack truck! For the next two hours I heard about how the test was rigged and impossible! I've had a joyous time reminding him that I passed it! It's bothered him so much that he has even lost sleep at night trying to strategize how he might be able to pass next time. He's even sought out someone who may have a smaller bike (or a moped) for him to test on. I have responded with a few belly laughs of my own. However, I have also learned (maybe) another important thing... it's best not to poke an angry bear that just lost his pride over a motorcycle skills test!

What dad would look like on a Moped.

In other news, Samantha, the kids and I where in Rapid City yesterday to watch TBC take on South Dakota Mines for a 1:00 game. Overall the game was reminiscent of the four years I was an assistant on the sideline. There were however a few positives in my observations of the game. First, it was great to see some of the players that I helped bring to Ellendale finish out there careers with a great deal of pride and strength. It takes a lot to play there four years and remain confident that you can get better every year. It also takes a great deal to remain injury free during those years. Second, there's a wealth of young potential on the team. They have several outstanding offensive players that if they stick around, the program is heading in a very positive direction. On several occasions they put together some impressive plays/drives that picked on the few weaknesses in their opponents. Lastly, from watching the game I have no doubt that the program's future is bright. Trinity currently has a great deal of financial weight and burden around it's neck, however I and others, have always felt that the football program (and the athletics program in general) could help to be the answer, not part of the problem. There were two coaches remaining with the program from when the Slivoskey era ended, they along with a new head coach and his additions, seem to be very motivated in improving the program. I am very hopeful at where they will be in five years.

People often ask me why the football program at Trinity is indeed so poor. They often believe that it's management, lack of dedication by the players or even a combination of both. I can say that the issues present at Trinity are actually somewhat complex. Money has a great deal to do with it. It's also amazing at how a program can loose so much ground over a few years of poor coaching. Shawn Fury penned a 2005 book "Keeping the Faith: In the Trenches with College Football's Worst Team." Yes I have always believed the title to be harsh, but in reality he's on par with the truth! Throughout the book Fury's synopsis of the program and college is exactly the truth! In many ways he was much kinder than he could have been. He could have told "the rest of the story" on occasion but refrained, fortunately! I still occasionally keep in touch with the author, I am still awaiting his next book. I think he'll always remember the six weeks he spent with us in Ellendale!

In other news, I have accepted my first coaching position since leaving Trinity. It is with Gillette's Legion Post. In Michigan, Legion baseball is small potatoes, out here Legion ball is big news being that there is no high school baseball. They've hired me to be the head coach of the "Rustlers" which is equivalent to a JV program (14-18 year olds). We'll play 50-60 games next year between the middle of April and the beginning of August. Check out the website. Overall I am very excited and maybe a little nervous! We'll begin in December for about 1-2 nights per week. I am excited about the travel schedule in the summer as we'll get to see a few new places. They have also given me permission to bring Samantha and the kids on road trips, which was an important part of me accepting the position. I'll keep you posted on this throughout the upcoming year!

Time well spent...

Of all the things that I have done in life, perhaps the best has been the time spent with Samantha! We met while at Trinity Bible College. All together we began dating over 5 years ago and were married around a year into our relationship! We moved quick! I guess when you know what you want, you go for it and don't look back!

I guess growing up I always thought the perfect age to get married was 21 and having kids in my 30's would be great! Well, we were married at 22 and managed our first child at 23 and I'm not complaining! Aundrea has indeed softened my heart and has been a blessing to our lives! I guess many thought we were nuts at the time we were pregnant with Aundie... and that was only compounded when a mere 8 months later we were expecting Tristan. Both have proven to us that life wasn't meant to be easy but it was meant to be fun, as long as that's your expectation in life!

Now that we've been married for four+ years and our children are both basically in the toddler stage neither of us believe that we "have it all figured out" but I think we're both pretty proud of what we've accomplished!

For starters, Samantha has been a full time mom every day of Aundrea's life, something we've committed to from day one, but have gotten close to straying from on various occasions... but ultimately our decision has been reaffirmed on various occasions in various ways!


I guess what I'm trying to say is that I am often surprised at the changes life has provided. At 20, when I left Michigan, I never expected my next move to encompass a wife and children... things of that nature are difficult to imagine! Yet nothing on this earth has given more of a sense of pride and joy than my wife and children!

I'm not sure what it is about society today that has allowed us (as men) not to have the desire to express certain things in life... except where we're expected to. Dad and I were have this conversation a few months ago... I believe he finds humor in my ability to talk about such things that most "men" find uncomfortable. I actually credit him for that indirectly, he's always been encouraging of my brother and I to try new things and experience life outside of his own experience. He encouraged me to leave Michigan for college and has always shown great pride in my choice in a wife. That's pretty cool when things of that nature happen!

Even more so, my parent's have always attempted to support my ambitions. Not to say they are ever initially supportive... I guess that's to a degree a part of their personality (and every parent's personality... some express it more than others)... yet both warm up to ideas and both have attempted to allow us to sink or swim. To some degree my parent's approach is somewhat unique for them. Neither of them are overly open minded in areas such as politics, religion or personal convictions. A fact that I don't always agree with, yet try to respect!

I guess what I am trying to say is that I don't understand the perspective of other guys unwillingness to talk openly. I hope I never do!


I'll give you another example. Yesterday a coworker and I were discussing scrap booking. I know, I know... SCRAPING! Wow, I guess I should feel less man-ly for even discussing it! But guess what, Samantha loves it! To her cutting pictures and designing pages is the most fun a mom can have by herself so I guess I've been trying to understand it and find enjoyment in her work as well. I have actually done more research in to scrappin' tool's than "the average bear" and I'd feel pretty comfortable walking into ANY store to look at what they carry in their scrap booking department. I also believe that I could look through the selection and pick out items that Samantha would enjoy to use and would benefit her work. A few days ago Samantha and I actually got into a heated debate about the how a certain type of book goes together and could be added to! Honestly, I won the debate (although I think she feels that she won as well!).

For my coworker, I think she was just dismayed at the time I've spent researching a few items... and also some of the knowledge I have on my wife's needs/wants for the hobby. She asked me to speak with her husband regarding Christmas! Sure, why not! For Samantha I have some pretty cool things on the horizon... some that she won't expect... that I am still bursting with enthusiasm over!

I think this desire of mine to appreciate what Samantha enjoys actually started with Samantha. When we got married, Samantha knew I had an unshaken loyalty to the Tigers. Within a year her loyalty for the Tigers was growing rapidly! So much so that to be honest she was the driving force of us getting the baseball package on our TV this past year. She followed intently throughout the season. So much so that when dad and I left to pick up his bike in Chicago that Samantha would call with updates on the games... she would even watch the Chi Sox and Twins games to report on their progress! This floored dad! Samantha was educated enough to discuss players, their performance at a position and their approach at the plate. A husbands DREAM! Sadly, when the Tigers dropped game 163 to the Twins our combined attitude for the next 24 hours was somewhere between really angry and really annoyed!

Samantha has also been extremely supportive in my other ventures, including the motorcycle and my passion to coach! In each she has actively taken an interest in my interest! So I find it only appropriate that I return the favor! It's only natural!

I'm out... time to go eat nacho's with jalapeno's and watch a Rocky movie in my underwear!

A Chili Cook-off Gone Terribly Wrong

Yesterday was a day I won't soon forget... or feel!

Around noon, Samantha, the kids, and I headed into town to catch up with mom and dad and head to the Camplex (A big events area that features a couple big facilities for almost daily events) for the annual Chili Cook-off.

I've never been to a chili cook-off so I was a little excited to check it out and try some good chili! I guess I never really understood that there could be so many different types of chili and even green chili... which about everyone I tried was excellent!

Anyways entering into the facility was a steep $8 a head... but heck why not!

Next we were met with a wall of people... I MEAN A WALL!

This was the beginning of my issues with the event... instead of being held in the Wyoming Center, which is a massive building built just a few years ago, they held the event in the central pavilion, which is just a long pole barn! And not nearly big enough for this type of event.

So we were met with a mass of people. It was tough trying to navigate two strollers and all stay close in the environment. It was basically standing room only!

The chili was pretty creative... although I don't think I want to know what was put in a couple of them... although I sure feel it today!

Overall, it wasn't a bad deal, just to crowded to have kids in the mix! Here's a few pictures of the kids from the last few weeks!

Face painting and Hair doo night!

Cutting cookies!

Floating in the tub!

So I'm all about Safety... but this is a little silly

So I left for work today (around 8) knowing that it was a professional day, that means that there is no school for students, but it is a required day of work for certified staff.

Usually on these days I get done everything undone and spend a few hours relaxing. Today I had a lot of items on my plate that needed attention. So basically get them done right away and then relax for a bit and then head home... say around... 2...err.... 3:30!

Today however I realized I was going to be at work a little longer than I wanted. A 3:30 IEP kept me know that I would be around town till 4:30 or 5:00. That's not a lot of fun, but a part of the job, so not a big deal!

It wasn't until about 11:00 that I realized that not only did I have an IEP at 3:30 but that I had First Aid and CPR training at 6:00 until around 9:00... not cool! Oh well. There's nothing like making sure that your up to date on being safe.

Now understand I wouldn't call myself a guru of safety, but I also understand that safety often requires people to think clearly and precisely. After all I had a FA and CPR class from this guy while in college... so basically what's out there that I don't know?!

Anyways... I show up tonight right at 6:00 pretty much ready to watch a boring video reviewing ABC (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) to find that the instructor fiddling with the projector and the VCR equipment. Basically projectors are a fairly easy item to understand, and my dad can operate a VCR... so c'mon man! Get it together!

After sitting back for about 15 minutes I finally decided there was no chance that they would figure it out by themselves... so I smoothly strolled (ok so at this point I look like a nerd) up to the front and say nothing. I reached over and turned off everything. Wow... the look I got. I then turned it all back on, hit three buttons and went back and sat down... and it all started up like it was supposed to... wow... guess that would make me a real stud/nerd!

Anyways, as the videos started it didn't take me long to realize that I was watching the same video I've seen at least 2-3 other times. WOW. Red Cross... do something about that please!

I played the game for about 45 minutes and then was frustrated enough that I decided to fake family illness just to bounce... SERIOUSLY... I know that's sad... but I just don't get kicks over that silliness. I know that's pretty pathetic... but now I'm home and enjoying the kids before they head to bed! That isn't silliness!

Wow... life has really changed since I left TBC!

How could the Central come down to this?

Oh man, am I ticked.

The Tigers were owners of a seven game lead in early September... now it will take 163 games to determine the champ. The Tigers haven't had this kind of success since the 80's. I was really looking forward to coasting into the play offs.

I haven't decided what really makes me mad... is it the fact that I predicted this scenario? Or is it the fact that I know so many stupid Twins fans? Either way, I'm mad!

I'm looking for something/someone to blame. Right now Miguel Cabrera is my target. I'm ticked that a night of drinking was more important for one of our biggest stars than the millions of fans that have been waiting patiently on this organization FOR YEARS. Dang fight with your wife after the World Series like everyone else does. Or just don't fight with your wife and just get ticked at White Sox pitching.

My wife has quickly become a skilled Tigers fan. She's sat patiently next to me this season, cheering triumphs and in the last month she's pleaded with the TV for our team to have some success. All of what used to be a Twin's fan in Samantha has long been destroyed. I think she took a lesson from Abe and decided that "a house divided cannot stand." Unfortunately we've both been in a foul mood since this latest disgrace to a great organization.

We both made predictions... I can't believe that we're not settling with our team.

Samantha: Twins 3, Tigers 2
Brandon: Twins 6, Tigers 5

Now we could both be wrong and it could be a big time blow out. I hope not. Man I hate that stupid dome! I may spend the next few hours allowing God to hear my feeble prayers about sports.

Livin'... in a winter wonderland?

I had a difficult time waking up this morning...



It's October 5, 2009. Recently we were hit with chilly weather. It snowed the last day of September, however the ground is yet to be ready for snow. Last night however it snowed A LOT and ill prepared ground or not... it stuck!

Overall we probably have 4-6 inches on the ground with a few more in expectation.

I do have school today as road crews have been out all night! This is good... I hated tacking on days at the end of last year!

By Thursday it will be back in the mid to upper 50's so this won't last real long! I won't be moth balling the bike yet!

Here are a few more pictures...

It's over... it's all over!

Holy Buckets. Ever have one of those weeks that you just hope to survive? I just did.

I hate those weeks. At TBC those weeks usually happened more that "normal" weeks... which I guess would make them normal... right?... Hmmm... I don't know... stupid.

So this week wasn't any worse than some of the moderately bad weeks at Trinity... but in the real world that's still pretty much like being stabbed in an extremity and having salt poured in the wound.

This is indeed the first time since we've arrived out here that I've had to tell myself, "just survive till Friday" and my word, I hardly did.

A bad week for me typically involves three things.

1. Averaging about 6 hours or less sleep per night for the week (look... my body and psyche operate fine with 8 hours... but when you dip under that I admit that I struggle!!).

2. Samantha.

3. Stupid unnecessary work stress.

Those three items were out in force this week.

Sleep was around 7 hours until Tuesday night... where it hit the two hour mark and then saw me in town till about 11 pm for work, class and then more work.

Samantha was just nuts this week (ok remember that I tell stories... basically insert "Brandon" for "Samantha") the woman basically was under so much internal stress over the Tiger's/Twins series that she pretty much took to biting off the head of anyone who spoke to her negatively... good grief Samantha... get a grip... it's just a game!

Work. Is there a need to elaborate?

Anyways it's over. And I was able to relax for the evening and basically do this...

Samantha's thoughts on Life...

As I said before, Samantha may at time's post an item or two to my blog... this one I'm going to put up for her. It's mainly regarding her Grandma Moon. As you'll read, Samantha was very close to her and she was a major impact on my wife's life, so much so that Aundrea's middle name was given in her honor! Enjoy...

"It has been almost eight years now since my Grandma passed away but in my mind, as vivid a memory as yesterday’s events. It was Saturday, October 13th, 2001. I was a freshman in college and four hours away from home. The call from my mother was very unexpected and very heart breaking. To this day I am thankful for a wonderful roommate who was more than willing to drive the four hours to my home so that my dad did not have to come and get me during this time. I am also thankful for a very dear friend who stayed with me during that entire week even though she had never met my family or my Grandma.

Grandma loved life and lived it to the fullest. Even to the day she died she was very active and let everyone know it. You never knew what to expect from her. I think this is why I was so insistent on naming my daughter after her. There are many memories I have of Grandma and each of them I hold very dear. Things like overnighters, garage sales, and shopping.

Growing up I spent a lot of time at my grandparents. To this day I am very grateful to my parents for allowing this. I had many overnight stays in which Grandma and I did many things. Our favorite pastime was window shopping. We had two or three stores we loved to go into in the town of Brainerd. One (that no longer exists) was in the mall just a few blocks from their home. This store had a very large display of a village (the kind you see at Christmas), knick-knacks, and dolls. I know my love for dolls came from this experience. Our other favorite place was the Christmas store which again had many knick-knacks to look at. Other times I stayed at my grandparents I would be helping with the garage sale they had almost every year. This was always an experience. It never failed to have Grandpa heading to the attic of the garage to pull something else down to sell and Grandma yelling at him to get down because he was going to hurt himself climbing up there. There was always plenty of zucchini and toffee bars to sell if nothing else.

Grandma loved each of her grandkids very dearly and made sure each of us knew this. She had several sleepovers for all of the grandkids with no parents allowed. On one of these occasions the boys decided it would be fun to sleep in the garage in the car and Grandma encouraged it. When we would get up in the morning she would take us to the park for breakfast and she always had the small boxes of cereal that you poured milk into. Another time she invited all of the granddaughters by special invitation for a tea party. This was a dress-up in dresses with a tea set and mini sandwiches and cakes tea party. One of the only times I remember seeing Grandma in a dress.

There was a quirky side to Grandma as well and I would be unfair in leaving this out. I am sure there is not one grandkid that could say they did not receive a wet willy, get their nose picked, receive a knuckle sandwich, or have their two jam eaten. If all were not done at least one of them was.

Out of all of these memories there is one that sticks out clearer then all the rest. This would be the last time I saw my Grandma alive. When I left for college my Grandma promised me one trip out to North Dakota to pick me up and bring me home. All I had to do was call and ask any time, but only once, during the year. I took advantage of this very early in the school year and to this day I am so glad I did. There was a campout I had been to every year with my Missionette group at our church and I did not want to miss it. Grandma was more then happy to come and get me and brought my cousin Katherine with her. I could not wait for them to get there so I could show off my room and my college to them. We left for home and what was to be a three and a half to four hour trip home turned into a seven to eight hour trip. I was not yet familiar enough with the route to remember by heart and Grandma ended up taking a few turns I have yet to understand why. However, it has become a trip that Katherine and I hold very dear and have many a good laughs over when we get together.

When I return home and go to visit Grandpa I can still to this day see Grandma in the house. She is either standing in the kitchen at the sink or the stove or she is in the living room lying on the couch pretending to be asleep. I expect her to pop around the corner at any minute to give me that hug I miss so much. Grandma taught me to love life and to love family no matter the circumstance. I may not always live this out today as I get caught up in what is going on around us but as I sit here writing this these lessons are very real. I miss her greatly and wish she were still here but I know I will always have the memories and the lessons she taught even if she didn’t think she was teaching them."

Living in a play-doh world!

Samantha, pre shower!

Brandon, most days!

Wednesday was grocery shopping day for the Strong household. Even with four+ years of happy wedded bliss I don't think Samantha and I will ever be fully prepared for what we seem to encounter at the grocery store!

Shopping for Samantha and I is really quite enjoyable! I think many young pre-married couples should take a trip to the grocery store for pre-marital counseling! For us, it took a few months to get acquainted with each others food and shopping styles!

For me, I like long term planning, in that if Samantha says she needs some marinara for spaghetti I usually grab 6.

For Samantha, it's all about the needs for that week... well needs and oreos!

Together we've learned compromise... and I've learned to enjoy oreos!

We really enjoy each other's company while shopping and we enjoy trying to spread out a great deal of needs over the smallest amount of money possible! And although we are sometimes self prescribed as being "cheap" we tend to make it work! Through it all Samantha has developed many wonderful meals in the kitchen that are beyond imagination!

Samantha and I both grew up fairly traditional in mid-West families and had a lot of meat and potato style dishes and meals. Samantha is a very good meat and potato chef, but her real talents lay in her other fabulous meals! She often will take one or two dishes she reads about and mixes them together for a fabulous meal! She's made many different meals from a variety of nationalities and I am a few pounds heavier thanks to her abilities!

The grocery store has always been an interesting spot for the Strong's. While we were in Ellendale we often tried to head to Aberdeen at late as possible to do our shopping at our favorite store, Econofoods! Econo was quite the store that provided us with a few laughs over the years!

First, we always seemed to get the largest, slowest cashier in the State of South Dakota! Now when I say "largest" I don't mean tallest! Let's put it like this... you know the area between the register and the area they put the checked items? He didn't fit! The challenge for him to scan items, punch buttons on the machine and bag groceries was excruciating! The worst part is... it didn't matter the day we went or the time we went we always new "big fella" would be there waiting for us!

Out here in Gillette things haven't seemed to change much! We still have 3-4 grocery stores to choose from and we've settled on Smith's as our place of shopping convenience. Smith's is owned by the Kroger Company and has a similar feel to Kroger stores in Michigan!

Ultimately we chose Smith's due to it being the least of the evils! Although it has also led us to a unique experience! At Smith's it's not polite to converse with other shoppers nor is it polite to look for an item for more than 5 seconds, for if you do your prime target for being bug juice on the front of someones cart. People in there are in a hurry, and they let you know! This is bad news for Samantha and I as we grew accustomed to taking our time and being decisive with needs and wants!

Thank goodness we usually only get grocery's about one time per month... if not we'd probably get the shopping version of road rage!

I'm no chimp you chump!

Wow. What a week. I could not be happier that it's over!

I'm still sick... going on 10 days now... "hack, hack, cough, cough" it's getting old.

This Friday night is scheduled to be fairly quiet, which is a relief for me! Eat pizza, converse with Samantha, play with the kids, and watch the Tiger's make that magic number go from nine to eight!

Tonight will absolutely be a change from last weeks Friday. Last week we played host to a friend of our friends, I guess that would now make him our friend!

I originally met Michael in Phoenix, Arizona while on a little trip with Eric Slivoskey, the Head Football Coach I worked with at Trinity.

Michael decided to take a road trip and visit numerous sites like National Parks and Monuments scattered across Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and South Dakota. It was definitely an ambitious trip and well worth it considering all the pictures and memories that could be made!

We really enjoyed Michael's company and conversation! Saturday I joined him for part of his adventure by traveling with him to Deadwood, South Dakota and Devil's Tower! It was a lot of fun!

Mike's perspective on life both spiritually and scientifically vary greatly from my own but I found myself particularly intrigued with our conversation. Mike majored in Anthropology in College at ASU. I majored in Physical Education at TBC. Needless to say Trinity didn't offer many (any) courses in Anthropology so I had a good many of questions for him! Basically he does believe that God created or was the cause of our creation and that there indeed was an evolutionary process. To some degree he believes that our own process looked something similar to this...


Interesting. My view is that evolution probably looks a little more like this...


Who can argue with forward thinking like that!

So although Mike and I are at odds on our creation I did enjoy learning his perspective! It's nice to hear how someone else thinks instead of simply agreeing with people of like beliefs. It challenges my faith and belief! AND IT SHOULD! For me, life requires faith. I define faith as believing in something that is deemed completely and utterly IMPOSSIBLE!

Often as "Christians" there is an impossible line of rhetoric that is spoken but not always capable of being backed up with proper knowledge and thought. I have really struggled with many of these points in my last few years and although my faith in a loving caring God who sent His Son to be sacrificed remains unshaken, my belief in humanity has indeed been rocked.

Although I believe that to be positive! Is it that my faith was rooted in words spoken by men? Or was it grounded in faith? Michael left me thinking heavily on these issues in my own personal life. Issues that I have failed to address but sought answers from various individuals... again... failure!

Thanks Mike for some enlightening thoughts and being so open with your own thoughts! It's all about faith and faith is often difficult to understand... at least for me! Eventually you'll recognize how crappy this new health care deal is and then... you'll be able to call yourself a conservative like the rest of the sane world (mainly me and Glen Beck)!

We're ALL in trouble now...

Kids! Aren't they great! Mine seem to be almost obsessed with the "bike" as I am. Aundrea always wants to be in the garage while I tinker with the bike, Tristan has quickly learned the word bike, and they both love to go for rides! Tristan climbed on yesterday and decided he was going to give me the ride! Maybe in a few more years!

In further motorcycle news, I now have an official (temporary) license. WOW. Probably one of the top 3 accomplishments in my life! Or maybe not!

The test itself was surprisingly difficult. I have really agonized over this stupid Wyoming Department of Transportation test for way to long! I stopped in a few weeks ago and picked up a book and to check on a class that I could take. The class ended up being 8 Saturday's and isn't offered again until the spring, so that was out of the picture. The book however was free! The biggest problem was getting me to open the book. So, in traditional style I strolled in today and took the test without studying! This was a usual for me in my first year or so (and maybe a little longer) at TBC! For whatever reason this test just gave me a VERY bad feeling. Needless to say it was 25 questions of agony. I could only miss five questions and conveniently I ended with an 80%... you do the math!

So now I am temporarily licensed to drive the bike around. Temporary means that in 10-90 days I need to go back and do a skills test. FUN.

The bike is indeed ready to ride! I recently made some adjustments to the rear spring, rear shock, the clutch cable, and did even more cleaning. I am having an issue with a sticky throttle. I did a few things tonight, under Aundrea's supervision, but decided that it must be either a little gunk in the carb or a kink in one of the throttle cables.

Tomorrow I'll take it to work and hopefully return!

This is what my KLR looks like at 90!
It's really not a bright idea to ride a bike with knobby tires this fast, but dad had to run his mouth!... he's somewhere behind me sucking fumes!

A Good Day Gone Bad...

Adaptive Physical Education.

It's a pretty unusual position I know. It absolutely has it's challenges. Less than 5% of the people I know actually understand what in the world I do! I'll try and phrase it as simply as I know how!

I make adaptations and modifications in physical education for students with special needs.

With this, I work with a broad spectrum of disabilities and motor issues. I typically work with students in four different ways. 1. In a special APE class where all students in the class qualify for APE, are currently on my caseload and it's found to be the most appropriate environment for the students (this is the same for all of my students regardless of where they are serviced). 2. In the regular physical education classroom. 3. In a pull out or one-on-one atmosphere. or 4. On a consult basis which means that they are probably on their way to me dropping them from my caseload as their motor skills are high enough to participate without assistance in regular physical education.

IEP's (Individualized Education Plan's) are really the tedious part of my job. I typically have 1-7 meetings with parents, other staff and administration on students. The paperwork itself isn't overly difficult, but it is a little difficult to squeeze in and it has many legal implications. Details of an individual are kept very private even within the district. Overall, in comparison to Trinity, my job is fairly laid back. Just take care of the details and your set.

Ok, that was boring!

I accepted my current position in Campbell County for a variety of reasons! Some I'm pretty forthcoming about and others that I am probably not!

However, one thing that I knew about when I accepted the position last October was that there was a good chance that along the way we might lose a student. I don't know that it's really crossed my mind to much in the last few months. I guess maybe you just don't think about it to much. I have had two or three students that have been given a pretty short leash by the doctors, and that has really made my job a challenge. I h to make sure that I have the student do nothing to compromise his/her health.

Well, the worst possible became a reality Friday. One of my students passed away.

I really have a great deal sorrow for the family. I viewed them as a family who really "got it" when it came to the educational realities of the situation. They are a good family and I am definitely saddened by their loss.

It is a testament to the teachers and staff in the district. There are many negative thoughts towards public education in our world today. I know a few that hate it, some that don't trust it, and many that don't care for it. I believe I became a teacher to help change those thoughts toward education.

Apparently a lot more than just me did the same thing. I am proud of that! Although we'll be one less than the 8,400 students that went to school on Friday, education will continue and several lives will undoubtedly change thanks to a student that graced us with his life!

Baseball to Football... and why Favre with the Vikings is so COOL!

The Tiger's are on the home stretch of their season and it's promising to be an exciting final few weeks.

Currently, the Tig's are 4 1/2 games up on Minnesota and 6 1/2 up on the hated Ozzie Guillen's White Sox. At this point I don't see the Sox being much of a threat to the Tiger's, however the Twinky's are a completely different story.

Even though the Twins are without Justin Morneau I am still not very comfortable with our lead. The Twins always seem to be in the hunt going into that final series, no matter who they are playing. The Tigers on the other hand seem to be getting a little tired in the pitching department right now... which was really what's kept them on top of the Central all year.

This weekend is a showdown of showdowns. The Tiger's head to Minnesota and the ugly Metrodome to hopefully keep the distance at no less than 3 1/2 games. I say three and a half, simply because it's been difficult enough for the Tigers to not get swept under the big pillow, that it would just be nice if they win one of the three, and hopefully the first one. Right now, Rod and Mario (Tiger's Fox Sports broadcasters) are reporting that Porcello, Verlander and Robertson will be on the mound for the Tigers. This is very good news for us! However, the Twins love to batter bullpens, hopefully ours holds up this weekend.

So speaking of Minnesota, I want to move on to the Vikings! Samantha grew up in central Minnesota and was gracious enough to give up the Twins for the Tiger's, but refused to give up the Vikings for the Lions, and no one can blame her!

I have found myself more and more intrigued by the Vikings, first by their ridiculous "Love Boat" incident. Now more because of their tremendous ability to make a transition and put together a VERY good football team! (I am trying hard not to be a band wagon fan, but it's been so long since the Lions have given anyone anything to cheer about! To make matter's worse I don't want to become a Bronco's fan!) Obviously Adrian Peterson has really helped the Vikings, and he is very worthy of being known as the best back in NFL, he will continue to cement that title as the season moves on!

I think one of the biggest highlights of the Vike's is their defense and particularly the d-line. Slivo always used to say that good football teams are built around the defensive line. The Vikings have done that, and it's made it a lot of fun to watch their games!

Besides Jared Allen is CRAZY and an absolute beast! I think he typifies "corn fed" crazy midwesterner!


Besides trading for Allen, and drafting for AP the other best move the Vikings have made recently is the pick up of Brett Favre... ok ok... I know this is over done... but I really think this pick up was very intelligent on behalf of the Vikings!

First of all, to be a team that was forever haunted by this guy in Green Bay, and have the guts to sign him for your team, after Green Bay basically put him out to pasture... that's cool!

I think it's pretty cool on Brett's part to. Bottom line the guy worked his butt off for years as a Packer, he has the right to decide when he's done! I don't care if he decides to play till he's fifty, he's definitely proven his worth under shoulder pads. Besides that, check out this cool commercial from Sears. Also, this guy doesn't really have anything left to prove. We know he doesn't need the money, and we know he's a lock for the hall! But to have the desire to keep playing for the love of the game is something we can all respect!

Either way, I think a lot of people expected Favre to come in and take those shots down field and force stuff to happen. Ultimately, I don't think he'll have to do that with the Vikings! His job will be to complete a high percentage of short and medium range passes and manage the football game as only Brett Favre can do! Adrian Peterson will be the stud of the offense, and I think Chester Taylor and Percy Harvin are going to have a great season as well. Ultimately the Vikings will be a better team with #4 calling the shots! And I can't believe I am saying this... but... GO VIKINGS!

So long, Ernie

So tonight the Tigers said goodbye to Ernie Harwell and Ernie said goodbye to Baseball.

If you don't know the name Ernie Harwell, he was the radio voice for the Tigers for forty+ years. Prior to that he was with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He is an icon in baseball, and was famous for many baseball one liner's like, "loooooong gone" or "the house by the side of the road". At any rate growing up in Michigan I had the pleasure of listening to Ernie call ball games for the Tigers. He always made the game fun to listen to and really made the game what it was for many loyal Tiger's fans.

Samantha has only shortly been a Tiger's fan but even she understands the meaning of Harwell to Tiger's fans.

Harwell is famous for having covered baseball over 7 decades. He is currently the only person to have done so. Special!

Recently it was discovered that he has inoperable cancer and has little time left on earth. He will surely be missed.

Aundrea stands in front of Ernie's statue at Comerica this past summer!

Overall, Ernie's address to the crowd was short, simple, and clear. He thanked baseball, the Tigers, and the fans in Michigan. Ernie has long been a proponent of the State of Michigan... not just Detroit! I believe that he grew up in Georgia or somewhere in the south but he discovered the great state when he took over in the booth for the Tigers. I even learned tonight that the Brooklyn Dodgers actually acquired Harwell via a trade. That's nuts! They traded a player for the broadcast talent of Harwell. You won't hear about that happening any time soon!

Anyways, as the Tiger's make their drive into the post season, I hope Ernie is with us to witness the Tigers take the 2009 World Series! Go TIGERS!