The Trip

For those who don't know, my niece Trina is graduating from high school this year. As a graduation gift, I'm taking her on a 2 week trip to Europe. I know, it sounds a bit extravagant but she's my most favorite niece in the world (ok... she's my only niece) & she deserves a big reward for a job very well done (ok... & I've been wanting to go to Europe & haven't found anyone to go with me).

I thought I had everything all set. We'd fly into Vienna & spend the day walking around the city. The next morning we'd take a train to Brno to spend a few days with my college roommate Cindy. Then, we'd travel to Prague & spend a day in the city. Then the next morning we'd fly to London for a week doing what Trina wanted to do.

I was all set to call the travel agent this week but then Trina calls on Sunday evening & the conversation was something like this (not exactly because it's been a few days & I don't have that great of a memory):

Trina - I've been thinking...
me - don't do that too much, it could hurt.
Trina - Yeah I know. Any way, I was thinking... London is an expensive city. Maybe we shouldn't spend so much time there.
me - Well, that's sweet of you but I wouldn't have offered if I thought it would be a problem.
Trina - You remember me telling you about my great uncle who lives in Geneva?
me - Yeah
Trina - Well, if you wouldn't be too uncomfortable, maybe we could spend a few days with his family.
me - It wouldn't be any more uncomfortable for me than it will be for you having to stay with Cindy who you don't remember.

So with that, I'm now completely re-thinking the entire trip. Trains & multiple countries are now getting into the mix. In the original plans of the trip last summer, Switzerland was an early leader & I was really wanting to see the Alps but Trina really wanted to see London. So now it looks like Switzerland's back in, along with train trips across Austria, Liechtenstein, & France. If there's enough time, maybe we'll even spend an afternoon in Paris. Granted, we still have to find out that Uncle Louis will actually be in Geneva in July...

Now I really have to push the travel light plan with Trina. I got her to agree to one suitcase. Now I just have to try get her to agree to a travel-on size suitcase (& see if I can do the same).

I Love Toys

I was just channel surfing, saw that the final hour of I Love Toys was on VH1 & realized that I never let you know what was the #1 toy. Well here's the list:

10. Wiffle ball & bat
9. Slinky
8. Yo-yo
7. Star Wars Figures
6. Monopoly
5. Mr. Potato Head (did you know that you orginally had to supply your own potato?)
4. G.I. Joe
3. LEGO's
2. Barbie
1. Hula Hoop

The dancing is over

I guess this is the outcome I was expecting - although I was still hoping for one more miracle. The Lady Vols had to play the one team in the entire tournament that I knew would have the quick, athletic defense that would give Tennessee fits. And it did. So the streak of final fours is over - I believe it was at 4 straight. I guess next year they'll just have to start a new streak.

Granted I didn't see a lot of the game. I was recording the game for Betty so I couldn't do my usual things to keep the frustration & blood pressure down. (Why is it easier to watch a game in person than on TV?) I was afraid to hit mute & that's usually step one since it's usually the broadcasters that are getting on my nerves. And I couldn't channel surf & that's usually step two. So I turned the TV off & took care of the work I brought home with me. Maybe I'll watch it this evening, especially if this Predators game continues to frustrate me.

List Time

In honor of March Madness, here's a top 10 list of the stadiums and arenas I have to visit in my lifetime (FYI - if I've already been there, I'm not putting it on the list). I haven't put enough thought into actually putting them into any order - maybe I'll do that someday.

• Cameron Indoor Arena - Duke U. - what every student section should be
• The Big House - U of Michigan - just to see a stadium that's always in competition with Neyland as the largest college football stadium
• Lambeau Field - Green Bay Packers - great history but the wait list is generations old
• The Saddledome - Calgary Flames - every time I see this place on TV, the place is packed & the fans are going crazy
• Rupp Arena - U of Kentucky - more history & tradition than most schools will ever have
• Notre Dame Stadium - Notre Dame U - Just give me a good view of touchdown Jesus
• The Swamp - U of Florida - granted I may not wear my TN orange but they always look like they're having fun - oh except for the last couple of trips TN's made there:)
• Joe Lewis Arena - Detroit Deadwings - I just want the chance to return the "hospitality" I've received from their fans in the GEC
• Death Valley - LSU - just to see if they can register another earthquake
• Maples Pavilion - Stanford U - I want to see the Tree & I hear the pep band is... um... different

So agree, disagree? Or give me ideas of other places I should want to go?

And sometimes I love technology

I just renewed my drivers license online at 10:00 at night. How cool is that? Granted I have to keep that yucky photo for 5 more years but that beats standing in line for who knows how long.

I Don't Get It.

It seems that every time the Preds beat the Deadwings, they go out & lay eggs for the next few games. They just lost back to back games on Friday in Anaheim & then last night in Los Angeles. Last nights was especially bad. They had the lead with about 8 minutes left & then they let LA score not once, not twice, but THREE times. What?!?!

Act Naturally

Growing up, a Saturday just wasn't a Saturday unless we were watching Hee Haw. I looked on the front page of the newspaper this morning only to see that Buck Owens had died. The rest of the day I've been singing Act Naturally.

"They're gonna put me in the movies.
They're gonna make a big star out of me.
We'll make a film about a man that's sad and lonely.
And all I have to do is act naturally. "

Dear Wiskas,

Could you please start packaging just the gravy of your moist cat food. My cat does not like any of the different varieties of your food but she adores all the gravy (& yes, we've tried them all). I'm getting tired of throwing out the pieces of food my cat leaves behind when she licks all the gravy off the food. Not to mention the food she shoves off the plate onto the floor in order to get to the last bit of gravy.

Thanks,
Sonya

Zamboni

Once again thanks to Kukla's Korner I found a great article, this time about the Zamboni.

"Attribute the Zamboni’s popularity in part to its mesmerizing effect. “There are three things in life that people like to stare at: a flowing stream, a crackling fire, and a Zamboni clearing the ice,” said Charlie Brown in one Peanuts strip. Credit cartoonist Charles Schulz, who owned a Zamboni, for helping popularize it. Snoopy drove one. So did Woodstock, turning tiny ovals in his frozen birdbath."

What I really want to know is why in the world did Charles Schulz need a Zamboni? Did he have his own ice rink?

Happy Birthday Dad!

In honor of Dad's birthday, I thought I'd share some links to some of his interests & hobbies.

Here's the obvious one. Dad loves Lady Vols basketball. When he & Mom moved to Knoxville, the first thing he did was buy season tickets. So here are the best places to get your Lady Vols fixes.

Lady Vols Official Web Site
Go Lady Vols
The Summitt

Dad loves researching our family's genealogy. One of the interesting things he's researched is a group of people called Melungeons. Imagine, you think you're the first group of people to settle in the mountains of upper East Tennessee only to find a group of people already there. People who look more European than native. People who can't tell you where they're from.

melungeon.org
theory on melungeons
Tennessee Genealogy

Dad also loves church history, particularly the restoration movement.

Restoration movement
Restoration web links

For years all I knew about Dad's time in the Air Force was that he worked on planes. It's only been in the last few years that he's started really talking about what he really got to do during his years in service. And it's so cool - as part of the 7406th Support Squadron he got to work on spy planes!

7406th
Sneaky Petes
NSA National Vigilance Park

So go check something out in honor of my dad today. See Dad, I do listen... sometimes :)

Vokoun!

I know I'm a few days late on this but the Predators' goalie Tomas Vokoun was named defensive player of the week on Monday. I guess that's what should happen when you get 3 wins with 2 of them being shut-outs. Read more.

While I was looking for the link to that, I stumbled on this transcript of a live chat Vokoun did on the NHL web site last week.

And by the way... Tuesday the Preds beat the Deadwings in a shoot out in Detroit. I've thought all season that I'd like to see a Nashville shoot out go past the 3 initial shooters each team gets. I just wanted to see who all Nashville would use after Kariya, Sullivan, & Zidlicky. This game I got my wish & with the shoot out going to 6 shooters I was a little shocked by the next 3 players coach Trotz called on. In order, he used Timonen, Sillinger, & Erat. Of those 4, I would've thought Erat would have been the 4th shooter. Timonen wasn't a big shock but I think my mouth was on the floor when Sillinger came out. I actually expected to see Upshall before either of them and most of the team before Sillinger. It's not a slight against Sillinger's playing ability. He's a very good player. He's just more of a set-up man than a goal scorer.

It's Time For A List

Today's topic: My current favorite shows on TV.

These are in no particular order & like all my lists, the items are subject to change on a whim.

• House (FOX)- Dr. House is super sarcastic & you all know I love sarcasm.
• Grey's Anatomy (ABC) - I watched this the 1st time because there wasn't anything else on TV one Sunday night. It's very soap opera-y & I'd have to say it's my guilty pleasure.
• CSI (CBS)- I'm counting the Vegas, Miami, & NY shows as one show. I think just about all chemist want to be in forensics.
• Gilmore Girls (WB) - I've loved this one show from the get-go. Snappy & witty dialogue. And this season Lorelei got a neurotic dog she named Paul Anka. You have to see it to understand the humor there.
• 7th Heaven (WB) - As long as they aren't trying to promote something it's a nice family show. It bogs down a bit when they try to go all afterschool special.
• Numbers (CBS) - Using math to solve crimes. And that mathematician is just adorable.
• Related (WB) - I watched one night after 7th Heaven & really like the interaction of the sisters. Granted, some of the sisters are a bit... um... wild.
• Monk (USA) - I just want to protect Mr. Monk. He's so funny & neurotic.
• Bones (FOX) - ok, I admit, I watched this the 1st time because it has David Boreanaz (who was Angel on Buffy the Vampire Slayer) but I keep watching because it's good. I think there's a trend on this list with mystery shows.
• Mythbusters (Discovery) - sometimes you just have to prove & disprove a few urban legends. And laugh while you're doing it.
• Stranded With Cash Peters (Travel) - Cash Peters gets kicked out of a car with no money & no idea where he is & has to survive for 24 hours on the kindness of strangers. Granted I'm sure he has an easier time than most since he has a film crew tagging along. And I love his voice. Maybe he'll show up in Nashville & I can make him read my phone book in exchange for dinner.

Funny interview with Jussi Jokinen of the Dallas Stars on the Hockey News web site. I admit, I don't know much about this player but this interview is hilarious. Here's just a sample.

LC: Why did you choose the No. 36?
JJ: My favorite player growing up was Jari Kurri.
LC: But he wore No. 17?
JJ: And he played for the Oilers so wearing one of those jerseys would look really stupid wouldn’t it?

Thanks to Kuklas Korner for pointing it out.

The Lady Dunks

Finally! Lady Vol fans have only been waiting for this since the girl stepped on campus. The 1st dunk was what you'd expect if you've ever seen a woman dunk, on the break away. It seems like most women need a bit of momentum to get that elevation, so the break away is perfect to get that. Her 2nd dunk was the amazing one to me. It came in a half court set, a drop step on the baseline. And it looked effortless. I think we'll see more of these during her career.

Yesterday Was Busy

Yesterday was busy, even for me. It's beyond busy at work right now so I worked a couple of hours. Since my supervisor Betty had an extra ticket to 1st round women's basketball games being played at Vandy, I joined her for 2 afternoon games. I saw a very tight game played between Minnesota & Washington, followed by a blow-out game between LSU & Florida Atlantic. Betty had excellent seats & I could tell just how tall these girls are. Sylvia Fowles is HUGE! But the day wasn't over. I returned to the office & worked around another hour. Then it was off to the GEC to see a very fun hockey game.

It might have been a bit much since I've been sick. I woke up this morning, fully intending going to church & then another day of work. Unfortunately I woke up & was coughing so much that... um... no, I think I'll spare everyone the details. Needless to say, I didn't get to do any of those things.

I Don't Like Technology

... sometimes. I keep trying to download pictures from my camera & it's just not working. I got this great camera for Christmas. The 1st time, I had no problems at all & I didn't have a clue what I was doing since I left the manual at my parents. The 2nd & 3rd times, I had to try a couple of times before it worked. Now I can't get it to do squat. I even tried to plug it into the port in the back. Three different ports & the computer isn't recognizing it at all. I think I'll take my camera to work & see if my computer there would recognize it. If it works there, then I know it's my computer and if not, then it's the connector. I guess it's a good thing that I have such a large memory card in the camera. Now if I can only remember the story behind some of these pictures by the time I get this problem solved. Oh, & if you have any suggestions, just leave them in the comments.

I Did It.

I just filled out the forms to get tickets for the 1st 2 rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs (& to be eligible for the later round tickets too). And in order to do this, I had to go ahead & renew my tickets for next year. That's where I took the really big plunge. This season I have an 11 game pack, which hasn't been nearly enough. So, Michelle & I decided to upgrade to an entire season pack. The bad part of going with a full season package is that I have to give up this seat & this view.

The budget just won't allow me to keep it. When you're only paying for 11 games it's one thing. It's much different when you're paying for 44 games. We've been told that we can upgrade for some games, so that will be good. But we're so spoiled. I looked for a picture from the potential seats (we don't get to choose the exact seats until later) but I couldn't find anything. But just imagine, this picture is from level 1. The new seats will be in level 3.

It's My 2nd Most Favorite Time of Year!

My most favorite time of year is late November to early December. Football is in full swing. College basketball & the NHL are just getting started with the promise of great seasons. Then there's Thanksgiving & the start of the Christmas season. And the start of the Christmas season is the best part (now that there aren't any small children in my family) - before all the last minute shopping stress sets in.

Only slightly behind that, is March Madness. And now, not only do I get to overdose with college basketball this month, I get to take in the playoff push in hockey.

Last night they released the men's field of 65 teams & tonight the women's field of 64 teams. You all know what comes next? Yep the office pools. And yes I play. But it's all for bragging rights for me. I absolutely love all the smack talk that comes with playing, especially that 1st weekend when you get all the upsets. It's the best when a person who knows absolutely nothing about basketball takes down all the guys who follow every minute of the season. One lady I work with one year used mascots to pick the winners & another year used which city she liked better.

So my suggestion to you is this: unless your office pool has a steep entry fee, go play, even if you know nothing about basketball. You'll get to know some of your co-workers better & even become friends. And if it is too steep or you find spending any money objectionable, play with your family & friends. Your terms could be that the loser has to do dishes for a week or pay for dinner or just something fun.

This was out of left field

I'm looking through the newspaper yesterday & stumbled upon this article. How bizarre is it that Jada Pinkett Smith is a metal grrrl?

I've got to check this band out. My curiosity has been peaked. I'll let you know what I find.

Invasions

This weekend I experienced 2 invasions. One by my family - which I loved. And one from some stinking virus or flu or cold - which I'm hating! Looks like I will actually have to break down & see a doctor on this one. And ya'll know how bad it must be to do that.

Any way, Mom, Dad, & my sister Sabrina came out to take my niece Trina to Lipscomb for a special scholarship winners weekend. Trina stayed on campus with some girls from her youth group that are freshmen this year. And they brought their cat Brooke. And Brooke discovered a hideaway that in my 5 years of living here, I never knew existed. The panic was starting to set in before we discovered the spot (after about 3 complete sweeps of every hiding place I know Scully likes to use). Who knew there was a empty space in my lower kitchen cabinets? And that a cat could crawl into it? Granted I painted my cabinets a couple of years ago & you would think I would've noticed it then. Thankfully we were able to coax her out, although I was starting to dream about what new countertops would look like.

A Favorite

One of my favorite columns to read each week is written by John Buccigross. He's got a great sense of humor & writes in a way that even a newbie like me can understand. Plus, he loves great music & like to incorporate up & coming bands into his column. This week he's got a great story. If you don't want to read everything, scroll down to the section called "State Tournaments". It's a cute story about his son, told only the way a proud & loving father could tell. And this statement made me stop & think.

"As mite hockey practice began last fall, I told Jack that Cammi Granato was cut from Team USA. Jack has spent some time with Cammi and the two share a bond that sometimes happens inexplicably, despite having little time together. When it was time for choosing uniform numbers, Jackson Buccigross chose Cammi's No. 21."

This is a child that most likely already knows more about hockey & hockey players than I may ever know. And yet he decided to take the number of a "girl". How often does that happen? It makes you wonder, do little boys start off thinking that "girl" sports aren't as good as boys? Or is it the influence of the adults in their life? I tend to think it's the later. Let's just hope there will be more men like my dad & John Buccigross in the future.

By the way, the section called "Third Period -- Life of Podes" is pretty funny too.

I don't care for this part

Here's the background. Growing up, my first exposure to big time sports was the college games, specifically Tennessee. You learned early on that you only had the players available to play for a maximum of 4 years. You learn so much about all the players . By their 4th year, you know their tendencies on the field (& court). And by the time Senior night comes along, there's might even be a few tears because, once you're a Vol, you're always a Vol!

Fast forward a few years & I started watching some professional sports. First, I became a fan of NFL football. Basically, I was following one of my favorite Vols (Tim McGee - I think) because I just wanted to see him play more. It was then I noticed that loyalty wasn't as important in the professional game. Teams would cut a player at the end of the season if they thought they could find someone who could play the position better. Then there's the whole salary cap. So now, a player could be cut just because they're too good (& expensive).

That was hard enough. Now that I've fallen for NHL hockey, I've discovered this thing called trading. Right in the middle of the season, teams decide that they really want someone playing for another team to play for them. So, they trade players currently playing for them (or the "farm" team) in exchange for them. Tomorrow is the final day this season that these trades can take place. I'm so conflicted. My brain is saying, a trade would be good. The team needs a big defenseman & some extra power on offense to make it deeper into the playoffs. My heart is saying, no! This is my team, my players. I can't think of a single player that I don't want on the team. I don't even like it when they send players down to play on the farm team. Can you imagine the Vols trade Manning, White, or even Tee Martin for anyone else? Or the Lady Vols trade Holdsclaw, Catchings, Lawson, or Parker for anyone? Even if it meant another national championship?

Oh well, guess I just have to wait & see what happens. So far, there's not been any movement by the Preds.

UPDATE (3/12/06):
The Preds made one move & picked up Brendan Witt in exchange for this years 1 round draft pick & Kris Beech, a minor league player. Half the "experts" say it was a good move & the rest say it was a bad move. And since he got ejected from his first game as a Pred, my opinion is still out.

Is it just me?

I work on the 5th floor, so every day I have to ride the elevator. Usually I have my keys in my hand & I'm so paranoid that the keys are going to drop into that gap between the landing & the elevator. Yeah, it's probably just me...

I Love Toys

This week on VH1. Tonight was #100-81. It was a fun trip down memory lane. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a good list show. This is the kind of stuff I love on VH1 - not all that reality junk they've been showing lately. So if you have nothing better to do this week, flip it over to VH1. I wonder what the number 1 toy of all time will be? Oh I hope it's not Barbie. Maybe it will be something cool like Legos or Mr. Potato Head. What's your guess?

Just as I always suspected

Cheerleaders are freaks! Read On

I saw the clip on Sportscenter last night & was in complete disbelief. The girl was not just laying on a stretcher. Her head & legs were strapped down. The EMTs were afraid she had broken her neck & there she was cheering as they were taking her out of the arena. Not waving or clapping - which I might actually understand. No she was doing an actual cheer. I've never understood these people.

Ok, ok. There was a time that I wanted to be a cheerleader (or a majorette) but I was 7. None of us were all that bright when we were 7. :)

At Least It Went To Overtime

The Preds lost this afternoon... in overtime. To those who don't understand how the NHL standings work, you'd think this would be a bad thing. And you'd be sort of wrong.

Here are the basics. The NHL is divided into 2 conferences (the east & the west). Each conference is then divided into 3 divisions with 5 teams in each division. The Predators are in the Central division of the Western conference. The NHL standings are based on a points system & at the end of the season the top team in each division automatically gets home ice advantage for the 1st round of the playoffs. The team with most points in each conference after the division leaders also gets home ice. The next 4 teams point wise also make the playoffs. That means a total of 8 teams per conference plays in the playoffs. All rounds of the playoffs are best of 7 games - so you get home ice, you get 4 home games per round.

Here's how the points are awarded. For each win, a team gets 2 points. For each game taken to overtime, each team gets 1 point. The winner in overtime gets 1 more point (for a total of 2 points). And as expected, each loss is zero points.

So as yucky as a loss in overtime is, it's still a point. Currently the Preds are sitting in that last home ice advantage spot. As long as the team keeps getting points, they keep that cushion over the next team nipping on their heels. But still, 2 points provide more of a cushion - so wins are still very important.

SEC Champions!

The Lady Vols are the 2006 SEC Champions. It was a very tight back & forth game... and of course my stress was high. So I started watching Lord of the Rings & just checking in every few minutes. But what I did see was great!

It's The Details

Last night, I was channel surfing & saw that The Prince & Me was on TV. I'd seen this movie before & thought it was cute so I decided to watch it again. For those who haven't seen it, the basic premise is the playboy prince of Denmark decides to enroll at the University of Wisconsin after seeing some seedy girls gone wild type video. Once there, he finds a serious girl, changes his way & falls in love. (Actually after re-reading what I wrote, if you want to see the movie, stop reading now - I give away too much.)



Only last night when I watching, I noticed that the weather & location & time of year did NOT match. The girl (& no, I can't remember her name) invites the prince home to her parents farm, in WISCONSIN, for Thanksgiving. When they arrive, the grass is green, there are green leaves on the trees, & they're all wearing light jackets. Now I've never actually been to Wisconsin, but my college roommate's was from there & that's not how Cindy described November in Wisconsin. It was such a problem for me, that I double checked to make sure she the character said "Thanksgiving" & "Wisconsin". So I decided to go with it, that maybe the director was making a subtle commentary on global warming & it's a mild winter.

But then, they return to campus & all the drama happens when she finds out who he is during finals. You know - guy gets girl, guy loses girl, girl decides she can't live without guy. The scene where she decides she can't live without him is while she's taking a class final (a final for a class she was taking before Thanksgiving). If I follow that clue, it should be fall semester finals, so around Christmas. Anyway, by this time, the Prince has returned to Denmark, so of course she follows him. But the Denmark she goes to looks nothing like I'd imagine Christmas in Europe. Not only are there no decorations or mention of Christmas, it looks like springtime. Everyone's in short sleeves, there are flowers & green trees everywhere. The only logical conclusion I could think of was that maybe it was a 2 semester class & was finals for spring semester. But then that doesn't jive with the newness of the relationship.

I just realized what a long post this has become, but you know, it rather bothers me when people forget the details. You'd think at least one person would've questioned the weather of Thanksgiving in Wisconsin or how it suddenly becomes spring in Denmark. Maybe this is why I don't watch a lot of movies...

Lipscomb Is Not Going Dancing

I had hoped to title this "Lipscomb Is Going Dancing" - which I thought would be very funny. And all my fellow alumns understand why. Today was the finals of the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament. One more win over that nemesis Belmont would've meant an automatic invitation to the big dance (the NCAA tournament for my non-sporting friends). Unfortunately the guys just didn't hold on. I give them props to taking the game to overtime but now Belmont has bragging rights on who made it to the big dance 1st. That stinks. At least the women have bragging rights - they made it to the dance 2 years ago. And the Bisons get an automatic bid to the NIT...

Are We Still On Olympic Break?

Looks like the Preds were thinking that tonight. Argh. What a sloppy game. I couldn't even bear watching the 3rd period. And losing to one of the worse teams in the league. Not only losing, being shut out. Let's hope they get their minds off their vacations by tomorrow night. I just had a thought, isn't there a saying about March coming in like a lamb & out like a lion. Or is it just the opposite. Anyway, let's hope that since the Preds have decided to come into the month like a lamb, they'll go out like a lion. Oh no, I just remembered, I teased the Redwing fan at work today because the wings lost last night. Got to learn to just keep the mouth shut - karma.

Oh & Tennessee men lost to Kentucky tonight. And I already had decided what I was going to say to my co-worker who's a KY fan. Karma - it's all karma! I've got to learn to say nice things about other teams. The Redwings are a great team. Kentucky is an elite powerhouse. Oh, this is sooooo hard! But, I draw the line at saying warm fuzzy things about Geno & UConn.