Alan’s Stream of Consciousness

Bubba’s drive against Cancer

2012-01-27T12:04:00.004-05:00

Professional golfer Bubba Watson, like most of us, has several people in his life that have had to deal with some form of cancer. His father died recently of throat cancer. Even when he was playing on the mini tours he still found a way to make donations and contributions to charity and charity events. Now that he has become very successful on the PGA tour he is extending his goals and contributions to cancer research. He has come up with Bubba and Friends Drive to a Million. For a couple years now, he has played with a driver that has a pink shaft, this year he is going with a full on pink driver.

Click here to read the official PGA Tour article:
http://www.pgatour.com/2012/tournaments/r004/01/24/bubba-farmers-ross/index.html

Not only is he playing with a pink club, for every drive over 300 yards that he hits, is sponsors will donate $300 to a cancer charity. Since Bubba is one of the longest drivers on the tour, I don’t see him having a problem hitting his goal by the end of the PGA season. You can track his progress on his website: bubbawatsongolf.com .

With the PGA season now in full swing, he is already making progress in his goal.

Nice job Bubba and good luck!

Happy B-Day Meg!

2012-01-24T08:34:00.003-05:00

I promised not to make a big deal of it, but today is my wonderful wife’s birthday!

Happy Birthday Meg!

Viva Italia!

2012-01-20T13:27:00.003-05:00

This was the name of the class that Meg and I attended this week at the Atlanta Wine School. As you might have guessed by the name of the class, it covered Italian wines as well as many other things Italian. The class was taught by Kelly Wheeler who is not has several wine certifications but he is also a chef so he had some delicious cheeses and a special Italian sausage and peppers dish he served with the wines.

The class included an overview of the different wine regions in Italy, some tips on how to speak Italian, along with some history facts and personal stories of his many trips to the beautiful country of Italy. Mr. Wheeler was very knowledgeable and entertaining and he did a great job of explaining the differences in the grapes, the style of the regions, the different techniques of wine making and of course nuances of the wine. Some of the descriptions he threw out there I really wasn’t getting but his pallet is much more sophisticated than mine so that make sense. For example, he said he could smell some brioche in one of the wines where I wasn’t getting anything resembling bread at all! I did get it when he said he smelt some road tar. I totally got that one!

Anyway, I wanted to share the fact that there is a wine school in Atlanta and they do a great job. I have been to several classes there now and I have never been disappointed. If I had the time I would definitely go more often and might even think about getting certified in wine there, but that just isn’t in the cards now. The wine school is a great place to learn more about all aspects of wine and I highly recommend taking a class or popping in for one of their wine and cheese tastings. I hope to post some reviews of the wines we tasted soon.

Cheers!

Another College Football Season in the books!

2012-01-10T16:34:00.002-05:00

Now that the BCS Championship game has come and gone we can officially close the books on the 2011 College football season. The BCS Champions are the Alabama Crimson Tide and congratulations to Coach Saban, his team, and the fans of the Tide. They completely dominated LSU on both sides of the ball. It wasn’t a high scoring game but still exciting to watch.

With the win by Bama, that gives the SEC six straight National Champions, it give the University of Alabama two National Championships in the last three years and it gives the state of Alabama 3 straight National Titles with Auburn winning last year. That is pretty impressive and proves the best football is played in the south and in the SEC.

So now what? Well, for me it is exciting to follow the recruiting battles that are currently going on. By the way, UGA landed the top defensive player in the state of Georgia this week when Jordan Jenkins committed to play in Athens on Monday. There is still a good deal of top talent that hasn’t made any commitments so it will be interesting to see where they go.

Of course there are still the NFL playoffs but with my Falcons out, I am not nearly as interested. I will continue to watch because I love football and I am also intrigued by the Tebow phenomenon! The NBA is in full swing and the Hawks are playing pretty good, but I just don’t see them stacking up against Miami and Chicago this year. They will have a descent season and make the playoffs, but I see them losing in the first or second round of the playoffs. I wish I could say the Thrashers were hanging in there in the NHL but we all know what happened to them. As a matter of fact, the former Thrashers are actually doing pretty good in the standings. Winnipeg is currently 2nd in their division and in a playoff spot. The PGA tour also starts back up this month so that is a good thing and of course, Braves spring training are just around the corner.

So there are things sports related that interesting to watch and follow. Maybe now I will have time to get back in shape and work on my new years resolutions!

Post Christmas/New Years hangover!

2012-01-04T16:43:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas and Santa brought everything you wished for. Now it is time to clean up and start putting away the Christmas decorations. Well, for most people I guess. For us, this is a hectic time of year with friends and family coming in town for the holidays. We have been going non stop since before the 25th dealing with family birthdays and visiting friends who no longer live in town. It is always fun, but busy.

The week between New Years and Christmas is always busy as well. Again more family birthdays and visiting with friends and family. A lot of people take that week off from work, but I like to go to work that week to get away from the chaos that is the holidays!

Here is JB, Jimmy and special guest John Keen (middle) on stage New Years Eve.

For New Years, we renewed our tradition of seeing going to the Widespread Panic show. This year they played in Charlotte NC. We meet some friends up there and got a chance to visit a friend that just recently moved there. It was a great weekend of good food, good music and good friends. I will say that the arena staff was not prepared for the Panic fans. The lines were extremely long to get in, extremely long to get concessions and extremely long for the bathrooms. Yes, that is to be expected when you attend a sold out show, but I have never experienced lines as bad as those! They also ran out of crucial items at crucial times in the night and there were many frustrated Panic fans. But of course the boys from Athens put on another excellent show and that helps ease the pain of the poorly trained staff at the arena.

Now things are getting back on schedule with school and work and as I reflect on another holiday season, yes it was hectic and tiring, but I feel like I am the luckiest guy in the world! Ain’t Life Grand!

Happy New Year and let's make 2012 the best year yet!

Christmas is here! Really?

2011-12-22T11:58:00.002-05:00

Where did the time go? Each year I tell myself that I am not going to wait until the last minute to finish all my shopping. I guess this tradition will stay true again this year. I am close to done, but not done. I am sure I will be shopping up until 6 pm on Christmas Eve again this year! When will I learn?

Well, I hope everyone has a great Christmas and is able to spend some good quality time with family and friends. It doesn’t look like it is going to be another white Christmas this year since it is supposed to be in the high 60’s and rainy this weekend in Atlanta. Oh well, it was cool to have a white Christmas last year!

Have a Merry Christmas and I hope Santa is good to you all!

Santas to avoid!

2011-12-15T16:40:00.002-05:00

I love Christmas time! I love decorating the house, getting the tree, seeing the excitement in the kids and of course visiting one of my favorite Christmas time websites;

http://www.sketchysantas.com/

I just find some of these hilarious while I find other quite disturbing! Check it out for yourself but be warned, some of these Santa's might give you nightmares! Also, they have been putting some racy pictures and videos on lately that might not be suitable for children.

Enjoy!

NOLA!

2011-12-07T12:15:00.008-05:00

Recently we meet up with most of Meg’s family in the Big Easy for a few days before Thanksgiving. I have been to New Orleans several times before but those times were for concerts or football games and none of those trips were with kids. So this was going to be a different type of experience.

We stayed at a beautiful, old and supposedly haunted hotel, Le Pavillon. The kids had a great time roaming the halls and going on ghost hunts as well as swimming in the roof top pool. They also had a nightly tradition at the hotel of serving peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the lobby with milk or hot chocolate. The kids looked forward to that each night.

While there, we ate well, walked all over and hit all of the sites of the city; the French Quarter, the Garden District, the Waterfront….etc. We also were able to go out into the bayou for a swamp tour. Overall it was a great trip and everyone had a wonderful time. Here are some of the many pictures that were taken on the trip!

Hotel Le Pavillon

The lobby at Le Pavillon

Rooftop pool at the hotel

Bourbon St

Jackson Square

Kids walking in the French Quarter

Band busking in the Quarter

Galleries on Royal St., we actually bought a couple of paintings at the Caliche & Pao Gallery

Marie Laveau’s Voodoo (the boys love to do Voodoo now, for good of course!)

Here is Mac, Henry and their cousin Gweny at the Voodoo Museum

Kids on cannon

Here is a lighted statue in front of a church in the Quarter

Cafe Du Monde

We went to the PoBoy Festival one day on Oak St. and her are the kids trying on hats

Here is a Mac, Henry and Papa on the swamp tour

One of the many gators we saw on the tour

Here is a graveyard right on the bayou (this might have been staged)

This is a replica of the way people used to live in the swamps.

Another Alligator in the swamp

There are a lot of other animals that live in the swamp, like this raccoon.

Here is Mac holding a small gator. All the kids got to hold this little guy but my camera died after the picture of Mac.

On the last day we went to one of the many grave yards and found Marie Laveau’s tomb.

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Sugarland with Lady Gaga! Wait, what?

2011-12-01T11:56:00.002-05:00

I am as surprised as you, but it worked! It was a great vocal performance by both Lady Gaga and Jennifer Nettles and a great way to close out the Grammy Awards Concert show that aired on Nov. 30th. The show had several strange parings and most worked pretty well but the last pairing of the night blew the roof off the building! Check the clip below if you don’t believe me!

Also, I want to send my congratulations to Jennifer Nettles in her recent nuptials! She got married to her boyfriend of two years last weekend in Nashville! I guess my invitation was lost in the mail!

MIA!

2011-11-29T16:32:00.006-05:00

Sorry I have been slack lately on posting on this blog. I have been busy at work and home as well as traveling and of course the Thanksgiving holiday. Here are some of the topics I probably would have written about in the last couple of weeks:

• The USA retaining the Presidents Cup with a comfortable margin in Austrilla
• The Dawgs beating Aurburn
• The Penn State and now Syracuse child abuse scandals – makes me sick
• Beaujolais Day
• The Dawgs beating Kentucky and clinching the SEC East Championship
• The passing of Larry Munson
• Family trip to New Orleans – More of that in the future
• Thankgiving
• Black Friday
• The Dawgs still run this state with a win against Georgia Tech
• The screwed up BCS system
• The SEC Championship is set
• Cyber Monday

Yeah, those would have all been great reads I am sure! Anyway, I hope to get some pictures up from our trip to New Orleans soon. I will try not to be away as long in the future.

Presidents Cup

2011-11-15T17:50:00.003-05:00

The official PGA golf season has come and gone for 2011. It was a great finish with the Player’s Championship coming down to the wire with the big prize and purse going to Bill Hass after an improbable run. Even the Fall Series of events have come and gone but there is some good golf to be played this year. Since it is an odd year, the top US players will be taking part in the Presidents Cup against the top International players that aren’t from Europe. The European top players play the US team in the Ryder cup which is held every even year.

This year, the Presidents Cup will take place in Melbourne Australia. Team USA is made up of the 10 guys on the money list and two Captain’s picks. This year Captain Fred Couples picked Tiger Woods and this years FedEx cup winner, Bill Hass to join the team. They will face a tough team of International players who are captained by “The Shark” Greg Norman. These two captains have faced off before with Captain Couples coming out on top two years ago in San Francisco. The USA won the cup by the score of 19.5 to 14.5. I expect it to be closer this year! Due to the time difference, the matches will be televised at night, I love it!

U.S. automatic qualifiers

Matt Kuchar
1st Presidents Cup appearance

Steve Stricker
4th Presidents Cup appearance

Dustin Johnson
1st Presidents Cup appearance

Webb Simpson
1st Presidents Cup appearance

Nick Watney
1st Presidents Cup appearance

Phil Mickelson
9th Presidents Cup appearance

Bubba Watson
1st Presidents Cup appearance

David Toms
4th Presidents Cup appearance

Hunter Mahan
3rd Presidents Cup appearance

Jim Furyk
7th Presidents Cup appearance

Captain's picks

Tiger Woods
7th Presidents Cup appearance

Bill Haas
1st Presidents Cup appearance

Here is the roster for the International team:

International automatic qualifiers

Jason Day
1st Presidents Cup appearance

Adam Scott
5th Presidents Cup appearance

Charl Schwartzel
1st Presidents Cup appearance

K.J. Choi
3rd Presidents Cup appearance

Kyung-tae Kim
1st Presidents Cup appearance

Retief Goosen
6th Presidents Cup appearance

Geoff Ogilvy
3rd Presidents Cup appearance

Ernie Els
7th Presidents Cup appearance

Y.E. Yang
2nd Presidents Cup appearance

Ryo Ishikawa
2nd Presidents Cup appearance

Captain's picks

Aaron Baddeley
1st Presidents Cup appearance

Robert Allenby
6th Presidents Cup appearance

Go Team USA!

Tebowing!

2011-11-04T15:44:00.003-04:00

Being a Georgia supporter, I am not a big fan of former University of Florida QB Tim Tebow. I will give him props by saying is he was a great college player, but his game hasn’t really translated to the pro game. Now he is the starting QB for the Denver Broncos and has had some ups and downs this season. In his best game of the season so far he brought his team back from a huge deficit to win the game in OT. During that game, his actions spawned a new phenomenon called Tebowing!
Tebowing started when Tim dropped to a knee and began praying as his teammates wildly celebrated around him after an improbable overtime victory in Miami. That was simply Tebow "Tebowing," a phrase coined by a fan sitting in a bar in New York watching the popular yet polarizing quarterback rally the Denver Broncos.

Jared Kleinstein was mesmerized by Tebow's peaceful demeanor kneeling on the turf amid all the chaos that ensued. He launched a website in which fans could submit photos of themselves "Tebowing," which means getting down on a knee and praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different.

Almost overnight, it caught on through social media. He went from an audience of 785 to nearly 390,000 in just a few days. The amount of pictures he's receiving also is staggering. A couple of days after the site went live; Kleinstein had to sort through more than 1,300 snapshots to post on the site.

But Kleinstein wanted to make one thing clear: The undertaking isn't meant to mock Tebow or poke fun at his religious beliefs, just show support. Tebow said he appreciated the spirit of the website. "Yeah, some people don't necessarily take it seriously but they're on their knee praying, so who knows what you're going to think about after that and how that can affect you?" Tebow said. "Hopefully, it's a good example for people."

I just love to see where people are Tebowing and some of the cleaver names they give their actions! Hilarious! Check out the site:

http://tebowing.com/

24-20 Dawgs!

2011-11-01T17:22:00.001-04:00

What can I say, a Win is a Win! Georgia finally got back in the win column against hated rival Florida this past weekend by the score of 24-20. It was not a pretty game by either team but once it was over, the Dawgs came out on top. The defense was the only bright spot of the game. The special teams were horrible and the offense was flat most of the game. They were able to make some big plays when needed but still have a lot to work on this week.

This win continues the streak to 6 wins after dropping the first two games of the season. That win might have saved Coach Richt’s job even if we don’t make it to the SEC Championship game. Now the Dawgs need to focus on winning the remaining conference games (which is not a given since we have to play the defending National Champions) and need a little help from either Arkansas or Florida when they play South Carolina. For now, I will just enjoy the long awaited win against the Gators!

Go Dawgs!

Ga/Fla Weekend!

2011-10-27T11:34:00.007-04:00

The air is crisp, the leaves are falling and football season is in full swing. What a great time of year! The last weekend in October have several constants, fall festivals, Halloween and the World’s Largest Cocktail Party! NCAA officials don’t like me calling the annually border bash that, but what are they going to do to me? It’s not like I am Cam Newton or anything! Oh wait, they didn't do anything to him either so we are both good!

OK, on to the game. This is a huge game for Coach Richt and his team. After two opening loses, the Dawgs have come back to rattle off 5 wins. Granted they weren’t playing top 10 teams, but 4 of those wins came against SEC opponents and we all know the SEC is the best conference in the country, so that is nothing to sneeze at! Anyway, Coach Richt needs to get his team focused on playing the Gators and not worrying about him being on the hot seat if he loses to the Gators again. On the other side of the ball, the Gators are currently on a three game losing streak and are desperate to stop their skid. Basically both teams need this win badly!

On paper, the Dawgs have the edge but the game is not played on paper. In years past the Dawgs have had a much better team on paper, but still ended up losing the game so that means nothing. Each team is dealing with injuries to some of their big time players and the game is played on a neutral field (sort of) so it is going to come down to execution and coaching. Again, the Dawgs would seem to have the edge in coaching since Richt has been a head coach for 11 years and the Gators have a 1st year head coach in Will Muschamp, who by the way, played at Georgia.

I am sure it is going to be another exciting game full of ups and downs for both teams. The Dawgs have had some sort of mental block against the Gators in the last 20 years and I hope this year the Boogie Man doesn’t come out and spook them again. Kick off is at 3:30 on CBS and it is setting up to be another battle on the St. John’s river!

If you can’t be in Jacksonville on Saturday, here are some of the UF fans that you will be missing:

Nice Jorts!

My personal favorite!Go Dawgs!

Tutus for Tatas

2011-10-19T09:05:00.004-04:00

As you probably know, October is Breast Care Awareness month and personally being touched by the horrible disease I have a special place in my heart for anyone who takes the time and effort to do any of the walks/races out there. They are all dedicated to finding a cure and are willing to walk or run long distances to raise money to go to the cure.

The 3 day walk in Atlanta is coming up the weekend of October 21st-23rd and this year a close friend of the family is walking in support of Meg. Michelle Morante is my sister’s husband’s sister and a close family friend. She will be walking the 60 miles over three days along with thousands of other brave souls. If you haven’t already donated to someone else, please take a few minutes and contribute to Michelle’s walk. She is close to her goal and I am hoping some of the readers of this blog will help push her over the top. If you can donate, please click on the link below and it will take you to Michelle’s page.

http://www.the3day.org/site/TR/2011/AtlantaEvent2011?px=1242917&pg=personal&fr_id=1610

It means so much to Meg and me to see the continued support of her fight. Meg has been clean of the disease for 4 years now and is back to living her life to the fullest. But she couldn’t have done it without the help and support of all of our family and friends. Please get out and support the cause either by cheering on the walkers or by donating. It is a tough goal to walk 20 miles for three days straight! Be on the look out this weekend for Michelle and all of the other amazing people walking in the 3 day Atlanta.

Thanks and Good luck Michelle!

Panic X 2!

2011-10-07T14:55:00.004-04:00

Widespread Panic is currently in the middle of their fall tour. Since this is their 25th year as a band, they are playing some smaller than usual venues. They are currently in the southern swing and will be in Atlanta this weekend. They have been playing all around the south for the last two weeks and several of the shows were a drivable distance. Due to kids, jobs, and other adult responsibilities we weren’t able to make all of the shows we wanted to attend. But we were able to hit Tuscaloosa last weekend for their first ever show at the new Tuscaloosa Amphitheatre.

Here is Panic on stage

That night happened to be a birthday of our good friend Mark who is a big Panic fan as well. We worked with his wife to pull off a set of surprises for Mark on his special day. Jenn was able to keep all of the surprises from him until they happened. He didn’t figure out where he was going until the day they left. He didn’t know we were going to meet them in Tuscaloosa until we showed up and he didn’t know our other friends Mike and Kelley were going to be there either until they showed up. Thanks to Mike and Kelley, we were able to provide Mark with another surprise at the venue, VIP box seats! That just made the night even better! Having a waitress (no matter how slow she was) means you spend more time with the band and not in line. It was a great night of friends, fun and great music.

Here I am with Jenn and Mark

Meg and I

Mike and Kelley with Kelley's brother and wife

This coming weekend, we plan on doing it all over again. Panic is playing at Verizon Amphitheater and we will be there to enjoy another great show by the boys from Athens. This time we will be in the regular general admission area and not in a VIP box, but it will still be a good show.

Having a good time!

I hope to have more pictures to post soon!

Colossal Collapse!

2011-09-29T13:12:00.003-04:00

Going into the month of September, the Atlanta Braves had an 8 ½ game lead for the NL Wild Card. A lead that seemed insurmountable due to the way the team was playing in August and the start of September. Only the bats fell asleep and the pitching dropped off considerably due to injuries and fatigue. What seemed to be a lock to make the playoffs going into the last month of the season slowly started to become a slow burning fire that eventually overtook the team and their fans hopes of making the playoffs! This one really hurts!

It all came down to the last day of the regular season and the Braves needed a win to force a one game playoff against St. Louis for the NL Wild Card spot. Even though the Cardinals game started an hour later than the Braves on Wednesday, it was over way earlier. The Cards took care of business in Houston and put the game away early. They won 8-0 against the Astros and game them their 106th loss of the season. Meanwhile the Braves were playing the Philadelphia Phillies who have the most wins in baseball. The game ended up going 13 innings with the Phillies winning 4-3. Then the heartbreak set in!

I don’t even know how to explain it. Things were going so nicely for the whole summer. I realized around the end of July or the start of August that the Braves were not going to win the Division, but would still make the playoffs via the Wild Card. The offense was clicking, the defense was solid and the pitching staff was on cruise control. Then the wheels started to get wobbly and eventually fell off the last week of the season. The Braves lost the last 5 games of the season and went 9-18 in the last month. That is a complete choke!

I know it is no consolation to Braves fans, but we weren’t the biggest collapse in MLB history. That happened to the Boston Red Socks. They were in the same type of situation yesterday and had to win to either make the playoffs or force a one game playoff depending on what the Tampa Bay Rays did. The Socks lost and the Rays won to clinch the AL Wild Card. The only thing that makes the Red Socks collapse worse than the Braves was at the start of September, the Red Socks were in first place in their division and their payroll is more that double what the Braves is. So as bad as a failure the Braves season turned out to be, at least we weren’t expected to win the division and the cost wasn’t nearly as much as the Red Socks. Even knowing this, it doesn’t stop the hurt that Braves fans are feeling.

Well, at least we have the Thrashers! Oh wait, they were sold and moved to Canada.

Well, at least we have the Hawks! Oh wait, they are being locked out and the season might not happen.

So now I guess I focus all of my attention on Georgia football and the Atlanta Falcons!

Happy Birthday Larry!

2011-09-28T15:51:00.001-04:00

Today’s Larry Munson’s 89th birthday! It has been a couple of years since he left the both calling the Georgia games and the new crew is good, but nothing compares to Larry. I could post a long drawn out post about some of his most memorable calls since 1966 when he started calling Georgia games but I don’t have the time and I would have a real hard time narrowing down the best calls.

I do know one of my top three calls and that was after the end of the Auburn game in 1982 – “Look at the Sugar falling from the sky!” Winning that game got the Dawgs into the Sugar Bowl that year! Love it!

Anyway, Happy Birthday Larry! You will always be the “Voice of the Dawgs!”

REM Breaks Up!

2011-09-23T12:20:00.001-04:00

I am surprised but not shocked that REM has decided to call it quits as a band. It has almost been 30 years! They have cemented themselves as one of the best and always evolving rock bands in history and I am not just saying that because they are from Athens. They truly have changed the landscape of music history.

I have had the privilege of seeing the guys play in small places light the 40 Watt and the Uptown Lounge. I have seen them in medium sized venues and festivals as well as playing sold out arenas and huge festivals. Each show was solid and entertaining. Their albums have evolved and matured along with the guys. I wasn't surprised that they carried on after Bill Berry (the original drummer) left to become a farmer, I knew Michael, Mike and Peter still had music in them, but I am little surprised they have decided to stop now. They recently came out with another solid album but when there was no tour to accompany it, I thought something was up. Yeah, they are getting older now, but that is the life they have been living so I thought that was odd.

Anyway, I am sure each of the members will continue to be involved with music and I wouldn't be surprised to see them get back together in future years. Until then, I want to thank them for kick starting my love of music and for all of the great memories I have either seeing them live or listening to their albums. I look forward to seeing what comes next for them and for seeing their reunion tour in five years!

Here is an early clip of the boys on Letterman, circa 1983!

Karate Chop!

2011-09-22T16:37:00.003-04:00

The boys have been taking karate for several weeks now and they have both really taken to it. We have tried other organized team sports and neither of them enjoyed it. It became a fight every time there was a practice or a game. I guess they just weren’t ready for being on a team. So we thought we would try karate and we couldn't be happier with the results. They really want to go to class and usually go three times a week. They practice at home and they are improving each day.

At this karate school, after they attend 10 classes in a row, they get a small stripe added to their belts. The color of the strip coincides with the age group they are in. Since they have just started, they are still white belts but they now have a red stripe on their belts and are close to getting another red stripe.
Here they are in class.

Here they are getting about to get their first stripes!

Henry getting his stripe.

Mac is getting his stripe.

I really hope they stick with it, it is good exercise and it teaches them discipline and self control and Lord knows they need that!

Dogs vs kitty cats!

2011-09-14T13:21:00.003-04:00

Even though the University of Georgia Bulldogs are playing this weekend against Coastal Carolina, they aren’t playing kitty cats. Actually the Coastal Carolina mascot is a Chanticleer which is some sort of chicken or rooster. Anyway, the hottest new internet sensation is the head coach for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers and his “dogs vs kitty-cats” rant which has gone viral. Coach David Bennett was explaining a story he told his team about being a dog and not a little kitty cat. It is pretty funny! This clip has been picked up by all of the major sports channels and is getting played on sports talk stations across the country. Give it a watch and see if it motivates you!

I just think it is ironic that his team is playing a bunch of dawgs this weekend in Athens.

Schweddy Balls!

2011-09-09T14:59:00.001-04:00

Ben and Jerry’s have just come out with a new flavor called Schweddy Balls. Please don’t get the wrong idea and get your mind out of the gutter. It is named for one of the best SNL skits of all time! 13 years ago Alec Baldwin played the part of baker Pete Schweddy who was making an appearance on the NPR show Delicious Dish. If you haven’t seen the skit, you have to check out this video.

That is one of the funniest skits ever on SNL and now it is getting a new honor by having Ben and Jerry’s name an ice cream after it. This new flavor is only offered in a limited batch but if it is popular, I am sure they will extend it and make it permanent. The ice cream will consist of vanilla ice cream, a hint of rum, fudge-covered rum balls and milk chocolate malt balls.

Ben and Jerry’s are not worried about offending people with the name, said spokesman Sean Greenwood. "We're the caring company," Greenwood said Thursday. "We never want to do anything that is upsetting for people. We think it's congruent with our values, in terms of having fun. One of our principles is 'If it's not fun, why do it?'"

This is fun and funny! I can’t wait to try it out! Look for it at the Ben and Jerry’s shops and in supermarkets near you.

Party at Hogwarts!

2011-08-30T15:35:00.007-04:00

Over the weekend we transformed Meg’s parent’s house in to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft & Wizardry! Well, we did what we could. We had some great ideas but then we realized we weren’t Hollywood special effects artist and our budget wasn’t near those of professional movie set designers. Even with our limitations, I think it was a good party and the kids all had a great time.

The party included specialized food and drinks including Hogwarts Express PB&J’s, Hagrid’s Fang dogs, Mini troll clubs, Hedwig and Harry’s hummus, McGonagall’s psycho swirls, and dragon crisps! There were potions to drink as well as muggle drinks for the non wizards or witches. Each kid got to go to Ollivanders Wand Shop to get a one of a kind wand, they were each sorted into a house (Gryffindor or Huffelpuff) along with a house pin and if they didn’t already have a robe, they were provided one. They were also given temporary scars on their forehead if they wanted. I will say it was mainly the boys who wanted the lighting bolt scar drawn on their head.
Here is the entrance to Ollivanders Wand Shop

After the sorting ceremony, each house was sent on a scavenger hunt to look for clues to find the horcruxes and the sorcerer’s stone. It was really fun to watch each pack of kids running all through the three levels of the house. I am really glad none of them poked an eye out with their wands while running up and down the stairs in long robes. Gryffindor won that challenge.

This is Huffelpuff getting their scavenger hunt instructions

This is Gryffindor getting their scavenger hunt instructions
Here is Huffelpuff getting a clue by the pool

Here is Gryffindor going upstairs to find their next clue

After the hunt was over, the two teams went out to the yard for a game of quidditch. I know what you are thinking, how can you play quidditch if you can’t fly on the brooms? Well, we had to modify the game somewhat to work in the muggle world and basically we had them playing field hockey with brooms. Each kid had a broom and each team tried to score a not so round ball into the others goal by sweeping their brooms. Then each team had a seeker and our wonderful niece (Taylor) agreed to tie a weighted balloon to her and that was the golden snitch. Taylor would run out into the field during the game and the seeker for each team would try to grab the golden snitch.

Here is a picture of the action packed quidditch game

Another shot of the game, but notice Sammy has caught the Golden Snitch!

The kids were really into the match and I am surprised no one got hurt in this event as well. It was all pretty funny to watch and I wish I would have taken a video of it to put on YouTube! It was a close game but Huffelpuff ended up winning in the last minute. This means it was a tie for the house cup and all of the kids would get to visit Honeydukes Homemade Sweets as the end of the party to pick all different types of candy. There were Bertie Bott’s flavored beans, Drobbles blowing gum, licorice wands, jelly slugs and worms, chocoballs, lava balls and lemon/lime drops.

After the conclusion of the quidditch match, the kids were hot and ready for a dip in the black lock (pool). I have never seen that many kids in Meg’s parents pool at once! Everyone was having a good time and again there were no fights or injuries! Not that I expected any, but with 18 kids in the pool at once, who knows what could happen! The only way to get all of the kids out of the pool at the same time was to mention Cake! As soon as that word came out of Meg’s mouth, the pool was empty!
Kids in the pool

Notice all of the muggals watching over the black lock

Notice Mac's perfect cannonball form!

Here is the cake before it was cut, what you don't notice is all of the little finger marks on the side
Henry and Sammy were the last two to finish thier cake, they didn't leave a bite!

Once the cake was devoured the kids played a little longer running to the different areas of the castle. Eventually it was time to go but not before each wizard got to go fill their bags with candy from Honeydukes candy store. Overall it was a great party and Meg, her parents and I were all exhausted once it was over. I think everyone who came to the party enjoyed themselves, including the muggle parents. It was all worth it since the kids had such a good time, but all I can say is I am glad each child only has one birthday each year!

Mac is how old?

2011-08-25T14:34:00.003-04:00

Wow, how time flies! I really do feel like we just brought home McGinnis from the hospital a few weeks ago and on Wednesday he turned 7 years old. He has turned into an amazing young man and I can’t wait to see how he grows and expands his interests. Currently he interests are video games, Harry Potter and spending time with his family. He is doing great in school and has really taken to Karate and he is the best big brother. I am so proud of him!

Meg and I are extremely lucky to have Mac and Henry in our lives!

Here is Mac at 6 months old

Here is a recent picture

Happy birthday Mac!

Countdown to kickoff!

2011-08-22T13:08:00.003-04:00

I feel like it is close enough to start talking about the return of college football. It is now less than two weeks away and I couldn’t be more fired up about it! All of the preseason polls are out and they are interesting to look at but don’t really mean much. A majority of the polls have Oklahoma ranked #1 with Alabama, Oregon and LSU ranked 2, 3, and 4. Then it starts to get varied depending on the poll. Georgia is ranked either 19th or 22nd in the three major polls and their opening opponent is ranked either 5th or 7th.

The Dawgs will be taking on Boise St. in the Georgia dome for the Chick-fila-a Kickoff game on September 3rd. This is a huge game for the Bulldogs! If they can pull the upset it will put them on track for a great season. Since Boise St. is not in the SEC, if the Dawgs don’t win, it won’t be the end of the world. They will have to jump back and get ready to kick off their SEC play the following week against South Carolina. There is a good chance the Dawgs could go 0-2 in their first two games, but I don’t see that happening! I guess that is the Dawg fan in me, but I feel like both of the games are winnable!

Boise St. is not used to playing in places like the Georgia Dome with 70,000 screaming Dawgs fans! They have played in some big time games in the past but none of those games had the home field advantage that the Dawgs are going to have. Also, the Dawgs will be wearing special unis for the game and that will only add to the excitement for the team and the fans.
Here are the Nike Pro Combat uniforms, not very traditional!

It is going to be a tough test for the Dawgs and I am already a little nervous about it. The Broncos have a well seasoned QB and some great receivers. Also, they are used to playing on a quick surface like the Georgia Dome. But they Dawgs have some pretty impresive play makers as well! So I expect a close and exciting game and I can’t wait to get into the dome that Saturday night. The best thing is, win or lose, football is back!

Go Dawgs!

Sugarland stage collapses!

2011-08-17T11:29:00.004-04:00

Over the weekend, a horrible accident occurred at the Indiana State Fair when the stage collapsed between the performances of Sara Bareilles and Sugarland. The stage was basically blown down by huge gusts of wind hitting up to 70 mph. The state fair officials and band managers were aware of an on coming storm but were told it wouldn’t hit until later in the night. They even had a contingency plan ready if the storm did hit while the show was going on. Only they couldn’t have known those wind sheers were going to hit since they were not registering on the radar or any other weather devices. It came out of no where and unfortunately 5 people died and over 40 people were injured in the collapse including a couple of the crew members.

It is amazing that something like that happened and my heart hurts for the family of the ones lost. Only it could have been much worse! If that wind sheer would have hit 10 minutes earlier it would have probably killed or injured Sara Bareilles, her band and crew. If that wind gust would have hit two minutes later than it did, it might have killed Sugarland (Kristian and Jennifer) along with their band and crew. Apparently if it wasn’t for Sugarland’s tour manager, they would have been on stage right when the stage gave way. Tour manager Hellen Rollens looked at the sky and decided to hold the band backstage. A minute later, 60 to 70 mph wind gusts toppled the roof and the metal scaffolding holding lights and other equipment. Kristian’s guitar tech did sustain some broken bones and the mic guy had some facial lacerations, but the rest of the band and crew were under the stage and were able to take cover.

Both Sugarland and Sara Bareilles have issued statements stating how horrified they were and how their thoughts and prayers are with the victims. Also, they both made a comment about the quick response by the emergency crews and other fans who rushed to help out. They both cancelled the show the following night to deal with the tragedy.

Having mutual friends with both Kristian and Jennifer, I have heard they were both pretty distraught over the events of Saturday night. The will have a grief support team with them on the road for the next couple of weeks to help deal with the emotions and feelings the band and crew are experiencing. This isn’t the first time they have had a close call due to weather this tour. Their show in Tuscaloosa was cancelled due to the tornados in the area the night of the show. I was also in T-town that night to see the show and it was a very scary storm. It was only a sign of things to come for Tuscaloosa since the following weekend was the day the major tornados hit the area and devastated parts of the city.

Here are Kristian and Jennifer on stage from a previous concert

Sugarland is planning to have a private memorial for the fans that died and they plan on continuing their tour this weekend. Even thought they will probably not have the same exact set they had for the previous shows of the tour. The Incredible Machine set was destroyed in the accident on Saturday. I am not sure what set they will have, but they are determined to finish out the tour that last through October.

Please send some positive vibes to all of the people who were affected by this freak tragedy. I know they could all use some positive thoughts!

PGA Championship!

2011-08-12T12:37:00.004-04:00

“Glory’s last shot”, that is the slogan for the PGA Championship. It is sort of silly due to the fact there are many more tournaments to come this season but since it is the last major championship of the year, I can buy it. Anyway, I love playing golf and watching golf and currently I do a lot more watching than playing. So I get pretty excited when it is a week of a major championship. The field is always full of the best players on the planet and there are always interesting story lines to follow.

Going into this week’s tournament the dominate story line was the Adam Scott/Steve Williams/Tiger Woods love hate triangle. It had all of the talking heads and sports writers all a twitter (literally)! I personally loved it! I feel Tiger thinks he is above the rest of the field and to have someone (Steve Williams, Tiger’s former caddie and now Adam Scott’s caddie) make a comment that sort of slapped him in the face was awesome. Of course Adam Scott and Tiger have both taken the high road but I wouldn’t expect either of those guys to do anything different. Steve Williams is probably one of the most recognizable caddies on the tour and I don’t have a problem with him speaking to the media if they come to him, but he should have acknowledged Adam’s accomplishment while taking a jab at Tiger and he didn’t.

Now that the actual rounds are underway, the main story line has quickly changed! Tiger had the worse round in a major of his career and that is one of the smaller story lines, but everyone is talking about Rory McIlroy’s wrist. On the third hole in the first round Rory (who is one of the favorites to win) hit a wayward tee shot and the ball ended up against a root. Taking a huge gamble, Rory decided to go for it instead of chipping out into the fairway. He advanced the ball but in the process he injured his wrist and damaged his 7 iron. He finished the hole but quickly called for a doctor. After talking to the doctor/physiotherapist he wrapped it up and continued to play and ended up with an even par round. It was clear that he was in pain but he powered through the round and I am sure he has gained even more fans than he had before. It seems as though Rory is going to push through the pain and finish out the weekend. My only concern is that if he continues to play he might damage his ligaments permanently. He did have an MRI on Thursday night and nothing was torn. I am sure he discussed things with a doctor before he went back out for round two.

I am looking forward to the weekend coverage of the championship and to see how things unfold. The course is playing tough for most of the pros and I don’t expect the scores to be really low. But these guys are really good and I am sure someone will steep up and put together four good rounds. I just hope that guy is an American since we are currently in a drought for winning majors in the last couple of years.

So kick back and enjoy the golf either at home or at the Atlanta Athletic Club. It really kills me not to be there since it is just down the road a few miles from where my office is located. Believe me; I would rather be there now instead of writing this post!

Back to school time!

2011-08-10T12:16:00.003-04:00

First off, is it just me or are kids going back to school way to early? I remember not going back until after Labor Day when I was a youngster! This is really unfair to the kids and teachers these days, they only get about 2 months of summer vacation now. All I know is that my kids were not ready to go back, of course they wanted to go see their friends but they were not ready for the learning part of the equation!

Mac and Henry both were excited to go to orientation to see their new classrooms and meet their teachers or at least they said they were. We realized the truth when we got to the school and started walking down the hall towards their rooms. They started to walk slower and slower the closer we got to the rooms and finally didn’t want to go in at all. Eventually they both did and they both seemed to like their teachers. We did have to bribe them with a round of putt-putt but that is something we were going to do anyway.

On the morning of the August 8th, it was hard for all of us to get up as early as we did. None of us were used to that time of the morning during the weeks of summer, but after a few minutes everyone was excited and ready to go.
Here are the boys just after they finished breakfast.

This is Henry’s first year at the same school as Mac and they both are happy about that. They will have lunch at the same time and they also get to have some overlapping time for recess. I think seeing his brother a couple of times a day will help Henry adjust to his new school.

So far there have been some rough mornings trying to get adjusted to the new schedule. Also, the drop offs aren’t going as smoothly as we hoped but again, it just takes some getting used to. When they get home they love to talk about their day so we know they are having a good time. I just hope it continues throughout the year! I can’t believe how big they have gotten!

Here they are getting off the bus.

OBX recap!

2011-08-02T12:51:00.013-04:00

We recently made a trip to the Outer Banks and a good time was had by all! We went with most of Meg’s family (her brother couldn’t make it this year) and rented a huge house on Roanoke Island. The house wasn’t on the beach but it was on the water and the views of the sunsets were amazing!

This was our first time to that area of the Atlantic Ocean and it was really cool! It is a fisherman’s paradise and there are plenty of outdoor and water activities to keep you busy. The beach was beautiful and the water was nice. One day it was so calm and the water was so clear that you could see shells as far as 20 feet deep. Apparently that is not common for that area as the other days the waves were very rough but perfect for boogie boarding and surfing!

There were so many things to do that we didn’t spend that much time on the beach. We were going to aquariums, museums, visiting small historic towns, huge sand dunes, and of course, all of the kid’s favorite place….. Kitty Hawk Kites! There was a lot of history in that area and I think we all learned a great deal. The best thing for the kids at all of these historic sites was the gift shops! I think Mac and Henry walked out of each gift shop with something they just couldn't live without!

Here are a few of our many pictures from the week:

Here is the view of the back of the house from the pier
Here are the boys riding their bikes in the neighborhood!

Here are Mac and Henry enjoying the hot tub!

Meg with some of the kids in the pool

Mac coming out from playing in the Atlantic.

Henry preferred to hang out on the beach for most of the day.
A nice view of the ocean on the calm and clear day!

Here is one of the many lighthouses in the area
Jockey's Ridge sand dune, it was huge!

Henry is enjoying one of the many hammocks at Nags Head Hammocks!

Mac doing the same thing!

Olivia, Mac, Henry and Katie outside of the North Carolina Aquarium.

Katie, Henry and Mac with an amphibious friend at the aquarium

Here is Henry, Natalie, Nana, Emma and Leigh Ann checking out the stingrays and small sharks.

Here are the kids walking up to the Wright Brothers Monument

Here is the town of Kitty Hawk from the top of the Wright Brothers monument.
Here is the actual Wright Brothers Monument.

The Roberds family at the intermission of the "Lost Colony" play.

Here is one of the amazing sunsets from our back deck.

Here are some of us crabbing on the dock.

Here is another amazing sunset!

Overall it was a great trip and every one had a good time. It was another great adventure for us and the boys. It was a fun trip to the North Carolina coast and good quality time with Meg’s side of the family.

Now it is time to focus on getting back to school!

Instant Replay in Baseball!

2011-07-27T13:56:00.003-04:00

OK, I have been a proponent for instant replay in major league baseball for years now. I don’t understand why people are so against technology if it is available and useful. The debate is raging right now in the sports world after what seems to be one of the biggest missed calls of all time. It is tough for me to say that since for once, a call went the Braves way and they capitalized on it.

The call came in the 19th inning of the Atlanta Braves vs. the Pittsburgh Pirates game on Tuesday night. This was the longest game (in time) for both teams and the call came just a few minutes before 2 am. Both teams were depleted of position players and only had down a couple of pitchers left who could play. For that reason, Braves relief pitcher Scott Proctor was forced to hit in the 19th inning with 1 out and men on third and second bases. Proctor made contact and the ball was a routine hit to the third basemen. He fielded the ball and made a good throw to home clearing ahead of the runner. The catcher seemed to apply the tag but Lugo (Braves runner) was called safe.

I am happy for the result since I am a diehard Braves fan, but I am upset that a call so obvious was missed. The Pirates have filed a complaint with MLB but I don’t think anything will be changed. This helps the Braves in the standings and hurts the Pirates, but that is part of the way the league works. I know that umpire Jerry Meals meant to make the correct call but he didn’t. Even though he had some questionable balls and strike calls earlier in the night, I know he is an honorable umpire.

Here is yet another reason why MLB needs to institute instant replay. They are currently debating using it for homeruns and fair/foul balls but that is it. I think they should institute it for everything but balls and strikes. Maybe we can avoid more games like this in the future.

In the meantime, Go Braves!

Le Tour de France!

2011-07-22T10:17:00.006-04:00

Well, the most grueling sporting event on the planet is coming to an end this weekend. The 98th Tour de France will complete the 21 stage, 3,430.5 kilometers (2,131 miles) race on Sunday on the famed cobble stones of the Champs-Elysees in Paris. On the heels of yet another doping controversy this time dealing with the defending champion Alberto Contendor, the race started with a bit of a cloud over it. Once the riding started, the focused went back on the riders, the teams, and of course the brutal stages.

As in the years past, this year has proven to be very exciting. There have been photo finishes, huge breakaways, brutal climbs and nasty crashes. I don’t remember a year since I have been watching the tour on a daily basis that had more crashes than this year. It has been absolute carnage out on the roads of France. The most amazing crash wasn’t caused by a mental lapse by a rider or a gamble to earn some time, it came when a media vehicle hit a rider in a breakaway while trying to avoid a tree on the side of the road in stage 9. To avoid a tree, the car had to quickly veer into the road and he hit the lead rider of the breakaway and that cause a couple of riders to crash. One of which flipped into a barbed wire fence on the side of the road. He got up and finished the race then went to the hospital to get 36 stitches and multiple bandages. No one can say these guys are tough! Here is a clip of the crash!

Brutal crash!

I am looking forward to the last day in the Alps on Friday and then the individual time trail on Saturday. Unless there is a huge breakaway that gains a large amount of time on Friday, the tour will be decided during the time trail which is the purest form of cycling. Each rider out on the course alone going full speed, it should be another exciting finish! Of course there is one more day on Sunday, but that day is usually the day the sprinters try to get the stage win and the overall leaders try not to get in a crash! This has been a great tour for the American teams but as for an American in the chase for the finial Yellow Jersey, the closest guy we have is in 9th place. It is still good fun to watch! Those guys are amazing athletes!

Heartbreak for the US Women!

2011-07-18T17:33:00.003-04:00

I can’t believe the finals of the Women’s World Cup yesterday. Team USA fell to Japan on penalty kicks. The US Women were dominating the game and seemingly had shot after quality shot in the first half. I just don’t understand how one or several of those shots didn’t go in the back of the net. The looks were excellent but they just couldn’t finish it! That would come back to haunt them. They did get on the scoreboard first only to end regulation time tied at 1 each. Then in extra time, the team leader, Abby Wambach, placed a beautiful header in the back of the net and at that time I thought it was over. Only to have my hopes crushed by a late minute corner kick that was deflected in. I can’t say it was luck since it was the player that was given the Golden Ball (Best Player in the World Cup Tournament) who tied up the game with just 3 minutes left.

Here is Abby Wambach with another great header!

The game went to penalty kicks and I was confident in the girls ability to make there shots and that goalie Hope Solo would stop at least one or two. Only the momentum had shifted to Japan and once our first attempt was blocked, I knew it was over. Hope did stop a shot, but their goalie stopped another and one of the shots went over the goal. I know the US team was devastated as was much of the country but they also understand Japan must have been the team of destiny after all they have gone through in the last few months. At the time of the game, I wasn’t thinking about that, but in retrospect, Japan needed the win more.

The US women showed great talent, poise and determination throughout the entire world cup and deserved to win. Only when it was all over, Japan scored when they had to and are now holding the cup. The US team has nothing to be ashamed of and should be very proud of their efforts. Hope Solo was given the Golden Glove (Best Goalie) and Bronze Ball (Third best player in the tournament), while Abby Wambach was given the Silver Ball (Second best player in the tournament) and set the record for the most goals in US World Cup history with 13.

It was still a great game and I am proud of the US Women. There is always London in 2012!

OBX!

2011-07-08T16:36:00.001-04:00

We are headed to the Outer Banks of North Carolina for the annual family beach trip. This is the first time any of us have been to the outer banks and we are looking forward to it. There should be plenty of things to do for the kids and adults. I am hoping for a nice relaxing week away from the hustle of the city and our jobs. We will be going up there with Meg’s side of the family and there will be plenty of cousins for the boys to play with. I just hope the weather is nicer than our trip to Mexico!

Talk to you when we get back!

The 4th and another Peachtree Road Race

2011-07-01T14:54:00.002-04:00

A long weekend is here and another race day is upon us. As usual, I don’t feel ready to run the world’s largest 10K. Every year I say I am going to train better and harder and every year I fall short of that goal. I am not even sure why I continue to put myself through this torture. I guess it is because in my mind I am a Kenyan long distance runner, but in reality, I am an out of shape white guy who has a desk job and doesn’t run or workout nearly as much as I need too! So this last two weeks I have been like an unprepared college kid trying to cram at the last minute for finials. I know none of my readers know that feeling, right! Anyway, I have been running more these last two weeks than I have in the last two months. That is not good and I am not sure if it really helps!

Oh well, I am used to it, I seem to do it every year like this and I haven’t died on the course yet! Meg is also running on the 4th and she also feels like she is not ready, but she has been running and doing yoga regularly for all year. This year we have several family members and friends running the Peachtree so it should be fun. If you are running good luck and let’s meet up at the balloon with the letter B on it!

If you are smart and not running the race, I hope you have a fun and safe 4th and please keep in mind what the day stands for. Also, please send some positive vibrations out to the brave men and women who are fighting to protect our freedom and allow us to have events like the Peachtree Road Race and days like the 4th of July!

The Last Thrasher’s post!

2011-06-30T13:25:00.003-04:00

This will be my last Thrasher’s post ever! Not because I don’t care, believe me, I am still completely pissed off that they were moved. I am angry with the Atlanta Spirit Group and even angrier with the spineless Commissioner of the NHL. Now the 7th largest market in the US is without a hockey team and all just so Commissioner Bettman and the NHL could get the 60 million dollar buyout.

It is official that the Thrashers new name is going to be the Winnipeg Jets. This was the name of the NHL team that used to be in Winnipeg before they were moved to Arizona due to poor attendance the lack of local support. I have a good idea; let’s give those slackers another chance! That is BS! There were rumors of possibly going with another name, but I figured it was going to be the Jets.

Anyway, to show how Commissioner Bettman loves the fans, he and the NHL are shutting down the Fan forum on NHL.com. I guess it could have been because all of the angry Thrasher fans were flooding the forum with bad comments about the league and Bettman. That is the way to address the issue! Avoid the city you are robbing and now cut out the opportunity for fans (any fans, not just Thrasher fans) to have a voice. Stay Classy Bettman!

Now I am going to have to figure out what to do with my extra time in the fall and winter during hockey season. I sure won’t be watching any games! Maybe I will take up origami.

Rivera Maya!

2011-06-27T13:04:00.009-04:00

Meg and I were able to get away last weekend for a delayed anniversary trip. We traveled down to the Rivera Maya in Mexico. We flew into Cancun and took a shuttle down to the beautiful Rosewood Mayakoba resort. This ecco-resort was amazing! All of the villas were on a natural freshwater lagoon right in the middle of the jungle. It was like being in a terrarium, the wildlife was amazing!

In the lagoon, there were fish, turtles, diving ducks, and even alligators. As you might expect, you aren’t supposed to swim in the lagoon. It was pretty tempting at times since the water was so clear and inviting but after seeing a couple of gators, it wasn’t as tempting. Also, there was wide variety of birds flying around and we saw lots of iguanas, lizards, a raccoon, and even a boa constrictor. It was a beautiful resort and the service was excellent! I just wished the weather would have cooperated better, there were only two sunny days the entire time we were there. We still had a great time!

Here are some pictures from the trip!

Here is a picture of the resort lobby, main restaurant/bar, one of the pools and of course the lagoon

Meg and I in the boat going to our villa while enjoying a chi mojito!
Here is the view of our villa from our dock

Here is the view of the lagoon from our lounge chair by our private plunge pool
This is the view of the rest of the lagoon from our dock

This is a view from our rooftop terrace

Here is sunset view from the rooftop terrace

This is a shot of one of our meals at the beach club with the beach pool and ocean.

Here is a shot of our lobster tacos we had at the beach club, they were excellent!
This is a shot of a code yellow day on the beach.

This is an up close view of the ocean right off of the beach club. The water was wonderful!

Another picture of the wonderful food served at the resort

If you look close, you can see one of the alligators in the lagoon

Here is the boa constrictor we saw. The driver of the golf cart we were in said he had never seen a boa constrictor in the five years he worked at the resort.
After seeing the large wild snake, we went to a Tequila tasting. Here is the tasting cart.
One day we tried to go snorkeling out on a reef but due to the poor weather the boats were not taking out snorkelers. Here are the anchored boats.

So instead we went to a snorkeling trip in the cenotes or underground rivers and ponds. Here is the entrance to the cave we went into.

Here is the exit from the cave tour we took. There were cenotes like this all around the area, they are truly amazing! They didn’t allow cameras on the tour and our camera isn’t waterproof anyway!

Here is an iguana grande that was near the entrance of the cenotes. There were iguanas everywhere there and at our resort.

Like I said, even thought the weather wasn't perfect, we had a great time. The resort was amazing and so was the spa. The locals were very friendly and helpful. The food was excellent everywhere we ate on and off the resort. Overall it was a wonderful trip and I can't wait to get back to that area. Next time we will bring the boys with us and find totally new adventures.

Cheers!

Going Phishing!

2011-06-15T11:24:00.002-04:00

Phish is in the ATL for two nights. The shows are at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Alpharetta. They played a killer show last night and I look forward to another one tonight! If you can’t make it but would like to check out the show, they are streaming it live on LivePhish.com. Look for me; I will be the one noodling!

Classy Organization!

2011-06-13T14:48:00.002-04:00

I meant to write about this last week but due to being incredibly overworked recently I haven’t had the time to make as many posts as I would like. Anyway, this is a heartwarming story about a major league baseball team and a recently injured Georgia Bulldog baseball player. This is part of the article that can be found on Georgiadogs.com, for the entire article, please click here.

June 8, 2011

ATHENS -- Georgia junior outfielder Johnathan Taylor has been selected by the Texas Rangers in the 33rd round of the Major League Baseball draft Wednesday.

"This was truly a classy move and a great gesture on the part of the Texas Rangers organization," said Georgia coach David Perno. "J.T. is definitely a player worthy of getting drafted. He's been a big part of our program, and we are all very excited for him. When I talked to him after he got the call, he was in the middle of his rehabilitation work, laughing and having a good time and was thrilled to be drafted."

Currently, the 5-8, 181-pound Taylor, is an outpatient at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta after suffering a broken neck in a March 6th outfield collision this year with teammate Zach Cone. The accident happened while the Bulldogs were playing Florida State in Athens.

Taylor, a native of Acworth, Ga., is the son of Tandra and John Taylor. Johnathan has appeared in 117 games in his Bulldog career including 91 starts. He owns a .312 career batting average. A Consumer Economics major, he was named to the SEC Freshman Academic Honor Roll in 2009 and the UGA Athletic Director's Honor Roll in 2010.

"We're all very proud of him," said Tandra Taylor. "It's just amazing, and when he got the call, his face lit up, and we were all very excited. It was awesome news."

Cone was the 37th overall pick in the draft, going in the first round to Texas on Monday. "I was pumped up when the Rangers told me they were thinking about drafting J.T., and then I got a call saying that they had drafted him," said Cone. "I was already planning on going over to see him and now we can talk about the Rangers. This made my day, it's just awesome, and I'm so happy for him."

Fans can donate to the Johnathan Taylor Fund through the UGAA website, georgiadogs.com, An account has been set up at First American Bank and Trust (FAB). Donations can be mailed to the following account or dropped off at any FAB location.

Nice move Texas Rangers and congrats J.T.!

Restaurant Review - La Fourchette Bistro and Lounge

2011-06-03T16:06:00.003-04:00

For our anniversary dinner, Meg and I went to recently opened La Fourchette Bistro and Lounge. This is the brain child of former JOEL chef, Jeffrey Wall. Chef Wall took his French trained experience and combined it with some Italian, Spanish and Mediterranean flare. The menu is pretty eclectic and the wine list was very nice. It was created by well known Atlanta sommelier Perrine Prieur who also worked at JOEL. It is located in a non-descript building on Piedmont Rd just before the Peachtree St intersection. The atmosphere was relaxed and casual the décor was nice and modern. When we arrived, there were only a couple of other tables of guests but once we were leaving the place was relatively crowded. Our service was excellent! Melanie did a great job of explaining the dishes and helped steer us in the direction that would make us happy. Overall it was a good experience and it was not over priced or pretentious.

On to the important things, the food and wine! Since it was our anniversary, we first ordered a glass of champagne. It was Charles de Frere Blan de Blance from France. It was very nice and refreshing after coming in from the 90 plus degree heat outside. The champagne paired well with the steamed mussels we had as an appetizer. The mussels were nice and plump and were all opened properly. Moving on to our main course Meg went with one of their signature dishes, Grilled Loup de Mer. This light fish was served with leeks, crispy fingerlings, mussels and saffron emulsion. This was delicious! The fish was cooked perfectly and the dish was light yet very filling. The combination of the flavors and the delicate fish were in complete harmony. I had the Jumbo Lump Crab, the crab is severed in fresh pasta, zucchini confit, and preserved in lemon sauce. The lemon was slightly overpowering at first but soon blended in with the other flavors of the dish. There were huge chunks of crab and with each bite I fell deeper in love! We each had a class of Primarius Pinot Noir from Oregon. This wine paired nicely with both of our meals.

As we were close to finishing our meals Melanie noticed our wine classes were almost empty and asked if we would like another glass of the same thing. Since we are both adventurers and we were almost done with our meal, we asked her recommendation for going slightly heavier and something that would go well with dessert. She quickly brought out an Argentine Malbac and a California Zinfandel. (I didn’t write down the name of the wines, I know, that is a rookie move!) Both of our wines were yummy, a little warm, but yummy! She must have known what we were going to order for dessert because those wines paired beautifully with the Local Strawberries-Rhubarb Mille Feuiles. This was a beautiful dish with a small strawberry tower with rhubarb cream on crispy crackers with candied walnuts and a scoop of strawberry sorbet on the side. It was pretty interesting and very good!

Overall our experience was a good and I would recommend this place before it gets to big! The prices of the entrees are reasonable and the portions are more than ample. When we were there, it wasn’t very crowded and it was still pretty loud. I imagine that it would be very noisy on a night where they are packed. Another good sign that this restaurant is starting to make a mark in the Atlanta restaurant scene is when we were leaving, celebratory chef Kevin Rathbun was walking in the door. That should tell you something!

Cheers!

9 Years!

2011-06-01T16:17:00.003-04:00

Has it really been 9 years since Meg and I said “I do”?

I guess so! Today is our 9th wedding anniversary. It seems just like yesterday that we were in Point Clear, Alabama on Mobile Bay enjoying the chaos of the wedding with family and friends but it also seems like we have been together forever! In those nine years we have traveled to exotic (and non exotic) places, had two wonderful boys, beat cancer and had many, many adventures together. I can’t think of anyone else I would want to enjoy life’s experiences with and I look forward to future adventures with Meg and the boys. Here we are just after the ceremony in a smoldering hot church trying to get cooled off by the breeze coming off of the bay.

Happy Anniversary Meg!

Thrashers are goners!

2011-05-31T13:18:00.002-04:00

Is this really the way it is going to end? The deal to sell the Thrashers was made official today and I couldn’t be more disappointed! This is totally devastating to me and I can’t believe that the NHL and cowardly Commissioner Bettman allowed this to happen. Which by the way, Bettman never even stepped foot in the city when all of this started! He assured the city they would do everything he could to keep the team here, but all along all he was thinking about is the fat 60 million dollar check the NHL will get for a franchise relocation fee. What happened to the “Covenant” with fans Mr Bettman?

I can’t blame all of this on the commissioner, the joke that is The Atlanta Spirit Group should get most of the blame. They never gave the Thrashers a chance to succeed. It was clear from the beginning that they were more interested in the Hawks and the ownership of Philips arena. With that being said, I am surprised that the Thrashers made it 11 years! Anyway, they never made any serious efforts to improve the product on the ice. Waddell should have been fired years ago and look at all of the great talent that was once on the team! You could form a team of former Thrashers and it would beat any All Star team you could put together! Players like Hossa, Kovalchuk, Savard, Heatly, Lehtonen, etc! I blame most of those departures directly on the owners. They never provided a stable and viable future for these guys and they all wanted out. It was a bad marriage from the beginning and now the fans are suffering for their ineptness!

The fan base in Atlanta is solid! Can it be compared to some of the Canadian fan bases, no, but look at all of the other options our city? Most Canadian cities only have one major sports franchise while Atlanta has three other pro franchise and two major colleges in the area. In the end, the support was there but the product wasn’t. I was the biggest glassy eyed optimist when it came to this team and I believed we were on the right track to make the playoffs and eventually contend for a cup, but that has all be yanked away! The members of the Atlanta Spirit should be ashamed for their lies and actions, but instead they are probably celebrating their great caper and counting their money!

This one is going to be tough for me to get over, but I don’t blame the players. I wish them the best of luck and I am sure they will enjoy playing in front of the hockey crazed fans in Winnipeg. They will get a chance to play for a sellout crowd for every home game.

Thanks Thrashers players but screw you Atlanta Spirit Group!

Memorial Day

2011-05-31T11:43:00.002-04:00

I hope everyone had a good Memorial day and I hope everyone remembers why we have this holiday! It is a day to honor the great men and women who are serving and have served for our country in the military. These brave men and women are putting their lives on the line everyday so we can continue to enjoy the freedoms that we often take for granted. Many great Americans have lost their lives protecting our country.

Thanks to all of the armed forces, we really, really appreciate what you do!

Hangout Festival!

2011-05-18T13:09:00.004-04:00

Music festival season is in full swing and a group of us are heading down to Gulf Shores, Alabama this weekend for the Hangout Festival. This is a relatively new festival but has one of the best lineups I have ever seen. It is also the first festival I have been to that is actually on the beach! It is going to be lots of fun in the sun!

Check out the line up!

Hang loose!

Brett Dennen

2011-05-17T12:15:00.004-04:00

As you might know by now, I love to see live music. When I was younger we would see live bands play two to three times a week depending on which acts were coming through town. Now that I am more of an adult I don’t get out to the music venues that often. There are still bands that come through and I have to go see when ever they come to town. Over the weekend one of my favorite singer/songwriter game to Variety Playhouse, Brett Dennen.
Brett Dennen is from California and began playing music as a camp counselor when he was in his early teens. He attended UC Santa Cruz and graduated in 2004. Shortly after, he hit the road to pursue his music career. He has just released his 4th CD (Loverboy) and it is as solid as his first three. He writes songs that are from the heart and very personal. He has an unusual playing style and often has some odd beats in his songs. For me, his music is very catchy and entertaining and talks to me on a personal level. He is involved in several charities including the The Mosaic Project, which he helped form.

We went down with our good friends Mike and Kelley and had a nice dinner before hand then headed over to the theater. The show was another good one from Brett and his band. He has expanded his backing band from the last time he toured and that added another dimension to his music. The venue was sold out and everyone was singing and dancing along with the music. If you get a chance to see him live, do so! If not, pick up one of his CD’s, you won’t be disappointed!

Derby de Mayo!

2011-05-09T15:32:00.008-04:00

Over the weekend we had a Derby de Mayo party to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, the running of the Kentucky Derby and our friend’s 40th birthday. We tried to incorporate the different themes into one party. We had Mexican food and drinks, with some off track betting on the horses and of course a horse shaped piñata! There were fake mustaches, sombreros, derby hats and even a bow tie (nice BK), it was all very festive!

It was great to have all of the kids there to enjoy it all. It is rare we get that group together at the same time and it was fun to see how all of the kids have grown. It was fun watching the Kentucky Derby; it truly is the most exciting two minutes in sports! Everyone picked a horse and since I was also manning the grill, I was last to pick. I took one of the horses that no one else wanted and sure enough, I picked the winner. Well, I guess saying I picked the winner in not accurate, but you know what I mean!

Here are some pictures from the party! Meg, Mac, Henry and little TillmanJim and Spencer chilling on the back deckSenor Liam and Senor Henry
Reese and Kayla taking a juice breakKids patiently awaiting the pinata
Amigos with mustaches and light sabers!
Harrison with Natalie and Kate

Pinata time for the birthday nino!

Birthday boy taking aim at the pinata (the wrong way)
Another miss!

Mike, Connor, BK, Reese and Jim hanging in the yardCake time!Blowing out the candles!All the kids (minus Tillman who was already asleep for the night)!
All of the adults (and maybe a child or two)

It was great to see everyone and I hope all our guests had as much fun as we did.

Oh yeah, Happy Birthday Jim!

Drafted Dawgs

2011-05-03T13:19:00.004-04:00

This past weekend the NFL draft was held even thought there is currently a player lockout. The lockout will probably get settled soon, so I am not worried about not having NFL football next season. It will be a little tougher for the guys that were drafted this weekend to get up to speed due to the fact they can’t talk to any coaches or see any of the playbooks until the legal issues are settled.

The Dawgs had six players taken during the three-day draft. It marked the second time in three years that six Bulldogs were drafted. UGA tied for 4th overall in the nation for the most players picked in the draft. They tied LSU for most in the conference this year. For the 12th time in the past 14 seasons, and fifth year in a row, the Southeastern Conference had the most players selected in the NFL draft with a total of 38 players. Is there any doubt that the SEC is the toughest conference in college football?

The newest pro players from UGA are as follows:

A.J Green – 4th overall pick to the Cincinnati Bengals

Justin Houston – 3rd round, 70th overall pick to the Kansas City Chiefs

Akeem Dent – 3rd round, 91st overall pick to the Atlanta Falcons

Clint Boling – 4th round, 101st overall pick to the Cincinnati Bengals

Kris Durham – 4th round, 107th overall pick to the Seattle Seahawks

Shaun Chapas – 7th round, 220th overall pick to the Dallas Cowboys

These guys will join the 41 other former Dawgs that are currently active in the NFL.

Good luck guys!

All is well with the boys!

2011-04-28T09:06:00.004-04:00

Surgery day was a long, tough day for all involved, but we all made it through. They boy’s surgeries were scheduled for 12:30pm and 1:25pm but they were actually started at 12:35pm (Mac) and 1:10pm (Henry). Since you can’t have anything to eat after midnight and their surgeries were scheduled so late in the we let them stay up as late as they wanted the night before and eat some snacks so they would sleep late and not be as hungry the next morning. That plan backfired! They actually woke up earlier than they normally do on school days. Therefore they were really hungry all morning! They spent most of their morning trying to sneak food but they never got away with it.

Once we got to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and checked in, (side bar: why do they make you wait so long even after you have filled out the paper work and finished the registration? Don’t they know the kids in the waiting room haven’t eaten in many hours and are really hungry, thirsty and very cranky?) The boys were still having fun not being in school and playing with different toys. It wasn’t until it was time to put on the gowns that the reality started to set in, at least for Mac! This was Henry’s first surgery and hospital visit and he thought the gown was cool because of the space men on it. Mac started to remember his visits and started to get a little nervous. Even then, they were having a good time wrestling around on the gurney.

Here they are with their gowns and hairnets on before the goofy juice!

The doctor decided to take Mac back first to show Henry how easy it was going to be. Also, since Mac’s procedure was going to be a lot quicker, Mac could be done and out while Henry was getting prepped. After Mac drank the goofy juice, he made a few funny comments then fell right asleep. One of his comments was, “I feel like smiling but I don’t know why!” He was taken back for his procedure and about 10 minutes later the doctor was back in the room with us telling us all went well. His tubes were removed without incident but there was a small puncture of one of his ear drums. He patched it up and it is good to go. He just can’t swim for 6 weeks. That won’t be a problem until school is out and he goes and stays with family that have a pool or community pools. He really loves to swim and was looking forward to hitting the pools sooner rather than later.

Here is Mac hugging Henry right before he was given the goofy juice and he fell asleep.

Once Mac was being brought back from recovery, Henry was being taken into the OR. He didn’t quite handle the goofy juice like Mac did. Henry truly became goofy and it was pretty funny. He kept asking why there were two SpongeBobs on the screen and the giggling a lot. The last thing we heard him tell the nurse was that he was the real Spiderman. It was very cute!

Henry’s surgery took much longer than Mac’s but it still was done in less than 30 minutes. As soon as Mac was awake in the recovery room, Henry was being checked into his room for the over night portion of his visit. Meg, Mac and I all walked to the other side of the hospital to see the little guy. He was having a tough time waking up from the anesthesia and was clearly uncomfortable. His first words once he woke up were pretty much the same as Mac’s, they each asked where the other one was. Even though neither of them felt good, they both gave each other a big hug. Being the great big brother that Mac is, he told Henry everything was going to be OK and soon he could have pancakes for dinner. That is the one thing Mac remembers from when he had he tonsils taken out, eating pancakes for dinner!

Shortly after arriving in the room, Henry feel back asleep due to the medication and Meg took Mac home to rest. I then prepared for my fun and exciting night of sleeping in a cramped, noisy, cold and uncomfortable room. Henry did great and after sleeping off the anesthesia and the first round of pain medicine. He was understandably hungry and I quickly placed the order for pancakes, orange sherbet, a red Popsicle and a blue Gatorade. All of which he devoured once it arrived! Besides having a very deep and scratchy voice, he was doing great. He did all of the things the nurses were looking for. He drank a lot, ate a big meal and went to the bathroom. I really thought they might send us home around 8pm, but that didn’t happen. They wanted to keep an eye on him overnight due to his snoring issues in the past. He barely snored at all and they say that even a couple of days after this procedure, he might continue to snore just due to the swelling of his throat. I could already tell that he was breathing better. I don’t see how he couldn’t since his tonsils were taking up 80% of the airway in his throat.

The night was tough on me but Henry did great. He slept the entire night except for the two times he was woken up and given medicine. I wish I could say the same. Anyone who has ever slept in a hospital room who wasn’t the patient knows what I am talking about. The nurses come in every hour or so to take vitals or give medication. The hall is noisy and bright and in my case, the person in the room next store talked loudly on their cell phone until 2am or so. My night was not nearly as restful as Henry’s.

Both boys are doing great now. Mac was back in school the next day and Henry was doing wonderfully the next day. He will be back in school next week even though he thinks he feels good enough to go back now. On orders from his doctor, we are going to keep him out for a few days.

Tonsils and Tubes

2011-04-25T17:01:00.001-04:00

On Tuesday, both boys are going to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to have separate procedures. Mac had his tonsils and adenoids removed and tubes put in his ears a couple of years ago is going in to have the tubes removed. For some reason, his never fell out on their own. While Henry is going to have his tonsils and adenoids removed. Both procedures are being done by the same doctor. All though these are not major surgery, it is always scary when you go under anesthesia. So, I am a little nervous but I am sure it will all be fine. I just keep thinking of how much better Henry is going to sleep and hopefully avoid so of the illnesses he has been getting. Once Mac had his tonsils removed, he now sleeps through the night and rarely gets sick. That is our goal for Henry as well!

G-Day / A-Day games!

2011-04-18T13:14:00.004-04:00

From what I have read, it seems it was a nice showing by the Defense this past weekend in Athens for the G-Day game. I wasn’t able to attend or watch due to the fact that I was at the Alabama A-day game. Meg and I went to Tuscaloosa with some friends to see a concert and then the spring game. Due to the tornado's that whipped through Tuscaloosa on Friday, the concert was cancelled but the weather was great on Saturday and we were a few of the 92K people to see the Crimson beat the White. We also saw the unveiling of the new Nick Saben statue. Every coach who has won a National Championship for Bama has a statue.

Back in Athens, the crowd wasn’t as big, (43K) but I am sure the excitement level was just as high. It sounds like the first half was a little slow with a score of 5-3 at the end of the half. There were some big stops by the “D” and unfortunate fumbles by a couple of guys that lead to the low score. The QB’s seemed to pick it up in the second half and there were some big plays made by both sides. At the end of the day, the Black team beat the Red team 18-11. In just watching the highlights from Athens, it seems that the G-Day game was a little more exciting than the A-Day game. Not that it really matters right now. There is still a lot of work to be done before kick off in September for both teams.

Here is Aaron Murray throwing a pass in the second half

It was fun to be on another campus to see how things are done on a game day. Being in the South, most of the campus experiences are going to be similar. There was a lot of excitement even if it was just a controlled scrimmage. It really makes me look forward the fall and SEC football! There is nothing like a Saturday in the fall on a SEC college campus! I know it is still April, but for one day in the spring, it fell like that fall. There was a chill in the air and the love for college football. It was a lot of fun!

Now bring on the Boise St. Broncos!

Go Dawgs!

Dave sits in with the Blue Men!

2011-04-14T12:44:00.003-04:00

Dave Matthews and the Blue Man Group have had a good relationship for years even though the Blue Men don’t talk. They have a great understanding of music and performance. I am a big fan of both Dave and the Blue Man Group. I actually contemplated trying out for the Blue Man Group at one time in my younger days only to find out that I don’t meet the height requirements. Anyway, I am sure it was a great performance on Wednesday at the Astor Theater in New York for the Blue Man Group’s 20th anniversary reunion show. Dave sat in with the original guys for several numbers and of course I am sure they played “Sing Along”, the song Dave recorded with the group for their Complex album.

Here is Dave as he performs with the Blue Man Group at their 20th anniversary reunion show to benefit The Blue School at the Astor Theater on April 13, 2011 in New York City.

New Masters Champion!

2011-04-12T17:17:00.003-04:00

What a display of ice water in your veins to birdie the last four holes on Sunday in one of the last groups on the course. That is how you handle pressure! Charl Schwartzel is now the proud owner of a Green Jacket! If you would have asked me at the beginning of the week who I thought would be in the top five on Sunday, I would not have named any of the top finishers. That included Tiger Woods! I felt like Tiger would have played well since he always seems to make a charge in the majors. Only I didn’t think he had it in him to win so I wouldn’t have considered him in the top 5. He finished tied for 4th due mainly to him burning up the front 9.

Once I realized my man Phil Mickelson was out of the hunt, I was really pulling for the young man from Northern Ireland, Rory McIIroy. Even though he was having a tough day, he was still in the lead going into the second 9. That is when he crumbled! It was painful to watch him hit bad shot after bad shot. With his fall from the top of the leader board, the race was one. There were some great scores on the back and the Green Jacket was in the grasp of four or five guys. After Tiger posted a 10 under, I thought he was going to have the score to beat, but Adam Scott, Jason Day and Schwartzel blew past his score on the final few holes. Scott and Day played great rounds and didn’t make any real mistakes, but the South African just played the back perfectly and shot a 32 on the second 9. That is how you handle pressure in a major championship.

Nice job Charlie!

Spring Break!

2011-04-05T16:44:00.001-04:00

The kids are on spring break and they are currently down at the beach with Meg and her parents. Due to work deadlines, I wasn’t able to join them. I will be meeting them in Orlando on Wednesday for some fun in the amusement parks that are not Disney owned. We decided to hit the Universal parks and check them out this year. We are looking forward to the new Harry Potter attraction and the boys are really looking forward to the Spiderman and Dr. Seuss areas of the park. We might hit SeaWorld as well, but that is yet to be determined. It should be a good time and I will give a report once we are back next week.

The only bad thing for me is the fact that spring break happens to fall on Masters week. I will still be following, just not as closely as if I was home. That is why we are coming back on Saturday so I can watch complete coverage of the finial round on Sunday!

Florida, here I come!

Masters Week!

2011-04-04T17:57:00.002-04:00

It's Masters week! I look forward to this week all year.

I love it! How can you not?

Go here for all things Masters!

New Top Chef!

2011-03-31T16:49:00.004-04:00

On Wednesday another Top Chef was crowned and this time it wasn’t because someone choked on the finial service of the series. This season of Top Chef was an all star version that brought back chefs from previous seasons that got close but didn’t win the title. I really enjoyed it since I was already familiar with all of the contestants and I knew what they had done in their previous seasons. I felt like a couple of them didn’t deserve to be all stars and most of them went out early so I feel justified. There were some shockers though, when Dale, Jennifer, and Casey all packed their knives early in the season, I was pretty disappointed. Those three are very talented and really should have gone a lot further in the show.

The finials came down to the best two chefs for the season. I wasn’t expecting much out of Mike Isabella this season due to what he showed in his previous season, but he had really improved and was carrying the momentum into the finale. While Richard Blais was strong in his season and continued to be strong in the all star season. I was cheering for Richard from the start, not just because he is a local boy, but because I felt like he was the best chef in the cast. He should have won his original season but choked on the final challenge and let the title slip out of his hands. I knew he was determined to win and it showed with his creative and innovative dishes throughout the season.

It was a tight finial service and based on the editing and comments from the judges, it was a very close competition. The judges were served two beautiful meals and it did seem close, at least from my vantage point on my couch. After judges table, the winner was announced, it was Richard Blais! Finally, he has the title and of course the biggest prize amount given out in the history of the show. I was sitting on the edge of my seat and was as nervous as Richard appeared to be. I am glad that Richard didn’t choke and I hope he follows through with his promise of opening the restaurant of his dreams if he won. As good as Flip is, I would really rather have Richard open a fine dinning restaurant in Atlanta so we can taste some of those wonderful dishes he was making on the show.

Contrats Richard!

Sunday Sales Approved! Almost!

2011-03-25T16:19:00.001-04:00

Legislation allowing voters to approve Sunday sales of beer, wine and liquor in stores easily passed a House committee this week as it began what is expected to be a relatively easy trip through the chamber on its way to Gov. Nathan Deal's desk.

The House Regulated Industries Committee voted 15-1 to pass the bill, which is expected to be approved by the full chamber next week. The committee vote came less than a week after the Senate approved SB 10. The measure had been stalled in the chamber for five years. Sen. John Bullock, R-Ochlocknee, sponsor of SB 10, called it a "local control and democracy" bill.

Gov. Nathan Deal has already said he will sign the legislation if it wins final approval. If that happens, the issue could be on the ballot in some communities this fall. Georgians in many communities can already buy alcoholic beverages at restaurants and bars on Sunday.

Finally!

Dawgs Pro Day

2011-03-22T16:39:00.003-04:00

Tuesday is the day the Georgia players that are hoping to be drafted get to show of their skills for the pro scout on their home turf. The players scheduled to work out for the scouts are Clint Boling, Shaun Chapas, Vance Cuff, Chris Davis, Josh Davis, Akeem Dent, DeMarcus Dobbs, Kris Durham, Darryl Gamble, Chad Gloer, A.J. Green, Justin Houston, Derek Rich, and Kiante Tripp.

This is somewhat the same as what most of these players went through at the Combines last month, but with a little different pressure and set up. When they work out in Athens, they will have familiar surroundings and facilities, they will work with people they know and have been training with. This is just a more comfortable place for them to show their skills. Only, their pro day will be shown on ESPN3.com. So there might be a little added pressure but nothing these guys can’t handle. They are used playing for 90,000 plus fans in every SEC game. They should be just fine!

Here is A.J. Green catching at the combine last month.

There was a slight problem for A.J. Green and Kris Durham. Apparently there is a NFL rule that states the QB that will be throwing the passes to the prospective pros need to live within a certain radius of campus. The QB (Justin Roper) that was scheduled to throw to the top receivers lives outside that radius and therefore the NFL scouts had to leave the field and weren’t able to watch the receivers catch. Sounds to me like the NFL has some silly rules just like the NCAA does, come on, really?

Good luck Dawgs!

Possible Careers?

2011-03-17T08:50:00.006-04:00

Recently my kids had a chance to pick a career they might want to do when they grow up. Mac’s school had a career day where he was supposed to dress up as a person in the field he might want to pursue in the future. We talked about him dressing up as a doctor or a veterinarian, an athlete, and even a computer programmer nerd (which could also be a Tech grad), but he decided he wanted to be President. Here is Mac going to school dressed as the President.

Henry also had a chance to dress up as a possible future career but his options were more limited. They were doing a circus theme and had the choice of being the Ring Master, an animal, a clown or a fire fighter. Being the tough little guy that he is, he picked the fire fighter. Here he is putting the ring of fire out with his bucket of water.

Who knows what the future brings for them, but that would be great if one of them grew up to be President or a Fire Fighter. As long as they are doing what they want (and they are making plenty of money not to rely on me), I will be fine with their career choice. They have some time to figure that out!

Dawgs are Dancing!

2011-03-14T10:34:00.004-04:00

Yeah, I wasn’t feeling too confident that the UGA Men’s basketball team was going to make in NCAA tournament this year. They are greatly improved and have won some pretty big games this season, but losing to Alabama twice in one week including in the SEC Tournament really made me think they weren’t going to get an invitation to the dance. Apparently, the selection committee wasn’t as unsure as I was; the Dawgs got a 10 seed! I thought if we did squeak in, it would be at a 12 or 13 seed and would have to face a 4th or 5th seed in the opening game. With a 10 seed, now we get to face a more manageable 7th seed in Washington. This is a winnable game and I am pretty confident that the Dawgs will take that game.
Gerald Robinson Jr. attempts a reverse layup in the game against Alabama on Friday in the SEC Tournament

Once the Dawgs get past the Huskies, they more than likely will have to face the North Carolina Tar heels. Now, I am not going to say they will win that game, but they do have a shot. They will have to play their best all around game of the year to win, but it is possible. That would be a pretty big upset, and no doubt would bust up some brackets all around the country. On paper, the Tar heels should roll, but that is on paper and not on the court. The Dawgs have shown great heart and determination this season and I would not be surprised to see them win. Again, all cylinders would need to be clicking that day but it is possible. That is why they play the game and I can’t wait to see that matchup! Of course it will be like a home game for the Tar heels since the game will be in Charlotte.

I love this time of year, hints of spring and March Madness!

Go Dawgs!

Hair today gone tomorrow!

2011-03-11T11:53:00.002-05:00

Over the last few months I really let me hair lose and I grew a beard. For no reason really, just because I could. Maybe I was trying to feel young again after turning 40 or maybe I was subconsciously giving the middle finger to my company for some of their recent actions. Anyway, I just didn’t care. Don’t get me wrong, I kept it all trimmed and tamed to some extent but I wanted to see what I could get away with. That was until I got tired of wearing way too much hair gel and actually keeping a nicely trimmed and even beard is harder than shaving every day. Once the first signs of warm weather hit, I got rid of it all! I really wanted to shave my head again, but I was out voted in a family vote and so I just cut it really short. Here are the before and after pictures!

I bet I lost a 1lb the day I shaved and cut my hair!

Most people think I look alot younger clean shaven and with short hair, even though it doesn't feel like it! Which look do you like better?

Not so Fun Run!

2011-03-08T12:41:00.004-05:00

This past weekend Mac ran his first road race or fun run. Meg and I knew of the race and both originally didn’t think much of it. Even though we know Mac could run a mile, we didn’t expect him to want to do the run. One day he came home and asked to sign up for the run because a couple of his friends were going to run. We signed him up and he began soliciting donations. Thanks to our generous families, he raised nearly $200 for his school. Also, since he was towards the top of the money list, he was given the highest level of gifts. Also, he was eligible for the raffle drawing for even cooler prizes that were going to be given away after the race. For a couple of weeks, Mac and his mom would go on training runs to get ready for the fun run. Only there was one thing we didn’t plan on, the horrible weather!
Here is Mac and Papa in the parking lot heading towards the startline

I was worried about the weather for the days prior to the race. Some forecast showed the rain would be done by Saturday morning, while others predicted the rain wouldn’t arrive until late on Saturday afternoon. Well, like most weather people, they were all wrong! When we woke up on Saturday morning, it was about 38 degrees and raining, not ideal for a 6 year olds first attempt at running a road race. After a little coaxing, Mac, his mom and Papa headed out for the fun run. This was the kind of day most adults would have passed on running and I am very proud that Mac gutted up and went out in that horrible weather. His little brother Henry had been sick that week and we decided it was best for him to stay home, so I had to stay with him. I didn't really put up a fight considering the nasty weather!

Here is the crowd at the startline, Mac and Papa are right in the middle

By the time Mac, Meg and Papa reached the starting line, they were all soaked and ready to call it a day and head back to the warm, dry house, but they pressed on and the race started in a downpour. There were some tough moments during the race, but with the encouragement of Mommy, Papa and a random Marist High School student, Mac crossed the finish line running. Even though he wasn’t having a good time, he was determined to stay for the prize drawings. Good thing he did, because his name was the first name picked out of the hat. He was excited until he found out that he won 2 swim lessons at the Concourse Athletic Club. His heart was broken and that pushed him over the edge. Apparently, he wanted the scooter or some other prizes. He felt like he was getting punished for getting the swim lessons. After all, he is already a good swimmer. A breakdown occured and continued all the way home and for sometime after he had gotten back home. He was truly devastated!

Anyway, I am very proud of my little man for signing up and completing the “Not so fun run”. I really hope this experience doesn’t scar him for life and he will never run another race again. I think he has some potential to be a runner when he gets older.

Good job Mac!

Thrashers make big moves at trade deadline!

2011-03-01T12:20:00.002-05:00

GM Rick Dudley was very busy yesterday on the last day before the trade deadline. There were several big moves and some not so big, but they all should improve the team. The biggest move of the day was a trade within the division for Radek Dvorak from Florida. In order to get the 6 foot 2, 200lb forward, the Thrashers had to give up Nic Bergfors and Patrick Rissmiller. Bergfors has been in Coach Ramsey’s dog house for most of the season. I really think he is a good player and I hate to see him go, but he just didn’t fit in with Ramsey’s system. Rissmiller is a good young player that has a bright future in the NHL. Dvorak is a 33 year old forward that can score and is solid on the penalty kill. Dvorak was originally drafted in the first round by the Panthers back in 1995.

The team also picked up Rob Schremp off of waivers from the New York Islanders. That was a steal! Schremp has 10 goals and 12 assists and is a minus-19 in 45 games for the Islanders this season. Also he will help boost the penalty kill! The Thrashers also added two other young players (Ben Maxwell & Brett Feasterling) that will probably go to Chicago to play for the minor leage Wolves for a while.

Overall I feel like the team made some significant improvements and hopfully it will be enough for the Ice Birds to capture a playoff spot. They currently sit 4 points out and play tonight against Montreal who is sitting in a playoff spot now. I am still questioning why Dudley traded away Freddy Modin to Calgary for a low round draft pick? I guess he wanted to clear some cap space and get Freddy some more ice time.

Anyway, yesterday was exciting watching all the trades go down. Now we have to strap on our helmet and pads and get ready for the playoff push which for the Thrashers starts tonight!

Go Thrashers!

Wine Review – 2009 Saint Damien VV

2011-02-25T12:26:00.002-05:00

The 2009 Cotes du Rhone is shaping up to be as good or at least close to the 2005 vintages. The growing season was warm and dry, sunlight was ideal and the grapes ripened came early, same as in 2005. The 2009 Saint-Damien Vielles Vignes is a medium bodied nicely concentrated wine. The average age of the vines on the property is 50 years.

The grapes are 90% Grenache and the rest a blend of Mourvedre and Carignan. In the glass it has a dark garnet color with nice legs due to the 14.8% alcohol content. You will find aromas of black cherry, licorice and some floral notes. On the palate, you will find some hints of pepper, leather, with a nice lavender finish. It has a smooth, long finish and really displays the beauty of Southern France. This wine would pair well with several different dishes. We enjoyed it with grilled pork chops with a balsamic vinegar and maple syrup reduction. It will cost around $16.99 and it will not disappoint.

Cheers!

Sunday Sales in Ga!

2011-02-22T12:50:00.003-05:00

It is about time the state of Georgia comes into the 21st century. I realize the state is in the heart of the Bible belt and there are still some very powerful parties and people who are opposed to alcohol sales on Sunday due to religious reasons. That is fine and I understand their point of view, but times have changed from when these laws were implemented and they need to understand how allowing alcohol sales in stores on Sunday could affect the state’s budget. I found this article on politifact.com. It gives some pretty good numbers showing that the state could bring in some big bucks by just overturning the ban. Here is an excerpt from the article, if you wish to read the article in its entirety, please click here.

One group that wants to end the ban made its case to legislators in a recent op-ed in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, a Washington, D.C.-based group that says it represents many of the nation’s leading liquor manufacturers, says Georgia can add millions of dollars to its coffers from the sales taxes it would collect from people buying alcohol on Sundays.

"Georgia stands to generate $3.4 [million] to $4.8 million in additional state tax revenues per year simply by repealing this outmoded ban," wrote the group’s vice president, Ben Jenkins.

Those numbers only deal with liquor sales only and doesn't take in account the addtional amount of beer and wine sales. So those numbers could be much higher.

I think it is time for Georgia to get with the program. There are currently 14 states that have a Sunday Sales ban; it is time for Georgia to get off that list. Please let me know if you agree with me or not. I would love to hear some feedback on this one.

Cheers!

Panic in the General Assembly!

2011-02-18T12:47:00.003-05:00

Yeah, there was Panic in the Georgia State Assembly this week. Not like the kind they are having up in Wisconsin but a planned panic and it was Widespread! The Georgia Assembly has a long tradition of honoring musicians from the state and on Tuesday, they honored Widespread Panic. The day after a smoking hot show at the Fox, the band appeared at the Georgia House of Representatives and was honored by members of the House and the Senate for their 25th Anniversary of the band. The State Assembly put forth resolutions to be passed in honor of the boys for their music, service, charity and longevity.

Here is JB, Todd and Sonny addressing the House

Pretty cool for some crazy kids from Athens!

Their spring tour kicks off soon with a performance for South by Southwest and it will be taped for Austin City Limits which will air later this year. Also, the spring tour will include several festivals (Wanee, Hangout (see you there), Summer Camp and Bonnaroo)! It is going to be a great tour!

Rock on!

Big Buff is here for a while!

2011-02-16T16:32:00.002-05:00

The Thrashers signed defenseman and points leader Dustin Byfuglien to a five-year, $26 million extension. Byfuglien would have been a restricted free agent at the end of the season and now he’ll make an average annual salary of $5.2 million, up from his $3 million salary this season. Not bad for the 25 year old native of Minneapolis!

“Dustin has become one of, if not the most, notable faces of the franchise,” Thrashers general manager Rick Dudley said. “He’s been a brilliant player since he arrived, and he’s got a personality to go along with it, so people gravitate to Buff. It’s a very important day for us.”

“There are a lot of good things that are going to happen here,” Byfuglien said. “I’m excited to be here and be a part of everything that’s going to happen. It’s fun to be in an organization that builds from the bottom up.”

Now the Thrashers have some good pieces in place for a long run, that is if they stay in the city. There is also news this week that they Atlanta Spirit Group are looking for more investors to jump on their slowly sinking ship. One of the members of the group said if they don’t find help soon, the team could be moved. I sure hope that doesn’t happen!

Anyway, with Big Buff signed for the long term, now the team can concentrate on making the playoffs again!

Go Thrashers!

WSP 25th Anniversary Run

2011-02-11T13:00:00.002-05:00

It is hard to believe that Widespread Panic has been playing as a group for 25 years. I guess it should be more real to me since I first saw Panic at the Uptown Lounge in the summer of 1988. Hard to believe that was 23 years ago. In those 23 years, I have seen Panic play in a field at Carrell Farms in Monroe Ga., numerous frat houses, many different bars, small theaters and now they are selling out huge arenas all around the US. I have been to too many shows for me to count and I plan on going to many, many more!

To celebrate their 25th anniversary, the boys will be playing some local shows. The first two are in Athens on Feb 10th & 11th at the Classic center. Not only are those shows special since Athens is the place where the band was formed, but the site of the Classic center is the same site of they bands first public performance. The venue has changed, but the location is the same. The show on Thursday was smokin! They first there songs they played were the same three songs they played on the night of their first show. That is pretty cool in itself, but then they went on to play some rare songs as well as some of their usual suspects. I wasn’t in attendance for that show nor will I be at the show on Friday but I did listen to a live stream of Thursday’s show and the boys were tight! I will also listen online to the Friday show.

They will also be doing a show on Valentines Day at the Fox Theater in Atlanta. I will be at the show and luckily for me, my wife is a big fan as well and she couldn’t think of a better Valentines gift then to see Panic at the Fox. Big score for me! If you can’t make these shows but would still like to hear them perform, you can stream the shows live at LiveWidespreadPanic.com. The quality is very clear and it is like you are there without the crowds, lights and $8 dollar beers.

It has a lot to do with were I grew up (Monroe, Ga.) and having older sisters that went to UGA that I was lucky enough to be introduced to so much great music in Athens. I will admit that Panic’s music isn’t for everyone but over the years I have introduced many, many people to Widespread and most of them are now big fans of the band as well. I can’t take credit for their huge fan base, but I can’t help but feel that I have done a good job of growing their fan base by a pretty large number.

Congrats WSP on 25 great years!

Goodbye Uga VIII

2011-02-08T12:42:00.002-05:00

Uga VIII died Friday, at not quite 17 months old and after only a half-season as the University of Georgia mascot. He was diagnosed early last month with lymphoma, a common cancer in dogs.

Uga VIII, born Sept. 12, 2009, took over as the Bulldogs’ mascot at the Oct. 16, 2010, homecoming football game against Vanderbilt in Sanford Stadium. He served for the final six games of the regular season but did not travel to Memphis for the Liberty Bowl because of what was thought at the time to be a gastrointestinal condition.

After the cancer diagnosis, Uga VIII began chemotherapy treatments, which veterinarians hoped would extend his life. Uga VIII died Friday morning, according to Georgia senior associate athletic director Claude Felton. He died in his sleep and was not in any pain at the time. He was laid to rest on Saturday at a private burial ceremony at Sanford Stadium where the previous Uga’s are buried.

“Russ,” the six-year-old half-brother of the late Uga VII, again will serve as the Georgia mascot on an interim basis, according to the Seiler family. After the November 2009 death of Uga VII from heart-related causes, Russ filled in for the final two games of that season and the first six of 2010, as well as at the Liberty Bowl.

Thanks Uga VIII for your short but honorable career.

Georgia Wineries are gaining recognition/respect

2011-02-04T12:16:00.005-05:00

Wine Business Monthly has identified today's most exciting top 10 brands from small and medium-sized wineries during 2010 in their upcoming February issue. They gravitate toward wineries and brands that represent market trends or innovation, that take a leadership position in their regions, or that make unusual varietals or unexpected wines and a Georgia winery made the top 10. Persimmon Creek Vineyards based in Clayton Ga, made the Noble Varieties list for its Cabernet Franc. I personally love this wine and the winery. Congrats to Mary Ann and Sonny for making the list.

Also another Georgia winery took on some of the California heavy hitters recently in a blind taste test and came out on top. Yonah Mountain Vineyards beat several of the high end California wines in a head to head match up put on by the Atlanta Wine School. You can read the recap from Gil Kulers in the AJC here.

I have been talking up Georgia wines for a while now and I am glad some of the wineries are getting some recognition. Nice job Persimmon Creek and Yonah Mountain.

Cheers!

Groundhog Day in more than one way!

2011-02-02T16:55:00.004-05:00

File Photo: General Beauregard Lee

Today, February 2nd 2011 is Groundhog Day both literally and figuratively. Both of the leading groundhog prognosticators (Punxsutawney Phil and local favorite General Beauregard Lee) didn’t see their shadows which mean and early spring. I am sure the people of the Midwest and Northeast are glad to hear that news while they are in the middle of one of the biggest snow storms in years. An early spring would be a good thing.

In another aspect, today is like Groundhog Day the movie. In the movie, Bill Murray played a TV reported who relived the same day over and over. I bring this up because once again UGA Coach Mark Richt has been able to recruit a top 10 maybe top 5 recruiting class. He proposed bringing in a “Dream Team” and he was able to land a majority of the top players in the state. With Isaiah Crowell making his announcement today, the Dawgs have secured the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 9th, 11th, and 12th ranked players in the state. Coach Richt was able to round out the rest of the class with some top talent from other states as well. Still the class has a chance to get better with the announcement that will be coming from John Jenkins on Saturday.

Here is Isaiah Crowell just after he announced he was signing with the Dawgs, complete with a bulldog puppy!

Bringing in great recruiting classes is great, but Coach Richt needs to turn these star recruits into wins. Of all of the years that Coach Richt has been in Athens, the worst ranked recruiting class he has brought in was ranked 15th. The remainder of the years have all been top 10 in the rankings by the recruiting services. That is why if feels like Groundhog Day to me. I have seen him bring in top 10 classes but we are not seeing the results on the field. Believe me; I fall for the hype every year! I love to hear that there are 3 five star, 5 four star and 8 three star recruits coming to Athens this summer, but I would rather see at least 10 wins each season. I know, you have to get the best players in to improve your chance to win, but as I have previously said, we have been getting top players but the wins haven’t been following in the last couple of years.

Anyway, I am going to celebrate tonight and worry about the rest tomorrow! Welcome to the Dawg Nation to all of the signees and good job Coach Richt and his staff!

Go Dawgs!

Wine Review – 2006 Preston Barbera

2011-01-28T12:14:00.003-05:00

Preston of Dry Creek it is one of my favorite wineries that I have personally been to and they produce top of the line wines. I have reviewed several of Preston’s wines in the past and they have all been delicious. The 2006 Barbera continues down this path of excellence. I had been holding this bottle for a couple of years and I felt like it was getting close to time to open it. Since Meg’s birthday dinner was last weekend, I thought it would be a good time to pop it open.

In the glass, the color is very dark and alluring. You will find aromas of dark cherry, plum and a slight mossy smell. On the palate you will get big ripe red fruit, a touch of mocha and earth. This wine is 100% Barbera grapes and of course Preston is a certified organic winery. It went wonderfully with our pasta and would also pair nicely with roasted or grilled meats. I cellared this wine for several years and it probably could have gone another few years and matured even more. If you have a chance to visit the winery or purchase one of their wines, I highly recommend it!

Cheers!

Going Boling again!

2011-01-25T16:45:00.002-05:00

After a disappointing loss in the Liberty bowl, UGA’s star offensive lineman will get one more change to play a football game as a student athlete. Dawgs Senior lineman, Clint Boling, will be playing this weekend in Mobile for the Under Armour Senior Bowl. He was selected to play in the game just after the college bowl season was over. Clint has been a four year starter in Athens and has numerous awards and achievements including All SEC 1st team for the last three years. He is projected to go in the first or possibly the second round in the up coming NFL draft.

Here is Clint practicing in Fairhope, Alabama for the Senior Bowl.

I am writing this post for a couple of reasons, one of which is Clint is a Dawg and I want to support his efforts and notify people of this honor. Another reason is Clint’s mother is my son’s PE teacher at school. All throughout the season I would watch the games with Mac and he would ask where Clint Boling was on the field. When the Dawgs were offense, I would point him out throughout the game. Then the next week at school, Mac would tell Mrs. Boling that he saw Clint on TV and he played a good game. Once the season was over I explained to him that Clint would not be on the team next year and he was going to be picked high in the draft. For the last few weeks he would hear me talking about Georgia sports and ask me if Clint had been drafted yet. I would tell him the draft is still a few months away and he is probably getting ready for the draft.

Last week, Mrs. Boling had a speaker come talk to the kindergarten classes about nutrition and exercise. Before the speaker started talking, Mac raised his hand and Mrs Boling called on him. Mac asked the following question “Mrs Boling is Clint ready for the draft?” The next day, Mrs. Boling stopped me in the hall to tell me the story and she said she called Clint to let him know of the question that Mac asked. I was so proud and it sounds like it made Mrs. Boling and Clint’s day. She said that Clint wanted to come to her school to meet the kids one day after the draft and I am sure he will make a special effort to meet one of his biggest fans, Mac Roberds.

The Senior Bowl will be played on Saturday at 3pm and will air on the NFL Network.

Good luck Clint!

Birthdays!

2011-01-24T13:18:00.002-05:00

There are two birthdays today for two people that are very close to my heart. One of which is my wonderful wife. Since I am a gentleman, I will not say how old she is today. The other birthday is my good friend John. He and I have been friends since we were six. I will tell everyone that he is turning 41 today and that he is already bald! Ha!

I guess I am not that much of a gentleman!

Anyway, I hope you both have a great B-day!

Cabin fever!

2011-01-14T17:57:00.007-05:00

I love having snow days since they are pretty rare in the Southeast, but five in a row is a little crazy! My kids school was closed all week this week as was my office for Monday and Tuesday. The office opened up the rest of the week for those who could get out. I was not one of them! We still have a huge patch of ice on the road in front of our house and it wasn't until Friday afternoon that I was able to get out. Even then it took me about 20 minutes to get past the huge ice patch on our street. Cars are still having a hard time going up the hill that we live on due to the ice on the road.

I have loved being at home with my boys for a week, but we were all getting cabin fever! Even though Meg and I both did a great deal of work from home, we still spent most of the day entertaining the boys. The novelty of the snow wore off as soon as it turned into ice. We played in the white stuff all day on Monday, but only for about 15 minutes on Tuesday. We all keep slipping and falling and it just wasn't fun. That was the end of our time in the snow/ice. So we had to find other things to do. There was alot of Wii playing, movie watching, crafts/puzzles and complaining that there was nothing else fun to do in the house. I had several creative ideas that were shot down so we usually just went back to the Wii. By Friday, I was going crazy! We did walk down to a nearby restaurant on Wednesday night to meet some friends for dinner but the walk back up and down icy roads with the kids in the stroller was pretty treacherous! I never thought I would say that I was looking forward to going back to work, but I am!

Anyway, here are some pictures from our time in the snow!

I plan on getting a proper sled soon for the next time we have a snow day (or 5)!

New Years Weekend

2011-01-06T12:50:00.004-05:00

This year we decided to do something different for New Years Eve. Granted, the change was brought on due to the fact that our usual NYE plans were not available this year due to a venue change by Widespread Panic, but I think it worked out great. We decided to rent a mountain house with some other friends and spend three nights up there to ring in the New Year. The Joyners and Swinneys along with their kids joined us in a non renovated 80’s house up in Big Canoe. It was a beautiful mountain setting right next to a waterfall. The house was nice, but could have been much nicer with some renovations, but we made it work and everyone seemed pretty comfortable. We ate some delicious meals, drank some wonderful wines (along with some other beverages) and had an all around good time. The kids loved playing together and there weren’t any major breakdowns. They really like decorating for the NYE/Birthday party and loved the fact they could have cake (or cupcakes) several times that weekend. Overall, it was a great way to say goodbye to 2010 and hello to 2011 and for me to spend my birthday. I hope everyone had as good as a NYE as we did, if not, maybe you should join us next year! We are already planning next year’s New Years trip!

Here are some pictures from the weekend:

Here are the wines with had with dinner, 2000 St. Supery Merlot. They were very smooth and silky and went nicely with the perfectly cooked beef tenerloin that Meg made.

Here are Mac and Henry at the start of the birthday party!

Here is the cake we had for the birthday party, yeah I know, I am old!

Here is the entire Joyner family (Jenn, Natalie, Mark and Kate) at the Dance Party that we had early in the evening on New Years Eve. The kids really loved this portion of the night!

Little Kate was a great source of entertainment for everyone all weekend, what a cutie!

Here is Chloe at the Dance Party, she really wore herself out!

After the Dance Party, we set the kids up for a movie. The kids loved to watch movies together along with Chloe. So cute!

Here are Mike and Kelley right after the new year arrived!

Here are Jenn and Mark right after the countdown!

Here is Meg and I making a new years toast!

Cheers and Happy New Year!

Bring on 2011!

2010-12-29T17:58:00.003-05:00

Wow, time really flies! I can’t believe that 2011 is upon us. It feels just like yesterday that the world was freaking out about Y2K! I am sure there are still people with a huge supply of canned foods and survival gear ready for the world to end, but I am not one of them. I remember talking to a coworker back in 1999 about my new years plans. That year I went out to Colorado with Meg to do some skiing and that coworker was convinced that we would be stranded there due to the massive computer failures that were going to happen at the stroke of midnight on Jan 1, 2000. Well, we had a great trip and didn’t have any problems getting back home.

Anyway, this year since Panic is playing in Denver on NYE, we are off to the north Georgia Mountains to spend some time with friends and to ring in the New Year. Please keep in mind that New Years Eve is basically amature night so please be safe on the roads. If you plan on opening some Champagne to ring in the New Year, please check out my Crash Course on Bubbly. I hope everyone who reads this blog has a happy and safe new year.

Talk to you again in 2011!

White Christmas and a holiday jam!

2010-12-27T16:17:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas and Santa was good to all. I know he was good to my kids as both of them racked up on new toys, video games, candy and clothes. Then they were spoiled even more by both sets of Grandparents. They really have had a great time on their holiday breaks. They both really love spending time with all of their cousins and aunts and uncles. But now my house is overrun with toys and we will be doing some early spring cleaning to make room for the new load of toys. Here are a few pictures of my side of the family on Christmas day.

Here is a shot of all of the gifts for the family before the opening frenzy starts

This is a bird's eye view of the family after the presents were opened

Here are my parents with all of their kids

Here are all of my parent's grandkids, what a good looking group of kids!

We all got a special treat on Christmas, snow! It was the first time there was snow on the ground in the Atlanta area since the 1800’s. It was a nice treat to be able to open presents while you could see the snow falling outside through the windows. It was truly a special Christmas! There was another special gift this year and I will post a recap of that gift later in the week.

It has been nice to spend time with all of our family and friends. Having both mine and Meg’s family's local is great but it can be tough on days like Christmas. I feel like we spend more time traveling on Christmas day than we do with each side of the family. So the time we do get to spend is really special.

I also got to spend some time with some good friends. Since we will all be in different places for New Years and our usual NYE tradition of going to see Widespread Panic at Philips is not happening this year, we decided to go see another one of our favorite bands for their Holiday Hangover show. Drivin n Cryin played the Tabernacle on Sunday night and my friends Jim, BK , John and I decided to brave the cold and go down for the show. It was a great night full of surprises! Not only on the stage, but in the crowd! We saw some great special guests play with the DNC boys, but we also saw some people in the crowd that we haven’t seen in years. I am not sure how my friends arranged for all of the special guests to show up, but it was a great night and a good time was had by all!

Here we are at the show! (Sorry the picture quality is not the best)

One Crazy Night!

2010-12-21T14:49:00.002-05:00

I am not sure which was going on last night but two pretty rare things happened last night. First was the total lunar eclipse and the second was the Atlanta Thrashers moving into 1st place in the division and third overall in the conference. Both of these events are few and far between.
Here is a shot at the height of the lunar eclipse

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth casts its shadow on the full moon, blocking the sun's rays that otherwise reflect off the moon's surface. Some indirect sunlight still pierces through to give the moon its eerie hue. This happened between 1am and 5am this morning which is the day of the Winter Solstice. This event happened not too long after the Thrashers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 in Toronto and leapfrogged the perennial division leading Washington Capitals. The Thrashers were actually in first place for about 20 hours over the weekend, but the Caps took the top spot back when they won on Sunday. The Thrashers can extend their division lead tonight if they can take care of the St. Louis Blues down at Philips Arena tonight. The move up the standings has come as the Thrashers have earned points in 14 of their past 16 games (12-2-2), including two straight wins. They have the third most points in the Eastern Conference behind Philadelphia (49) and Pittsburgh (44). I really feel like the Thrashers leading the conference will happen a lot more often than a total lunar eclipse, at least I hope so!

Here is shot right after the Thrashers scored one of thier 6 goals agaisnt the Leafs.

By the way, Thrash (the mascot) has been freed from jail thanks to the Atlanta fans on Saturday night!

Go Thrashers!

Thrash has been caged!

2010-12-16T13:29:00.001-05:00

Excited by the overwhelming on-ice success of the Thrashers but frustrated that the team isn't getting the attention he feels they deserve, Thrash took matters into his own hands and attempted to drive a Zamboni from the team's practice facility in Duluth, GA to Philips Arena in downtown Atlanta. His hope was to draw attention to the team by driving a Zamboni along 25 miles of interstate. Instead he only managed to get the attention of the Gwinnett County police.

Thrash has already been put through the legal process at the Gwinnett County Courthouse and the judge has ruled that the Thrashers must sell an additional 5,000 tickets to the remaining December home games in order for Thrash to be released from jail. The hope is that the Thrashers can get the feathered mascot out of jail in time for him to resume his duties as soon as possible, especially for Saturday's match-up against New Jersey and former Thrashers Ilya Kovalchuk and Johan Hedberg.

To see the coverage of the incident please click here!

There Thrashers have been playing well and currently are tied for 2nd in the division and tied for 6th in the conference. They play again on Thursday down at Philips against the Carolina Hurricanes and win will move them into a tie for first with the Washington Capitals. The Ice Birds are one of the hottest teams in the league right now and need more support than they are getting. It is time for the city to get behind this team! So get your tickets now for some tough games coming up.

Go Thrashers!

Last Surgery (I hope)!

2010-12-13T13:07:00.000-05:00

Meg had her final reconstruction surgery last Friday and she is doing great. This surgery was not nearly as evasive as the others she has had and therefore her recovery was much easier. Basically she was up and about on Saturday but took it very easy all weekend. She is actually back at work even though she is still a little sore. The doctor said this would be the last major procedure in the reconstruction process. It has been a long road, but she is finally done with surgeries due to her fight against breast cancer. She has proven that she is the toughest person I know and I am glad all of the hard stuff is behind her now!

Dawgs beat Tech again!

2010-12-08T12:24:00.002-05:00

This version of “Good Old Fashion Hate” took place on the hardwoods and not on the field, but the outcome is the same. Dawgs win! This was not a pretty game, but they don’t get extra points for solid, fundamental play. All that matters is the scoreboard after the final buzzer goes off. In this case it was 73-72 with the visiting Dawgs getting the “W”! This is only the second time the visiting team has left with a win in 14 years. That was when the matchup went back to a home and home schedule instead of playing the game at the old Omni (now Philips arena). It was a close game all night and Georgia took the lead with a three pointer by Dustin Ware buried a three to make it 73-70. Tech was able to add a layup, but eventually ran out of time.

Again, this was not a great game by the Dawgs, but a win is a win. They need to work on their free throws and inside defense. They seemed more poised towards the end of the game and I think that is due to experience and coaching. Coach Mark Fox has got things clicking in Athens and there is a chance the Dawgs can make a run at the SEC Championship and get an invitation to the big dance. I guess we just have to wait and see, but for now, I will relish in the win and beating Tech twice in two weeks!

Go Dawgs!

Dawgs are going bowling!

2010-12-06T12:49:00.003-05:00

This season has not really panned out the way I expected and defiantly not the way I wanted, but the Dawgs will extend their streak of going to a bowl game to 14. They will be playing Central Florida in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. The game will be played on December 31st and will kick off at 3:30p.m.

The Liberty Bowl will feature two dynamic young quarterbacks: Central Florida freshman Jeff Godfrey and Georgia redshirt freshman Aaron Murray. They rank Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in the nation in passing efficiency among freshmen this season. Also, Central Florida is coached by one time Georgia Tech coach George O’Leary. So that adds another element to the matchup!

Again, I would rather be playing in BCS bowl game, but during that streak of losing 4 straight games, I didn’t think the Dawgs would be eligible for a bowl game at all. So it is a good thing they are playing and getting the extra practice time. Also, it could be the last time we see A.J. Green in a Dawgs jersey, that is worth the price of admission right there!

Oh yeah, to all of those Tech fans who were bashing the Dawgs for going to Shreveport last year, I hope enjoy your trip there! At least Memphis has Graceland, Beale St. and BBQ! All Shreveport is famous for is being Shreveport. Also, since the Yellow Jackets are playing Air Force, the over under on pass attempts in the game is right at 6. How exciting!

Elf on the Shelf

2010-12-03T13:22:00.002-05:00

What a wonderful tradition we have going on in our house right now. If you have young kids this is a must around Christmas time! We got our elf from a friend a couple of years ago and now he has become part of our family and the boys get so excited once he arrives. These scout elves are the eyes and ears for Santa. Our elf is named Buddy and you would not believe the magic he possesses! Not only does he have the ability to fly to the North Pole every night after the boys go to sleep and give reports back to Santa, but just having him in the house makes the boys behave much better. If there is a slip in their behavior, all we have to say is “Buddy is watching you and he will report this behavior back to Santa tonight.” That usually does the trick and they are back to being the angels that truly are.

Elf on the Shelf was created by a mother and daughter team from here in the Atlanta area, but this is no longer just a regional tradition. Elves have been sent all around the world and new traditions start each year. Our elf Buddy likes to keep the boys guessing. You never know where he is going to be found each day. He tends to land on the main floor of the house but he is never in the same place twice. This time of year the boys get excited each day to go and find Buddy. Some days he is out in the open while others he likes to make them search. I guess he really enjoys playing hide and seek with them! The boys will talk to Buddy like he is a friend but they always remind him of what is on their wish list. Both boys actually reminded Buddy every single day of a couple of items on their lists just incase he has forgotten to tell Santa. Having Buddy in the house is a lot of fun, the boys love looking for him and talking to him, while Meg and I love the power he has to keep the boys on their best behavior. Buddy usually arrives right around Thanksgiving, but he has been known to make a surprise summer visit if they boys are acting up. I guess he makes these pop in visits just to remind the boys that Santa is always watching!

Again, if you have young kids this is a must have. It is a great tradition to start up and a great behavioral tool! Belive me, it is fun and functional!

Thanksgiving in Breckenridge!

2010-11-29T13:08:00.004-05:00

I hope everyone had a nice and relaxing thanksgiving. We went out to Colorado for Thanksgiving with Meg’s family. We rented a huge house and all of her family was there for the week. I was able to hit the slopes three days and the snow was great for being so early in the season. I have never been snowboarding or skiing this early in the year and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Even though the entire mountain wasn’t open, the snow was still pretty good. On Wednesday, about 5 inches of fresh powder fell and that really made the conditions fun, but it also came with 30-40 mph winds which was not fun. But once you got off the lifts and down the mountain some, the winds weren’t that bad.

View of the town of Breckenridge from the slopes with some peaks in the background

Overall, the riding was good even though I did take a pretty nasty spill on Friday and I am still feeling the affects on my body. I am still pretty sore and have a few bruises, but luckily nothing was broken. That is what I get for thinking I am better on the board than I really am! My cell phone actually went flying in the middle of my wipe out and I didn’t realize that I had lost it until I was back on a lift over to another peak. I thought for sure it was gone forever, but a nice lady found it and called my father-in-law (he was the last person to all me that day) about an hour later. I was able to meet up with her and get my phone back. It is nice to know there are still kind people out there and she saved me a good deal of time and money to get a new phone and all my data back.

Even though we took our camera, we really didn’t pull it out much. We are not good at taking pictures but we did manage to snap a few here and there.

Here are the boys in their loft. They loved climbing the ladder and playing in the loft in our bedroom. Unfortunately due to the altidude, they had trouble sleeping and would wake up several times and come down and get in the bed with us. By the way, that loft was only about 5 feet tall!

Here is Meg and I on the Claimjumper trail on Peak 8

Here I am with a cold one! Apre ski is my second favorite thing about snowboarding! A very close second!

Here is the view up peak 8 at the end of the day while we enjoy the apre ski portion of the day!

OVO!

2010-11-19T15:13:00.006-05:00

On Friday Meg and I will be heading to the Grand Chapiteau to see the latest creation by Cirque du Soleil call OVO. This production takes the audience into the world of insects. Apparently blue fly arrives in the hectic, bustling community of insects and quickly falls in love with a lady bug. Then an over sized egg appears and all of the different types of insects become awestruck by the enormous egg and that is when the hilarity and amazing acts ensue.

I am a huge fan of Cirque du Soleil and we always make sure we check out the new shows when they come to town. I love the different acts, the amazing performances, the always wonderful music and of course the beautiful and often crazy costumes. It always amazes me to see the performers do their acts with such grace and precision, I really don’t think the human body is supposed to contort in the ways some of the acts do! Also I am really looking forward to seeing the power track (trampoline) and wall acrobats perform. That looks like something I have always wanted to do! Jump off a 20foot wall down onto a trampoline and then bounce back up the wall. I tried that once when I was little and it didn’t work out too well for me.

The previews I have seen have been incredible and I can’t wait to see it for myself. This year I splurged and got some great seats, so I am sure that is going to make the experience even better. I have never seen a bad Cirque show and I totally expect to be blown away by this one. All of the reviews I have seen have been excellent and I am very excited to see it for myself.

Bonjour!

Beaujolais Day 2010!

2010-11-18T11:55:00.002-05:00

Released with much fanfare the third Thursday of each November, Beaujolais Nouveau is billed as the first wine of the year, though that distinction no doubt lies with the folks in the southern hemisphere, who harvested in February. But due to the marketing skills of the French's wine industry (mainly Georges Deboeuf) that has made this day such a big deal.

Beaujolais Nouveau is very young wine made from the Gamay grape in the Beaujolais region (part of Burgundy) of France. In the Beaujolais region as well as many other cities and towns in France, there are parties and festivals to celebrate the release. The wine itself is the youngest and freshest vintage to get released, the harvest starts in mid-September and the fermenting lasts for about 6-8 weeks. The grapes are harvested by hand and go through the “carbonic maceration” or whole berry fermentation. Whole clusters of grapes are loaded into vats and the fermentation actually takes place within the grape. This process produces very fruit forward and light wines without any tannins. This wine is meant to drink young and will not age very well. It should be drunk within 5-6 months of the release.

Beaujolais Nouveau can be a fun wine; low in tannins, grapey and easy to drink. It is a versatile wine and will go well with the many different flavors usually found on a Thanksgiving table. It is always fun to pick up a couple of bottles and see how it is each year. So enjoy Beaujolais Day 2010, just keep an open mind and don’t have too high of expectations for these wines, they are meant to be fun and that is OK by me!

Cheers!

Disco Party!

2010-11-16T11:02:00.004-05:00

Over Halloween weekend, Meg and I get to play dress up two days in a row! Not only did we get to play the role of Han Solo and Princess Leia for Halloween night, we also got to go back in time to the 70’s! Our good friend Mark threw his wife a surprise birthday party on Oct 30th. This is one of those big birthdays that end with a “0” but since I am a gentleman, I am not going to say which birthday it was. This party was a total surprise for Jennifer and she was shocked when she got home from her spa day with the girls to see her house transformed into a Studio 54!

Here is Jenn after she changed into her disco outfit! Love the wig!

Mark pulled out all of the stops! There was an open bar, a nice spread of food and two servers making sure all of the guests were taken care of. The back yard/carport area was transformed into a disco floor complete with lights, great disco music, a disco ball and of course a smoke machine! Since there was a chill in the air, there were also two nice fire pits to keep everyone warm and cozy when not on the dance floor. Also, Mark’s sister was there taking photos of everyone and she had some great props and sign’s to hold up for the pictures. Overall it was a great party and everyone had a good time going back to the disco days of the 70’s!

Here are Jenn and Mark on the dance floor, love the mirror ball shirt!

Here is Meg back in the 70’s

Here I am rocking the fro and the sexy chest hair!

Here is Kristian and Jenn at the photo station

Happy Birthday Jenn and great job Mark!

Wine Review – Peters Family Winery 2006 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast

2010-11-12T12:46:00.002-05:00

This is a wine that I found through the California Wine Club and I just love it! Peters Family Winery is located in Sebastopol, California in the heart of Sonoma. They are negociants that have partnerships with world class vineyards. They focus their production on Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir.

Their 2006 vintage is an example of how I like my pinots! It is light in the glass and has beautiful aromas of earth, floral notes and black currant and cinnamon. On the palate you will find black cherry, mocha and vanilla. The finish is smooth and provides a hint of lavender. This is a very fruit forward wine with nice tannins and a great balance. This wine was excellent with our grilled salmon and I would suggest it for your Thanksgiving feast as well. There were a limited number of cases for this vintage so it might be hard to find. But if you do stumble across it, I would pick up at least two bottles, one for now and one for a few years down the road.

Cheers!

35th Anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald

2010-11-10T17:22:00.003-05:00

Just like most of us, I love a good Gordon Lightfoot song and like most of us, when you think of Gordon Lighfoot’s songs, the first one that comes to mind is "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". Well Wednesday November 10th was the 35th anniversary of the day the Edmund Fitzgerald went down in Lake Superior. To hear one of the best story songs ever, click here. I stumbled upon an article that recaps the fatal voyage, to read it all please click here. It is an interesting read and I wasn’t aware that the Captain was set to retire as soon as the huge cargo ship docked in Detroit. But Captain Ernest McSorely and his 28 man crew never made it to Detroit.

The wreck shook the Great Lakes shipping industry to its core. To this day, 35 years later, freighters won't get underway on Lake Superior if there's a storm in the forecast. No one truly knows what happened to the ship, but The Fitzgerald's remains still lie in Canadian waters just off Whitefish Point. Canadian law regards the wreck as a grave site and prohibits pleasure dives to it, and scientific dives require a legitimate forensic purpose and permission from the families. So the mystery continues to grow. On November 10th every year, a memorial service is held at Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point not to far from where the wreckage lies. In honor of the men who were lost, the original bell is rung once on this day. The bell was the only thing salvaged from the ship and was replaced with a replica bell that had each crew member’s name engraved on it.

RIP Edmund Fitzgerald

Happy Birthday Mom!

2010-11-08T13:22:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to wish my mom a very happy birthday! She and my dad came over to our house for dinner last night and it was great to see them. The boys just love to have them over so they can play and show off their newly aquired skills (mainly Mac and his new Wii skills.) We are lucky they live close enough to us to be able to come over and spend the afternoon and evening with us.

Happy Birthday Mimi!

A Star Wars Halloween!

2010-11-03T13:07:00.007-04:00

I hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween. There was nothing like Halloween when I was young and now that I have kids, it is even funnier! This year the entire family dressed up as, yep you guessed it, Star Wars characters. Mac was Obi-Wan Kenobi while Henry was Luke Skywalker. The boys assigned Meg and I our characters and of course Meg was Princess Leia and I was the rugged Han Solo. As it turns out, our good friends (who also have a Star Wars obsessed child) also dressed up as Star Wars characters. Their son Liam was Boba Fett while Kelley was Padme Amidala and Mike was a Clone Trooper. I am sure we were pretty intimidating walking down the street looking like we just came from Dragon Con. But everyone had a great time and that is what is most important.

Here are some pictures of our Star Wars Family
Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke
Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke and Princess Leia
Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke and Han
The whole Star Wars family

This was the first year we stayed in our own neighborhood to trick or treat. We usually go to Decatur to pedal for candy with family but this year due to the fact that Halloween fell on a Sunday night, we decided to stay home. We are glad we did, it was a lot of fun to see a lot of the neighborhood kids all dressed up. Also, we got a chance to meet a lot of new neighbors that we haven’t met before. We will definitely stay in the neighborhood again next year! We, I mean the kids really racked up on the candy this year!All of the Star Wars boys

Here is Luke in action with Princess Leia watching

Ga/Fla Weekend

2010-10-29T13:14:00.005-04:00

This is a big weekend for all kinds of tricks and treats. The boys are very excited about all of the Halloween activities this weekend and of course the trick or treating on Sunday night. While I am excited about that as well, my main focus is on the Dawgs traveling down to Jacksonville to take on the hated Gators. This matchup is not the same as it has been in past years, neither team is ranked in the top 25 and both are trying to salvage their season with a win. But that is not going to cut back on the excitement of the matchup. No matter what the season situation is for either team, this is a huge game and both sides want to win.

I can go through and provide some numbers that show trends and on what the outcome might be, but that really doesn’t matter. On paper, the Dawgs have a better team, they have a better QA in Aaron Murray they have the best receiver in the country in AJ Green and the Dawgs running backs are better then one wearing orange and blue. Don’t forget Georgia’s kicking game is tops in the country. But just because a team is better on paper doesn’t give them a win. That is why the game is played on the field, and that is what scares me! I feel like the Gators have a mental edge right now, just like the Dawgs did back in the 70’s and 80’s. So, even though the Dawgs have momentum going into the game and on paper we have better players, there is no guarantee. I am very nervous about the game.

Not to mention that conveintly Florida's best player will be back for this game after being suspended for 5 games for aggravated stalking. This is a move that I expect by Urban Meyer. He could have really sent a statement to his players and other college players that domistic vilonece charges will not be tolerated in his program or in collge athethics, but instead, Rainey will be back on the field on Saturday. I guess he is just that desperate for a win, even if Rainey threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend.

As I type, a large number of the Bulldog Nation is traveling down to St. Simons, Amelia Island and of course Jacksonville to get ready for the Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. I will be there in spirit and I know the Dawg faithful will be supportive no matter what happens, but I just hope the drive back is going to be better than it has been lately! If there is a year to start a new winning streak, this is it!

Go Dawgs!

By the way, did you think I could do a post about the Florida Gators without showing my favorite Florida fan!

Most Gator fans look like this guy and definitely have the same taste in fashion! Check out these guys below!

Hawks open the season tonight!

2010-10-27T09:15:00.001-04:00

I wish I could say that I was excited about the Hawks opening their regular season tonight, but I am just not. Even though they made it to the second round of the playoffs last year, they haven’t really made any changes to the roster. They did get a new head coach in Larry Drew, but he was on Mike Woodson’s staff last year and I don’t predict a big change in the philosophy on the court. Therefore with the changes or should I say the lack of changes to the team, I expect the team to remain in mediocrity. Coach Drew says he has implemented a motion offense but his guys seem reluctant to run it. That scares me even more. If the players are going to run the offensive the coach wants, then there is no chance the team will improve. I sure hope I am wrong since Atlanta deserves a better basketball team then they have been getting the last few years.

Well, it is a new season and I am trying to be optimistic, but it is tough. Their preseason was horrible and they really sloppy going 2-5. I just hope they were using that time to gel as a team and work on execution of the offense. They open the season in Memphis and then go to Philly on Friday. They were solid last year at home but really struggled on the road. Opening on the road will be a good test for the team. I wish I could say I will be watching, but I am sure I will be watching the Thrashers game tonight while flipping over to Modern Family at 9pm. Modern Family is my vote for best sit com on TV right now. It is hilarious!

Go Hawks!

Wine Review – Diemersfontein 2007 Carpe Diem Pinotage

2010-10-22T12:54:00.001-04:00

Our good friends went back to South Africa to visit family and go to some of the World Cup games over the summer and brought back some delicious wines. One of the wines they brought back was a Diemersfontein 2007 Carpe Diem Pinotage. Pinotage is the national grape of South Africa and most of the wineries in South Africa produce a pinotage. Pinotage is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsaut grapes. Cinsaut is known as Hermitage in South Africa so when the two grapes were crossed, the name became Pinotage. There is your Wine 101 lesson for the day!

Anyway, this wine was very pleasant. It was a very dark crimson in the glass and had aromas of big fruit like dark cherries and strawberries. On the palate there were some hints of chocolate and coffee. The finish was long and slow as the smooth tannins lingered. This wine would pair well with rich meat dishes like lamb or a hearty stew. It was a treat for us and we are so glad Mike and Kelley shared this gem with us.

Cheers!

Uga VIII

2010-10-14T12:29:00.003-04:00

Even though the season hasn't gone as planned, this weekend is a big one for the Bulldog nation! Not only is it Homecoming and the Dawgs are trying to start a win streak with their second straight win, but Uga VIII will be introduced. There will be a passing of the collar ceremony before the game kicks off on Saturday against Vanderbilt. Russ, who has served admirably in his temporary role taking over for the untimely death of Uga VII, will hand over the collar to Uga VIII. The next Uga is the great-great-great-great-great-grandson of the original Uga and is the grandson of Uga VI. Uga VIII’s registered name is Big Bad Bruce. He was named in honor of Dr. Bruce Hollet who is the official veterinary for the Uga line and a member of the UGA Veterinary School.

Uga VIII was selected from a pool of several puppies in the bloodline of the original Uga. The selection was based on several different criteria, including age, size, health status and head size. He is 13 months old, weighs 55 pounds and is in good health. He has recently had nasal surgery to help improve his breathing. According to Sonny Siler, the owner of the Bulldogs line of mascots, “Big Bad Bruce has an excellent head.” In addition, Big Bad Bruce has been raised listening to the Red Coat Marching band music piped into his kennel. I say he sounds like a perfect Uga! I am sure he will continue to carry on the prestige of one of the most storied mascots in all of college sports.

Welcome Uga VIII and Go Dawgs!

Thanks Bobby!

2010-10-12T17:31:00.002-04:00

Well, it sure didn’t end the way I was hoping but Bobby Cox has managed his finial game of his career. The Braves played a tough series against the San Francisco Giants but came up short on Monday losing 3-2. It was a close series all around with every game going down to the wire and every game being won by only one run. As sad and upset I am about losing in the playoffs, I am more upset about the fact that Bobby won’t be in the dugout next season. His career is amazing and even though he only has one World Series title, he managed his ball club to 14 consecutive division titles and 5 NL Championships. Those are records that won’t be broken and that alone should put him in the Hall of Fame. But then you throw in the fact that he is the 4th on the all time wins list (2504), he was named manager of the year 4 times (3 in the National League and 1 in the American League), managed 5 All Star games and was ejected from a game 158 times in his career (1st on that list). Those statistics will ensure that he will make it in the Hall.
I could go on and on about his accomplishments but even those records and numbers don’t make up the man. I personally have never met Bobby Cox but I feel like I know him very well. He has been a fixture in my life as a Braves fan and it is going to be hard to replace him. In this day in age, managers only seem to last for a short time with an organization; Bobby was in the Braves organization for 25 years and could be credited with turning the team for the laughing stock of MLB to a constant contender. He is well respected in baseball by both coaches and players while the players on his team loved him and would fight to the end for him. Even after his finial game was over, he still only wanted to talk about the toughness of his team.

After more than 50 years in baseball, he is looking forward to spending more time with his family and already has a cruise booked for April of next year. That is after the start of the next baseball season. But don’t think he is going to walk away completely; he has taken on a consultant role with the Braves and will be involved with player development. So I am sure we will see him again.

All I can say is you will be missed and Thanks Bobby!

Puck drops tonight!

2010-10-08T16:31:00.002-04:00

The NHL regular season started last night, but for the hometown Thrashers, the puck drops tonight. The new look Ice Birds take on the Washington Capitals and it should be a good one! The Thrashers have a whole new coaching staff and almost an entirely new team, there are only a handful of guys still on the team that played last year. Most people would be nervous about that, but when you consider the fact that the Thrasher now have 5 guys that played on the Stanley Cup Championship team last year, I feel like that is an upgrade! The game will be on SportsSouth and the puck drops at 7:30. I am looking forward to another exciting season!

Go Thrashers!

Cool/Creepy Shot!

2010-10-07T13:23:00.002-04:00

I was infatuated with the Ryder cup last weekend and even though the US lost the cup, it was still a very exciting finish. The Americans came close to pulling off an amazing comeback but fell short by just a half a point. There was some great golf played in the third and fourth rounds but due to the weather, there was some awful golf played in the rain soaked first and second rounds. I was reading through some of the coverage and found the incredible cool and creepy picture of a miss-shot by Tiger in the second round. The ground was wet and the grass had been trampled by the crowd, with these factors in play, Tiger flubbed his chip shot. The photographer really has a once in a lifetime picture here. The ball actually hits the lens and the picture was taken just seconds before impact. It is really cool that everyone including Tiger and his caddie Steve Williams is looking right at the photographer right before he gets plunked.

So, that is a cool picture huh! Now let’s address the creepy guy on the right side of the picture with the turban, Groucho Marx mustache and cigar. What is he doing with his hands in his pockets and why is he so happy? Something is not right about that guy! I would love to see him showing up at other sporting events around the world. It could be a game like “Where’s Waldo”!

2-Day recap!

2010-10-05T13:14:00.008-04:00

Meg summed it up best by saying “It was a great walk for a great cause!” She and Susie had a great time walking the 2 day walk over the weekend. The route was great, it took them through all of the different neighborhoods and areas of Atlanta. The crowds were great and they loved meeting and mingling with other walkers. The weather couldn’t have been better and everyone involved with the walk couldn’t have been nicer. The organizers really treated the walkers well and had plenty of food and water on the route and provided great encouragement. Meg and Susie enjoyed the crazy motorcycle security team that cruised the route and helped out at intersections making sure the walkers were all safe. Those guys dressed pretty outrageous and were very supportive and entertaining. She was also a fan of the hotel and the celebration dinner. But I think the thing she liked best was the reflexology foot massages they got at the spa on Saturday afternoon. I am sure that made the second day of the walk go a lot smoother!
A couple of the outrageous and entertaining security guys!

Meg and Susie enjoyed it so much, they have already signed up for the walk next year. She would love to get more people to join their team and do the walk with them next year.
Here is a few of the pictures she took along the walk!

Here are her the two smallest members of her fan club!
Here are Meg's biggest fans!
The girls in front of the High Museum!

Here are Meg and Susie at the finish line!

Thanks to everyone who supported Meg in her fundraising efforts. All of the money stays in Atlanta to help provide treatment and support for breast cancer victims. Being a “Survivor”, Meg knows how important it is to have a solid support group to help victims of this horrible disease.

Good job Meg, Susie and all of the walkers and volunteers!

Braves are in!

2010-10-04T12:29:00.001-04:00

Well, it didn’t go down quite the way I would have liked it to, but staying true to the way they have played all year, they strung it out to the last inning of the last game of the year. I guess they just love the drama! Atlanta had to win on Sunday to even have a shot to make the playoffs and they pulled it off in a nail biter! Atlanta's win coupled with San Diego's loss left the Braves as the National League wild card winner, and the Braves will face the Giants in a best-of-five division series that starts Thursday in San Francisco.
Once the San Fran/San Diego game went finial, the celebration began. First in the locker room with champagne popping and then the celebration moved out to the field where the remaining fans (who were still there for a concert by REO Speedwagon) began chanting Bobby, Bobby! What a fitting way to make it in the playoffs and a fitting gift to end longtime manager Bobby Cox’s finial regular season.

Now I just hope they can keep it going and make it to the next round!

Go Braves!

2 Day Walk

2010-10-01T13:11:00.002-04:00

The weekend is here and Meg is getting ready for her tough yet hopefully fun weekend with her friend Susie and all of the other walkers. She is picking out her best pink shirts, socks, hats and what ever else she can find that is pink. She has her small sling bag packed and is ready to walk. Unlike the 3-day walk where the walkers have to sleep in tents, this walk has all of the walkers staying in a nice hotel, good choice Meg!

The opening ceremonies start at 7am on Saturday and she is to meet up with her team before that. The course opens up for the walkers at 7:30 and there are several cheering stations along the route for you to go out and support the walkers. You can see all of the cheering stations here. If you have time or out and about on Saturday, please stop in and support all of the walkers. I plan on being at cheer station #4 with the boys so they can cheer on their Mom. Once the Saturday walk is over they go back to the hotel for some rest and then a celebration diner. Then they are back on the course early on Sunday morning. The closing ceremonies will be held at Centennial Park/World of Coke at 1pm. So again if you can make it down to support and celebrate with Meg and all of the walkers, it should be a good time.

Even though she has reached her fund raising goal, they are still accepting donations. If you would like to donate, please follow this link:

http://www.2daywalk.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=314340&supid=285715884

Hope to see you at one of the cheering stations or at the closing ceremonies!

Good luck Meg, Susie and all of the other walkers!