Bowls For Everyone

I love College Football as well as the next person but I think the bowl thing is out of control. It used to be right around New Year's we'd have the best teams play in the Cotton Bowl, Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl. Now we have added so many bowl games that they start on December 19th and finish up on January 8th. Yes, there are now 32 bowl games played. To help pay for the giant affairs, we've commercialized the names. The Outback Bowl, Capital One Bowl, GMAC Bowl, and my new favorite the MPC Computers Bowl. Who?

Here's the frosting on the cake - Minnesota with a 6-7 record (only 3-5 within the Big Ten) gets to go to a Bowl Game. A losing record gets to go to a bowl game! How did that happen? Did someone say, I know these guys must be better than that. Besides they look good in uniform.

The sad part, the Gophers of Minnesota almost won the game. Please no more additions to the already over exposed bowl scene or we'll have a bowl for everyone in America.

A Week Before Christmas

A week before Christmas
and all through my day
the thought of missed gifts
keep coming my way.

I shop til I drop
just as I'm told
not finding "THE" gift
can really get old.

I've been to the store
searched places online
my list is still long
I may run out of time.

In seven more days
my chore will be done
enough with the shopping
it's time for some fun!

Sneaky Snow

Winter Storm Warning, two feet of snow coming, blowing and drifting likely, stock up on essentials and get ready for the return of the Ice Age. You see it on TV and read about it on the weather web sites if you live in "Snow Country". It usually amounts to 1-3 inches and many meteorologists claiming the storm JUST missed us.

If you live near a big lake, the next scenario will be all too familiar to you. TV land is silent, the weather site has a partly cloudy picture posted and one radio weatherman goes out on a limb to predict a 30% chance of flurries. Well, you do see a flurry, followed by another, then another until you suddenly realize your visibility is less than 100 yards. It is coming down in sheets, heavy at times. 12 hours later you are looking at a foot of "flurries". They call it lake effect snow... I call it sneaky snow. It is striking again as I type... I'm none to happy about it either. It means I'll be up early tomorrow - shoveling a whole lot of sneaky snow just to get my car out of the driveway. Suddenly the Winter Storm Warning is sounding pretty good to me!

On The Border

My experience dealing with crossing the border has been less than amusing. Although I've only had my vehicle searched once in all the years I've been using Canada as a short cut to New York.

The rub comes when it's "question time". They must lie awake at night just thinking of these gems. If they are designed to prove that even morons can be customs agents, they have succeeded. Some of my favorites: (while staring at my 7 year old in the back seat) ARE THERE ANY CHILDREN UNDER 18 IN THIS VEHICLE? Gosh, no, that's just a height impared 40 year old playing with plastic dinosaurs. How about WHO OWNS THIS VEHICLE? Aaaah, truth be known..the bank.. for a very long time. Let's not forget the ever popular DO YOU HAVE ANY FIREARMS OR EXPLOSIVES IN THE VEHICLE? What self respecting terrorist is going to answer that question truthfully? My all time favorite question - the one that my answer got me pulled over for inspection... WHICH BRIDGE WILL YOU BE CROSSING TO ENTER NEW YORK? My reply - I haven't studied my bridge names...I guess I'll just watch for a sign that says Bridge to USA and take my chances.

Did I mention these guys on the border have NO sense of humor?

Discontinued?

I pretty much shop at the same grocery store each week. They have a clean store with a good variety of available items. However, lately I feel like my loyalty is being taken for granted. It seems that every time I find something I really like, it disappears from the shelves. Are they trying to tick me off? Wow, low-fat 2% milk that actually tastes good with cereal...GONE! Finally, tortilla chips that are so tasty I could eat the whole bag in one sitting...GONE! Let me not forget HOT sauce to go with the tortilla chips...GONE! (Sorry we only sell medium or mild now)
Is it me? Are they paying attention to everything I buy and then pulling the rug out from under me? Does this happen to anyone else? I hope it doesn't spread to other areas of my life.

Wow... I just love taking this route to work. It makes driving so easy...GONE!