Welcome Mr. Winter

Utopia was the feeling on a beautiful Saturday and Sunday afternoon at Kensington. It was a nice start to the cross country ski season Saturday. The trails were freshly groomed, the iPod was clamped in the ears, and all was well in the world. The crowds were minimal which was an added bonus. I guess there is a good thing about the Xbox addicts in today's society. They aren't getting in my way on the trails. I did bite it once on Sunday but no apparent injuries to report. I'm sure there will be a few groans tomorrow morning.

Also on the docket this weekend was the Ultimate Fishing Show in Novi. Based on the attached pictures, it's hard to believe there was actually fishing activities going on. You have the booth people that get into the eye contact game with you. If you get eye contact going, you know they are going to try to throw their shtick at you about the Eurocloth Super Shammy (better than the Sham Wow!) or whatever. So, look away! A friend of mine; however, does own the Sham Wow and raves about it. Along with the Shammy battles, you have the sausage booth battles, the sunglasses booth battles, honey, Davy Crockett, chewing tobacco, the Family Zone, and last but not least, Beerholder.net. Beerholder.net sell posts you pluck into the ground that have beverage holders at the end of them. The angle is you are at the picnic and just want to put your beverage down while mingling. You throw the post into the ground and bam, there is your holder. It's the million dollar idea, eh Jim? I'm not so sure on this one.

Happy 75th Elvis (last week)

Trail Head

Holiday Wrap

A festive holiday season it was. Christmas was spent in Manistee with the Nielsen family. We cry about the snow here in the Detroit area but it's nothing compared to the lake effect stuff off of Lake Michigan. While I do love the snow for a short time, come March it's time for it to go. Nancy tells me they have had it go into May out on the west side. That kicks morale in the rear end. The attached light display pictures are from a park in Bear Lake, about 15 minutes north of Manistee where Nancy's parents and brother live. I had a nice time hanging with the Nielsen family. They were great hosts for this east sider. Nancy's brother Mike and I got to vent on what could have been in our high school sports careers. Yes, having some more talent would have been a good start but it's more fun to blame the coaching, eh?

Christmas, part II, was spent with my parents on the 28th. They had just returned from visiting my sister in Brazil (average temperature right now is about 80 - I could take a couple days of that). It sounded like they had a good time although my Dad broke his hand while out there. He's a tough cookie so he'll be fine.

Nancy and I put on our black tie attire for New Year's eve. We were the only ones dressed up but it didn't matter. It was kind of fun getting all dolled up. We met up with the Munson's and Ochs' for dinner at Cinco Lagos in Milford before heading over to the Gustafson's party. Good eats at Cinco Lagos, even for a finicky eater like myself. And I didn't even have the chicken! I was close though. We were on the road before midnight struck but quite honestly, the 12 o'clock countdown doesn't get me going like it once did. Once Dick Clark had the stroke, the thrill was gone.

The finale to the holiday celebration was the annual sausage gathering for bowl game watching/poker playing on the 1st. It was a bonus that it fell on a Friday this year. I enjoyed hanging with the fellas, consuming some White Castles, chicken wings, and a few (well, maybe three) cold beverages. Of course, we ALL broke even in cards.

Thanks to everyone for your tax dollars this past year. We hope to pay you back someday.

Hello 2010!

Trail Head

Christmas at the Chalet

Good friends, booze, and lures. That pretty much sums up the 23rd annual CMU Christmas party. And the 22nd, the 21st; pretty much all of them. And that is a damn fine thing. There just aren't any a-holes in this group and the entertainment value is second to none. The amateur comedians that I hang with are quite a bunch. Good laughing (as opposed to bad laughing).

The Crouse family's new chalet had Norman Rockwell's ass getting kicked in terms of Christmas spirit. I was waiting for Jimmy Stewart to come through the front door. Very nice.

Happy 42nd to Tim V. Sweet AC-DC drinking glasses that you got for your birthday.

Ooh Wa, Chip Ooh Wah.

Trail Head

WKRP Visit

The banks of the mighty Ohio River was the scene this past weekend as four hombres who, for some crazy reason, love their football team and took the jaunt to Cincinnati to see the Lions. Win or lose, the game itself seems to be the gravy on top of all the other weekend activities.

The giddiness started Friday evening as we rolled in about 10 and tackled this very clean city. Well, after all was said and done Friday, the city tackled us. We sprinted out of the gates when we should have been jogging. The Cadillac Ranch was our first destination. I don't consider myself frugal but paying $5 cover for a place that has no band makes me frown a bit. We did get to witness some mechanical bull riding though. No, it was not me as I would have been walking out of there like Fred Sanford had I climbed aboard. The tour then moved down the street to a pretty cool pub called O'Malley's in the Alley. With the Irish theme, we sipped on some whiskey and Irish eyes were smiling.

The Irish eyes were a bit weary Saturday morning as the little train took a bit to get going. We made a nice rebound though after a hearty breakfast and a morning stroll down by the two stadiums near the river. The walk ended up at the Black Finn Saloon where we bit the dog with the hair or whatever that saying is. We were a silent bunch there for a bit trying to get our hydration back. As the college football games got kicking in, so did the train. The Heineken mini keg never lets you down.

We hailed a cab later in the afternoon for an area a few miles east of downtown called Mt. Adams. We get in the cab and the driver has a U-M winter jacket on. Of course he was asked, "so, you're a U-M fan?" The guy was adamant about not having any affiliation with the Wolverines, advising us that his old lady got a deal on the jacket and it keeps him warm. Jerry even jokingly told him he'd get an extra tip just to say he was a fan, even if he had to lie. The cabbie said no. Those Ohio-ans love their Buckeyes. He dropped us off at the City View Tavern. This place is in pretty much a house made into a bar that sits on a hill looking into the city, hence the name. We had the pool table to ourselves, no wait for a refiller, music and football. It was Xanadu.

Directionally challenged yours truly thought he got some good directions for a place to get dinner near there; however, the "it's just over this hill" turned into a longer walk than expected. My brethren needed to stretch their legs so it worked out just fine. After asking some locals, we came upon the Mt. Adams Bar & Grill. The place was beautiful with some serious wood throughout. The meal, including desert (good fudge cake), was a great capper to a great day.

The showcase event of the weekend was of course watching our beloved Lions. Our tailgating area had a bit of a Mad Max or Fred Flinstone feel to it as the local quarry opens up their lot near the stadium on game days. We were grilling surrounded by rocks, rocks, and more rocks. The Bengal fans were pretty cool. They knew we sucked and we knew we sucked so there wasn't much trash talking going on. They pretty much told us to hang in there. Well, the team has been hanging in there prior to the start of my 42 years. I'll keep hanging. The Lions actually had a glimmer of hope in the first quarter until Cincinnati starting playing for real. The stadium itself had some great views and a lot of open areas to block yourself from that river wind. My wind burned face and chapped lips are looking pretty tough right now.

The city that Pete Rose built is not too bad.

Trail Head