Motor City Bowl

Freebie-ville paid a visit Friday night in the form of the Motor City Bowl. Work offered up tickets to the game and with the work ID doubling up as a parking badge, it was rock star treatment all the way. The game quite honestly was pretty sad if you were a Chippewa fan, which we were. Dan, Doke, and Roger even wore their fan garb. I am thinking Roger had a "C" painted on his chest underneath his shirt but couldn't find the time to unveil it with the defeat. There was definitely a Mt. Pleasant feel in the air. We witnessed one fella just outside the stadium BEFORE the game having to be held up by his friends. I think he started a little too early in the day although he was probably having the time of his life around noon. The designated smoking areas at Ford Field are quite a scene. I'm not a smoker but the smoking community is very personable, always ready to talk it up while they inhale the love or whatever it is they get from doing it. We ran into Snoop and Snoop at the smoking area (pictures below), both former Chippewas. I still don't understand the whole crooked hat look but I guess if you want to look like Fernando Rodney, tear it up!

Trail Head

Christmas Party Tour - Part II

The Christmas party tour (bike tour is on a hiatus) hit western Oakland county last night at the Schmitt household with the 40-somethings and their kids in attendance. The kids had home base in the basement while the “elders” were getting jolly upstairs. Tis the season to be merry and what a better way to even be merrier than drinking Rob’s famous egg nog. I’m not much of an egg nog fan but I’ve experienced just about everything watching other folks drink it over the years. I’ve seen it go down and come right back up later in the evening which is not a pretty sight, especially on M-59. To cap off the evening, in the spirit of Gus and the big man in a little coat, we donned our letter jackets. The painter hats were an additional bonus from Jimbo.

Merry Christmas

Trail Head

Chippewa Gathering

A very merry evening it was at the Ochs’ place for the annual CMU Christmas party. The Auburn Hills residence is the ideal location for a gathering. It has great space and there aren't any neighbors to worry about. With Laura "Martha Jr." and Greg "iPod guy" as the hosts, it was A#1 all the way. The house has hosted some barn burner parties in the past (pre-blue and post blue house) and while we might not be able to kick it like we once did, I think everybody held their own quite well. Al, thanks for the football game and the life preserver. I'm sure the life preserver will show up at another party in the future. I would have to say the gift exchange that topped them all was the present from Keith to Roger; a fifth of Wild Turkey and a First Aid kit. Once you drink the first gift, you more than likely have to use the second.

Trail Head

Mountain Biking Season Isn't Over Yet

A beautiful morning for a ride at Island Lake Recreation Area, well at least until I threw my back out late in the ride (old man river writing today). I had recently read on the MMBA web site that the trails were ride able, even without studded tires, so I thought I would have a look for myself. The trails were a ball. With my iPod giving me some utopic (is that a word?) tunes, the scene couldn’t have been better. You could go at a pretty good pace, all things considered. I wasn’t the only idiot out there getting his fix; there had to have been ten or so others at the trailhead parking lot. Below is a video from my “bike cam” on Loop B.

Trail Head

It's Cold

Well, in pursuit of the Ward Cleaver award this year, I did double time this weekend hitting both Chuck E. Cheese's on Friday night and Pump It Up on Saturday in celebration of Calder's sixth birthday. My last experience at the mouse place was quite awhile ago and thought I had remembered there being beer offered but not at this location (boo!!!). I was warned that the pizza was pretty bad but thought you'd have to work hard to mess up pizza. I was wrong; this pizza was bogue. It's all about the unlimited amounts of pop, the games, and of course, the tickets! For only 4,000 tickets, you can get a pretty cool remote control car. There was one pin ball machine which gave me my sanctuary from the screamers. It was a dog eat dog world near the pop-a-shot. I was ready to put some whoop-ass on a pack of pompous West Bloomfield brats that were hogging the game.

I wisely held back at Pump It Up on Saturday. Pump It Up is a place that has three or four different moon walk type set ups that are pretty cool to jump around in. My last experience there when we were initially checking out the place had me walking like an old man for a couple days from the jumping. There were no kid casualties from the thrashing I am happy to report. I held home base near the air hockey game. Calder's big haul was a Wii machine from Mommy. I had a fun time playing with it on Sunday. It sure puts Pong to shame. The golf game was great. Maybe I should get that for my Dad? I would crack up watching him do practice swings in his living room.

I am looking forward to the annual CMU congregation next weekend at the Ochs' place. The ladies will swap some candles and the guy will swap some booze and lures. It doesn't get any better.

For anyone needing a chuckle, attached is a clip my niece and nephew put together from their two year residence in Brazil.

http://departingthed.blogspot.com/2008/12/hacked-encore-random-web-cam-from-sao.html


Trail Head

3-D World

With the mountain biking season pretty much over this year (might catch one more ride, who knows?), rather than writing about bike trails, I thought I’d write movie reviews for kid flicks, as I’ve seen in recent months: Beverly Hills Chihuahua, High School Musical 3, and Madagascar 2. They were all good movies in their own way (HSM3????) but nothing could top the movie we saw last Friday, Bolt (in 3-D). All I can say is wow on how cool a 3-D movie is these days. I can remember seeing 3-D flicks way back when with the paper blue/red shades. The movies usually blew with maybe a couple of scenes that had objects jumping out at you. This flick was 3-D everything. As a bonus, the movie was good. I’d see it again with or without the youngsters in tow (they look pretty cool in the shades, eh?).

Trail Head

No Lions? No Problem

This script should be talking about how great our pro football team is and how great of a game they played today on national television. Well, as you know our football team really blows right now, the game was blacked out, and I am happy (well, kind of sad in a weird way) to say I didn't miss it. In place of the Lions, I attended the Farmington Hills Youth Theatre presentation of "Seussical, Jr." with the Munro posse. While it probably didn't measure up to the St. Clare productions I attended in recent years for my niece and nephew, it was a good show just the same. Dancing in sync for 8-12 year olds is a toughie, however. You could tell the ones who practiced and then the slackers that had to look to the dude next to him to remember the moves.

I did get my football fix Saturday and loved lounging in my recliner all day but damn that was some bad football on display from noon until midnight. Not one close game for the games I was looking forward to watch the most. There were quite a few games on, however, so if you surfed good enough, you might have caught one or two worth watching. I loved every minute of the Notre Dame loss to Syracuse. So sorry to U-M but I will enjoy watching MSU play on New Year's Day. I hope we don't get our rear ends kicked. (that is spoken like a true Spartan fan, eh?).

Trail Head

Just Another Day?

Father time paid a visit to me yesterday. The big four one! There isn't much celebration to 41 as there was with 16 (totaled a car within a week of getting my drivers license), 21 (hurled at Dooley's in East Lansing), or even 40 (didn't even make it to midnight on the bar tour). Just because 41 isn't a round number or have any significance besides another year doesn't mean it can't be celebrated, right? It didn't stop me this weekend. I visited the old stomping grounds in Kingsville, Ontario Friday evening and had a great lobster dinner with the Welacky clan and Colin from across the street. Thanks for the many Lakeport beers Tom. Those Canadians won't let you sit there very long with an empty beer can. Good stuff.

Saturday was a good day to be a slug and a slug I was. It rained and then it rained some more as Forest Gump would say. My non-hunting friends came over in the evening for some cards. I don't think anybody lost their shirt too bad with Al probably bringing home the most. Most of all, it was a great getaway from talking about the economy. We chose to focus on more important things, like which song playing from the radio could the garage band, "The Leechbombs," pull off. "We could do this tune!!!" was heard a few times. Thanks to everyone that came.

To top off the birthday festivities, I went to the circus today with Jennifer and Calder. It really was the greatest show on earth. What is kind of sad is I now look at things differently than when I last saw the circus when I was about Calder's age. Rather than being amazed at how talented these performers were (they were darn talented), I think about the wear and tear of being on the road with that many people and animals. That's show business I guess. I posted a few clips from the outing.

See you later 40!


Trail Head

Jim Morrison is alive and well (and was in Southfield!!)

It had to have been him I tell you. I was with the Munro posse at the Native American Festival and Mini Pow Wow at the Southfield Civic Center Pavilion Saturday morning. A celebration of the Indian culture with a sprinkle of Indian trinkets and trash I guess you could call it. The native dancing and drumming were pretty cool. I posted a few videos from the occasion that may or may not view well but it's a first for me so suck it up. It's a step into the 21st century for the blog.

Anyway, back to Jim Morrision. There was a tee pee not too far from the exit with the funkiest looking Indian I had ever seen in person sitting in it. With that, my theory is it was Jim Morrison in hiding. He was a pretty cool dude. He answered all the kids questions about all the piercings he had on his body (his ear holes were huge!!!!).

Trail Head

Halloween 2008 - Dunham Lake

What an outstanding Halloween it was this year. To have it on a Friday and also have great weather is a double bonus. I had a chance to go trick-or-treating at the Taj Mahal of trick-or-treating locations, Dunham Lake, with Jennifer and Calder. You get some serious candy here; "fun size" is not a word in this neighborhood. In addition, at least in my trick-or-treating tenure, the owners of the Highland House gave people pizza for Halloween. You went into the kitchen of the house and bam, there was a slew of pizza.

Enough about the past but I must say (my commentary), today's youth have a LOT to learn about trick-or-treating. To only cover a block within Dunham is pretty sad. I can recall my pillow case feeling like a hundred pounds. I tried to tell the kids that it was a marathon, not a sprint, but they were looking for that quick sugar fix and they needed it now!!! This was my first experience in trick-or-treating and not asking for candy. I have to say the parents sure party it up on the walking tour and probably have been since my parent's time doing it.

Attached are pictures of the active trick-or-treaters in our walking tour. In addition, a picture of Superman and the dog he saved from a pack of Chihuahuas.

After the trick-or-treating, E and his family had a nice gathering at their place. Kudos to the Gus kids for welcoming Calder (nice blood he had ten minutes in, eh?). This was Jennifer's first meeting with the Milford conglomerate and I must say, rather than dipping her toes in the water, she jumped right in. And to my friends that were in attendance Friday night and said good things about me to Jennifer, the checks will be in the mail Monday. Thanks.

Trail Head

Football Weekend - MSU good - Lions bad

It was a workout to say the least on the liver this weekend as I partook in a double dose of football with MSU-UM on Saturday and the 0-6 Lions on Sunday. My parents are off on a cruise so I was able to get their two U-M tickets while Mark got four through a co-worker of his so we had a strong posse of four Spartans and two independents with slight favortism towards U-M. I was going to park where my Dad usually does for the game but looking on how far of a walk that was (I know now why my Mom stopped going), I took a gamble and was able to get pretty close parking on a front lawn of a house, literally right up to the front door. Thankfully Mother Nature delivered some bearable weather with the rain holding off for the tailgate time in addition to the game.

The MSU-UM game was a good one if you are a Spartan fan. I got a laugh when the guy sitting behind us, I assume he talks to my Dad quite a bit during the games, mentioned after a Michigan touchdown, "the guy I usually throw a high five to right about now usually is sitting right there," motioning to my seat. He didn't have much to cheer about as the Spartans actually delivered when they were supposed to. Hopefully it's the start of something great in East Lansing as I really hate U-M, especially their pompous fans. After a victory cigar and a few post game pops, it was time to head home to rest up for Part 2 of the football weekend.

Rather than tailgate again, Al, Greg, and I made an executive decision and went to Cheli's Chili Bar for some pre-game beverages. One positive thing, if there is one, for the Lions playing so bad is the bars aren't as crowded. I will give the Lions a little credit in that they created kind of kid-friendly atmosphere outside the stadium on Brush Street. If the games are going to be bad, and bad it was on Sunday, at least the kids have something to remember besides another loss by the oh so pitiful Lions.

Trail Head

Brighton Recreation Area - Cool Colors

A beautiful evening it was last night at Brighton Recreation Area. The tree colors are just about at peak. The trails were covered in leaves so the damp tree roots jumped out to throw your front tire in a tizzy from time to time. Mark came oh so close to falling over the front handlebars but managed keep on his feet while his bike ghost rode into the ground.

Jim joined us after the ride and we got some chuckles about hurling in the back of friend's cars (everybody has some experience whether it be actually letting it fly in the car, out the window, or calling for the "pull over"). Well, I guess it isn't so funny when it's your car that is being sprayed upon but at least we can laugh about it now, eh?

It's a bummer how early it's getting dark these days. We thought we were whooping it up into the wee hours of the night but when I pulled out of the parking lot, it was only 8 o'clock. Sad. That big moon was looking pretty fierce on the ride home.

Trail Head

Reliving my youth at the Pumpkin Festival

I felt like I was in the "way back machine" this past weekend at the Stonewall Pumpkin Festival in Rochester Hills with Jennifer, her son Calder and his friend Andrew. We got to pick out a pumpkin out of a pumpkin patch (well, it was more or less a bunch of pumpkins spread out on a lawn), take a hay ride to the carving area, carve our pumpkins, play pumpkin bowling, walk on stilts (that is Calder trying to push me over), and watch the oh so exiting gourd race where they dump a bin of them in a nearby creek with numbers on them and whomever's gourd floats down creek first wins. Kudos to the people putting on the festival. It was very kid friendly. Of course, there is always one bad apple in the batch. While we were leaving the pumpkin carving area, we witnessed a bitter lady putting up a stink because she couldn't find a carving tool and wanted her money back unless someone got her one. It was a beautiful day and it's too bad that lady just couldn't enjoy the moment.

Trail Head