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

November Silliness

With the local college football product sucking it up Saturday afternoon, we took matters into our own hands and had the first annual vibrating football showdown. Well, it wasn't much of showdown as it was more of a Bo vs. Woody battle with nobody getting much on yards, let alone scores. We were kind of winging it as we went and think we better go 7 on 7 instead of 11 on 11 next time. Not enough field for a full team.

After giving up on our scoring efforts there, we took to the poker table as the evening shift arrived. I know you've seen his picture in the post office, and in the Unabomber footage, but I am here to tell you that person was in attendance with us Saturday night (pictured below). Rock on Unabomber.

I am loving these mild November days. While the mountain bike trail conditions aren't "A #1," just being out there at this time of year is a treat. The bike tour might keep rolling into Christmas if this keeps up.

Trail Head

42

In celebration of my 42nd year on earth, I went to visit another aging item, old Tiger Stadium. I was expecting to see at least a part of the structure that remained when I visited the area in August of 2008 (pictured); but it's all gone now. Looking at the empty field where a large steel mass once stood was eerie in a way. No, I'm not a stadium hugger but the ACE Hardware store that resides near where right field once stood looks naked. Side streets Cochrane and Kaline Avenue seem out of place.

After that reflection time, it was off to the Great White North (actually south from Detroit) to Kingsville, Ontario to visit some former neighbors, Tom and Colin, and enjoy a cold Canadian beverage or two. As it's usually raining or snowing and cold as hell around my birthday, I was shocked with the 60 something temperatures and blue skies on Saturday. Lake Erie was so calm and the skies clear, that Pelee Island, about 15 miles to the south, could be seen in the distance. Colin's place on the water is slowing taking shape. His latest art creation (pictured below) is a bird house made with pennies. Pretty cool.

The evening activities consisted of Al, Greg and myself making our donations to the Motor City Casino. The crap tables just weren't hitting for the locals. Way too many 9's and 4's being rolled. I don't recall too many tables whooping it up. There was, however, every shape, size, gender, race, whatever, on display. It was a people watching smorgasbord. People in sweats, people dressed to the nines, people with way too much jewelry, people who smelled, large people, small people, saucy people, ugly people, people on dates, people with too much makeup, and of course me; kind of a hybrid of them all. While the picture below probably doesn't show it well as it was from a cell phone, I did capture a plumber butt shooter at the crap table I was at. Sweet.

A trip to the D wouldn't be complete without some coneys at American Coney Island. I paid for them this morning but damn did they taste great last night. No regrets on that consumption.

Happy birthday to all my Scorpio brethren.

Trail Head

Halloween

It was the Village People (person) and the Warlock of Blue Heron in the holiday mood last night at the Gustafson Halloween gathering on a crisp, Michigan autumn evening. Dave and Wendy I think have closets full of stuff just waiting for this day; and that is a good thing. I personally went with the "Midwestern guy who enjoys beer" costume. Others were wearing the same. I think I pulled it off quite well. It was great to see some old faces. There was even a rare Joe Maples sighting earlier in the evening.

All good people in attendance.

Trail Head