mcw

I Did It! I Did It! I Did It! And Now...

2011-07-16T10:06:00.001-04:00

I am done.

Pam and I were in the East Berlin Summerfest 5K today.

We both completed the run.

No walking.

The feet may not have been moving very fast, but it was a run for both of us.

Pam - 34:18. Mike - 33:59.

My last 5K.

Lord Stanley Is Back In Boston

2011-06-16T06:10:00.001-04:00

THE BRUINS ARE THE CHAMPS!!!

Hockey

2011-06-14T06:10:00.003-04:00

GO BRUINS!!!

25 Years..

2011-05-03T05:58:00.001-04:00

Pam has put up with me.

Along with John Paul II, she should be considered for sainthood.

I am looking forward to the next twenty five.

And This Year's Champion Is...

2011-04-05T06:30:00.005-04:00

Jason!!! Oh yeah, the Huskies won, too.

Congratulations to UConn for their 3rd NCAA title.

Jason hung around at the top of the leader board for the entire tournament and sealed the deal on Saturday.

The payouts are as follows:

Jason - $108.00
Marc - $45.00 - Marc has generously donated his winnings to Kids Come First Hanover at the Hanover, PA YMCA.
Andrew - $27.00

and Tom - $10.00.

I will get checks in the mail by the weekend.

This year's tournament will be remembered for all of the upsets. Maybe parity has something to do with it.

The participants ranged from Maine to Florida to Guam. Our bracket has gone global and we are even getting outsiders who want to join.

I had fun again this year. I hope everyone else did, too.

Today is the Day

2011-04-02T06:35:00.003-04:00

It all comes down to UConn-Kentucky.

Who will be this year's champion and big money winner with all of the prestige and esteem that the title holder receives?

Olympic gold medalist - small potatoes!
Super Bowl champion - pales in comparison!
World Cup holder - not even close!

We all know the real deal and it's right here.

Good luck to all of you.

The Scenario

2011-03-29T19:26:00.002-04:00

These are the possible outcomes:

If UConn loses its next game:

1 - Lauri
2 - Jason
3 - Amy

If UConn wins its next game:

1 - Jason
2 - Marc
3 - Andrew #2.

If UConn wins the championship:

1 - Jason
2 - Marc
3 - Andrew #2.

And believe it or not, miracles do happen, hell will freeze over

4 - Lynn (no money, bragging rights only).

Good luck to all who are still in it!

UConn

2011-03-27T19:27:00.007-04:00

The only team that can help anyone is UConn.

Jason, Marc, Andrew #2 (had #1, should have been #2) and Lynn have selected UConn to be champion.

If UConn loses, the standings remain as they are.

If UConn wins, the top three are shown above.

It's that simple.

Who are you cheering for?

The Current Standings...

2011-03-26T12:16:00.001-04:00

have been posted. Keep in mind that I haven't audited them for errors yet. I will do that this week.

Lauri is now tied with Amy for the top spot. (Names are alphabetical - newbies aren't automatically awarded the top spot.)

The four top bracketeers have their national champion still in the tournament and they are all different.

This is going to get interesting.

By the way - check the elderly division.

Good luck everyone.

Andrew, I mixed up your #1 and #2. That's why your scores might seem odd.

The First Weekend Is Over

2011-03-21T18:14:00.012-04:00

And the leader is...Lauri!!!

A few observations:

Two of you have seen your champion lose
One of you has seven teams left
Three of you have six teams left.

Let's take a look at how you are doing:

Lauri has been in the lead since the first day. She is going to be tough to beat.
Jason was the only bracketeer to get an entire region of eight games correct in the Second Round - The East.
David was rewarded this year for picking his alma mater, Washington. Apparently, he learned from last year's mistake (and he probably didn't want to hear from me again).
Betty, who is the current leader of the elderly division (bragging rights only for two old ladies), had better look in the rear view mirror for little sister and hope that teams from the Sunshine State start losing.
Kathi is the only person who has picked a particular team to be national champion and lives in Guam. Both are true actually and have nothing to do with the other.
Marc could end up in the money, even though others have the same champion, simply because he is ahead of them now.
Amy could be the champion for the same reason that Kathi could be - she lives in Guam - no, that's not true - she is the only person to pick a particular team.
Pam isn't out of it, but the Pitt loss hurt. After that game, I was glad that she did Zumba and not something like, say, kick boxing.
Andrew (who has been one of Jason's best friends since elementary school) #1 and #2 took a real hit when Louisville lost.
Tammy still has has three of her Final Four and is thinking oranges (not the Syracuse kind) this weekend with her home state picks.
Matt was the only bracketeer to pick Morehead State and has a shot at the big pot of gold, if things go right (for him, not the rest of us).
Phaon, last year's champ, has an outside chance of winning it all, but could end up out of the money entirely. Anyone want to guess who he picked?
Shirley might catch big sister in the elderly division (I've repeated it, so I must find it amusing) if two teams from a certain Southern state keep winning.
Elaine has three of her Final Four and five of her Elite Eight still in the tournament, giving her a real chance of ending up with a fistful of dollars (In this pool, it's a small fist).
Lynn has chosen not to listen to me for most of her life. Early on I could understand it, but when presented with facts later in life, why would you pick BU and UNC-Asheville? On a more positive note, she is still in the running for $10.00.
Tom took some chances. I applaud him for that. His best bet at winning is if Florida State wins it all or ... Tammy wins. I think he has better odds with Tammy.

Me - I have a reasonable chance.

The payouts based upon total entries (still waiting for money from one person) - $180.00.

First place - $108.00
Second Place - $45.00
Third Place - $27.00
Last Place - Well, you know.

So that's it. I will have a better idea of winners and losers this weekend. At this point, everyone has a shot at some of the money.

Good luck this weekend, everyone!!!

The Big East is Killing Me

2011-03-21T06:01:00.001-04:00

Since the games ended late last night, I won't be updating scores until this evening.

The Second Round is Over

2011-03-19T05:57:00.002-04:00

I will post the scores this afternoon. Unfortunately, work comes first.

Shirley, Tammy and Tom - Your brackets just arrived. Thanks.

It's Started

2011-03-16T05:54:00.003-04:00

THE MADNESS HAS STARTED!!!

Congratulations to UNC-Asheville and Clemson on their First Round wins last night. The First Round continues with two more games tonight.

If, after the First Round, you think that one of the four teams that moves on to the Second Round can defeat the team they are scheduled to play and you did not pick that team to win, let me know before 12:00 noon on Thursday that you want to make a change. You may call or e-mail me.

For example, you picked West Virginia to win the Second Round game, but were impressed with the win by Clemson last night. Now you think that Clemson can beat West Virginia and want to make a change. You will be allowed to do so prior to the start of Thursday's games. You will have to let me know how far that team will go in the tournament on your bracket. I will confirm that I received your request to make a change.

Good luck everyone.

Have fun.

The Bracket

2011-03-14T11:42:00.002-04:00

This is the link to the printable bracket at the NCAA website:

http://i.turner.ncaa.com/dr/ncaa/ncaa/release/sites/default/files/images/mmod/2011/bracket/2011NCAA_MensBracket.pdf

This is the link to the printable bracket at the Fox Sports:

http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/binary/2011/03/13/Mens-bracket-20111300057311416.pdf

This is a link to an interactive site that allows you to click on each winner and it moves that team to the next round:

http://madness.nbcsports.com/#thebracket

Copy and paste into your browser.

Good luck, everyone.

Last Year's Results

2011-03-07T13:36:00.004-05:00

I just wanted to give last year's winners one more moment in the spotlight because the rest of us are taking you down this year.

1st - Phaon - $126.00
2nd - Tammy - $52.50
3rd - David - $31.50

And hockey (Just because they deserve it, even though this pool has gone the way of the dinosaurs):

1st - Kathi - $48.00
2nd - Mike - $20.00
3rd - Lynn - $12.00.

Good luck.

2011 NCAA Basketball Tournament

2011-02-21T07:02:00.006-05:00

The basketball tournament is just around the corner. The rules are as follows:

The entry fee is $10 per bracket. You may play as many brackets as you wish. Each will cost $10. Mail the fee(s) with your completed bracket(s) or, if you e-mail, I must have the money by the end of the day March 23, 2011. (You will be dropped from the tournament if I don't have the money by this date.)
Pick all of your projected winners for the entire tournament.
The brackets have to be e-mailed to me or postmarked prior to the start of the Second Round games on Thursday, March 17, 2011.
You do not have to pick the winners of the First Four/First Round games on March 15-16 for the 61st-64th seeds. It's a freebie. (For those of you who have never done this, a 16 seed has never beaten a 1 seed.)
Write on your bracket or in your e-mail the total number of points that will be scored in the championship game. This is the tiebreaker. In case of a tie, whoever is closer, over or under, wins.
Matt told me that msnbc.com has a bracket that allows you to click on each winner and it will automatically move that team to the next round. I will provide a link.
Brackets should be e-mailed to mcwpaw@msn.com

Scoring by round:

First round (First Four) - No picks, no points
Second round (Round of 64) - 1 point for each winner
Third round (Round of 32) - 2 points for each winner
Regional semi-finals (Sweet Sixteen) - 5 points for each winner
Regional finals (Elite Eight) - 10 points for each winner
National semi-finals (Final Four) - 25 points for each winner
National championship (Championship Game) - 50 points for the winner
Tie breaker - Total score of the two teams in the final - whoever is closer.
Tie breaker tie breaker - Coin toss by Pam.

Payouts:

First place - 60% of the total pot
Second place - 25% of the total pot
Third place - 15% of the total pot
Last place - I am going to personally kick in ten bucks and mail it back to you.

I will try to keep scores as up to date as possible. Any questions - call or e-mail.

Keep track of your own scores. Mistakes happen.

I will probably post comments about how everyone is doing - good and not so good comments. If you don't want your name mentioned, e-mail me at mcwpaw@msn.com and I will keep you out of it.

Summerfest 5K

2010-07-19T11:37:00.005-04:00

Last summer, I ran in East Berlin's Summerfest 5K and wrote that, if I ran the entire distance, it would be my last 5K as a runner. I did it.

This year I decided to help as a volunteer. I worked with three other volunteers registering female runners. Volunteering was fun and it only required a two hour commitment.

Then I went outside to watch the race and wait for Pam and her Dad, who signed up as walkers, to complete the 5K. While I was watching the runners and walkers come in, I came to the realization that I won't be volunteering next year. I didn't like standing on the sidelines.

I am going to try to run it again next year. Training will begin in September when, hopefully, it is a little cooler. I will try to drop some weight, which might help with the hip pain that I experienced last year.

I will keep you posted with regard to my progress.

The World Cup

2010-07-12T07:42:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to Spain for its World Cup win.

Although I am a "fair weather" soccer fan (I kind of lost interest after the USA lost), I am amazed at the enormity of the event. It is truly a spectacle and I understand the passion that people have for the World Cup tournament after watching it.

There really isn't anything like it.

Bow Lake

2010-07-07T08:52:00.003-04:00

We had a great time at Bow Lake!!!

Kathi picked David up at work and they stopped by. We had never seen blue camos before. It was really nice seeing them.

Of course there was waterskiing - which I can still do, swimming, kneeboarding and relaxing.

Then there was the food - lobster, steamers, shrimp, steak, hamburgers, hot dogs, fried shrimp for Pam, fried clams for Matt and me and fried scallops for Jason at the Ferry Landing.

Marc, Jen, Avery, Nora, Amy, Adam, Scott and Lindsey all visited.

The fireworks were fantastic. Not what we expected - much better.

Thanks go out to Mom and Lynn - our hostesses.

The First Day of Summer

2010-06-21T09:41:00.003-04:00

Happy First Day of Summer to everyone!!!

Yesterday at our Father's Day BBQ (Thank you everyone), Matt said that I had to post something since I haven't posted anything for over a month.

Take a look at Gary's hiking pictures from this past weekend. You won't believe that today is the first day of summer when you see the snow on the mountains.

Jason is going to Penn State in September.

Matt will be a senior at E-town this year.

Pam and I are going to a zumba convention. Pam will zumba, I will party.

We are headed to NH this summer. Lobster and the lake sound pretty good.

That's it for now.

Bon Jovi

2010-05-20T06:20:00.002-04:00

Went to Hershey, PA last night with Pam, Matt and Jason to see Bon Jovi.

Good concert.

If you like them and they are in your area, be sure to go. It's worth it.

And The Hockey Winner Is...

2010-04-12T06:24:00.006-04:00

Kathi!!! She absolutely dominated this year. 7 out of 8 correct in the first round, 3 out of 4 in the second and 1 out of 2 in third round. The thing that kept her from crushing the rest of us was that her choice for champion was Miami.

The final results are:

1st - Kathi - $48.00
2nd - Mike - $20.00
3rd - Lynn - $12.00

Last, but not least - Jeff - $10.00.

Checks for basketball and hockey will be mailed tomorrow. If you are a winner and don't have your check by the weekend, let me know.

Thank you to everyone who participated.

I will not be doing the hockey pool next year. Running both of the brackets becomes rather time consuming. If anyone wants to do hockey, he/she is welcome to take over.

Once again, thanks. It was fun.

And The Winner Is...

2010-04-06T06:02:00.003-04:00

Phaon!!! He was the only bracketeer to correctly pick the national champions, Duke. How did this man of NASCAR (and my father in law) do it? Rumors are swirling. One is that he got tired of writing, so when he got to Duke's region, he just picked the team with the shortest name. The other is that he picked his sister's married name. I think he is really a fan, but won't admit it - a closet basketball junkie.

Anyway, here are the results:

1st - Phaon - $126.00
2nd - Tammy - $52.50
3rd - David - $31.50

Last - Tie - Lynn and Andy - $5.00 each (I'm not causing more embarrassment by checking the tiebreaker)

Note: The winnings changed because I didn't receive money from everyone.

I want to thank everyone for participating. Again, it was fun. I hope you all play next year and we need to pray to the NCAA gods that they don't increase the field to 96 teams.

Th B-ball Brackets

2010-04-05T06:24:00.002-04:00

Four of you have Duke, but there can only be one winner. Who will it be? Stay tuned.

I thought that I would let Kathi continue her reign as queen of the brackets for a while.

The Basketball Scenario

2010-03-29T18:16:00.003-04:00

These are the bracketeers who still have a chance to score points:

Amy - 25 possible
Andrew #1 - 25 possible
Betty - 75 possible
David - 25 possible
Eric #1 - 25 possible
Jason - 25 possible
Kim - 25 possible
Phaon - 75 possible
Tammy - 25 possible.

No one has Butler.
One of you has Michigan State in the championship game and losing.
Four of you have Duke in the championship game with three losing and one winning.
Four of you have West Virginia in the championship game with three losing and one winning.

Stay tuned. I might attach some names to those teams.

The Hockey Tourney

2010-03-29T18:06:00.004-04:00

The hockey tournament has a rather small field.

Payouts are as follows:

1st - $48.00
2nd - $20.00
3rd - $12.00
Last - $10.00.

I can't remember the same person leading both brackets at the same time, but Kathi has done it. In fact, Pam and Kathi are the only two with a shot at the national champion. Depending upon what happens next, there could be a surprise winner.

Good luck.

Basketball and Hockey

2010-03-28T20:08:00.002-04:00

Scenarios for hoops tomorrow night.

Hockey scores will be posted tomorrow night.

I will be double checking scores this week. Check your own. I did make one error that has been corrected.

Basketball Update

2010-03-27T08:54:00.003-04:00

Look at who is in first!

Kathi takes over the top spot.

Tony is in second and Eric sits in the final big money slot.

Only eight brackets have a national champion who is still in the tournament.

Things will change.

The B-Ball Tourney

2010-03-22T18:16:00.004-04:00

We have 23 entries in the tournament. I received Tammy's bracket on Saturday. The prize money breaks down as follows if everyone gets his/her money to me (some of you will be hearing from me):

1st - $138.00
2nd - $57.50
3rd - $34.50
Last - $10.00

Jason sits on top, Tony is in second and Dennis and Eric #1 are in third. Eric #2 is last.

A few comments are in order:

Amy was the only person to pick Ohio until Tammy's bracket arrived. These two saw this upset coming. Amy has a chance to add a lot of points to her total.
Andrew has a real chance at the title with one of his brackets, but the other is a long shot.
Andy made some underdog picks that hurt him. He will need some crazy things to happen to finish in the money.
Betty sits in fourth place with a real chance to win it all, even though two of her Final Four are gone.
David still has his championship game intact, so he is a real factor in the outcome of the tournament.
Dennis dropped out of the top spot for the first time since last April. He still has three of his Final Four.
Elaine is new at this. She is Pam's mother and doesn't generally watch college basketball. However, she, also, has three of her Final Four which makes her a threat to win.
Believe it or not, Eric #2 might have a better chance of winning than Eric #1.
Jason is leading, but he is hoping for some major upsets to maintain the lead.
First round losses by higher seeds probably hurt John more than anyone else in the tournament.
Kathi has three of her Final Four picks still playing and could wind up in the money.
Kim is the only of us who has the Michigan State-Ohio State game in his/her bracket.
Lauri started out well, but some upsets in the second round really hurt her chances. She can still add some points to her total.
Lynn got every game in the East Region first round correct.
Marc still has his national champion in the bracket, so he could end up with some cash.
Matt has three of his Final Four still in the tournament with a chance to win the top prize.
Pam was hurt by the upsets in the second round, but could still score some points.
Phaon is Pam's father and he is trying this for the first time. His championship game is one that could happen. He was the only person to pick his champion. He could win it all.
Tammy is another entrant with three of the Final Four. If things go right for her, she will end up in the money.
Tony has three of the Final Four and somehow, the wrestler, could be champion.

As far as my bracket goes, I might as well have saved that tree.

After next weekend, I will let you know who is in and who is out. If it isn't too complicated, I will let you know what the various outcomes might be.

Now the disclaimer: I am not responsible for the accuracy of the above information or any spelling errors. When I look up, a bracket is etched into my brain, similar to what a computer screen looks like after time without a screen saver.

The Frozen Four 2010

2010-03-22T06:14:00.004-04:00

The hockey tournament starts this week. I will need brackets from all bracketeers by noon on Thursday, March 25, 2010.

Scoring is a little different because there aren't as many teams involved. It is as follows:

1st round - 5 points
2nd round - 10 points
3rd round - 25 points
Final - 50 points
$10 entry fee
60-25-15 split for the winnings.

Last year's results were as follows (from last year's post):

1st place - Dennis - $102.00
2nd place - Kathi - $42.50
3rd place - Tammy and Lauri - $12.75 each

Lauri tied with Tammy. The final score of the game was BU 4 - Miami 3. 7 total goals. Tammy picked 5 total, Lauri picked 9.

I was talked into sending out last place money, so Kim, look for your $10.00.

I am still trying to figure out how those warm weather bracketeers won all of the money.

By the way, Spellcheck wants us to be racketeers. Apparently bracketeer isn't a word. Go figure.

Good luck.

I may have time tonight to say a little something about the basketball bracket.

The Hockey Bracket Is Out!

2010-03-21T14:07:00.010-04:00

Here are two sites for the hockey brackets.

http://www.ncaa.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/ncaa/sports/m-hockey/auto_pdf/MH-D1-2010Bracket

http://www.uscho.com/pdf/general/2010bracket.pdf

The first one is the NCAA website. The second is the U.S. College Hockey Online Site.

Jeff is happy now.

Good luck everyone.

The First Round Is Over

2010-03-20T08:56:00.008-04:00

Dennis is in the same spot he was in after last year's hockey bracket - first place.

The PA contingent of Jason, Pam and Tony are tied for second. Maybe some collusion going on here??? I believe that this calls for an investigation. I wonder what Jeff is up to?

David, Eric #1 (Eric and Andrew, two of Jason's friends, think that they have a better shot at the title with multiple entries. Youth. They will learn.) and Marc round out the final money spot.

Too bad for these seven that the tournament continues on.

Looking at the brackets, I see:

Amy was the only person to pick Ohio over Georgetown.

Our University of Washington graduate picked Marquette (To find out who that is, you will have to go to the linksters list on the left and check out other blogs).

One of our bracketeers (a NH resident with two sons, a daughter, three grandchildren and going for her doctorate at UNH) picked Vermont (a number 16 seed has never beaten a number 1 which I have pointed out repeatedly), but will remain nameless.

Nine people have picked Kansas to win it all. Kentucky got four votes.

It's on to round two. Good luck and keep in mind, things can change very quickly.

Last Year's Basketball Results

2010-03-18T13:00:00.008-04:00

For those of you who are interested or didn't play (from last year's post):

1st Place - Mike - $96.00 (I see food and drink in my future.)
2nd Place - Tony - $40.00
3rd Place - Matt - $24.00
For finishing last, Kathi gets her beer money back - $10.00 (Is that for a six pack?)

I was correct about the food and drink. Because of my good fortune, Pam considered herself a winner, also. Hopefully, if she wins this year, the favor will be returned.

Even though she finished last, Kathi did better, moneywise, than all but three bracketeers. I hope she shared a few brews with David.

Some Interesting Stats

2010-03-18T08:55:00.007-04:00

I found these stats on the internet. I didn't check them, but they are interesting.

There has never been a tournament in which at least one No. 1 seed hasn't made the Final Four.

A No. 1 seed has never lost to a No. 16 in the first round.

No. 15s are only slightly better at 4-96, and none of those four winning teams have gone on to win their second game. The No. 13 and No. 14 teams have been better, but not much - they have made the Sweet 16 just six times in history, and have never gone further than that.

Either one or two No. 1s have made the Final Four in 18 of the last 21 years and just once in history - in 2008 - have all four No. 1s made it through.

The No. 1 seeds have come out on top nearly 90 percent of the time against the winner of the first round No. 8 - No. 9 game.

The lowest seed to ever break through to the Final Four was a No. 11, and that has happened twice. With just one other exception - No. 9 Pennsylvania in 1979 - every other Final Four squad has come from the top eight seeds.

For those of you picking Syracuse, I heard this statistic over the weekend. No team has lost the first game of their conference tournament and won the NCAA championship.

The Brackets

2010-03-17T14:25:00.001-04:00

When I receive your bracket, I will add your name to list on the left.

The Bracket Link

2010-03-14T20:26:00.001-04:00

Here is a link to a bracket for the pool - http://madness.nbcsports.com/#thebracket

Select the middle option - fill out and print my bracket.

Just click on the team that you think will win each game and keep going until the bracket is complete.

Since I am technologically challenged, I don't know how to e-mail it, but there is always the US Postal Service.

If you can figure out how to e-mail the bracket, send it to mcwpaw@msn.com

There are probably other sites, like at Fox Sports and ESPN.

If you know of other sites, post a comment here for fellow bracketeers.

Good luck everyone.

The Rules

2010-03-03T08:52:00.003-05:00

The tournaments are just around the corner. The basketball tournament starts first. The rules are as follows:

The entry fee is $10 per bracket. You may play as many brackets as you wish. Each will cost $10. Mail the fee(s) with your completed bracket(s) or, if you e-mail, as soon as possible after the bracket(s) is e-mailed.
Pick all of your projected winners for the entire tournament.
The brackets have to be e-mailed to me or postmarked prior to the start of the tournament on Thursday, March 18, 2009.
You do not have to pick the winner of the Opening Round or Play-in game on March 16 for the 64th seed. It's a freebie. (For those of you who have never done this, the 64th seed has never won a first round game.)
Write on your bracket or in your e-mail the total number of points that will be scored in the championship game. This is the tiebreaker. In case of a tie, whoever is closer, over or under, wins.
Matt told me that msnbc.com has a bracket that allows you to click on each winner and it will automatically move that team to the next round. I will provide a link.
Brackets should be e-mailed to mcwpaw@msn.com

Scoring by round:

First round (Round of 64) - 1 point for each winner
Second round (Round of 32) - 2 points for each winner
Third round (Sweet Sixteen) - 5 points for each winner
Fourth round (Elite Eight) - 10 points for each winner
Fifth round (Final Four) - 25 points for each winner
Sixth round (Championship Game) - 50 points for the winner
Tie breaker - Total score of the two teams in the final - whoever is closer.
Tie breaker tie breaker - Coin toss by Pam.

Payouts:

First place - 60% of the total pot
Second place - 25% of the total pot
Third place - 15% of the total pot
Last place - I am going to personally kick in ten bucks and mail it back to you.

I will try to keep scores as up to date as possible. Any questions - call or e-mail.

March Madness

2010-02-22T07:07:00.002-05:00

Selection Sunday for basketball - March 14, 6 PM, CBS.

Selection Sunday for hockey - March 21, 11:30 AM, ESPN2.

Time to start paying attention to the games and conference tournaments.

Good luck.

The Super Bowl

2010-02-08T06:27:00.002-05:00

Congrats go out to the champion New Orleans Saints and MVP Drew Brees. First time in and a win! Mardi Gras starts early in New Orleans this year.

Now it's on to the Olympics, Daytona, March Madness and the Frozen Four!!!

Congratulations

2009-12-14T08:50:00.004-05:00

Congratulations to Pam who is now a certified Zumba instructor.

For those of you who don't know what Zumba is, go to zumba.com

If she teaches enough of these classes, I should be able to retire.

JoePa

2009-11-10T08:02:00.005-05:00

Matt isn't a Penn State fan and he particularly dislikes the school's football uniforms.

This past week, Sports Illustrated had an article about Joe Paterno. In it, JoePa told the story behind Penn State's uniforms.

In 1943, one of young Joe's football coaches took him to a World Series game between the Yankees and Cardinals. Both teams were on the field and the coach told Joe that he knew who would win the Series. He pointed to the Yankees. His reasons for this prediction were that the Yankees uniforms were simple, neatly pressed, the players were clean shaven and their shoes were shined which made them look like professionals, unlike the Cardinals who looked like a rough bunch. The Yankees went on to win the championship. That stayed with JoePa and is the reason Penn State's uniforms are simple and plain without names on the back.

Of course, Coach Paterno mentions that his old coach never told him that this same group of Cardinals beat the Yankees the year before in the World Series. What would their uniforms look like if he had gone to one of those games?

The World Series

2009-11-05T06:26:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to the Yankees on their 27th World Series Championship.

Yankees vs. Phillies

2009-10-27T09:37:00.001-04:00

The World Series starts tomorrow night.

I am rooting for A-Rod to get a ring.

Who are you cheering for?

59-0

2009-10-19T11:37:00.002-04:00

Although I am very happy with the W and the way that the Patriots played yesterday, I can't help, but ask, "What has happened to the Titans?"

I know that sometimes teams get beaten rather badly, but this was something else entirely.

Injuries, free agency, retirements and trades don't lead to this.

Have the Titans become this year's Lions?

I hope not because I like Jeff Fisher and the Titans' organization. They are a better team than the one that showed up on Sunday. Hopefully, they can turn things around.

MLB

2009-10-07T06:03:00.002-04:00

After 162 games - Twins and Tigers tied.

After nine innings in a one game playoff - still tied.

Twins finally win in twelve to break the tie.

I can't believe that two teams can end up tied at the end of such a long season and that it still can't be decided in a regulation nine inning game.

Amazing!!!

For Beer Lovers

2009-09-29T08:13:00.001-04:00

I found this article on the MSN Home Page:

http://cityguides.msn.com/articles/article.aspx?cp-documentid=19549519&gt1=24000

I might have to try to track some of these down and sample them.

What Do They Have in Common?

2009-09-28T09:44:00.002-04:00

OK baseball fans - what do the following have in common?

Leo Durocher
Bobby Cox
Frankie Frisch
John McGraw
Earl Weaver

Do you know?

Retirement

2009-09-24T12:37:00.002-04:00

It was announced today that one of the most repected, successful and classiest guys in baseball, make that all of sports, is going to retire after next year's baseball season.

Good luck, Bobby Cox! We will miss you.

In a Dumpster???

2009-09-16T13:07:00.005-04:00

Every time I think that I have heard everything...

WICHITA, Kan. - A tender moment in a trash bin went all wrong for a couple who found themselves being held up at pocket knifepoint.
Police said two 44-year-olds had climbed into a dumpster to be alone just after 6 p.m. Saturday when two men interrupted them and demanded their belongings. Officers said the man and woman were engaged in "an intimate moment" when they were robbed of their shoes, jewelry and the man's wallet.
Police said one of the robbers was a 64-year-old man who egged his 59-year-old companion on during the robbery. The suspects were found a short time later and the stolen property was returned.

They must have been quite the romantics. Couldn't they afford a motel room?

He's Back!!!!!

2009-09-15T06:28:00.002-04:00

He looked rusty.

He looked tentative.

He looked ordinary.

But, then, when the game appeared to be a loss, Tom Brady looked like, well, Tom Brady.

Two touchdowns were scored in the last five minutes by the Pats to comeback against the Bills. Brady got that look in his eyes that shows that he is OK and to just follow his lead. After that, special teams and the defense came up big with a turnover and a stop at the end.

Football is back and so is Tom Brady!

The Partial Empty Nesters

2009-08-31T07:35:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I posted anything. A lot has happened in the past few weeks that has kept us quite busy.

Pam and I are partial empty nesters now. Matt and Jason are both in college now - Matt is a junior at Elizabethtown College and Jason is a freshman at Millersville University. I reason that I say we are partial empty nesters is because both will return during breaks and the summer.

Each has his first class at 8:00 this morning and both are looking forward to college.

Congratulations go out to Matt who received, in a ceremony at the school yesterday, the College Scholar Award for maintaining a GPA above 3.75. On Tuesday, all of the recipients of the College Scholar Award will be acknowledged at the Convocation Ceremony. Good job, Matt!

The Premier League

2009-08-11T06:31:00.004-04:00

For those of you who follow the Premier League, the preseason and the hype that go with it have started.

Follow this link to the start of a five part series to find out how your favorite team might do in the upcoming season - http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/9917684/Everything-you-need-to-know-for-the-Premier-League

Jason is an Arsenal fan. Occasionally, we will watch games or parts of games with him. The players in this league are very good. It's no wonder that some of the best players in the world want to play there. Catch a game. You might like it.

The Nationals

2009-08-10T06:30:00.002-04:00

Has anybody noticed that, since I made the comment about the Nationals not really being a major league team, they have won seven straight?

Does anybody else's team need a boost from me so they can start winning?

The MLB Races

2009-08-03T07:02:00.005-04:00

It's August and, just like the weather, the MLB races are heating up. Each team has less than 60 games left to get the job done (except the Nationals who really can't be considered a major league team - and for that comment, I apologize to all of the Nationals fans out there).

Who will make it to the World Series?

In the National League, the Dodgers look pretty good. They are the only team in the NL with a .600+ winning percentage. But, last year's champs, the Phillies, aren't far behind and they added Cliff Lee to the pitching staff. Or will it be the Cards with the addition of Matt Holliday?

The AL has the Angels and Yankees with .600 or better winning percentages and the Red Sox right behind both.

I think the wild card in the American League will be either the Yankees or Red Sox, but the Rangers might sneak into that spot.

The NL wild card race is really wide open with 8 teams at 7.5 back or better. We are rooting for the Braves here in PA and I know that the Wyoming Warners are pulling for the Rockies.

Who do you think will be in the World Series?

It's Here

2009-07-30T06:43:00.006-04:00

The stars have aligned.
The birds are singing.
The sun is shining.

But, best of all...

Football camps have opened!!!

5K Results

2009-07-20T06:30:00.005-04:00

I didn't post anything about the 5K over the weekend because Jason and I went to Washington afterwards to see DC United play. United won and we had a great time.

Anyway, the race statistics and results were as follows:

311 participants

Jason finished in 21st place - He ran the entire distance

Pam finished in 231st place - She ran the entire distance
I finished in 235th place - I ran the entire distance.

I followed Lauri's advice. I took some pain reliever about an hour before the race (for me it wasn't really a race, but a run) and just kept moving. My hips were OK and when I got to two miles, I knew that I would make it.

I want to thank everyone for his/her support and encouragement.

I, also, want to congratulate Pam and Jason. They did great!!!

5K Update

2009-07-16T07:45:00.002-04:00

Pam, Tom Miller (Pam's cousin) and I did our final workout before the race on Saturday.

For Pam and Tom it went well. They both were able to run the entire course.

For me, it didn't go so well. The hips started to hurt at about 1-3/4 miles. I gave in to the pain just short of 2 miles and walked the rest of the way. I took some Advil, but only about 15 minutes before we started. It probably didn't have time to work. What I really need is some extra strength (legal and practical) something. Does anybody have any suggestions?

I need help!!!

5K

2009-07-14T09:28:00.002-04:00

It's been quite a while since I have posted anything. Work seems to have gotten in the way of my blogging.

This Saturday, Pam and I are going to attempt to run a 5K. The last time that I was able to complete one was pre-illness, so it has been a few years.

We have both done 3.1 - 3.3 miles three times in practice runs. Being able to do it on Saturday will be a challenge.

I have incentive. If I run the entire 5K, running will come to an end for me and I will become a walker. My hips start to hurt at two miles unless I take a couple of Advil and that doesn't always work. Apparently, my body is trying to tell me something.

We have one more practice run tomorrow night, then the race on Saturday. I will post how we do.

Glad We Have Concrete!

2009-06-16T14:30:00.000-04:00

TOLEDO, Ohio - Residents of Toledo, Ohio, are complaining that they received $25 tickets for parking their vehicles in their own driveways.
Mayor Carty Finkbeiner says he stands by the citations handed out last week by the Division of Streets, Bridges and Harbor. He says the tickets were issued under a city law against parking on unpaved surfaces, including gravel driveways.
During a news conference Monday, Finkbeiner ignored a reporter's question of whether the crackdown and fines were related to the city's budget crisis.
The three-term mayor faces a recall vote in November. Critics have claimed he's wasted city money.
City Councilman D. Michael Collins calls the ticketing "Mickey Mouse nonsense." He has told residents he'll try to have the citations rescinded.

Congratulations, Jason

2009-06-08T12:40:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to Jason - High School Graduate.

Now, it's off to Millersville University.

Good luck!!!

MIP

2009-05-21T05:55:00.003-04:00

Every year Bermudian Springs High School has a sports award banquet, as many schools do.

The coaches honor two players from each team - The MVP (Most Valuable Player) and The MIP (Most Improved Player).

Our soccer coach remembered four years ago when a skinny little kid with marginal skills and a very unaggressive style showed up wanting to play soccer for BSHS. Over time, the skills got better, but aggressiveness remained an issue.

This past summer, during one of the open soccer sessions, the kid went after the ball and took the other player out. The coach was pleasantly surprised. This was what he had been preaching about for three years.

Now, for his aggressiveness, skills, ten goals and ten assists, the kid, who the coach pointed out isn't so little anymore, but is still skinny, is the 2008-2009 BSHS Soccer MIP.

Congratulations, Jason!

Hard work and dedication do pay off.

Jeff's Award

2009-04-27T06:35:00.002-04:00

Congratulations go out to Jeff for receiving an award from one of the Civil Engineering groups for his efforts in school the past couple of years.

Way to go, Jeff!!!

It's Official - Hockey

2009-04-12T18:16:00.005-04:00

This was the most exciting finish in the history of the brackets (of course, that's a two year history). The K crew really knows their hockey.

The final results are as follows:

1st place - Dennis - $102.00
2nd place - Kathi - $42.50
3rd place - Tammy and Lauri - $12.75 each

Lauri tied with Tammy. The final score of the game was BU 4 - Miami 3. 7 total goals. Tammy picked 5 total, Lauri picked 9.

I was talked into sending out last place money, so Kim, look for your $10.00.

The official rules (which will be amended next year due to strong lobbying by Matt about the unfairness of the present system) call for a coin toss. Unless, Lauri and Tammy strongly object, I am going to split the third place prize money.

All prize money will be sent out Tuesday morning by the USPS.

Congratulations to all of the winners.

Thank you to everyone who participated. It was a lot of fun and I hope everyone will play again next year.

BU vs. Miami

2009-04-10T09:43:00.001-04:00

Regardless of what happens tomorrow night, Dennis is the champion. Way to go Dennis!

There is going to be a battle for second and third places.

If BU wins, Kathi takes 2nd with Lauri and Tammy tied for 3rd. The third place result will be decided by total goals. Lauri has 9 goals and Tammy has 5.

If Miami wins, Betty and Kathi will be tied and placing will, also, come down to total goals. Betty has 7 goals and Kathi has 9.

This is exciting.

Good luck to everyone!

It's Official - Basketball

2009-04-07T18:53:00.002-04:00

The official results, as validated by a very biased auditor, yours truly, are as follows:

1st Place - Mike - $96.00 (I see food and drink in my future.)
2nd Place - Tony - $40.00
3rd Place - Matt - $24.00

For finishing last, Kathi gets her beer money back - $10.00 (Is that for a six pack?)

The most amazing result occurred in the Senior Division, where Shirley finished first and zoomed to fourth overall after being in last place. And she claims that she doesn't know anything about basketball. Unfortunately, it doesn't pay, so instead, you get a, "Way to go, Shirley." Ray, give her a hug and a high five for the rest of us.

I have never come close to winning one of these things. Honestly, it feels pretty good.

Now we move on to the hockey bracket. The semi-final games are Thursday and the final is Saturday.

I can tell you that the only money winner (?) from the basketball bracket who has a shot in the hockey bracket won't be bragging about her basketball finish.

How BU does will determine the outcome.

Good luck to everyone who still has a chance.

Correction

2009-04-06T17:24:00.003-04:00

For those of you who were wondering why Matt will place higher than Betty if UNC wins, it's because Betty actually picked UConn to win it all not UNC.

Please check your own scores for accuracy. As you see, I do make mistakes and I wouldn't want an error to cost anyone some hard earned money.

Employee of the Quarter

2009-04-06T11:36:00.002-04:00

For any of you who happen to be passing through Hanover, PA, stop at the local Hoss's Restaurant and ask that the Employee of the Quarter cook your meal - Jason Warner.

UNC vs. Michigan State

2009-04-05T07:11:00.003-04:00

It comes down to the final game.

If Michigan State wins - Tony takes the crown and 60% of the money, I get second and Betty will be in third place.

If UNC wins - I win, Tony is second and Matt will be third.

The truly amazing thing, if you remember where she was about a week and a half ago, is that if UNC wins, Shirley is going to win the senior division and end up in fourth place.

Since this is my blog, I can now show my bias - GO UNC!!!

The Hockey Scenario

2009-03-31T18:47:00.003-04:00

There are only three bracketeers who can't score anymore points. They are as follows:

Tom - The current leader is cheering for Vermont. It's that simple.
Amy - Amy showed her school spirit by picking UNH to win it all.
Kim - Kim started well with three winners, but then things fell apart for her.

The only team that the rest of us have picked, to win the next game only or the championship, is named after a yippy, little and annoying dog.

I am not going to tell you how it will work out because some people could be pleasantly surprised.

The Frozen Four weekend is 4/9 - 4/11.

Good luck to everyone.

The Hockey Leader is

2009-03-30T19:00:00.004-04:00

Tom.

And deservedly so - he actually picked Bemidji State over Notre Dame and correctly picked six of the eight games. Way to go, Tom!

Dennis had five of the eight games right in the first round. With all of the upsets that, too, is quite an accomplishment.

Some people definitely bleed blue and white. I don't get many notes on the brackets, but I did get this and it is worth sharing.

"I had to pick UNH once so they better win - I couldn't pick BU to win it all - (Everybody pay attention. This is from the daughter of a Scotsman and we know how the Scots feel about their money.) I'd rather lose all of my money than have them (BU) get the title. - Betty Warner

Interesting.

I will break down the bracket tomorrow night.

The Basketball Scenario

2009-03-30T17:44:00.005-04:00

Only four of the bracketeers can't score anymore points. They are:

Pam - Pitt and Louisville with Pitt winning - top two seeds just didn't get it done for her.
Marc - Oklahoma and Louisville with Oklahoma winning - UNC just proved to be too much for the Sooners.
Jason - Pitt and Louisville with Pitt winning - Jason had a tough luck tournament picking Memphis to go with he other two in the Final Four and no points. It doesn't seem fair.
Kathi - Boston College and Florida State with Boston College winning - the former New Englander and Floridian goes with teams from the areas of her youth.

Everybody else can score more points. These are the picks that can score points with the points possible:

Tony - Michigan State and UNC with Michigan State winning - 0, 25, 50, 75 or 100 points.
Dennis - UConn, but not the champion - 0 or 25 points.
Mike - UNC with UNC winning - 0, 25 or 75 points.
Ray - UConn, but not the champion - 0 or 25 points.
Betty - UConn and UNC with UNC winning - 0, 25, 50, 75 or 100 points.
Kim - UConn, but not the champion - 0 or 25 points.
Tom - UConn, but not the champion - 0 or 25 points.
Matt - UNC with UNC winning - 0, 25 or 75 points.
Lauri - UConn, but not the champion - 0 or 25 points.
Tammy - UConn, but not the champion - 0 or 25 points.
Shirley - UNC with UNC winning - 0, 25 or 75 points.

This is still wide open.

Good luck everyone!

And the New Leader is

2009-03-29T19:22:00.002-04:00

Tony.

Sometimes, at this point, I can tell you who is going to win. Right now, I don't know.

Michigan State, UNC and UConn have all been picked as national champions. The top scorers each has a shot at winning.

Unfortunately, for some of you, the party is over.

There is hope in the hockey pool, but two of you picked five of the eight first round games correctly. One of you actually got the Notre Dame upset.

Hockey standings will be posted tomorrow night.

And the Leader is

2009-03-28T12:28:00.001-04:00

still Dennis.

I will have comments tomorrow, but I have to paint today.

I am going to post the hockey standings tomorrow, also.

Good luck everyone.

And the New Leader is

2009-03-22T20:08:00.013-04:00

Dennis.

He picked 14 of the 16 games correctly - impressive. I think that's better than the ESPN guys.

Marc dropped a spot and Ray dropped two spots (Although a few cold ones on my front porch this week could help).

The big mover was Pam. Of course, everyone needs to remember that she does sleep with the pool administrator (On second thought, keep the cold ones. They won't help.)

Betty has increased her lead in the old lady division and is only one point out in the entire old people's division.

Tony has dropped out of the lead, but is still within striking distance and is tied with Tammy.

Matt is hanging in there at 44, but still has 8 of the Elite Eight teams left.

Jason at 40 points has 7 of the Elite Eight teams.

Lauri and Tom both had rough rounds, but could still end up in the money.

Kathi has had a tough tournament so far, but moved up in the standings.

Shirley, even though she is in last place, may have picked the eventual national champion. We will have to wait and see.

Don't forget about the hockey tournament.

Good luck to everyone next weekend.

The Standings After the First Round

2009-03-21T15:32:00.010-04:00

are posted.

There is some unfairness in two of the top three names on the list.

One of the individuals listed was a football player in high school and a wrestler in high school and college. I don't think that he even knows what a basketball is, but he married Pam's sister so that whole thing of not being able to pick your relatives comes in to play and we had to let him do this.

The other one e-mailed me that he was playing for beer money, then he e-mailed that he didn't really like basketball and wasn't going to do this, but some arm twisting by Lauri got him to join the rest of us.

Then there is Marc who actually knows what is going on.

Tony and Marc both picked Siena.

Kathi was the only one who correctly predicted Dayton's win over W. Va.

We have a whole range of picks for the Final Four. Unfortunately, some of those teams have lost already. Remember, however, that this is based upon points accumulated. First place might not be realistic, but second or third could be.

Kim and Dennis were the only entrants to submit their brackets on non-white paper. Very colorful!

In the old lady division, Betty is ahead of Shirley.

Tom and Tammy are tied, but that will change.

Lauri and Pam are tied. That, too, will change.

Jason will move up if there are some upsets in the next round.

Lynn was kind enough to send money without a bracket.

I post the standings alphabetically by points.

That's it for now.

Good luck.

The Frozen Four

2009-03-20T06:11:00.003-04:00

Now that the basketball tournament has started, it's time to think hockey.

Jeff thinks that the selections for the hockey tournament are at 11:30 on Sunday, 3/22/09.

Have your bracket to me by Thursday, March 26, 2009. The first games are on Friday.

Scoring is a little different because there aren't as many teams involved. It is as follows:

1st round - 5 points
2nd round - 10 points
3rd round - 25 points
Final - 50 points
$10 entry fee
60-25-15 split for the winnings.

Follow this link for the bracket:

http://www.uscho.com/

I think that the NCAA will have a bracket, also.

If you have any questions, e-mail me.

Good luck.

A Bracket Link

2009-03-15T19:53:00.009-04:00

The Basketball Tournament

2009-03-13T06:35:00.004-04:00

Sunday night at 6:00 Eastern Time, the NCAA holds its basketball tournament selection show.

Brackets will probably come out online immediately after that.

I will post links to sites with brackets or, if any of you feel like doing it the old fashioned way, newspapers will have brackets in the Monday editions.

Contact me if you have any questions.

The Rules

2009-03-03T07:28:00.010-05:00

The tournaments are just around the corner. The basketball tournament starts first. The rules are as follows:

The entry fee is $10 per bracket. You may play as many brackets as you wish. Each will cost $10. Mail the fee(s) with your completed bracket(s) or, if you e-mail, as soon as possible after the bracket(s) is e-mailed.
Pick all of your projected winners for the entire tournament.
The brackets have to be e-mailed to me or postmarked prior to the start of the tournament on Thursday, March 19, 2009.
You do not have to pick the winner of the Opening Round game on March 17 for the 64th seed. It's a freebie. (For those of you who have never done this, the 64th seed has never won a first round game.)
Write on your bracket or in your e-mail the total number of points that will be scored in the championship game.
Matt told me that msnbc.com has a bracket that allows you to click on each winner and it will automatically move that team to the next round. I will provide a link.
Brackets should be e-mailed to mcwpaw@msn.com

Scoring:

First round (Round of 64) - 1 point for each winner
Second round (Round of 32) - 2 points for each winner
Third round (Sweet Sixteen) - 5 points for each winner
Fourth round (Elite Eight) - 10 points for each winner
Fifth round (Final Four) - 25 points for each winner
Sixth round (Championship Game) - 50 points for the winner
Tie breaker - Total score of the two teams in the final - whoever is closer.
Tie breaker tie breaker - Coin toss by Pam and Jason.

Payouts:

First place - 60% of the total pot
Second place - 25% of the total pot
Third place - 15% of the total pot
Last place - I am going to personally kick in ten bucks and mail it back to you.

I will try to keep scores as up to date as possible. Any questions - call or e-mail.

March Madness

2009-02-27T07:37:00.002-05:00

I am going to post the rules and information for the pool during the week of March 2.

That will give everyone a chance to do some research prior to the two selection Sundays, if you feel a need to do so. It will, also, give you a chance to get questions answered.

Rules and info will be posted here and e-mailed to everyone listed in a previous post.

Congratulations, Matt!!!

2009-02-24T09:48:00.004-05:00

Matt just e-mailed me that he has been accepted into Pi Mu Epsilon which is a national mathematics honor society.

They have a website - http://www.pme-math.org/

This is from the website.

"Pi Mu Epsilon, Inc (PME), is the National Mathematics Honor Society.
Founded on May 25, 1914 at Syracuse University, PME currently has over 300 chapters at colleges and universities throughout the United States.
The purpose of the Society is to promote scholarly activity in mathematics among the students in academic institutions."

Way to go, Matt!!!

Happy Birthday, Matt!!!

2009-02-24T06:35:00.003-05:00

Birthday wishes go out to Matt on his 20th!!!

Happy Birthday, Jason!!!

2009-02-20T09:31:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to Jason on his 18th!!!

Double March Madness

2009-02-19T05:46:00.005-05:00

NCAA basketball tournament selection - March 15, 2009.

NCAA hockey tournament selection - March 22, 2009.

The following have expressed a desire to join the pool:

Pam
Matt
Jason
Betty
Lynn
Jeff
Amy
Marc
Ray
Shirley
Lauri
Kathi
Kim
Tammy

I have every one's e-mail address. If you choose to e-mail your brackets to me, after the selection shows, please send them to mcwpaw@msn.com.

More than one family member may enter, in fact, any individual may enter as many times as he/she would like, as long as you are willing to fork out the additional cash. The rest of us would be happy to take your money.

If you have a friend who would like to enter, he/she is welcome. We will be happy to take his/her money, also.

More info will be forthcoming.

2009-02-13T12:35:00.004-05:00

Highlight the ones you’ve done.

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disney World (that’s the one in Florida).
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not sick.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to truly be satisfied.
38. Seen the leaning tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David.
41. Sung karaoke (as a back up to Pam).
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served in a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp.
67. Bounced a check. (NSF)
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the changing of the guards in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Been to the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the paper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had Chicken pox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby (as a father).
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day (it was a short book).

Help

2009-02-13T10:12:00.002-05:00

I am trying to add the list in Kathi's blog to my posts. It keeps double spacing. How do I get it to single space?

I am so technologically challenged.

The Inauguration

2009-02-05T09:02:00.006-05:00

Check this out. It's sort of cool. I found it on one of our local radio station's websites. Zoom in and the blurry picture gets clear so that you can pick out individual people. George Bush looks thrilled to be there.

http://gigapan.org/viewGigapanFullscreen.php?auth=033ef14483ee899496648c2b4b06233c

A Kovaleski Invite

2009-02-04T06:37:00.002-05:00

Last year, the Warner side of the family had a pool for the NCAA basketball and hockey tournaments. Each bracket cost $10 to enter and cash prizes were awarded for the top three places. Standings were posted on this blog throughout the tournament.

I am extending an invitation to the K clan to join us. You can let me know here or e-mail to mike@ivancdutterer.com.

The Super Bowl

2009-02-02T06:42:00.002-05:00

What a game!!!

The Super Bowl was super. Both teams played a super game, we had super food and Springsteen and E Street were super.

Pam is happy. She is a true Steelers fan, not a playoff bandwagon rider like me.

I feel bad that a good guy like Kurt Warner didn't get another ring because he did everything that he could to put his team into a position to win. Unfortunately for him, the Steelers were a little bit better.

Congratulations Steelers.

Good News

2009-01-28T15:02:00.001-05:00

Tom Brady's rehab is back on track.

The Countdown Continues

2009-01-28T06:34:00.004-05:00

Four days to go until Super Sunday.

It seems, listening to the "experts", that the outcome of this game depends upon Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald. Quite simply, if the Steelers can shut down Fitzgerald, the Steelers will win. If not, the Cardinals will win their first Super Bowl.

It's never that simple. There always seems to be an unexpected hero. Who will it be this year?

Super Sunday

2009-01-26T09:11:00.002-05:00

Super Sunday is just around the corner. Six days to go.

There isn't anything in American professional team sports like it.

One and done.

There isn't any room for an off day.

Just like college playoffs (except of course Division 1 football, but that is another topic for another day).

It is the best.

I can't wait.

Error Message

2009-01-19T15:06:00.003-05:00

Error message on my computer today:

"Test cannot be started because it already does not exist."

My reaction was, "Huh???"

Can anybody explain this to me?

I Am A Steelers Fan...

2009-01-19T06:53:00.006-05:00

for two weeks.

My hopes for a PA Super Bowl were dashed by the Arizona Cardinals. What happened to the team that lost to the Patriots by 40 points in Week 16???

The Cardinals' run reminds me of what the Giants did last year. The difference this year is the Steelers' defense. They are so good and have maintained their excellence throughout the season. I just don't see the Cardinals' offense doing to the Steelers what they did to the Eagles yesterday.

For two weeks - GO STEELERS!!!

Where is that bandwagon?

Poll Question

2009-01-16T06:47:00.003-05:00

Apparently, global warming has taken a back seat to an Arctic blast this week. On the drive to work today, the morning weatherman said that the current temperature was 10 degrees. That means we were in single digits during the night.

My question is "How cold is it where you are?".

(If he comments, I know that I am already jealous of Ray's answer.)

The NFL Playoffs

2009-01-12T07:35:00.004-05:00

The sports media around here is probably going to be going crazy for the next few weeks. Three of the four teams in the conference championship games are "local" - Steelers, Eagles and Ravens.

There could even be a Pennsylvania Super Bowl. If that happens, who would Governor Rendell bet on?

I think that the Eagles will make it, but the Cardinals concern me because they appear to be on a NY Giants type roll.

The Steelers have taken two from the Ravens this year, but it's very difficult, in the NFL, to beat a team three times in a season.

Pam is a Steelers fan and I like to see them win when it doesn't have an adverse effect on the Pats, so I am going with the Steelers.

I see the Eagles and Steelers in the Super Bowl. Who do you like?

The Matt Update

2009-01-06T06:32:00.004-05:00

I haven't said much about Matt lately.

He is entering the final week of semester break and can't wait to get back to school. (I think I am making him crazy which I find hard to believe.)

He is majoring in actuarial science and has a 3.92 average.

Pam and I are really proud of him.

Keep up the good work, Matt.

The Decision

2009-01-06T06:29:00.002-05:00

Jason made it official - he is going to be a Millersville University Marauder.

He is going to attempt to make the soccer team as a walk-on.

I will keep you posted regarding his progress.

Good luck.

The Bruins

2008-12-22T09:32:00.002-05:00

I would be classified a casual hockey fan. I am only interested in the UNH hockey team and the Bruins. When they are eliminated from the playoffs, I lose interest.

I have a question for the real hockey fans. What's up with the Bruins? Second in points. Are they the real deal this year?

Let me know.

College Bound

2008-12-09T15:23:00.001-05:00

Congratulations go out to Jason who has been accepted at Millersville University and Shippensburg University.