It's March 31st, and That Means...

...yes, birthday number twenty-nine for yours truly. I will end the celebration there.

In fact, it stated rather low, but it is getting much better. I got to enjoy the wonderful world of worker's compensation care due to a shoulder injury I suffered at work yesterday. As a friend alluded to in an email, hurting yourself stacking boxes is a rather unexciting and undesirable way to get hurt. Nevertheless, I am better now, and the injury is minor (nothing some muscle relaxers and a little heat won't fix).

Mandy and I will go out to dinner tonight, perhaps a movie. Last night was our fifth year anniversary of our first date, a dinner-movie combination while I visited her in Ohio. That pair of activities is stock in trade for us, even today.

We hope to make it to the Cherry Blossom Festival tomorrow or Sunday, as it will be perhaps the last time we can go. Both phone interviews this week went well, and I have a sit-down in Florida in a couple of weeks. This is an especially good opportunity, so long as I can acclimate to the surroundings (you know, warm weather, flat terrain, etc.).

There is also the Final Four. Mandy and I are done with the brackets, as is perhaps 99.9% of the country. George Mason is receiving a lot of support here locally, but it really doesn't interest me as it is all bandwagon fanfare that will not last beyond the weekend. The good news is that GMU is getting some positive publicity in the media, which it deserves for being a pretty good academic institution. Several graduates have written lovingly about this institution, such as this example from the Wall Street Journal. Of course, they failed to mention the best thing about GMU, economist and conservative icon Dr. Walter Williams.

As always, much to do and not a lot of time to get it done. So begins year number thirty.

Bad Idea, Clooney and the Gang

I don't know how Mandy will feel about this when she sees it, but I have a good idea.  It appears as if they are going to make another sequel to the Ocean's 11 franchise.  While the original remake of the 60's classic was very good, perhaps one of the best comedy capers in history, the follow-up was in many ways a dud.  It almost looked as if the actors were having more fund being around each other than focusing on the movie itself (which could also be said about the Sinatra/Rat Pack original).  Their justification for another foray is probably the same as it is for most sequels: money.  Hopefully, they will pay attention to the camera this time around.

All Alone

I am really missing my sweetheart, and I cannot wait to see her on Sunday.  Until then, I am heading down to Fredericksburg for a Tennessee Tech Alumni dinner tonight, then truding through another budget worksession tomorrow.

What is Dallas Doing?

Those who know me are aware that I am a life-long fan of the Dallas Cowboys.  While I am not as gung ho as I was during the era of Aikman, Smith, and Irvin, I still wish them well each season.  However, recent moves by Dallas management in bringing aboard malcontents Terrell Owens and Mike Vanderjagt do bother me.  While both are talented, they are not "team focused," which is the most important character trait of a successful athlete in today's NFL.  I hope Parcells can work his magic on both in a way that provides long-term success for the Cowboys, but right now, I am very skeptical.

Breakfast Masterpiece

I' probably late on the wagon about this, but I had my first McGriddle this morning and was completely impressed.  It truly is a meal in the palm of your hand.

 

Kudos also to McDonald's for their coffee cup.  They figured out the exact amount of foam thickness in order to keep the drink warm and transfer heat to your hand.  At the same time, it is not too thick like a regular Styrofoam cup.  Now, if an economy outfit like McDonald's can figure out the art of the proper disposable coffee cup, why can't the premium coffee chains.  I almost burned my hand with a cup from Caribou this weekend, and it even had one of the paper spacers.

 

Black and Blue Brackets

Well, the NCAA Tourney has two rounds in the record books, and Mandy and I are pretty close in our bracket picks.  In some ways, we are both doing poorly.  While we are still above 50% in our predictions, several key losses (Kansas, UNC) will impact us in later rounds.  I was pretty lucky to come away from the First Round without a loss that went beyond the Second, but that did not hold true on Saturday and Sunday.

 

I was not suprised that UT lost in the Second Round, though I did have them making it into the Sweet 16.  They would probably had made it further if they had been given a lower starting seed, reducing the pressure.  Still, they did not look good in the first game, which made me very worried going into their eventual submission to Wichita State.

 

Congrats for a good season to the Tennessee Tech Golden Eaglettes.  Though they lost to Western Kentucky Friday night in the Women's NIT, a postseason performance is still a sign of great accomplishments, and perhaps more to come next year.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

There are a few friends of our with definitive Irish roots that I definitely extend best wishes on this day. Of course, there are us mutts like me who can only claim Irish heritage because, well, everything else is in there. The whole "Irish for a Day" thing has kinda bothered me for a long time, as if people are not comfortable enough in their cultural identity, whatever it may happen to me.

Perhaps this poem I wrote this morning best expresses my feelings:

I'm Irish

On a day

when many

claim certain

lineage

to people

they know not,

I wonder

if the green

everyone

wears like

their birthright,

Represents

an envy

for something

more than their

lonesome self,

That ignores

their real roots

every

other chance

On a final note, Manassas is having their annual St. Patrick's Parade tomorrow (Saturday) morning. Usually, when parades are held on days other than the actual holiday, they are held in advance. That's what they did in Ballston with their Irish carnival last weekend.

Anyway, those are my two cents on the day. About time for a green beverage.

Another Cookeville Product (sort-of)

Until this morning, I did not realize that Duke basketball star (and sworn enemy of my in-laws) J.J. Reddick was born in Cookeville.  An article on his family background describes them pretty much as, well, perhaps more intelligent hippies.  They mention his parents throwing pots on a "farm" near Cookeville when J.J. was born.  Growing up there at the time, I did not know of any such place except the Appalachian Center for Craft, which is an arts institute run by Tennessee Tech.  Some liberties must have been taken by the writer, for I've been to the Center several times and don't think of it as a farm.  Reddick was born about 6 months after my youngest sister.  So far, I have not seen any mention of Reddick's roots in the Herald-Citizen.

 

This marks the second major sports celebrity to come from Cookeville this year, the first being Texas Head Football Coach Mack Brown, who is actually a Cookeville native.

Vols Not Deserving, Eaglettes Win

Neither University of Tennessee team, Men's or Women's, deserves the #2 regional rankings they received in the NCAA Basketball Tournament. While the Men exceeded expectations and definitely responded well under the new leadership of Bruce Pearl, their end of the season was not sufficient to warrant being placed above several teams that had better finales. As for the women, despite some missteps along the way, they rebounded convincingly with an SEC tournament championship (and this time, not close to home). They play the toughest schedule in the country, and are members of the toughest conference in the country. This is not to say that UNC or Duke are overrated, but they have easier in-conference schedules that UT, or LSU, or any of the other top-SEC schools. The Lady Vols definitely deserved a #1 bid.

On a happier note, congrats to my alma mater Tennessee Tech Golden Eaglettes on their victory last night over Belmont in the Women's NIT. They will next play Western Kentucky. I am very glad to see them back in postseason competition, and it good to see that the NCAA, in their takeover of the NIT, have found a way to award regular season conference champions (Tech won the OVC) for their hard work and success. Here's hoping the run is a long one.

Shopping for Shoes

No, I am not referring to the Mark Knopfler song. I need a good pair of brown dress shoes to replace some well-used, four-year-old Rockports. The only upgrade being considered is going to waterproof, which my current shoes are surprisingly not. The model I like right now is the Dockers Shelter.

In case anyone is wondering, I am not interested in the new tattoo loafer line.

Big Nothing

While avid HBO subscribers, we do not pay much attention to their series. I did not know until last night that Tony Soprano got shot, though I can say I thought something like this would happen as they are starting their final (or close to final) season. We did turn on the new series Big Love last night, then propmtly changed the channel after about 10 minutes. No quarrells over content, except that it was exceedingly boring, right from the long, drawn-out opening.

Scam Alert

Received this from a Rotarian earlier today. Very important.

"Like you, I hate it when people forward bogus warnings -- but this one is important. And you might want to forward this to those you care about.

"If someone comes to your front door saying they are conducting a survey on deer ticks and asks you to take your clothes off and dance around with your arms up, DO NOT DO IT!! IT IS A SCAM; they only want to see you naked.

"I wish I'd gotten this yesterday. I feel so stupid now."

Only 89% Southern

Took a Yankee-Rebel language test just now and learned that based on my vocabulary, I am only 89% Southern. This Northern living must be catching up with me.

Great Weekend

Rachel's performance in Richmond went very well. She was only in one piece, but it was among the best. A few of the pieces left a lot to be desired, not as much in the dancing, but in the choreography and design. I also must say that the lighting was excellent. Congrats to Adam for his hard work.

Afterward, my parents took us to Galaxy Diner, which was another wonderful experience. I had the country fried steak and eggs, which hit the spot nicely. So did three cups of pretty good coffee (kept me up for my 2:00 a.m. drive back to Manassas, thankfully). The waiter was also nice enough to update Mandy on the results of the Carolina/Duke game (where we found out about the Tar Heels' victory). Mandy and I definitely recommend it. The same cannot be said about our lunch at Ruby Tuesday.

Carolina/Duke

There is, of course, something else going on Saturday night. UNC and Duke will square off in their second head-to-head of the season. National Review Online provides an excellent article from an UNC Alum about the nature of what is perhaps the most passionate rivalry in college basketball.

I always favored the Tar Heels in this matchup, but I never realized how important it was until I met Mandy. She may not say it, but there is a bit of disappointment in her that we will not be able to watch the game. She not only is a Tar Heel fan, but she comes from a Tar Heel family who are among the rabid on the subject. Here's to a good game, and a Carolina victory.

By the way, something else I have had to learn with Mandy is that "Carolina" means UNC. Growing up in SEC land, I always thought it meant the Gamecocks. Of course, I should not think highly of them anymore, now that they have Spurrier.

McDonald's Coffee

I was a little skeptical when I walked into my local McD's this week and saw that they are selling "Premium" coffee. While I am an avid fan of the less than $1.00 cup, I found McDonald's offering to be, well, swill. I did notice that their price for "Premium" was still less than what you would find at Starbuck's, so I chose to gave their decaf a shot. It was actually pretty smooth, which is not something you will find with most premium offerings. It is definitely a step above 7-Eleven, which always tastes burnt.

The article on McDonald's offering indicated that they would release their new coffee this coming Monday. I hope they already have, as they should not ruin the good thing they have going.

Saturday in Richmond...

This will be perhaps the last time I see my youngest sister, Rachel, as an amateur dancer, as she performs in the Spring Student/Faculty Concert at Virginia Commonwealth University's Grace Street Theatre. She graduates in May and has already landed a performing "job" with a company in Richmond. If you would like to see a picture of her in action, visit VCU's Dance Department (she's the one in the air).

It is pretty amazing to think about a sibling you remember being born while you were in grade school reaching this point in her life. Rachel did not follow the path Martha and I set in life, choosing to go her own way. So far, she looks to be pretty successful. I honestly had a great deal of apprehension when she chose to study dance, and even more when she chose to go to school in Richmond, a place that is by no means friendly or safe. However, we are now at the point where she is proving herself effectively, and I am very proud of her.