11/19/07---Far be it for me not to mention this...but

After the season they've had....How about those Fighting Irish baby!!!

Yessir, we kicked a little Duke ass!   Ugh, how depressing is your season when you get excited about whoopin up on DUKE???

That aside.....there were some nice things to see...including:

Trevor Laws (DT) is a freakin animal.  I know because of his size he's going to have to wait until the 3rd or 4th round to get drafted, but whomever gets him is getting a flatout stallion.  What  a player......Nice to see Tommy Z get some time at QB as a goof.  The guy has had an up and down career--some really high high's (2005 vs. Tennessee) and some really bad lows (uh....USC?), but the guy is a warrior.....Jimmy Clausen is finally showing the form that will make him a great QB in the next year or two.  He's going to be fun to watch.....Robert Hughes & Armando Allen, considering that their freshmen, are going to give the Irish a pretty substantial backfield in the next year or two....Good Lord almighty, how many passes did our WR's drop?......Here's a guy you didn't notice this year but who is going to be great---DT Ian Williams.  Its sad to see T. Laws go, but the position will be in good hands with Ian.  What a horse.....


Later,
Jeff

11/17/07--Closing out our visit to Notre Dame

So Friday morning we traveled to South Bend from Chicago, which takes a little over an hour, all the while traveling through some of the most beautiful rolling farmland you'll ever see.  Once you get outside lovely industrial Gary, Indiana, that is.

We got into the South Bend area (actually Elkhart, Indiana) and checked into our hotel.
After that, we drove over to the campus and made our way to the bookstore--and it was waaaaay colder than the weatherman told us it would be.  The store had about triple the amount of customers it had two years ago when I was last there--it was literally a madhouse--amazing in itself for a team that was 1-8.  I dropped a couple of hundred on the merch and then we headed over to pick up some tickets for the pep rally.

Again, considering how lousy the team has been, the pep rally was a pretty amazing affair.  It was totally packed inside the Joyce ACC, and the crowd was very supportive of the team.  The surprise guest (they have one at every rally) was Allen Pinkett, who left the school in 1985 as the school's alltime leading rusher.  Quite frankly, it was kind of a letdown.

After that, we walked across the campus to the Grotto, where Rene & Johnny lit a candle for their daughter Scarlett, who got some worrisome news earlier in the day.
We're thinking of you Scar!!!

After a bite to eat at a Roadhouse Grill with about 200 other N.D. fans, it was in for the night in preparation for the game the next day.


We got up Saturday to a light frost on the ground and a total fog blackout around the hotel.  It was interesting--we literally couldn't see more than 2 car lengths in front of us for almost the entire drive...and right as we got to the stadium, the fog lifted and the sun just shone spectacularly.  We took it for a good omen.

Well....so much for omens.  The Irish pretty much laid an egg on the field against Air Force and lost 41-24.  About the only good thing to come out of the game was that QB Jimmy Clausen looked pretty damn impressive in the 2nd half, throwing for a total of 3 touchdowns.  Other than that...well, the weather was nice, ya know?

After the game we went out for dinner, all of us got a little bit loaded, and enjoyed each others company.  The game was bad---but the trip itself was great.

The next morning we made our way back to Chicago for the flight home...luckily forus, no weirdo's....although the flight attendants were a little strange.  But that's another story for another day.


Later,
Jeff

11/14/07--More Tales from Chi-Town

So we got up on Thursday morning and headed out for the Untouchables tour.
Untouchable Tours Home  Two guys dressed up from the 20's & 30's took us on a tour of all the old gangster hotspots from the Al Capone days.  Besides being interesting, it also gave us a chance to check out things in Chicago that we might have otherwise not realized even existed (who knew Chicago had a Chinatown?).

After the two hour tour (go ahead...hum with me...."the two hour tour....") we decided to go get an early lunch at Carson's BBQ Ribs.  Top notch people, absolutely top notch.
Carson's BBQ Ribs Sauce BBQ Barbecue, Barbeque Chicago Baby, Back Ribs Father's Day Gift Mother's Day Gift Birthday Gift Chri...  I really loved the sauce and even Johnny---the original BBQ connoisseur from the south--was impressed.
Hey, to me...that's high praise that I had made the right selection.  After lunch we took them to the John Hancock Building and way up to the 94th floor for a panoramic view of the entire city.  There was also a part of the upper floor that was dedicated to the massive undertaking that was involved in rebuilding the city after the great Chicago Fire.
Hello....anyone remember Mrs O'Leary's cow? 
After that, Kim & I decided to take a nice walk down Michigan Avenue, where the elite go to meet and greet in Chicago....which was really nice since it was about 55 degrees outside.  I can't repeat this enough--the people of the Midwest are so nice compared to the people of south Florida.  Lord, please get me out of here soon and let me move to the Midwest.
After going back to the hotel, we hooked up with Rene & Johnny for a nice dinner at a slightly upscale Chicago restaurant.  Shaw's Crabhouse.Shaw's Crab House: Fresh Seafood, Steak, Sushi, Crab in Chicago and Schaumburg  Who knew that Chicago was the place to go for crabs?  I had a lovely steak and shrimp...in keeping with a longstanding tradition of never ordering the meal that the restaurant is famous for.
Hey, I go to Outback and order the chicken, okay?
After dinner....fate played a hand in our next move.  We were trying to decide which club we should go to for some live music, when I happened to speak to my old buddy Dave Flaherty....I told him we were getting ready to go see some live music in Chicago and without another word he said:

"Well please tell me that your going to Buddy Guy's."  Buddy Guy's Legends
So we headed out for a night of the blues and were not disappointed.  The headline act that evening was guitarist Jimmy Johnson

Jimmy Johnson Biography - Read blues music reviews and compare prices at Yahoo! Shopping.

and he was eventually joined on stage for a brief jam session by Buddy Guy!!  It was super good and the crowd of about 200 to 300 was totally into it.

After the show we headed back to the hotel, because....well, ya know....we're not quite as young as we used to be....and so we took a cab.  The guy is taking a route back that uses Michigan Avenue--remember that street I had walked on earlier?  Well, this guy is driving and I kid you not....probably hitting 80 mph on city streets.  I'm sort of hanging on for dear life in the front seat while the other 3 have a look of blind terror on their faces.  Apparently the cab driver finally realized that we were all afraid we were about to die, so he looks at me and says:  (heavy accent)

"Dare eez.....no speed limit on Michigan Avenue."

I looked back at him and uttered:

"Well apparently not."

Chicago....its a toddlin town.

Later,
Jeff

PS...tomorrow....we head to South Bend and Notre Dame.

11/12/07---Back from..."Sweet Home...Chicago"

So we left late Wednesday afternoon, the 7th from Ft Lauderdale.  Mind you, we left for the airport right after the caught the guy who murdered a transportation deputy on his way to the courthouse for trial, so the whole county was in the middle of a panic as we were preparing to leave.  Fortunately they caught the guy....would've been a shame if he accidentally slipped and fell on the way to the jail, huh?

Anyway...we got to the airport (repeat this with me because you knew it was coming):
EARLY (my wife and her time issues).  So while we're waiting for our flight to be called, I had what David Letterman likes to call....a "brush with greatness".  I'm walking around, listening to some tunes on the IPOD and I walk past this guy...and I'm thinking...'he looks awful familar'.  So I go past him again...and lo & behold...sitting there:

Joe Theismann.

Former Super Bowl winning QB...and, more importantly...former Notre Dame starting QB under Ara Parseghian.  Oh mama!  Here I am....heading up to a Notre Dame game, and I run into an alltime great right there in the airport!  He was talking on the phone, so I waited until he had a moment free (I think people that barge up and interrupt people while they're on the phone or eating dinner are so rude) and approached him.  I had heard a few times that he was pretty cocky and full of himself...so I was a little bit cautious.  I'm happy to say the guy couldn't have been more gracious.  He shook my hand and when I mentioned that I was heading up for the Air Force game he smiled and told me that he knew I was going to have a great time, since no place is better than Notre Dame to watch a college game.  He told me that he had been up to N.D. three times that year and wasn't sure if he would be able to make it back before the end of the season or not.  Really a polite guy and a treat to talk with.  After a few minutes he got another call and I excused myself so he could take it.  What an awesome start to my weekend!!

So we get on the plane for the flight to Chicago, and the first thing I notice is the weird guy across the aisle from us....when I say weird, I mean....hmm.....weird as in...."potential sexual predator" kind of weird.  First of all, we catch him listening to our conversation....then he takes his shoes off and stretches across his seat (he was alone in his row--small wonder) and leaves his feet propped up on the arm rest.  HELLO!!!
Why does this guy think that everyone wants to smell his stinky feet?  I was getting ready to discuss the guy's toe fungus with him when he changed position and put his feet on the seats towards the window.  Wow, wouldn't I love to be the next passenger sitting in one of those seats!  Later in the flight, we noticed that the guy was leaning forward in his seat and looking at the two girls in the seats in front of him.  They were two teenagers--maybe Japanese or something (not too bad looking--oops!)--and we couldn't figure out if the guy was listening to their conversation or trying to look down their shirts.
Pre-vert alert!

Meanwhile, while all of that is going on.....I've figured out that the lovely roast beef sandwich that my wife had bought me from Arby's, that 5 star den of cuisine, was....ya know...starting to let me know it was unhappy being in my stomach.  I mean....REALLY unhappy.  So Kim asks me what's wrong, and I tell her...her suggestion?

Unbutton my pants.   Ya know....loosen things up a bit.

I figure that's easier said than done with two ladies in back of me and the pervert with the smelly feet across the aisle.  I can just see it now....I make the casual unbutton of the pants...look across the aisle and get the knowing "wink wink, nod nod, nudge nudge" from old Smelly Feet.  Why do these things happen to me???

Finally we arrive in Chi-town, and we've got about a 1 and 1/2 hour wait until my sister and her husband Johnny arrive to hook up with us.  While we're getting our rental car, the guy at the counter mentions that there's a shuttle that will take us to a local hotel that has a pub and maybe we can get a drink while we're waiting.  Our choices are either a TGI Friday's or a pub called Clancy's.  I tell Kim that my good father would be aghast if I passed up a chance to go to a fine Irish pub in lieu of Friday's!  Ugh....as if!
So we go in, order a drink and we're engaging in some light conversation when these two ladies come in--one of whom is walking with crutches.  Now, we're at a table--not at the bar.  And the two ladies try and squeeze a spot at the bar, only to be rebuffed by a guy who's apparently returning from the restroom.  So now one of the women don't have a place to sit...and they turn and look at us.  Now again, mind you....the table next tous was occupied by ONE WOMAN...by herself....who had a drink.  We're sitting there with a drink and some food that had just been delivered (horrible potato skins-UGH).  Do they look at the woman to get up?  Oh of course not.  They give us the dirty look and the...."how dare you not get up so my injured friend has a place to sit??" look.
Sorry sister....find another sucker.  So after a short time, we get ready for the shuttle to come back around and take us back to the airport to pick up sis.  The shuttle arrives at the hotel--and I mean to tell you its packed.  And it begins to unload.  I think I counted approximatley 27 women--all between the ages of 35 and 55.  I finally turned to Kim and said:

"This many women in one spot....I gotta have an ex-wife in there somewhere."

So my wife....being ever supportative....says:

"Any of you ladies ever been married to this guy?"    Lovely, huh?

By the way...no sign of wife #1 or #2.  Just for the record.


So we go back to airport...and my sister finally arrives.  They were coming up from Jacksonville and had quite the day.  Complete with that lovely 4 hour layover in Atlanta.
I would rather be in purgatory than in the Atlanta airport.  Come to think of it...some people think that's where you go when your sent to purgatory...but I digress.
So we get our car, head thru Chicago towards our hotel....the Sofitel Hotel.  Its right next to the John Hancock Building in downtown Chicago and is 32 floors.  In a word?
Spectacular.  I mean quite possibly the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in.  And the funny part?  Its own by Motel 6.  I guess "Sofitel" is the upscale brand of Motel 6.  And holy crap is it ever upscale.  I mean bellhops, doormen, valets....all there to make sure you don't as much as sneeze without someone offering you a cloth hanky.  And I don't wanna say the rooms were nice...but Kim wanted to take a photo...of the bathroom.
I overruled that--sorry...I do have SOME standards.  After getting a little settled, we walked across the street for the old 10:30pm dinner at Pizano's.  Pizano's Pizza on State Street in Chicago    Johnny had been waiting for his first taste of authentic Chicago style pizza and he wasn't disappointed....and neither were any of the rest of us.  Terrific food!!

End of day #1----day #2 coming shortly.

Later,
Jeff

11/4/07--Update on Kellie and the old emotional rollercoaster

So first off, since I haven't written in about a week, Kellie's surgery was very successful and came with only the slightest amount of drama (well, "slightest" in relation to Kellie at least).  She is still on crutches and is undergoing therapy around 3 or 4 times per week, usually being lectured by her therapist about not being such a baby. 

It's been an interesting weekend for a lot of different reasons.  Friday night we went to see the kids high school football game.  Their team, Ft Lauderdale American Heritage, was playing Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna, probably their most hated rival.  A.H. has lost like 7 years in a row to Chaminade, usually in some heartbreaking fashion.
The game the other night was of special interest not only because of the rivalry, but because A.H. was undefeated going into the game and ranked #2 in the entire state of Florida in their classification!!  Chaminade, usually a contender for the state championship, was 4-4 and having a relatively disappointing season after having their head coach leave for a bigger school in the offseason and take a number of coaches and players (cough, cough--recruiting--cough, cough) with him.  So anyway, the game was looked upon as sort of a big deal at the school.  We arrived early--naturally---and saw that there were actually TAILGATERS in the parking lot.  That's how you know that a game is bigtime folks...TAILGATERS at a high school game.  A.H. fell behind 14-3, but manage to make it 14-11 right before halftime with a touchdown and 2 point conversion.
The A.H. defense played a stellar 2nd half and shut down the Chaminade offense, which opened the door for A.H.'s offense to score a touchdown and pull ahead 17-14.  The game was tooth and nail all night after that and the clock began its in inexorable march towards the game's end.  A.H. had the ball and was driving for the touchdown that would clinch the victory.  They moved inside the 5 and 3 attempts got them to the 1 yard line.  4th down and 1.  The coach went for the touchdown that would seal the victory and a win over their biggest rivals.  The offense lined up....the quarterback set the offense and got under the center.  The ball was snapped......2 minutes left in the game.
And the quarterback....fumbled the snap.  
A giant collective groan swept over the home team's crowd as the fans on the opposing sidelines cheered their team getting one final opportunity.  A.H. fans wondered if once again the team would have to accept a heartbreaking defeat.  Chaminade had 99 yards to go in 2 minutes.  They made their way out to the 20 and then faced a 4th and 10.
Their quarterback dropped back to pass and through a pass in the flat to a RB that was a little too high.  Game over!  Uh, wait a minute....flag on the field.  Personal foul, A.H.
Blow to the QB's head.  Chaminade is still alive.  They move the ball to midfield and are again faced with a 4th down.  A pass over the middle and they just make it.  Chaminade has life.  The clock is slowly (way too slowly, I think) ticking down.  Chaminade moves the ball to the A.H. 25 yard line with around 20 seconds left....its 4th down and 4.
The coach for Chaminade decides to go for the field goal that will tie the game and send it into...(all together now).....oooovertime.
The teams line up....the crowd roars in anticipation...and then there is movement on both sides and the official's flags go into air.  Immediately I tell my wife that this is a horrible time to get a penalty because if its against A.H. it will give Chaminade an automatic first down and a couple more chances to go for a touchdown.  The official confer.
Finally the referee emerges and makes his call.
"Offsides.....Chaminade."
The A.H. sideline errupts in cheers and the ball is set back 5 yards further for Chaminade.  Once again the teams line up for the field goal.  The kicker signals to the holder that he's ready.  The ball is snapped....the two opposing teams collide for one brief moment....the ball is set down by the holder....the kick is up and.....

Blocked.

The ball is recovered by A.H. the clock runs out.  I've been going to games at A.H. for 9 years now and something happened that I hadn't seen before.  The crowd (well, okay mainly the students of A.H.) stormed the field in celebration.  The atmosphere was absolutely electric.  The losing streak was over....their biggest rival was defeated....and A.H. was one game away from an undefeated season.

A.H.-17  Chaminade-Madonna-14



Yesterday Notre Dame played Navy.  Notre Dame had won a mind boggling 42 games in a row over the Mid-Shipmen.  Its mind boggling because throughout the streak the Irish have had some really crappy teamsand coaches, and through it all they've managed, at times seemingly miraculously, to beat the Middies.  Father Theodore Hesburgh, the former president of Notre Dame, has said in the past that Navy is the one team on the Irish schedule that he wouldn't mind occasionally losing a game too.  A lot of people who are "experts" wonder why the Irish continue to schedule Navy every year, without knowing the real reason behind the game.  During the early to mid 40's, at the height of World War II, Notre Dame was an all-male college.  The need for man power and officers was so great that there was a legitimate concern on the part of the university that Notre Dame would have to close the university.  The U.S. Navy stepped up and arranged for the campus in South Bend, Indiana to be turned into a Naval Base for the duration of the war for training Naval officers.  The school was thereby saved and in return, the Notre Dame administration vowed to always have Navy remain on the Notre Dame football schedule.
Little history lesson for ya there....free of charge.

So as you might have heard, Navy defeated Notre Dame--finally---46-44 in triple overtime.  It was an exciting game although their were some head scratching moments.
As an Irish fan, I have resigned myself to the fact that, as much as I love Charlie Weis as a Notre Dame man and coach....at least once or twice a game he will make a call that has me asking myself--as a Notre Dame fan:

"What the hell was he thinking there?"

Only sometimes....I confess....I use words other than "hell".  Sorry Dad.


Anyway, I was happy that my Dad got to see the Mid-Shipmen break the streak.  It was a nice win for Navy and if Notre Dame was ever going to lose to them, it might as well have been this year, when Notre Dame has been as horrible as its ever been.
Navy coach Paul Johnson is a terrific coach....and trust me, if Charlie Weis ever did leave Notre Dame....I would have no problem at all with him being the new head coach.

I called my dad and left him a message of congratulations for the win.  I stewed a little about a few calls here and there....but I had come to grips with the loss....and then, I got a phone call.....


Do you want to know the definition of a true friend? I mean a real compadre? An amigo????

That's my buddy Greg, who is sitting at Mark Nulty's wedding with former world champion and legend Jack Brisco when the news filters in that Notre Dame has lost to Navy. Greg mutters out loud that I must really be hurting over a loss like that--he then reminds Jack of when we met at CAC a couple years back....and then Greg calls me at home...and puts Jack on the phone to ask me the score of the Notre Dame game.



I heard Jack sort of snickering through the phone and happened to mention that Oklahoma State had blown a 21 point 4th quarter lead to Texas today and said:

"HOOK 'EM HORNS JACK!!"

So the way I look at it...Greg is sitting there with one of our heroes...and to take the time to call me and give me a rash of **** .....wow...
what a friend!!!


Wow!  A former world champion calls me to razz me about a Notre Dame loss!!
Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing after all.


Anf finally, I got a phone call from my friend Colleen yesterday about her son Matthew.
Matt has really been struggling since being diagnosed (at age 21) with cancer.  It started as a melanoma on his back and it metastetized into his liver.  That's not good.
Well yesterday Colleen called me and told me that the lesions on his back have begun to shrink and the ones on his liver have stopped growing.  Finally the chemo is taking hold.

Suddenly a Notre Dame loss is put into perspective.

Later,
Jeff